Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican ska & reggae musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and actor. He is the only living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences...
NationalityJamaican
ProfessionMusician
Date of Birth1 April 1948
CountryJamaica
concrete grew hard miles outside people planet twelve
I grew up twelve miles outside of Montego Bay. In my early teens, I went to Kingston. It was like a different planet for me. In the country, people are kind. In the city, people are hard an' cold, like the concrete and steel.
accepted becoming
There are goals that I had set out for myself as an artist. I have accomplished some of them - becoming accepted all over the world - however, other parts of my goals have not been completed.
phase sought
It's phase we're going through. Eventually, what is real will be sought after again.
gonna harder share sun sure
So as sure as the sun will shine,.I'm gonna get my share now of what's mineAnd then the harder they come the harder they'll fall, one and all.
coming create gates known music opened people singer songwriter vehicle
It was the vehicle that propelled me to international stardom. I was known as a singer songwriter before that, but people did not know me as an actor. It showed the world where the music I contributed to create was coming from. It opened the gates for Jamaican music, internationally.
bit cliff guess jimmy outside step
With acting, you have to become someone else. That's the fun part of it for me - to step outside of yourself and become a character. I guess being Jimmy Cliff is a little bit of a character, too.
artist forgotten time
Now you can manufacture just about what you want and after just a little time the artist is forgotten and gone.
began faster lived music people recorded reggae styles using
When I lived in the U.K., I recorded a lot of ska and rock-steady styles of Jamaican music. But people there weren't accepting it. So I began using a faster reggae beat.
people want might
People might say, 'Jimmy Cliff, you've done a lot, achieved a lot. What more can you want?
mean ghetto feet
It's important for me to go back into the ghetto, where I'm from. I still get my oxygen from there. I don't live in the ghetto but every time I go back, I'm seeing the same things that I lived. That's one of the things I mean when I say, "My feet back onto the ground."
artist helping jamaicans
I'm an artist. And I'm happy that I was there at the commencement of this music, this Jamaican music, to put my contribution and help to establish it.
artist smell people
I visit studios. Just to get the feel, the smell, and see what other people are doing. Not only listening to the radio, but going to studios, greeting musicians and artists, just getting a vibe.
moving boys hands
I don't know where life will lead me, but I know where I've been. I can't say what life will show me, but I know what I've seen. Tried my hand at love and friendship, but all that is passed and gone. This little boy is moving on.
artist echoes people
Certain artists have a role to echo the echoes of the people and that's what I'll be doing on my next album.