Kingston Director's Blog

By Katie Walmsley, Director

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Friday 10.00 ...

I meet cameraman Asha and production manager Sarah at the hotel. They're both based in Kingston and have previously shot with most of the other big reggae acts like Beenie Man, Sizzla and Wayne Wonder. Their favorite artist is Damien Marley, who Sarah calls "a sweet boy'" -- but neither of them have ever filmed with Sean so they're excited to meet him.

We head out to film around Kingston. Asha hangs out of the car as we drive around the city. It's amazingly colorful and busy city. Again I notice how crowded it is. It's kind of an interesting mix of Caribbean but with a Central American feel to it also.

12.00 ...

We arrive at the Bob Marley cafe and Museum, which is where we are meant to meet Sean. It's based around a big house where Marley used to live and consists of the house, museum and then a cafe -- where the food is meant to be amazing. There is also an interesting blackboard menu dedicated to various types of skunk. We meet Sean's father, who looks after a lot of his press. He and Sean's manager, Jerome, tell us that Sean will be there soon.

14.00 ...

Sean arrives. He's incredibly popular and the entire place immediately turns its attention to him. Parties of schoolchildren and tourists crowd round him and want autographs and photos taken. One very little girl tries to climb up his leg. He's pretty good about it all! We walk over to the wall of Bob Marley pictures and walk along it while Sean tells us about Bob's influence on Jamaica, and on his music, as well as his other musical influences.

14.30 ...

We get into the car with Sean driving and head up the road that leads up into the hills above Kingston. We stop at a bend in the road and look out at an amazing view over the city. Sean tells us he comes up there often to write lyrics in a peaceful and inspirational setting. He also starts to tell us about Kingston and its problems and this description lasts us until we get to our next destination. Kingston, apparently, has the second highest crime rate in the world after Colombia, and the infrastructure is also not 100 percent. It's important to Sean that Kingston experiences regeneration and growth; part of the reason why he made sure to record his entire new album there and use only local talent in its making.

15.30 ...

We arrive at the first of a series of recording studios. Most recording studios in Kingston are in converted houses and these can vary from tiny basic studios where most dancehall/reggae artists begin, to the more elaborate studios like the one that Shaggy built, which we visit at the end, which is where most of the more well known Jamaican artists record. Pretty much everyone we meet is smoking a very big reefer while working -- which was pretty funny to me.

16.30 ...

We wrap after looking round three main studios in Kingston where most of the biggest reggae acts came out of, then bid farewell to Mr Paul. On the drive home, Sarah, the production manager, says she thinks that, like Damien Marley, Sean is also a "very sweet boy." Which is certainly true.

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