Visiting Jamaica has been a recurring dream for the Croatian reggae band Brain Holidays, which finally came true in February 2020. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the group of eight members made the two-day trip from Zagreb to Jamaica to record his Connection to Jamaica album at Bob Marley’s legendary Tuff Gong Studio in Kingston. The experience, which took two years to plan, is reflected in his Bite of paradise documentary that will be released in independent cinemas around the world after the summer.
“ Bite of paradise it was a project that was done first and foremost as an obvious accompaniment to this album and all that it represents, and secondly as part of my final master’s thesis as a student of ethnomusicology, “he said. Magda Mas, member of the band and director of documentaries. The Espiladora. “Simply documenting the time we spent making the record, both at home and recording it on the island, Bite of paradise it is supposed to paint a picture of our experience, give a background story to our album and years of work, and be a trace in time of the history of Croatian reggae. “
Connection to Jamaica is their fifth album and features the Italee singer who hosted them and even invited them to perform at their ‘Italee and the Circle of Brethrens Festival’ in Gordon Town, St Andrew, featured in the documentary. Also appearing in the film are musicians Nigel Staff and Hornsman Coyote, as well as Tuff Gong’s basic engineers and sound engineers Mr Chow and Roland McDermott (all of whom praised the group for their love and ability to make reggae music). .
The group’s founder, Marko Gaćina, spoke about the timing of the full circle, noting that they have held an annual tribute concert to Bob Marley since 2001.
“When I walked into the studio, I felt like I was walking through history,” Gaćina said. “So many albums were recorded there that I listened to for many years and that influenced me. It was an honor for me to record an album on Tuff Gong; Everyone was very friendly and professional, and the recording was very fast and smooth. “
The documentary also explores their fears of being badly received in Jamaica, as they are an all-white group that makes reggae music. The US-based white band SOJA was criticized earlier this year for winning the Grammy for Best Reggae Album. The liminal space between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation is never lost during brain vacations.
“As an ethnomusicologist and a white girl with dreadlocks playing in a reggae band and making a documentary about our trip to Jamaica, I have been exposed to thinking about this problem and, in general, the problem of cultural appropriation since from many different angles and throughout the period of my studies “, shared Mas. “It’s something I’ll never stop questioning and researching; it is written in my profession, my choice of music and my appearances. Respecting everyone interested in the music industry, my personal opinion is that music is not a sport and should not be approached in this way, “Gaćina said.
“Reggae music was born in Jamaica and should always be recognized for its cultural origins that shaped it. Thanks to his universal message of love and equality for all, no matter the color, he spread and influenced people around the world like no other musical genre. When we arrived on the island, we felt respected for what we did. We are grateful to everyone who supports and enjoys our music and we continue to do what we love with confidence. “
They’re happy with the comments on their 11-song album that debuted in late 2020 and have no expectations when it comes to the documentary.
“Everything we wanted to achieve as a band already happened during the filming and release of the album; we have fulfilled our dreams “, said Mas. “ Bite of paradise it aimed to document these moments of our small victory and present them to the world. The main character of the film is still the music, and the sole purpose and hope of this documentary is to represent our music through a different medium and a wider audience. “
sade.gardner@gleanerjm.com
