Studio 17: The Lost Reggae Tapes

Studio 17: The Lost Reggae Tapes tells the compelling story of the Chin’s -The Chinese Jamaican family behind “Studio 17” the legendary recording studio above the “Randy’s” record store, also founded by the Chin’s in downtown Kingston, Jamaica. Studio 17 was at the heart of the music revolution that began after Jamaican independence in 1962. In it’s prime, artists who recorded there included Bob Marley & the Wailers, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Alton Ellis, Carl Malcolm, Jimmy London and many more. But dramatically, during the political turmoil of the late 1970’s the Chin family fled to New York and the studio was abandoned. 40 years later, a treasure trove of original studio tapes has been salvaged - revealing unique and stunning recordings from the ‘golden age’ of reggae, many of which were unreleased and have never been heard before. As the tapes are played they give rise to a myriad of wonderful stories and in a highly poignant conclusion, the teenage voice of the late Dennis Brown is beautifully re-mixed with the vocals of a rising teenage star, Hollie Stephenson, all magically orchestrated by producer and one time Eurythmics star, Dave Stewart. (Nashville Film Festival)