Strummerville Shows The Power Of Music

Joe Strummer's sudden death on Dec. 22, 2002 left many of his friends and fans in shock. But after the mourning was over, it was time to celebrate the former Clash singer/guitarist's love of music and use it to help others.

That led to the formation of Strummerville, a registered charity that aims to keep the artist's memory alive. Strummerville offers support, resources and performance opportunities to artists — most of whom are too young to fully realize the influence of their late benefactor — who might not normally have access to them.

Fellow musician Billy Bragg and visual artist Damien Hirst helped get Strummerville off the ground, and they're among the artists and supporters interviewed in the hour-long, Don Letts-directed documentary that bears the name of the charitable foundation.

You'll recognize some of the Strummer footage if you've seen other films about the man or The Clash, but Strummerville thankfully introduces other clips and still photos of him that have previously been unseen by the public.

In addition to the brilliant music that Strummer made, the movie also showcases some of the young acts that have benefitted from Strummerville's work — the best of whom are The Riff Raff, Nimmo And The Gauntletts, Smokey Angle Shades and Beans On Toast (who drew two lines underneath my left eye when I saw him at the South By Southwest Music Festival in March).

Strummerville is also affiliated with and supports other like-minded organizations, two of which get special attention in the film. Camden Calling is a non-profit outfit that uses music to help homeless and vulnerable people in the trendy London, England neighbourhood of Camden. The Bragg-founded Jail Guitar Doors, named after a 1978 Clash song, is an initiative which aims to provide instruments to prison inmates to help rehabilitate them.

Bragg (who rivals Strummer as a musical hero to me) is seen performing a cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" in a prison. I suggested to him during a conversation 25 years ago that he sing the song, and he said that he couldn't because he identified it too closely with Marley (who had passed away from cancer five years earlier at that time) and couldn't bring himself to do it despite his admiration for the track. Bragg's rendition is as moving as I thought it would be back then.

Letts told me earlier this year he hopes his film "shows the power of music and its ability to inspire people and potentially make the world a better place."

It does.

Strummerville will be shown at the Toronto Underground Cinema at 7:30 p.m. on June 19 as part of the North By Northeast Music, Film And Interactive Festival.