Film Art: Shaggy, Vybz Kartel

Vybz Kartel Radio

The power of art and business. To achieve financial and cultural success is to exit from a competitive sphere and inhabit a creative platform, with the least number of occupants.

Since the early 80s, musical and visual narratives are occupying a synergetic space. Both having distinctive cultural identities and the nuances of syntax and articulation through accent or negative space, what the artist chooses to involve or disregard. And when we enter the domain of subcultures with more social power than mainstream, such as dancehall and even reggae in the global music sphere, interpretation is a delicate, yet, imperative task. Moreover, how an artist defines this symbiotic and multilingual interpretation of sound and image influences the outcome of the project as either just another video or film art.

There are a few artists steadfast on shifting into the sphere of art and business. And it is apparent in the delivery of their projects that they had this vision from the initiation and execution of the scope. Two of them are Vybz Kartel and Shaggy.

On January 24, Vybz Kartel's team released the much-anticipated video to his dancehall single, "Come Home." Directed and captured by the cinematography company Xtreme Arts, the video features a repertoire of talent including professional dancer Orville Hall and his troupe, Dance Xpressionz.

But this is more than a video. Rather it is an interpretive representation of art and culture with a perfect embodiment of time, place, and cultural space. Executed vividly through clever comedic timing, studious set and costume design, musical composition, and multiple viewpoints.

Shaggy Media

Then, we remembered another favourite of our team, the film for the Street Bullies Riddim Medley, 2009. Featuring Shaggy, Red Foxx, Christopher Martin, Ce'Cile and Vybz Kartel, this visual narrative is produced Carleene Samuels, directed by Jay Will of Game Over ,and edited by i.am.thekritik of Koa:Arts. It is one of the best film art productions featuring reggae and dancehall talent in music, vocal performance, dance, set and costume design and cinematic methodologies. In particular, the survey of art historical markers and symbolism in fashion, music, dance, language, and cultural relations are remarkable.