Britain's first reggae band, Cimarons, was formed by teenage Jamaican immigrants in a London bus shelter in 1967.

Reggae exploded in the 1970s, with Cimarons at its heart. Thousands of miles from Jamaica, they brought excitement, experimentation and sheer anticipation booming from speaker boxes, putting the new generation of Black British youth in touch with their roots - in contact with who they really were.  

Industry legends, Cimarons worked with reggae-royalty Bob Marley, Toots & the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Lee 'Scratch' Perry and even Paul McCartney, but have been hugely under-recognised when it comes to their own music, impact and legacy.  

Harder Than The Rock tells the story of their amazing history and follows the band’s final chapter as they dream of performing again, one last time…

Director: Mark Warmington 

Producers: James Baxter, Jeremiah Cullinane & Mark Warmington 

Editor: Mark Lediard 

Executive Producers: Inuka Capita Bacote, Matt O'Casey, Mark Antonello, Mike O'Brien, Mark Warmington, James Baxter, Paul Dyson & Angela Dyson

Margot Films/J6 Films

PRESS

“An infectiously engaging and very moving rhapsody for the groundbreaking rebels dubbed ‘the backbone of British reggae’.  A terrific doc that tells a story you can’t quite believe you didn’t know.”

MARK KERMODE, KERMODE & MAYO'S TAKE

"A scarcely believable story about one of the most pioneering bands in the history of reggae."

AMOL RAJAN, BBC RADIO 4 - TODAY SHOW

"As the documentary captures with real warmth, tenderness and humour, the band are lovingly back together."

DANIEL DYLAN WRAY, THE GUARDIAN

"They sowed the seeds for the UK's love affair with Jamaican music.  If it wasn't for this film I wouldn't have known that."

DON LETTS, BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC

"The film is an audio visual masterpiece that brilliantly captures the history of British reggae music."

KENNY MONROSE, THE CONVERSATION

"Beautifully raw."

CHERRON INKO-TARIAH MBE, BLACK HISTORY MONTH MAGAZINE

https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/jun/18/the-cimarons-first-british-reggae-band-interview-harder-than-the-rock

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/harder_than_the_rock

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/oct/02/harder-than-the-rock-review-reggae-unsung-heroes-cimarons-take-a-bow

https://pocketmags.com/us/total-film-magazine/november-2024/articles/1467606/harder-than-the-rock-12a?srsltid=AfmBOorVdvBeM6jIdz74hAvRevnwUZ5lZF2RMpqz9wLea5JBpOLoBUdg

https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/all-our-blood-sweat-and-tears-havent-gone-to-waste-the-amazing-tale-of-cimarons-britains-first-reggae-band-146712/

https://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/cimarons-stripped