BLOG.RISEUPMOVIE.COM

RiseUp screens at the Jacob Burns Film Center

2010-07-14T22:19:00Z

This July 19th, RiseUp screens at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY, as part of the “Sounds of Summer: New Music Documentaries”

Monday, July 19th, 2010 - 7:45PM & 9:45 PM

For more info visit the Jacob Burns Calendar.

RiseUp in the words of The Jacob Burns Film Center: An eye-opening look at Turbulence, Ice Anastasia, and a beautiful, unbelievably gifted girl named Kemoy, three very different up-and-coming musicians from three distinct areas of Jamaica: the downtown Kingston slums, an opulent uptown mansion, and the countryside. With talent to spare, the artists need luck, hard work, and courage to succeed in this competitive, music-obsessed country.

About The Jacob Burns Film Center (Watch video): a nonprofit educational and cultural institution dedicated to presenting the best of independent, documentary, and world cinema; promoting 21st century literacy; and making film a vibrant part of the community. Housing a state-of-the-art theater complex, a 27,000 square-foot Media Arts Lab, and a residence for international filmmakers, the JBFC campus provides opportunities for people of all ages to discover, explore, and learn through the power of film, media and 21st-century technology.

2 Coasts in 3 days: LA - NY this July!

2010-07-13T17:58:00Z

RiseUp is gearing up for a couple of special screening events coming up in July! Buckle up, here we go…we are starting off with our long-awaited first Los Angeles screening at none other than the celebratory Grammy Museum in downtown LA! What a privilege and how exciting this is gearing up to be! This will be open to the public but watch out because reservations are required. We are expecting an extended list of industry guests and we are thrilled to be able to show the filmmaking community our documentary in such a prestigious venue. So if you are in Los Angeles on July 28th, be a part of this event, our first public screening in the city of angels. As usual, there will be a panel discussion after the film and we are inviting some surprise guests, so stay tuned, panelists will be announced soon.

For more info about RiseUp at The Grammy Museum, click here.

And if that wasn't enough…RiseUp gets a different kind of honor two days later in New York City. That's right, after our unforgettable experience at Lincoln Center a few months ago, RiseUp returns to the big apple to honor director Luciano Blotta's latin origins at HBO's New York Latino International Film Festival, to take place July 27-August 1. Two screenings are planned and both Luciano and producer Darrin Holender will be in attendance. "I am thrilled to be a part of this festival" notes Director Luciano Blotta. "When I got the call I jumped at the opportunity because I always thought that was an aspect of RiseUp that had not been really exposed, the fact that I am a latino filmmaker with such an unlikely story to share with the latino community. So I am excited to show this work at such and event, as well as seeing what other latinos are creating."

So there it is, 2 coasts in 3 days, Los Angeles for the first time and our return to NY this July.

For more info about RiseUp at NYLFF, check out this website, gonna be muy bueno!

Images from last year's fest…

One Love and see you all there!

The King Of One String & Other Shorts

2010-06-16T20:33:00Z

The creators of RiseUp present: The King of One String, a short film about Jamaican living legend, Andrew Chin, AKA "Brushy One String". Filled with contagious musical performances by the artist, The King of One String chronicles Brushy from a place where he is revered by both young and old, but where success has eluded him. Brushy 'soothes souls and rough hearts' with a bright smile and one string as he continues to try to rise from the Jamaican underground.

Also included in this DVD: Over 30 minutes of shorts, scenes and montages from Jamaica. From ganja farms in the hills of Negril to the gritty streets of Kingston, the RiseUp camera takes you on an epic journey through the island's dynamic music scene, where you will meet wondrous characters and faces. This collection is a true Jamaican experience that will keep you coming back for more! Feel the vibe. Know Jamaica. Experience RiseUp.

Welcome to the Jamaican underground music scene.

