Jimmy Cliff took reggae music worldwide

Jimmy Cliff

IT IS widely held that Jimmy Cliff was the first person to take reggae music worldwide, through his early 1970s' flick The Harder They Come, which had a powerhouse soundtrack. He's equally talented an actor, as he is a musician, although he has achieved his international recognition because of his exploits as singer/songwriter/performer.

Jimmy Cliff has taken reggae music right across the world and he continues to be an electrifying performer. His exploits in South America and Africa, two continents where he spends most of his time, are well documented. Outside of Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff has perhaps made the greatest impression as a reggae performer on the world stage.

He was one of the early discoveries of music mogul Chris Blackwell's Island label. In 1997, he was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of the West Indies.