The Harder They Come Musical in Miami

THE HARDER THEY COME – OPENING NIGHT BENEFITS THE JAMAICAN CHILDREN’S HEART FUND

 By M. Peggy Quattro
Photos by Lynn Dearing

The Jamaican Children’s Heart Fund (JCHF) successfully benefited from the opening night performance of the smash hit musical, The Harder They Come, based on Perry Henzell’s legendary 1972 movie starring Jimmy Cliff. The South Florida-based JCHF sold hundreds of tickets for the Sat., August 29, 2009, performance at the beautiful Ziff Ballet Opera House, inside Arsht Performing Arts Centre, Miami, FL, and a portion of the ticket price went to this worthy cause.

Carolyn Soutar, Winston Stoner, Laura Marley, Chris Marley, Don Parchment, Diana Marley, M Peggy Quattro

For the hundreds of Jamaicans, Americans, and international patrons in attendance, the cast of The Harder They Come sang and danced their way into the hearts of the cheerful crowd. Live music was provided by an outstanding band of live musicians cleverly positioned as part of the stage set. Together with the entire cast, they performed popular songs from the original movie that have become world-famous anthems include “Many Rivers To Cross,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” “Pressure Drop,” “Sweet and Dandy,” and “Sitting in Limbo.” The audience was brought to their feet to sing along when the cast came on stage to end the show with a rousing version of “The Harder They Come.”
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DubFest Brings Old & New Together – Lee “Scratch” Perry

DubFest 2009 Highlights!  Lee “Scratch” Perry

Set to Deliver Spiritual Healing
By Tina Pace
Ranked in the top 100 of Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, Lee “Scratch” Perry considers himself a new being, anxious to spread the healing, spiritual energy of his music at DubFest, Sept. 5, in Hollywood, Florida.

At the ripe age of 73 years young, Scratch Perry’s outlook is fresher than ever. When asked how the youth will respond to his show, he replied, “people seek redemption through the show. They want spiritual healing, spiritual music.” Perry will be returning to his home country of Jamaica to “refresh and restart” himself. Perry’s passion for life and nature is evident in his songs and through his words. He warns not to curse from where you came or burn any bridges because, in the end, everything comes back full-circle.

Once a self-proclaimed cannibal, Scratch says, “I changed my being and returned to myself and from the animal race.” He accepts the spiritual blessings in his life and rejects the unnecessary material existence in his world, “Rock stone is my chair,” he claims, “silver and gold is nothing. God is nature and God punishes them that are filled with greed.” Continue reading