Thanks to all of our generous contributors, the Kickstarter campaign for True Born African: The Story of Winston Jarrett was a success! We reached 101% of our funding goal as of 6pm Thursday the 15th of March. If you didn’t get a chance to contribute to this, but would still like to support the film, don’t worry. We will have more fundraisers over the next few months and will continue to accept donations.
True Born African: The Story of Winston Jarrett will be a feature-length documentary film about Winston “Flames” Jarrett. As a backing vocalist for Alton Ellis & The Flames, Winston’s voice graced several number-1 Ska hits in Jamaica. He was also one of the first to record Rocksteady and Reggae in the 1960s and appeared as a background player in the breakthrough Jamaican film The Harder They Come. Flames became leader of the band after Alton Ellis migrated to England. As frontman of Winston Jarrett & the Righteous Flames, he was a mentor to the next generation of reggae musicians who took Jamaican music to worldwide popularity in the 1970s. He has recorded 20 albums in a music career spanning 6 decades. Flames now lives in Seattle, Washington, USA.
In addition to uncovering the story of Winston’s life in the Jamaican music scene, this film will address his experience as an impoverished Trenchtown youth who rose to success and travelled around the world. Now in his 70s, Winston “Flames” Jarrett is an elder of the Rastafari movement, a student of Nyahbinghi elder Mortimer Planno. He discusses meeting H.I.M. Haile Selassie I in Jamaica in 1966, and describes the Ethiopian Emperor’s lifelong influence upon him. We plan to release the completed film on Winston’s 72nd birthday in September 2012.
Of course, a documentary like this isn’t created by one person alone. This film is being made by:
Executive Producers: Perpetual Nakis, Shirley “Empress Irie Dawta” Atherley, Herman “Ta’ Zayah” Hendricks, Meghan Moore, Debbie Tucker Markezich, Kapua, Elinor Nakis, Arty Nakis, Connie Schauer, Shirley C. Jenkins, Ras Marcus Benjamin, Sheila Edgin, Diana Wright, Luc Hale, Troy Mabry, Isaac Kaplan-Woolner, Scott Bickford, Jonny Lagat Saragena, Liz, Angela Devlin, Paris Treantafeles, Culture Yard, Outpt, James McEwan, Brian McKillop, Mike, BobJr94, Marion Adams Sai, Krk Nordenstrom, Pierre MacKay, Chani Hines, Travis Leva, Nathan Moody, Garrett Anderson, Antonio de la Torre, Jerica, Ben Rapson, Katie Johnson, Jim Summers, Daphne Ruxton, Ole Johnson, Annalisa Peterson, Charles Tomaras, Katarzyna, Patrick Janicki, and Anon Ymous
Starring: Winston “Flames” Jarrett
Producer/Director: Nicholas John Nakis
Co-Producer/Photographer/Videographer: Patsy Jarrett
Camera Operator: Anthony Tackett
Associate Producers: Patrick S. Poplin & Raynard Eskeets
Nicholas John Nakis 