Watch The King of One String Trailer

DVD Track List:

The King Of One String

The documentary short about guitar hero, Brushy One String. 8:00

Notorious

Turbulence's chart topping music video, uncut, unedited in its original version! 4:30

Who is Rastafari

Dub poet Ras Haile Malekot chants one of his fabulous poems in the hills of Kingston. 2:15

History of The Reggae Beat

Negril drummer Steve Culture explains the evolution of the Reggae Beat on the drums. 2:45

Fire & Ice

Reggae band Rootz Underground's music video from one of the songs in RiseUp. 3:30

Road Trip to Negril

An audio-visual journey across the island into the Negril beach resorts, to the beat of some vintage reggae music. 2:40

Kemoy at Church

A pivotal scene in RiseUp, songstress Kemoy performs a heartfelt song at her church (uncut). 2:20

Kingston-Bound

A Kingston experience and the basis for one of the scenes in RiseUp, this musical montage will give you a taste of Jamrock's grittiest corners and faces. 2:20

The Good Herbs

Rastas. Music. Ganja. An explosive and fun exposé of Jamaica's finest and it's role in the music scene. 4:10

Brushy goes on Facebook

2010-06-10T22:57:55Z

A few days ago, Brushy One String debuted with his own Facebook Page! A great source of updates, new videos and pics of the King of One String. Please show your support and love of the artist by joining his page here.

Brushy sings Watch me on Facebook

Notes from the Underground: Meeting Ras Haile Malekot

2010-06-09T20:13:01Z

Once in Kingston, Carlo suggested I meet his mentor, the man who got him into Rastafari, the talented artist and Dub Poet, Ras Haile Malekot. Malekot lives up on a place called Mount Debre Zeit, in a small community by a river, by the hills in Kingston. We parked our car by the road and started a hike up the hill, I followed Carlo through ramshackle bridges and across rivers and streams. I didn't know what to expect, it was my first few days in Kingston and I was just absorbing everything with an open mind.

After a while, the hike up the hill came to a clearing and out of nowhere appeared this crude cement structure, with a stairs and a fence - it was Malekot's house. The view was stunning, surrounded by nature. And then, from behind a curtain, came out this true Rastafarian, the first one I had ever met, to greet us outside his home. The image is still indelible in my mind and you can see it on the following video. I was rolling the camera so I was able to capture that moment as it happened.

This first meeting was like every other after that - epic. Malekot would sit down to tell us stories, recite his amazing poems (that is what a dub poet does - poetry that gets recorded to a music track) and explain the history of Rastafari and the true meaning of Reggae music.

I struck a friendship and admiration for him and decided he would be an important part of this film, acting as a teacher or guru on all things Rasta, in a way, this is how I got into this culture and he was one of the main sources of information, therefore I thought I share that experience as I lived it and let it happen onscreen in RiseUp, where you learn a lot about the culture through the voice image and music of Ras Haile Malekot.

Meeting Malekot Video

"The Rise Of A New Classic" - The Jamaica Observer's first full review of RiseUp.

2010-05-25T18:46:00Z

Sunday, May 17th. The Jamaica Observer puts out an epic review of RiseUp, full color spreads and multiple sections covering every aspect of the film's making, it's present and it's future. BigUps to all the crew and writers at the Jamaica Observer. One Love and soon come again for the real premiere!

You can also read this article online here.

The Double Spread.

At the observer headquarters in Kingston.

Behind the scenes at the Screening.

Luciano Blotta's "My Kingston" Profile. - To read the online version click here.

Cocktails with Kemoy Reid. First official interview/article with the star!

The Sunday Observer's Pullout Cover.

"The Rise Of A New Classic" - The Jamaica Observer. RiseUp Sneak Preview in Jamaica.

2010-05-21T16:06:00Z

On May 14th, 2010, Jamaica got the first glimpse at RiseUp. A screening for industry, artists, and press was held at the Sovereign Center Cinemas (one of the future homes for RiseUp), where the film was shown to a packed house of 200+people. All artists were in attendance and it was an unforgettable moment. Up to this point, nobody in Jamaica had seen RiseUp. It was the warmest welcome and an overwhelming response to the film, a great finale for another amazing trip to the island.

Luciano Blotta enjoys a much needed Guinness upon arrival in Montego Bay.

Lunch by the beach upon arrival. Grilled Lobsta a classic!

Across the island, on the way to Kingston for the screening: a RiseUp sticker adorns a food shop in Faiths Pen.

Brushy One String tries on a new pair of boots for the screening. Happy!

The original crew, from left to right: Associate producer Carlo "Amlak" Less, Director Luciano Blotta and Executive Producer Mark Hart open the evening with an introduction on stage.

Carlo Less, Luciano Blotta, Mark Hart, on stage.

The first few images hit the screen: Kemoy singing at home.

The projection booth. The one string on screen!

From inside the projection booth, Brushy plays onscreen.

