Documentary on gospel-reggae in the works
A Miami film company will explore the roots of gospel-reggae in the Caribbean through its documentary, titled Still Blessed. The project is expected to cover five countries, with production scheduled to start in August.
Still Blessed is produced by Behind The Fabric TV for which Drew L Hinds Jr is CEO. Hinds, whose parents are Jamaican, was born in Brooklyn, New York but spent some of his youth in Grants Pen, St Andrew.
While there are many documentaries on reggae and Caribbean culture, that is not the case with contemporary gospel in the region. Hence, Still Blessed.
“We have all grown up listening to gospel-reggae music throughout our younger years, but the story has never been told of how the music came to be. Still Blessed is that platform to finally hear from the pillars of gospel- reggae,” said Hinds.
Filming is set to take place in South Florida, Jamaica, Barbados, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Hinds did not disclose the persons who will be interviewed but said his company have identified figures who played integral roles in the genre’s rise.
Hinds is familiar with the legacy of The Grace Thrillers, a group that formed in Kingston during the early 1970s. In the 1980s, they broke into the secular arena with songs like Can’t Even Walk and Jesus.
Their success set the pace for a number of former secular artistes who gave their lives to Christ during the 1990s. They included Carlene Davis, Junior Tucker, Papa San and Lieutenant Stitchie.
There are similar movements in other Caribbean countries and Hinds believes their stories need to be heard.
“I can honestly say that God placed this burden on my heart to be the platform for the people of God in the West Indies, to share their testimony of music ministry as only we know it,” he said.
Still Blessed is tentatively scheduled for release in 2024.
