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He explained one day:“ Rastafarianism means living in nature, seeing the Creator in the wind, the sea, and the storm. Other religions pointed to the sky, and while we were looking up at the sky, they dug up all the gold and diamonds and left with them.”
The 1980s and 1990s: Success and Commitment
Flashmag! Issue 167 December 2025
Jimmy Cliff: 1970: Afro and jacketPhoto: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
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The 1980s saw Cliff return to commercial success. In 1983, The Power and the Glory, which marked the beginning of his partnership with Kool & the Gang, was nominated for a Grammy. Its successor, Cliff Hanger, won the Grammy in 1985 for Best Reggae Performance. In 1990, Cliff appeared in the film Marked for Death, performing“ John Crow” with the Jimmy Cliff Band. His political commitment remained intact: his recording of“ You Can Get It If You Really Want” was used as a campaign anthem by the Sandinista National Liberation Front during the 1990 election in Nicaragua. Cliff later explained:“ My records became hits in South Africa; they were songs that people used to fight against the apartheid system. I didn’ t have a clear understanding of the embargo, but even if I had, I would have gone anyway because that was what my song was about. I wasn’ t going to Sun City to make money, I was going to Soweto to sing to the people who had used my music for freedom.” In 1993, Cliff returned to the mainstream American charts with a cover of Johnny Nash’ s“ I Can See Clearly Now” on the Cool Runnings soundtrack— a song of hope and clarity that resonated with millions. Renaissance in the 21st Century: Rebirth The new millennium brought a remarkable renaissance. In 2012, the album Rebirth, produced by Rancid and Operation Ivy punk Tim Armstrong, won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album and was named one of Rolling Stone’ s 50 Best Albums of 2012, while Cliff delivered stunning performances at Coachella, Bonnaroo, and beyond. Rebirth was exactly what its title suggested— an artistic rebirth. The collaboration with Armstrong, a respectful white punk rocker and reggae fan, created a sound that honored the roots while embracing modernity.