Amlak, Kemoy and Luciano right after the show.

Ice and Amlak pose for the cameras.

Kemoy Reid and Producer Darrin Holender.

Turbulence and family after the show.

Executive Producer Mark Hart celebrates with talented artiste Suzanne Couch.

Turbulence and family after the show.

Vibes in Vancouver.

2010-04-22T17:25:00Z

We are back from Vancouver after the special screening engagement at DocSoup, HotDocs documentary monthly series. It was a wonderful screening and the few people that were there to see it seemed to have a great time. We can only say this because of the long Q&A with director Luciano Blotta, who traveled from Los Angeles to be present at the event. It was possibly the longest Q&A so far, close to 1hr!

We also wish to thank fellow filmmaker Julia Ivanova, who was our liaison at the event and made sure we had a great time, which we did! So thanks Julia and husband Sergei, who took the photos of the event. BlessUp!

RiseUp's third visit to Canada, this time, Vancouver.

Fifth Avenue Cinemas, the home for the Screening.

One of the theaters in the multi-plex, adorned with RiseUp sign.

Luciano Addresses the small audience during Q&A.

Countdown to DocSoup Vancouver

2010-04-08T00:47:00Z

RiseUp at Doc Soup

Craving your doc fix before HotDocs? The world's hottest documentaries at Doc Soup, Hot Docs' monthly screening featuring RiseUp. Doc Soup Vancouver is presented by Festival Cinemas and Hot Docs. We are proud to be the final screening of the Doc Soup Vancouver 2009-10 season on April 15.

RISEUP SCREENING INFO:

Thursday, April 15 @ 7:00 pm
Fifth Avenue Cinemas, 2110 Burrard Street

Visit RiseUp at DocSoup

Off to Kingston

2010-04-02T16:43:00Z

It was that same night when the concept for RiseUp was born, that I also met the man who would become Associate Producer of this project, my companion during this whole adventure, Mr. Carlo "Amlak" Less. Carlo came from Kingston, invited by executive Producer Mark Hart, and spent the weekend with us in Montego Bay. By then, a friendship had started and we instantly shared the same vision: to expose the unknown talent populating the Jamaican underground. To do this, it was imperative to start our research in Kingston and Amlak, being an up-and-coming music producer himself, knew the scene very well.

So it was time to go to town and begin this exploration. We got in the car and drove off with a simple plan: to find unknown artists and document their lives, their music and follow them in their dream. We were now on the road, filming a documentary called RiseUp. It had now started and within that excitement there was no time to think of the magnitude of what we were embarking on, how could we have known the epic odyssey ahead of us, to think that it would be 5 years before anyone would see this film...

The following 2 weeks were spent filming all over the island, from Kingston, to Negril, to Clarendon and it was during this period that we met all the artists that would end up being key players in this story. So, unknowingly, we were off to a good start...

The only document of the first night at "The Return of Charlie Chemist" Show: Luciano Blotta, Mark Hart and Carlo "Amlak" Less pose for a camera. The production team at its inception.

RiseUp in Vancouver!

2010-03-22T19:23:00Z

RiseUp comes back to Canada this April as part as the Doc Soup documentary series, created by HotDocs film festival. This time, the screening will be in Vancouver at the renowned Fifth Avenue Cinemas.

The Screening:

APRIL 15^th, 7PM

Location:

Fifth Avenue Cinemas, 2110 Burrard Street, Vancouver BC

About Doc Soup:

Craving your doc fix before the fest? Enjoy the world's hottest documentaries at Doc Soup, Hot Docs' monthly screening series at Toronto's Bloor Cinema, from October through April. At select Doc Soup screenings guest directors will be on hand to introduce their work and answer questions from the audience.

Don't live in Toronto? Hot Docs has partnered with the Calgary International Film Festival, Festival Cinemas and the Global Visions Film Festival to bring Doc Soup to Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton.

See you all there!

RiseUpMovie.Com

RiseUp in Hartford

2010-03-13T16:41:00Z

After the amazing Thursday night at Lincoln Center, RiseUp traveled to Hartford, Connecticut, for a very special engagement at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Given that Hartford ranks as the third city with the largest West Indian Population, this was to be an amazing event. And it was. From the hospitality of the people, to the staff at Wadsworth and probably the most magnificent audience we've ever had, this was an incredibly warm welcome.

