REGGAE NIGHT-JIMMY CLIFF - REGGAE NIGHT-JIMMY CLIFF

What this video is

Released in 1983, 'Reggae Night' arrived during a pivotal moment when reggae was transitioning from subcultural phenomenon to mainstream global pop commodity. Jimmy Cliff — widely credited with helping popularise reggae internationally, partly through his role in the 1972 film The Harder They Come — had by this point signed with Columbia Records, indicating major-label institutional support for reggae crossover.…

Why it matters

A landmark crossover reggae-pop video of the early MTV era, 'Reggae Night' demonstrates how Jamaican musical culture was packaged for international consumption in 1983. Directed by Don Letts — one of the most important reggae-punk cultural intermediaries in music video history — the clip is…

The director

Don Letts (born Donovan Letts, 10 January 1956, London) is a British film director, DJ, and musician of Jamaican heritage. He rose to prominence as videographer for The Clash, directing key videos including 'White Riot' and 'London Calling'. He is widely…