Jimmy Cliff: ‘I’m still chasing that Oscar!’

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “I said, ‘You know, I’m really glad to be here in Europe’,” recalls Cliff, now 78, his voice still rich and mellifluous as it sings down the line from his home in Miami. Cliff’s character, Ivanhoe Martin, travels to Kingston from his rural home, and his attempts to become a singer are illustrated by scenes of him writing and performing “The Harder They Come”. “Everybody would tell me a different story, and I’d sit and take in all they imparted to me.” Although Cliff’s performance was celebrated, after the film was released he went back to his day job. That’s so sad.” The song marks Cliff’s first collaboration with Wyclef Jean, whose group Fugees took their name from an abbreviation of “refugees”, and who has described Cliff as “one of my greatest inspirations”.