The event started with a special reception for members of the museum and special guests and included some delicious Jamaican food, paties, jerk chicken, you name it! During the reception, the RiseUp Soundtrack was playing through the loudspeakers and the vibes were high for the movie screening which followed. Last but not least, the Q&A session included some great surprises. Once again, we had a Skype video conference with Jamaica, this time, music producer Carlo Less was accompanied by none other than Michael Andrew Lewis, one of the starts of RiseUp. Michael (ICE ANASTACIA) entertained the audience and answered their questions and he also sung for them! Applause and a big roar traveled across the theater, which by the way, was packed to the rim for the screening. There was plenty love for RiseUp at this event, it was really a memorable night. And finally, we got Kemoy Reid on the phone, she cordially answered audience questions and astounded everybody by singing and impromptu song that would send any music producer running to Jamaica with recording contracts! Well, that is simply Kemoy. Always been, always will be.

So thanks everybody at Wadsworth and especially stellar producer Inuka Bacote who got the vision and made it all happen. BigUps and One Love!

The RiseUp Fam.

The drive to Hartford, a true adventure. Highways were closed due to the storms and the roads were covered in snow!!!

A great discovery driving in: a huge RiseUp Billboard adorns the side of one of the main Highways in Hartford; Kemoy Reid up on the bright lights!

The Q&A in progress: Luciano Blotta moderates and answers questions together with Carlo Less and Ice Anastacia who participated from Jamaica via a live Skype video conference.

Music producer Carlo Less and artist Ice Anastacia live from Jamaica via Skype Video.

Carlo Less and Ice Anastacia: vibes from Kingston Jamaica.

A view on the event as experienced from Jamaica.

RiseUp T-shirts adorn the lobby of the great Wadsworth Atheneum theater.

One Love!

RiseUp at Lincoln Center

2010-03-07T23:07:00Z

We just returned from an incredible time in NYC, where RiseUp premiered for hundreds of people at Lincoln Center in honor of Black History Month. Image Nation Foundation was in charge of the event, which included a reception and a live performance by local NY band Judah Tribe. This time around, there was also a live video feed with Jamaica and a conversation was held with music producers Carlo Less and Mickey Bennet as part of the Q&A after the film.

It was Thursday February 25th and NYC was expecting an epic snowstorm that started happening early on that morning. We opened up our hotel windows (thankfully, we were staying right across the street!) and the snow was starting to cover the city streets, as can be seen in this picture.

If this storm was to be as big as they said it would, then the event was facing a big challenge. However and despite that, the turnout was incredible and the night was indeed memorable.

The Box Office at Lincoln Center shows RiseUp at 7:30!

The Box Office at Walter Reade, ready to go.

A line of seats reserved for RiseUp guests at Walter Reade.

Sound Check by Judah Tribe. RiseUp website projected on screen.

Judah Tribe performing before the movie.

The Q&A with panel members including Moikgantsi Kgama, Darrin Holender, Mark Hart, Luciano Blotta and Judah Tribe members. On the screen, music producers Mickey Bennet and Carlo Less answer questions from Jamaica via a live video feed.

The video feed experience, as seen from Jamaica.

Image Nation founders Gregory Gates and Moikgantsi Kgama get interviewed at the event.

The after party happened at PJ Clarke's across the street, we don't have pics at the moment but maybe somebody who was present will send us some soon. BlessUp and One Love to everyone who attended and participated in this event!!!

RiseUp Fam.

Revisiting the East Coast!

2010-02-11T20:00:00Z

Following the NY premiere at Lincoln Center, RiseUp makes its way up the east coast for a very special engagement at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, in Hartford Connecticut. The event will take place on Friday, February 26th at 7:30. There will also be an opening reception with Jamaican food, yummy!

Check out RiseUp at the Wadsworth here.

And finally, moving up the coast, RiseUp hits Salem, Massachusetts for a screening at the Salem Film Fest. We've been waiting a long time to come to Masachhussets as we know there's a big reegae fan base over there, as well as plenty of our personal friends! Hope to see you all there, come out and join us, sure to be a vibz!

One Love,

RiseUp & family.

The New York City Premiere of RiseUp at the Lincoln Center.

