WINDRUSH 75 | BLACK LENS – THE HARDER THEY COME (Cert 15)
7pm, Thursday 22nd June 2023
Join us for our final special Windrush 75 Black Lens film night.
Our monthly Black Lens film night returns again in June for a special screening of The Harder They Come, as part of our special Windrush 75 celebrations, with a fantastic performance from Reggae Choir and a DJ set to finish the night on a high note.
Come and enjoy a stone cold classic film from 1972 written, produced and directed by Jamaican born Perry Henzell.
The Harder They Come, is a crime movie masterpiece that has not only delivered a soundtrack that remains one of cinema’s finest, but also helped promote reggae and roots as a cultural force and made the world recognise Jamaica as the innovatively creative hotspot it had always been.
The Harder They Come stars a seductive Jimmy Cliff in the role as Ivan Martin, a country boy battling Kingston’s ruthless record labels to make it as a successful musician.
Will it be Ivan’s singing talent that brings him his reward, or the seemingly easier option of crime that will provide fortune if not fame?
“Perry Henzell’s unfiltered portrait of Jamaica’s music industry, the emerging Rasta faith and how so many Jamaicans lived, both in the town and the country, redefined a genre of music, giving it context and weight. Five decades on, that excitement and sense of discovery remain undimmed.”
Lloyd Bradley – author of “Bass Culture” and curator of last year’s “From Jamaica to the World: Reggae on Film” at BFI Southbank
THE HARDER THEY COME trailer (viewer discretion advised – suitable for 15+ years old only)
Doors open at 7pm, with Reggae Choir performing from 7.15pm. The Harder They Come will be screened from 7.40pm, followed by a set from DJ Ayito. Tickets are available from £8 with our accessible Pay What You Can (PWYC) offer.
Fan of the film soundtrack?
Why not join us on Saturday 24th June and experience the Reggae Choir’s take on The Harder They Come legendary soundtrack, as part of our Saturday Block Party programme?
REGGAE CHOIR
Reggae Choir is an exciting amateur, non-audition, non-religious, contemporary ensemble, open to all who enjoy singing reggae music, regardless of skill or experience.
Formed in 2012 Reggae Choir have performed at many indoor and outdoor events and festivals including the U. K’s largest reggae and dub festival ‘One Love’, Citadel Festival, The London International Ska Festival, Royal Festival Hall, Fairfield Concert Hall, a sell out show at world Famous Jazz Café in Camden Town, Hackney Empire, Hayling Island Reggae and Soul Weekender and The Royal Academy of Arts to name but a few.
Reggae Choir have also performed alongside the likes of Sandra Cross, Dennis Bovell, Brinsley Ford, Janet Kay, Black Slate, Tippa Irie, Tomorrows Warriors and shared line ups with Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy, Ken Boothe General Levy, and many other well known and much loved reggae artists.
The choir runs three, ten-week terms across the academic year and sings many sub-genres of reggae music such as Ska, Two-Tone, Rocksteady, Lovers Rock, Roots, Classic Reggae and Pop Reggae. We even give a reggae twist to popular songs, just imagine Motown to a thumping baseline!
Reggae Choir presently has six locations across London running five days a week: Willesden Green, Tottenham, Stratford, Peckham, Enfield and Hackney
DJ AYITO
Ayito is a DJ part of the recent wave of Reggae/Dub/Steppas selectors in the UK. She started her journey through the UK reggae scene as a sound woman for her sound system crew, Unit 137. Ayito’s rapid rise began at house parties and grew to multiple event and happening bookings. Her love for the music and sound system culture quickly motivated her to share that passion with the world. Ayito now tours the world performing at numerous events and festivals including International Dub Gathering in Spain and FAME Festival in Barbados and Glastonbury Festival.
Ayito has been lucky to be surrounded by musically talented people who have inspired her and pushed her to learn the details of the music, industry inspiring her
passion and immersing Ayito in the ways of roots culture. As a female selector, in a male-dominated industry. Ayito hopes to motivate and empower women to follow her footsteps to live their dreams and realize their ambitions, fueled with a love for music and life.
Ayito’s music collection includes reggae and dub classics as well as more recent exclusives steppas, dub, dubplates and digi releases. She has learnt to play on sound systems therefore, her selection is always bound to be a bassy one. Although she loves old school reggae classics, she also enjoys working a crowd with digitally mixed tunes.