Good music documentaries seem to be few and far between, especially on topics outside of the mainstream, so when whispers of a new documentary on Dub by Bruno Natal occur, I tend to sit up and take notice, and just hope my expectations are not set too high… After all, previous efforts on documenting the genre have been mixed, BBC2′ documentary on reggae was a fine effort, following its roots from Jamaica to the UK, to a noble effort by the reggae documentary also on Soul Jazz some years ago now. Generally my yard stick would be the amazing series Reggae Roots I remember seeing on SBS well over a decade ago, with only a scratchy taped VHS copy of part of the series to remind me of the brilliance, blagged off a good friend and professed reggae nut, I’ve often thought how criminal it is that this series never made it to be reissued on DVD, SBS take note! Although this new film by Bruno Natal focuses on the dub elements, there is still the reggae historical roots which have influenced so much of modern dub music, and that is where this documentary kindly guides us, from its origins in Jamaica to all corners of the UK and Europe, an evolution of a studio technique that has carved its own history.
Bruno Natal has won a string of awards for his film, and rightly so, he has done the job of documenting a genre that needs this attention, he has taken it from its roots to its global influence today on contemporary electronic music, covering much ground with commentary with the originators like King Jammy, Lee Perry, Sly & Robbie, U Roy, Bunny Lee and Gussie Clarke to contemporaries such as Kode9, Roots Manuva, Congo Natty, Adam Freeland, Adrian Sherwood, Audio Bully’, Basement Jaxx, Beat Junkies, Bill Laswell, DJ Spooky, Dennis Bovell, Don Letts, Dreadzone, Dub Pistols, G-Corp, Howie B, Mad Professor, Nacao Zumbi, Peter Kruder, Thievery Corporation to name just a few, and there are many more. This all adds nicely to the rich history of the “studio as an instrument’s that is the history of dub and its many influences on music today.
I did have my reservations about this film, reading reviews seeming too good to be true, but it is a fine documentary, one I enjoyed thoroughly, but one I suspect is more enjoyable to someone such as myself who has enjoyed reggae and dub for many years, it’s a film for the enthusiast, not necessarily for someone wanting an introduction to Jamaica’ rich musical history. The most frustrating thing for me, and one that does not help the uninitiated, is the lack of original music contained in the documentary. It would have been even more enjoyable to hear music from the artists that were being discussed, making a real historical statement both visually and auditory, and I’m not sure the reason for this omission, either problematic licensing issues or a restrictive budget would be my guess. My other gripe is the lack of a female voice, which has definitely had an influence on the roots and evolution of reggae and dub. There is no mention of some great female vocalists such as Phillis Dillon, Marcia Griffiths, and many others that have contributed great things, and although female producers were rare, there is no mention of Sonia Pottinger. It would have been nice to hear some commentary from other female talent from within both the reggae, dancehall and ragga scenes such as Lady G, Lady Saw, Sandra Cross and Janet-Lee Davis. Saying this does not detract from the fact that Dub Echoes fills the brief for a good documentary on music, and as always with a Soul Jazz Records release, you’ll also find a mighty fine double CD companion available separately, containing much of the music from the talking heads of the documentary. Some great extra’ on the DVD also, which is always a good thing. Feel the bass pressure.
Dub Echoes (2009) – trailer from Bruno Natal on Vimeo.
