Day 20: I Am The Living

Jimmy Cliff, one of reggae music last surviving legends, has over 40 years of music in his repertoire. He is also the only living musician to hold the Order Of Merit, the highest possible honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences. He reached the peak of his fame playing 40's criminal Ivanhoe Martin in The Harder The Come in 1972. Since then he has put out nearly an album a year, his last effort coming in 2004 (Black Magic). You've most probably heard his unity driven We Are All One, and maybe you heard his cover of I Can See Clearly Now in the movie Cool Runnings. He is essential for any conversations concerning great reggae music and his music is essential for any true fan of music. Hear it now.

Song: I Am The Living
Artist: Jimmy Cliff
Album: I Am The Living (1980)

In I Am The Living, Cliff voices a we-are-one theme, a common theme in Cliff's music. Jimmy states his omnipotence

"I am the living, and the loving, I'm a shelter in a hail of thunder, I'm the thirst and the hunger, I'm the oldest getting younger".

I Am The Living is a good sampling of the classic Jimmy Cliff sound, featuring rich, lively instrumentation. As he usually does, Cliff manages to speak on an important topic while maintaining that feel-good reggae vibe. You'll be glad to hear that he has many songs as good or better than this one, but for right now, this is the perfect place to start with Jimmy Cliff.

Listen here!

For more Jimmy Cliff listen to Trust No Man, The Harder They Come, Stand Up And Fight Back, and Wonderful World, Beautiful People.

But don't stop there! Get Anthology, a 2 disc set offering 42 of Jimmy's greatest songs. Also be sure to pick up Rhythm Come Forward Vol. II which features 14 classic (some very hard to find) reggae cuts, including 2 by Cliff.