35
Jimmy Cliff attends a Grammy After-Party on Feb. 13, 2011 in Los Angeles. David Livingston, Getty Images
35
His first international album was Hard Road to Travel, released in 1967, which received excellent reviews and included“ Waterfall,” which became a hit in Brazil and won the International Song Festival. The title itself—” Hard Road to Travel”— captured the essence of Cliff’ s journey: difficult, but carried out with dignity and determination. In 1969,“ Wonderful World, Beautiful People” followed, and in 1970,“ Vietnam”— two songs that were popular in most parts of the world. Bob Dylan called the single“ Vietnam” the best protest song he had ever heard— an extraordinary compliment coming from a master of the genre. Cliff later explained: Social justice has always been part of my inspiration. For example, when the Vietnam War was going on, I wrote a song about it. He released“ Many Rivers to Cross” in 1969, a song about his struggles with the music industry. This poignant ballad— since covered by Cher, UB40, John Lennon, and countless others— remains one of Cliff’ s greatest compositions, a meditation on resilience in the face of adversity.
The Harder They Come: The Film That Changed Everything
Then came 1972. The year Jimmy Cliff became not just a star— he became an icon. Cliff starred in The Harder They Come, Jamaica’ s first major commercial film, and the soundtrack helped put reggae on the world map. The film, produced and written by Perry Henzell, told the story of Ivan, a young country boy who arrives in Kingston dreaming of becoming a singer, but encounters corruption in the music industry and ends up an outlaw. The character of Ivan was inspired by real-life Jamaican outlaws, and Cliff gave him a humanity, rage, and dignity that resonated around the world. The film became an underground cult classic, screened in art house cinemas around the world. But it was the soundtrack that transcended everything. Cliff contributed to the soundtrack with classics such as“ Many Rivers to Cross,”“ Sitting in Limbo,” and the title track. The lyrics of“ The Harder They Come” became an anthem of resistance:
Flashmag! Edition 167 Decembre 2025