The Story of Lovers Rock

Lovers Rock, often dubbed ‘romantic reggae’, is a uniquely black British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of racism, uprisings and sound systems. Shining a light on a forgotten period in British music, social and political history, the recently passed Menelik Shabazz’s documentary feature underlines the impact Lovers Rock made in bridging the multi-cultural gap that polarised Thatcher’s nation. With a fantastic list of contributors, archive footage and witty reconstruction, this outstanding film gives us one of the great untold tales of Jamaican-UK connection. Screening with Jamaican short film Sugarcake.

To make it for the cinema I needed to add other elements other than talking heads and music. I added two other elements, the first being humour. Experiencing the reggae party/blues/dance scene, I recognised elements that had the potential for humour - from sneaking out, the styles, dance etc… so I assembled comedians who could bring that aspect. The second element was the dance itself. It had to be reminiscent - it couldn’t be just middle-aged people talking about it. With this dance we had to see it, experience it and it had to take you back to that feeling as young people.

Director Menelik Shabazz