Jeremy Marre

Jeremy Marre (7 October 1943 – 15 March 2020) was an English television director, writer and producer who founded Harcourt Films and made films around the world.[1] Much of his work focused on musical subjects.

His reputation was made with the Beats of the Heart series, which introduced elements of what is now called world music, and its performers,[2] to the Western world.[3] Rhythms of Resistance, a film in the series, was where Paul Simon first saw Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who played a prominent role on Simon’s Graceland album.[4] The New York Times said of Beats of the Heart: "It can make your jaw drop regularly with astonishment."[5] He has run director courses for the National Film and Television School, sat on the advisory boards for the British Library Sound Archive and the Arts Council of England, has broadcast widely on BBC radio, has written for The Times, New York Post and The Independent.

There have been retrospectives of his music films at the Florence Film Festival and on Channel 4.[6]

In 2016, Marre was the first recipient of a new lifetime achievement award bestowed jointly by Arizona State University and Arizona Humanities.[7]

  1. ^ Pareles, Jon (23 March 2020). "Jeremy Marre, Documentarian of World Music, Is Dead at 76". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Roots, Rock, Reggae film released – Monday | August 28, 2000". Jamaica Gleaner. 28 August 2000. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  3. ^ "Beats of the Heart: Rhythm Of Resistance (2007): DVD". Hmv.com. 15 December 2005. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  4. ^ Pareles, Jon (11 February 2020). "Joseph Shabalala, Ladysmith Black Mambazo Founder, Dies at 78". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  5. ^ The New York Times|date=5 May 1986, available in NYT archives; quoted Rich Mix magazine
  6. ^ "Biography/cv". Harcourt Films. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Press release". Arizona State University. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2020.