BABYLON

Made at the height of the racist National Front’s power in Margaret Thatcher’s UK, Babylon is a look at life in the largely African and Caribbean Brixton. Rated X in England for its “ability to stir up racial conflict,”Babylon has finally been released in the States. A perfect tonic to the polite images of aristocracy that Americans admittedly inhale, it follows Blue, a reggae DJ played by Aswad frontman Brinsley Forde. For Blue, music is liberation, but preparing to beat legendary dub star Jah Shaka (as himself) in a club battle is made nearly impossible with the many distractions and dangers for a young black man in London.

“Dennis Bovell’s reggae soundtrack is a master class of mood — a sonic heartbeat full of joy, pain and fury; the music a flame you hear, see and feel.” – Los Angeles Times.