Paolo Baldini DubFiles - At Song Embassy Papine Kingston 6 (2016)

In between February and March 2015 Paolo Baldini packed his mobile studio into a red suitcase and flew to Kingston, Jamaica. The studio was set up at the Song Embassy yard, in Papine, Kingston 6, and for a week Baldini recorded the performances of dozens of artists who voiced his riddims during what became a proper soundsystem session.

Paolo Baldini’s team (Italian reggae artists Mellow Mood and Forelock, graphic novelist Davide Toffolo and anthropologist Icir Mimina Di Muro) documented what happened at the yard, following the principles of visual anthropology. Filmed using basic equipment, the documentary aims at capturing in the most transparent way the energy of the performances giving a truthful rendition of what happened at the yard. No set was arranged, no script was followed: reality was filmed without filters.

The post-production phase, which took place in Pordenone, Italy, transformed that authenticity into a tribute to the Jamaican talents which are often unheard of, and on which Baldini, Mellow Mood and the rest of the team want to cast a light and attract a well-deserved exposure.

Alternating the clips of the performances to a number of interviews to the singers involved in the recordings, “DubFiles at Song Embassy, Papine, Kingston 6” takes the viewer on a journey through the lively musical reality of the Kingston ghetto.

01 - Kingston 6
02 - Song Embassy Medley, Pt. 1
03 - June
04 - Thank You Jah
05 - Never Get Me Down
06 - Herbsman Juggling
07 - Song Embassy Medley, Pt. 4
08 - Boom (Wah Da Da Deng)
09 - Song Embassy Medley, Pt. 2
10 - Song Embassy Medley, Pt. 3
11 - Majesty
12 - Come Now
13 - Father Dub
14 - Keep the Vibes On
15 - Rise out of Poverty
16 - Welcome to Ja