Jimmy Cliff Says He’s Happiest When In Africa

Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff says he is most content and at his happiest when he is in the Motherland, Africa. The 78-year-old noted that his happiness in Africa is not limited to any one of the continent’s countries, as he finds contentment in all that he visits.

“No particular area, even though I have some land in Liberia, where Marcus Garvey wanted to take black people. I love it, but there are other places that I love, like Sierra Leone, east Africa, southern Africa. I love being in Africa, I just love the atmosphere,” the Rebel In Me artist told The Guardian.

Cliff, who is Reggae’s first international star and is dubbed the genre’s greatest living ambassador, has recorded several songs about Africa including War A Africa and Meeting in Afrika.

In a Reggaeville interview a few years ago, he had pointed out that even though he had a terrible experience when on his first visit to Nigeria, which was also his first time in Africa, he still loved that country.  

Cliff had been arrested in Lagos in 1974 at the bidding of an angry promoter, when he came to Nigeria to perform, and spent three days in jail. 

This incident prompted his song titled The News.

“My first trip to Africa was Nigeria. It was a bitter-sweet experience. Sweet because of the thousands of people at the airport awaiting me. I’d never had that adulation, I only saw it for The Beatles, so to have it for myself was really great.  They lined the street from the airport to the hotel. It was amazing,” Jimmy had told The Arts Desk in a 2012 interview.

“The bitter part of it was I got thrown in jail for no reason at all. A man came and said, ‘I’m the one who was supposed to bring Jimmy Cliff to Africa. I had a contract with him in London and he didn’t turn up so now he’s here I’m taking out a civil suit against him’. They put me in jail for three nights. When I went to court, where’s the evidence? Nothing! So they threw it out. Nigeria was a pretty rough place but I didn’t mind – I liked the energy,” he had added. 

The Somerton, St. James native, was the first Jamaican solo act to win a Grammy award back in 1986, a year after Black Uhuru won the first Reggae Grammy, for their Anthem album.

The seven-time Grammy nominee copped the Best Reggae Recording at the Grammy Awards in 1986 for his international breakthrough album Cliff Hanger, and also the Best Reggae Album award, for his album titled Rebirth, in 2013.   Cliff Hanger featured 10 tracks and included some of his most popular hits, among them  Hitting with Music, Brown Eyes and Hot Shot.

Cliff, who holds the Order of Merit (OM), Jamaica’s third highest honour, for his outstanding contribution to Jamaica’s Film and Music Industry, was instrumental in introducing Jamaican music to an international audience.  This was made partially possible through his lead role in the landmark Perry Henzel-directed film, The Harder They Come, which was shot in Jamaica in 1972.

In the film which celebrates 50 years this year, Jimmy starred as Ivanhoe Martin, a poor boy from rural Jamaica who migrates to Kingston, and who, after failing in the music industry, turns to a life of crime, becomes a wanted man and is killed on the beach during a shoot-out with the police.

Cliff began writing songs while attending primary school.  He recorded his first hit hurricane Hattie, at age 17, with the help of producer Leslie Kong.

He was chosen as one of Jamaica’s representatives at the World’s Fair in 1964, and shortly after, signed to Island Records and moved to the UK.

In addition to the Order of Merit, Jimmy was officially announced as an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.   In 2019,  the Government of Jamaica also honoured him by renaming  Gloucester Avenue in Montego Bay, also known as the Hip Strip,  the Jimmy Cliff Boulevard.