2010-02-05T02:26:00Z

We are proud to announce: a Black History Month Celebration featuring the NY Premiere of RiseUp, in association with Image Nation Foundation and the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

The New York Premiere of RiseUp will be held at the Walter Reade Theatre at the Lincoln Center on Thursday, February 25th 2010. This special premiere screening will open with a live performance by Judah Tribe and close with by a Q & A and discussion on reggae music and its global influence. There will also be donations collected for a Haiti relief fund.

About the Film Society:

America’s pre-eminent film presentation organization and an independent constituent of the world’s foremost performing arts center, the Film Society of Lincoln Center is one of those rare institutions whose stature is matched by its popularity, each year welcoming an aggregate audience of more than 200,000 film aficionados, filmmakers and industry leaders of every nationality, age, economic and ethnic group. The organization has been a pioneer among film institutions and one of the film world’s most respected and influential arbiters of cinematic trends and discoveries. François Truffaut, R.W. Fassbinder, Jean-Luc Godard, Pedro Almodóvar, Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson– over the last four decades there is scarcely a major director who has not been introduced to American audiences by the Film Society. It runs a state-of-the-art year-round cinema, the Walter Reade Theater (capacity: 268), and publishes the country’s most respected cinematic journal, Film Comment.

It will be an honor to screen RiseUp at the Lincoln Center and to bring the film to NY audiences, as well as other neighboring areas this month. For more info and tickets, please visit: The Film Society of Lincoln Center.

New England Screenings to follow:

Following this event, RiseUp will premiere in Hartford, Connecticut, at the legendary Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, on Friday, February 26th, for a special cultural engagement and reception. For more info and tickets in Hartford, please visit the Wadsworth's Calendar.

Moving up the east coast, RiseUp screens next at Salem Film Fest on Sunday Sunday, February 28 at 8:00 PM. Entering just its third year, the Salem Film Fest is emerging as a leading American all-documentary film festival, showcasing a rich and diverse collection of the year's best work from all over the world. The festival finds its spirit in Salem's history as the first great international city in America. Come to Salem. See the World. Screenings and most events located at CinemaSalem.

RiseUp screens for Graduate Documentary Production Class at USC!

2010-02-02T19:24:00Z

This past Monday, February 1st, RiseUp had the privilege of screening for students at USC's Cinema Studies Department, for their graduate documentary production class. The screening took place at a stunning state-of-the-art theater inside the brand-new cinema studies building that was constructed thanks to a generous donation of 170 million dollars from USC alumni George Lucas.

Rise Up was one of their first screenings in the facility and celebrated professor Amanda Pope was instrumental in making it a great experience. She conducted a 1 1/2 hr Q&A between director Luciano Blotta and the students who learned about all the unusual stories in the making of the film as well as the technical implications of its making. After the screening, Luciano Blotta stated: "It was a real pleasure for me to talk to the students, because unlike other Q&A sessions where we focus on the stories behind the making of the film, this time we also discussed a lot of the cinematic aspects and technical issues regarding the film, things that maybe filmmakers only understand and are very interested in learning about. It was a great time and a real honor to be there for that."

RiseUp wishes to thank USC, professor Amanda Pope and alumni Cesare Wright for their support and continued interest in the film. BigUps!

The USC School of Cinematic Studies brand-new building where the screening took place.

RiseUp screens in Austria!

2010-01-22T20:44:00Z

RiseUp screens in Linz Austria this coming February as part of KAPU FILM FESTIVAL. Wish we were there for that one but this time around we will be on the east coast preparing for our upcoming NYC event (more info coming soon).

Check out the screening info here

RiseUp Coming back to Toronto!

2010-01-19T18:22:00Z

RiseUp comes back to Toronto for a special screening at Toronto's Urban Music Festival, to take place on January 22 at 9:30 p.m.

This exciting urban film series was launched in 2003 in association with the National Film Board of Canada.

For more info about RiseUp at the event, check out TUMF's Website

Outside the show, RiseUp begins.

2010-01-15T19:03:54Z

By 5 am the place was quieting down and soon, we were the only ones there, so it was time to leave. However, the night had just begun. What happened outside of the venue, almost at sunrise, was the seed of this project, seed that once planted on my mind that night, would start growing into a healthy tree in the days following the event...

