Jamaican Gold

Jamaican Gold is the name of a reggae club night in L.A. and this DVD gives you a taste of what goes on at it. Promoter Q Bwoy talks about starting the night and building a reggae fan base that spans the economic divide in L.A. While elements are shot in pseudo-documentary style, with interviews with many of the performers backstage, the main point of the disc is to show the deejays at work and some of dancehall’s biggest names, such as Beenie Man, Cham and Richie Spice, who climb on stage and strut their stuff in between dance and bikini competitions. Most of the performances are inspired, such as when Elephant Man gives one fan the ride of her life or Lady Saw instructs the crowd on the particular benefits of her nether region, but we are also shown a Damian Marley who looks as though he’d rather be somewhere else. The filming is often choppy and unprofessional but never terrible. However, the camcorder sound quality makes this a release better left on the shelf.