The Story of Lovers Rock is a feature-length documentary film about the British reggae sub-genre, Lovers Rock, which focuses on themes of love, romance, and relationships. Centred predominantly around female voices, Lovers Rock was the first ‘girl power’ music in the UK at a time of heightened political tension and racial unrest. The genre is often cited as being pivotal to the emergence of a specifically British Black identity.
In the late 70s and early 80s, Lovers Rock was a defining feature of the musical landscape of the British Black community, and its influence was reflected in the charts. Offering an apolitical counterpoint to the Rastafarian ideologies dominating Jamaican reggae at the time, Lovers Rock was rooted in the sound systems of South London and particularly appealed to women, whose contribution to the sound was especially prominant in earlier releases.
Combining the smooth, mellow harmonies of Chicago and Philly Soul with the syncopated rhythms and deep, hypnotic basslines of Reggae, the appeal of Lovers Rock transcends its epoch, its UK homeland, and continues to move audiences all over the world as evidenced by its recent re-emergence and popularity in Japan.
The film consists of live performances, comedy and interviews that provide an untold portrait of the post-Windrush generation.