In this episode we’re smashing through jerk chicken and swigging Red Stripe 🐔

You can’t swim with horses in the Caribbean sea or hike the Blue Mountains right now...

But you can get your chill on with our pick of a film, book, podcast, TV show, and song inspired by Jamaica.

The Harder They Come

You after this film:

“Alexa, play The Harder They Come on repeat, please and thank you.“

Ivanhoe Martin comes to Kingston to make it big. Instead, reality smacks him round the chops. He lands a recording contract as a reggae singer, gets ripped off, beaten up and spat back out onto the streets…. where he sells ganja and kills a cop.

“Possibly the most influential of Jamaican films… one of the most important films from the Caribbean”

Barbara Mennel said this and she’s a film scientist (seriously) so you should believe the hype.

The film takes a deep dive into corruption and drugs in Jamaica. Sound dark? Don’t worry, Jimmy Cliff (who plays Ivan) has the voice of an actual angel 👼

Banana Bottom

Bita Plant is a Jamaican girl sent away by white missionaries to make her a proper lady…. not problematic at all 🙄 She’s been in England getting schooled but returns to Jamaica to train at the missionary (the religious group, not the sex position) and marry a theological student.

Hard pass.

Instead, she finds her new culture to be at odds with her heritage and gets drawn into West Indian festivals and steamy love affairs. Which are way more fun than English boarding schools and spotted dick.

Makes total sense that author and all round legend, Claude McKay wrote a book about social and political injustice. He was a big part of the Harlem Renaissance (an African-American arts movement) which pushed forward Afro-Caribbean rights.

The Brilliant Minds Podcast

Naomi Campbell is a supermodel and businesswoman. And she doesn’t care that you think she’s a diva who threw her phone at her maid that one time… Kay?

In The Brilliant Minds Podcast with Naomi we find out about her Jamaican-born dancer mother, Valerie Morri. It also goes into Naomi’s relationship with Nelson Mandela.

Good to listen to before bed because Ms Campbell more purrs than speaks 🐈

Small Island

Does the thought of another six-parter, seven-season marathon make your eyes bleed?

We got you.

Small Island is a BBC two-part miniseries (praise be) based on the book by Andrea Levy. It tells the story of Jamaican immigrants who are fleeing poverty on their ‘small island’ and moving to post-World War II England...

Need more convincing? In 2009 The Guardian selected Small Island as one of the defining books of the decade. Geddit in your eyeballs 👀

Two words: Bob. Marley.

We know they’re actually names. But we did it for effect.

Fun fact: Marley actually wanted to call this song ‘I Shot the Police’ but thought the government would make a fuss *shakes fist at government*. So he changed the name but the idea is still the same: justice ✊

This one’s a keeper - hit the Lucky button then save this trip for a happier time 💚