As we walked to our car, I noticed a number of unknown artists, hanging out outside the show. These were aspiring artists who, not being able to afford the 5 dollar cover charge, were just looking for opportunities or to be seen at a musical event. asked. I quickly instructed my friend to position the car so that the headlights would illuminate an area where I asked the artists to stand. The first man was dressed in traditional Rastafarian garments and went by the name "King Samoel." So I filmed him singing and after he was done and before I could lower the camera, somebody else jumped in front of me and went for it. This really started something, because they kept coming out of nowhere and standing in front of the camera to sing, rap or just be filmed. Regardless, that was the moment where I knew in my mind that here was a story to be told, the story of Jamaica's Music Underground. The lives of those trying to RiseUp out of anonymity into a life of fame and musical stature. The following video, preceded by an explanatory Q&A session in Miami, captures that moment where everything got started. RiseUp was born that night.

21 Questions with Director Luciano Blotta.

2010-01-10T02:57:00Z

The online literary publication "The Nervous Breakdown" interviews Director Luciano Blotta.

Check it out: The Nervous Breakdown Website

RiseUp Coming to Australia!

2010-01-09T04:21:00Z

RiseUp will screen this January at the Australian Centre For The Moving Image in Melbourne, as part as their exclusive series: Yard! Dub and Reggae on Film.

From Kingston to Brixton, rocksteady to reggae, roots to revolution - the heat is on! Deeply embracing social justice, politics and sonic experimentation, it aims to explore the streets, identities, roots and impact of this dynamic and influential musical form.

Curated by Lisa Palermo, Kate Welsman & Richard Sowada - Screens with the music video Black Culture from Secret Masters, featuring Tippa Irie.

The Info:

Fri 22 Jan 2010, 7.30pm

Sat 30 Jan 2010, 5.30pm

ACMI Cinemas

The link

RiseUp Returns to Montreal!

2010-01-09T03:54:00Z

After the fantastic time at RIDM documentary festival, RiseUp returns to Montreal for a special screening at Concordia University, thanks to the efforts of Cinema Politica, a Montreal-based media arts, non-profit network of community and campus locals that screen independent political film and video by Canadian and international artists throughout Canada and abroad. The organization programs works that challenge conventional fiction and documentary narratives, as well as films that explore under-represented stories and characters.

The info:

Monday January 11, 2010

Screening begins 19h30

Concordia University (Montreal)

Venue: Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve O, Concordia University

Here's the link and see you in Canada!

A great experience in The Bahamas!

2009-12-18T04:23:00Z

We just returned from a really ire time in Nassau at the Bahamas International Film Festival. RiseUp screened three times over a four day period, to a very supportive caribbean people who truly loved the film. That made us very happy and can´t wait to our Jamaican release which has a tentative date of March 2010.
Also at the festival, the one and only Johnny Depp was honored with a lifetime achievement award which was given my none other than sir Sean Connery, another permanent resident of the Bahamas. It was a lovely night at the awards ceremony (RiseUp participated in a non-competitive section called Caribbean Sidebar) and it all ended up at a fantastic seafood restaurant called "The Poop Deck" where a special guest and juror of the fest, Mr. Delroy Lindo treated us all to some amazing local food. What a grat finale, BigUps to Delroy and Bahamas International Film Festival!!!

Luciano Blotta and Heike Wollenweber from axe-s media pose with a RiseUp Tshirt at the Bahamas International Film Festival.

Johnny Depp receives and award at the final ceremony.

Sean Connery presents the award to Johnny Depp

Delroy Lindo treated us all to a final seafood dinner. BigUps Delroy!!!

RiseUp Screens at UC Merced!

2009-11-30T23:19:00Z

Attention Northern California: RiseUp screening at UC Merced this Saturday, December 5th! Screening to take place at the Lakireddy Auditorium at 7pm. Director Luciano Blotta will be present to do Q&A.

UC Merced's Website

Notes from the Underground: The dance and my encounter with Ganja!

2009-11-29T23:35:33Z

The show started late and I was there with my friend Mark, executive producer of RiseUp. This was a standard Jamaican dance, with selectors (disc jockeys) spinning the latest tracks but also aiding in the "clashes" between battling DJ's, who are the Jamaican artists who do Dancheall, the hard-sounding musical genre that has taken over Jamaica. It was in this dance that I first saw Ganja like I never had before. It is carried around in big bunches and sold at the dance. I was filming and as I panned the camera, I came into a close-up of a healthy bundle of the herb! Here is a short clip that shows what it was like being at that dance.

RiseUp Screens in Bermuda!

2009-11-27T23:15:00Z

Read Royal Gazette Article