In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence, BAMcinématek presents this 14-film series dedicated to the country's unique and widely influential musical tradition. Throughout decades of political unrest in Jamaica and racial violence against Caribbean immigrants in Europe and North America, reggae in all its forms has endured as an essential conduit for social protest, individual expression, and spiritual exploration. It has also single-handedly paved the way for rap/hip-hop, the remix (invented in the early 70s in Jamaica), not to mention later cross-pollinated genres like drum and bass, reggaeton, and dubstep.

The series includes films starring or featuring priceless footage of Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Toots and the Maytals, Desmond Dekker, Gregory Isaacs, Burning Spear, and many more!