| By Charles Campbell Observer writer Sunday, October 02, 2005 |
In the music industry, September is called tamarind season- a relatively quiet period in the live entertainment scene in Jamaica, although dances continue unabated. Winston 'Eva' Wilson aka Mr 'La Roose' is my very good friend. Since 1994, we have worked together on many entertainment projects, packages and products.
Some have done well for us, while others have failed. Anyone who knows Eva, knows of his famous pragmatic approach to business and life.
Recently, he called me and proposed that we work with Mikey Spice's manager, Bridget Anderson to promote/produce a concert headlining Spice. He asked me to estimate how much it would cost us to do this. On hearing the figure, his response was, "Charles, if wi have dem money deh, why boddah risk it pon stage show?
A bettah wi put on a dance." The discourse brought to memory some valuable advice I had received from Kenny Benjamin. Commencing 1990, my wife, Deninee, and I developed an ornamental fish farm. We produced and exported pet fish mainly to New York, California and Florida.
After leaving Synergy Productions inn 1994, Deninee and I worked on or produced other people's events, but did not promote our own for a while. When Kenny heard we were again promoting our own series, he said to me, "Make sure this remains a sideline".
He was of course referring to the high risk factor associated with staging events, including the various high overheads and the diverse capriciousness that the average promoter faces when contemplating such a venture.
This is especially so in Jamaica, where amphitheatres and concert halls are virtually nonexistent, even in Kingston, the so called cultural capital of the Caribbean. Dances however, are more viable because they demand less infrastructure. The average dance can be held for between JA$50,000 to JA$200,000.
Since September, 2004, to the best of our ability, we have been tallying the number of dances held across Jamaica weekly. After one year, it comes out at an average of 504 dances weekly.
In any projection of what the live entertainment sector contributes to the national economy annually, one would have to include about 10 major shows at a cost of JA$10 million each.; 18 holiday productions and another 20 regular calendar events/sessions at a minimum cost of JA$2 million each.
It would be safe to say therefore that the live entertainment circuit generates close to JA$1.5 billion to the Jamaican economy. Of course, this figure does not include the recording and sales of vinyl and CD products. We estimate that at least 1000 new tunes weekly are currently being released on the market, the production of which costs the producer anything from JA$80,000 to JA$250,000 each.
This week was National Tourism Week. Coincidentally, the world report on annual foreign investment for 2004 was also published. It reflected a significant fall-off for Jamaica in comparison to 2003.
In response to this, I heard the head of a noted international lending agency in Jamaica telling us that we have to come up with new, non-traditional projects to attract foreign investments. He suggested we look at music and sport tourism because Jamaica has a trade advantage in these areas.
Well, 'hello, Christopher Columbus!' This episode reminds of 1992 when PJ Patterson came to Reggae Sunsplash and commented that he never knew that anything of this magnitude and world class standard happened annually in Jamaica.
One of my partners then turned to me and said, 'which planet has he suddenly arrived from?' Eight months later the UDC proceeded to sell the Bob Marley Entertainment Centre - dedicated in 1983 to be used exclusively for the performing arts - to a consortium of MoBay businessmen for the development of condominiums.without a whimper from any quarter.
One has to wonder what impact Sunplash would currently have on our summer tourism were it not for that policy reversal. Perish the thought however.
Meanwhile, all week on radio talk shows, in general discussions on tourism, I kept hearing that the brand name 'Jamaica' is our strongest appeal. Our local pundits however, seem reluctant to clearly define this 'Jamaica'.
I would suggest that the best investment that could be made in Jamaica at this time is towards the development of physical infrastructure in every parish for the proper staging of live public events, especially amphitheatres with the permanent installation of production equipment and facilities to make private ventures more feasible and sophisticated so that we may begin to display our own culture in conditions equal or superior to venues where our artistes are viewed overseas.
In the meantime, on the subject of intellectual property, I hear that the International Intellectual Property Institute is pushing us to do more in terms of updating and policing our legislation, in line with new international standards.
I learnt from Maxine Stowe that some good things have been happening since the passing of the Copyright Act in 1993. She reports that an official catalogue of Jamaican music is being developed and updated regularly, although, because it is constantly being performed and repackaged, there are levels of contamination.
Miss Stowe says a lot is being done in terms of education about the use and need to copyright. People like Chris Blackwell and Byron Lee should be playing lead roles in this drive, rather than the passive position they currently hold.
A lot more research and development needs to be done on our copyright methods and avenues in order to harness and document our culture and cultural heritage and promote an understanding of the power of our 'brand'. Our challenge is a huge potential and responsibility.
My recent article on 'Cultural Integration in Canada' printed on Sunday, September 18, generated some significant responses. Some of which I'd like to reproduce here.
FROM LENWORTH HAYE
I just read your article posted on the Jamaica Observer's website and just thought I 'd drop you a note to let you know how it impacted me. I have been living in Vancouver, BC for the past three years having taken the decision to move my family here for pretty much the same reasons your father did nearly 40 years ago!
I consider (all things remaining the same) that I "gave up" quite a lot in undertaking this venture and, while we have comfortably settled (good jobs and comfortable existence) and I appreciate the immense benefits that my kids are now enjoying there has always remained a nagging discomfort with the level of "adjustments" one has to make as an immigrant in another's country.
You echoed a lot of thoughts which I have, thus far, been unable to articulate (without sounding churlish). Like you, I was the last of my family, to leave Jamaica and I still insist that like the Prime Minister, I shall return! Thanks again for an insightful and well researched article!
FROM ASTON COOKE
Congratulations on a great piece. I lived in Toronto 1989-1993 when I attended Ryerson. I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion about the divide between the culture of the Jamaicans who migrated to Canada after 1980 and those who went there in the 1970s. What a difference indeed. I too have had similar experiences with Pakistani store clerks.
The "Multiculturalism" farce created and perpetuated by the Canadian government is another article in the making. You couldn't have said it better.
FROM SANDOR PANTON
I migrated to Canada in 2001 for career reasons with a 'Five year plan' to return to Jamaica. I am in fact moving back at the end of this year so I am basically sticking to that plan.
Canada is a great place to live and maybe even to raise a family but part of why I could not stay here beyond my planned time is the subtle racism and just always being a '2nd class' citizen and not truly being integrated and equal even though they say it. When I went to high school in Jamaica I was surrounded by White, Chinese, Black, Indian, every hue just like here in parts of Canada, but race was never an issue.
I couldn't seriously consider raising children here simply because young children have so many race issues to deal with from such a young age. I can't picture them having the sort of life I had as a youngster in Jamaica, so even with crime the way it is in Jamaica, it's still a much better alternative.
I also live in a small town in Ontario where an independent study recently confirmed that black people in the town were three times more likely to be stopped by the police than white people. [Personally], I've never experienced direct racism or even obvious subtle racism here, but I know it's there [because] I've had friends with 'interesting' experiences.
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