JAMSIE, KING OF SCRATCH
A vibrant and spirited musical journey to the U. S. Virgin Islands.
2006 | 70 minutes
Produced, directed and self-distributed this documentary is about a musical tradition bearer from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“The complex cultural context of quelbe, the official music of the US Virgin Islands, is demonstrated brilliantly. Quelbe is a living art form, not an antiquated piece to be studied in isolation as something that ‘once was’. This film brings the vibrancy and character of the islands and their music to life. Nice work, Andrea!”
– Diane Baxter
Western Oregon University
SYNOPSIS
Award-winning filmmaker Andrea E. Leland collaborated with James Brewster to create a 70-minute documentary and archiving project. The result of their collaboration is a spirited musical journey to the Caribbean focusing on Scratch band music (also known as Quelbe) , an indigenous, grass-roots form of folk music from the Virgin Islands that was recently declared the “official” music of the Virgin Islands.
79-year old James Brewster, the central character of this documentary, is an uncompromising, humorous, and provocative musician known for his playful compositions and lively performances and is the legendary “King of Scratch”.
This engaging documentary includes performances by Jamesie and the All-Stars at a St. Croix nightclub; an agricultural fair on St. Croix; the World Music Festival and the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago; the Lotus Music Festival in Bloomington, Indiana; jamming with his friends; and performing and teaching in Denmark. Interspersed with these performances is more intimate footage of Jamesie talking with other musicians about the historical significance of the music and explaining how he came to create some of his songs and footage at his home revealing his more personal side. The documentary celebrates Scratch band music and one of it’s most legendary performers. It provides a unique opportunity to view up close and personal the US Virgin Islands’ deep-rooted musical tradition.
SPECIAL UPDATE:
A short video segment from JAMESIE, KING OF SCRATCH, will be on exhibit at the Musical Instrument Museum located in Phoenix, AZ. Leland donated a güiro to the museum for an exhibit described below. The güiro (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈɡwiɾo]) is a Latin American percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. The instrument is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce a ratchet sound. The Musical Instrument Museum will display both the instrument and a segment of the video in the permanent gallery exhibit called “String and Scratch Bands”
AWARDS & SCREENINGS
- Reelworld Film Festival, Toronto
- Bahamas International Film Festival
- Dominican International Film Festival
- Bay Street Film Festival, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada: People’s Choice Award
- Turks and Caico’s Film Festival
- Globians International Documentary Film Festival, Potsdam, Germany
- Women’s International Film Festival
- Santa Cruz Film Festival
- Aarhus Film Festival, Denmark
- Caribbean Studies Association Conference, Brazil
- Park City Music Film Festival: GOLD MEDAL for Best Documentary on a Musical Subject
- 2009 Muestra Internacional de Cine Documental y Etnográfico en Puerto Rico
- Pan African Film Festival, NYC
- Trinidad and Tobago International Film Festival