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The Story of Lover's Rock
Menelik Shabazz (Burning an Illusion) shines a light on the music genre often dubbed ‘romantic reggae’; a uniquely black British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems.
Director: Menelik Shabazz
Overview
Lovers Rock, often dubbed ‘romantic reggae’, is a uniquely black British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems. Providing a coping mechanism for what was happening on the streets, Lovers Rock allowed young people to experience intimacy and healing through dance – known as ‘scrubbing’ – at parties and clubs and developed into a successful sound with a string national UK hits, influencing the likes of The Police, Culture Club and UB40.
Shining a light on a forgotten period in British music, social and political history, Menelik Shabazz’s debut documentary feature underlines the impact Lovers Rock made in bridging the multi-cultural gap that polarized Thatcher’s nation.
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