Shaggy-Produced ‘Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall’ Documentary Premieres At Tribeca Film Festival
Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall – a documentary exploring the emergence of Dancehall music in New York City throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s – is set to premiere today (June 8) at the Tribeca Film Festival and will mark Dancehall icon Shaggy’s debut as an executive producer in film.
The star-packed documentary, which will also feature heavy-hitters Sean Paul and Ding Dong, alongside Shaggy and others, will dive into the rich history of the island’s music in New York City, which is dubbed the “15th Parish of Jamaica”.
It will also explore how Jamaican immigrants facilitated the growth of the genre by looking closely at how dance, Jamaican culture and vibes helped to swing the cultural pendulum on the bustling streets of New York City, which was also experiencing a simultaneous rise in Hip-Hop at the time.
The documentary promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience for music lovers all over the world, who will be at the masterful storytelling mercy of juggernauts in the genre like Shaggy and Sean Paul, who are among the most successful artists of all time – across any genre. Their first-hand accounts of the history of Dancehall music are expected to properly underscore the transformative impact of the genre, while connecting the past with the present through the scope of music.
The film’s storytelling, which invites audiences to an immersive and feet-tapping experience, will be complemented by “never-before-seen archival footage” intended to bridge the gap between Kingston and New York City.
With Shaggy at its helm, a rich tapestry of sounds, dances and compelling accounts are expected to feature in the documentary, which is, for all intents and purposes, a celebration of the power of music to unite people and transcend cultural and geographical borders.
Following the film’s premiere tomorrow, Thursday June 8, the celebration of Dancehall music will continue with performances by Shaggy, Sean Paul, and others.
Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall will be shown over three days at three different locations throughout the film festival. The first showing, mentioned above, will be the premiere at The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios at 8:15 PM.
The second will be on Friday, June 9, at Village East by Angelika at 9 PM, and its final showing, which will take place at AMC 19th Street East 6, will be shown on Thursday, June 15, at 5:45 PM.
The documentary is directed by Ben DiGiacomo and Dutty Vannier, who worked on Janelle Monae’s Dirty Computer in 2018.
The Tribeca Film Festival, which was co-founded by renowned American actor Robert De Niro, is a film festival geared at celebrating and showcasing untold stories “in all its forms”.
This year, in addition to the spotlight on Dancehall via the Shaggy executive-produced documentary, there will be other projects set to highlight other big names in music such as Paul McCartney, Carlos Santana and ‘80s pop star, Cyndi Lauper.