‘Now or never’ for Tony Rebel - Entertainer makes his first visit to the cinema at ‘Redeemed’ première

When Rastafarian entertainer Tony Rebel was invited to the premiere of the faith-based crime drama, Redeemed: A Father’s Love, he said that he had to make one of those “now-or-never decisions”. He chose now, and that led to his making his first-ever trip to the cinema.

After more than six decades on Planet Earth, Tony Rebel went to the cinema three weeks ago. The veteran entertainer and founder of Rebel Salute, who shared that all his life he had never taken a girl on a movie date, was among the VIP guests at the Carib cinema in Cross Roads.

“Yuh know how much girl tried to break that virginity?” he asked with a laugh. “Nuff girls yuh nuh. But it just never happened. Yes, there was a movie theatre in Mandeville when I was growing up, but my grandparents neva really inna dem tings deh. And mi still never go when mi come Kingston come live, and mi decide fi just hol’ it.”

Rebel’s maiden experience was motivated mainly by the fact that two of his songs are featured in the movie. Redeemed: A Father’s Love stars Malik Yoba, Cornelius Grant, Julie Mango, Safaree Samuels, Jacinth Headlam, Michael Nicholson, Justin Awn, Prince Saj and Charmaine Fenton. “Redeemed follows a young woman whose life is forever changed after discovering that the man who abducted her is, in fact, her biological father. The gripping narrative explores faith, identity, forgiveness and redemption through a deeply moving story that resonates across generations,” the film’s synopsis states.

“The pastor used Sweet Jamaica and If Jah is Standing By my Side. And mi seh mi might as well break it now or it neva a guh happen,” shared Rebel, who was accompanied to the movies by one of his sons and a lady friend, .

The pastor to whom he referred was Dr Otis Manning, the executive producer of the movie and the head of God’s Family Ministry International.

But Rebel himself was quick to point out that this is not the first time that his song is used in a movie.

“ Sweet Jamaica has been in Cool Runnings and I was signed to Colombia Records at the time and Tommy Mottola dem asked me to come see the movie and I told them no, I would wait until it was on video,” he told The Gleaner.

“Mi just want fi experience what it feel like,” he said, looking a tiny bit overwhelmed as he stood in the foyer of the Carib cinema inhaling the smell of popcorn and absorbing all the activity around him..

“Mi watch the yute [Manning] more time pon TV and him seem spiritual and him call me pon the phone with Judith Bodley and we were talking and Judith seh she a come, so mi must mek sure to be there.

Rebel described his maiden experience at the cinema as “good”.

“My first ‘cinematic’ experience was good. I learnt a lot. I did not know that world existed,” he told The Gleaner.

“The movie itself told a story. It was also good to see Jamaicans acting. It felt amazing to hear two of my songs in one movie. They actually match the scenes that they were played,” Rebel said.

He also said he liked the back story which he heard directly from Pastor Manning. The story is that a woman came to him for counselling and, after hearing her story, he told her that he was going to make it into a movie. And Redeemed was born.

The Fresh Vegetable singer also had something more to celebrate, in addition to his songs shining on the big screen. He stood in the spotlight in New York three Saturdays ago when he was the recipient of the International Cultural Luminary Award. The presentation took place in Queens during the Official People’s Ball hosted by the Jamaica Independence Foundation, in celebration of Jamaica’s 64th Independence anniversary.

“I also performed with my son and daughter and it was amazing,” a delighted Tony Rebel told The Gleaner.

He also congratulated the producers and cast of Redeemed: A Father’s Love, which received seven nominations at the Caribbean Film Awards.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com