Lincoln Center brought the sights and sounds of Jamaica to Manhattan last night with the New York premiere of the documentary “Rise Up.” Presented by the ImageNation Film Foundation and the Film Society at Lincoln Center, the event featured a live performance by reggae band Judah Tribe, a Q&A panel with the filmmakers, and a live Skype video call with music producers in Jamaica.

“Rise Up” follows the lives of three musicians struggling to pursue their dreams in Jamaica’s competitive underground reggae scene. There’s Kemoy Reid—a shy country girl with the voice of an star; Turbulence—a fierce Rastafarian rapper from the ghetto looking to spread his message of peace around the world; and Ice Anastasia—a reggae trio whose affluence makes is hard for listeners to accept them. Recorded over a period of three years, the film also features interviews with icons such as Lee “Scratch” Perry, Sly Dunbar, and Robbie Shakespeare.

This is director Luciano Blotta’s first feature documentary. Raised in Argentina, Blotta attended the University of Miami where he studied film and met his producing partner Mark Hart, a native of Jamaica. Hart convinced Blotta to travel to Jamaica with his camera and investigate the underground music scene. According to Blotta, the artists he filmed were usually discovered by chance while performing on the streets of Kingston or in underground dance halls.

“I really had no clue what I was doing. When I saw the amount of artists there trying to be recognized, it was overwhelming. But I immediately identified with them, for I myself was a struggling artist, and I wanted to give them a chance,” Blotta said.

What comes most vibrantly through the stories of “Rise Up” is the message that in Jamaica, a land built by the descendents of African slaves, music is simply in the blood. By expressing themselves through reggae music at underground clubs and in their own backyards, the youth can rise up out of the ghettos, out of the poverty, and out of the violence, hoping to seek better lives as successful musicians.

“Culturally, music is a part of the heritage of the African people. We tell our stories, our experiences, and our struggles all through music,” Josh David, lead singer of Judah Tribe, said.