GROUNDINGS: March 2007

Wednesday, 21 March 2007

One Love Artically

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Charles Campbell
Wednesday, March 21, 2007

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Vybz Kartel and Mavado

Bembe, one of Kingston's hottest weekly dances, takes place at Weekenz on Constant Spring Road, every Thursday night.

On March 1, deejaying duo Razz and Biggy alternated with Tony Matterhorn in providing their own brand of dancehall and hip-hop music mixes. They were in a militant mood, because recently Biggy had been assaulted at Hellshire Beach by some 'fans' of Vybz Kartel after he played ten Mavado tunes consecutively. The irony is that the set had been preceded by nine of Vybz Kartel's songs. The incident occurred right at the cusp of the feud that had developed between Kartel and Mavado, after Kartel's public withdrawal from the Bounty Killer-led Alliance.

Like the very cause for this split, here is another example of the violent nature and the oftentimes petty adolescent behaviour displayed by many dancehall artistes and patrons.
When Tony Matterhorn took the microphone, he expressed his disgust at the behaviour of the culprits and declared that if any patrons tried that with him, they should be prepared to pay the ultimate price as he would go down fighting. This was of course, backed up by the appropriate 'battle cry' tunes from Mavado. The audience was driven into a frenzy. When Biggy took his turn at the consoles and microphone, he continued where Matterhorn had left off. While I totally abhor what happened to Biggy and sympathised with him, this is certainly not the way to seek redress for the obvious injustice meted out to him. It just further aggravates the looming conflict. That is the problem with the dancehall, everybody is a bad man and no one is willing to back down.

Then it was time to give away the usual prizes from Magnum Tonic Wine, the official sponsors of Bembe. The first prize was given to the fattest girl in the house. The second gift basket was given to the most successful bleacher. Finally the third went to a 'white girl' in the audience who, as it turned out, was a Japanese with a bleached blonde hair. We were exhorted to change the colour of our skin if we were not happy with our blackness. I was dismayed but I do not think that the present campaign by the Ministry of Health to discourage this trend will have much of an impact at all. Our society has for far too long perpetuated the colonial legacy that reinforces the social dominance of the white and brown castes. Hence, the psychological inferiority complex of our overwhelming black majority is born out in their daily interface with the establishment "if yuh white, yuh awright.if yuh brown, stick aroun'. if yuh black, yuh bettah stay back".

That unfortunately is the creed by which we live in Jamaica.
Therefore, as long as the middle and upper classes continue to ignore, to scorn and even trample upon the poor and not so poor black majority, it will be an uphill struggle for them to achieve self-awareness, much less pride in their blackness.
In this scenario and from their perspective, it is ambition that prompts them to bleach in order to move up the social ladder.
On to a much more progressive topic, the opening ceremony in Trelawny for World Cup Cricket was amazing, filling all of us I am sure with a sense of achievement and pride in our West Indian culture. Even Ragga, our resident cynic, expressed - however grudgingly - newly found patriotism.

Meanwhile, I was given the task of getting the One Love Jamaica Village in New Kingston organised and established. It opened on Monday, March 12 and will run through March 24, with the primary objective of "showcasing all things Jamaican. where Jamaican food, craft and entertainment are celebrated and presented in a commercial setting".
During the daytime, local private sector companies and individuals display and sell unique Jamaican products, such as jewellery and accessories, fashionable garments, paintings and pottery and all our famous Jamaican dishes. The cricket matches are broadcast live on a very big screen throughout the day and the social Development Commission coordinates a daily lunchtime concert.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I was thoroughly thrilled by the Hagley Gap Duppy Band and the Llandewey Mento Band. On Thursday, Faith d'Aguilar compared the Best of Festival component including the Holy Childhood Steel Pan Band and Tivoli Gardens Dance Troupe. One of the night-time features is the after match Fever Pitch parties hosted by Coppershot, Renaissance, Stone Love, Colin Hinds, Jazzy T and Kurt Riley. All the above events are free to the public. As a part of the village, Pulse Investments Limited produced a series of concerts with such popular artistes as Richie Spice, Spragga Benz, Beenie Man, Shaggy, Assassin, Busy Signal, Bounty Killer and Sizzla. The events also featured the Miss Jamaica Universe 2007 swimsuit parade, Caribbean Fashion Week preview, Tessanne Chin, Tanya Stephens, Beres Hammond and Buju Banton.

Spragga Benz' performance on Wednesday, was x-rated and therefore inappropriate for what is advertised as a family-oriented event. With sufficient hits to his credit, one wonders why he chose to go this route, even when his lyrics elicited vocal disgust from significant section of his audience. His bitter words about his stalled career did nothing to further endear him to the patrons. This aside, the One Love Village is a worthwhile cultural exposition being undertaken by the Jamaica Cricket 2007 Ltd.

The venue is located behind Emancipation Park and next door to the National Housing Trust entrance. Over the period since its opening, I have had the golden opportunity of observing first hand the constant hub of activity at Emancipation Park, especially early in the morning and in the late afternoons and early evenings when joggers, lovers and sundry others converge in the park to advance their healthy lifestyles and intellectual pursuits. Given all the controversy, surrounding the conceptualisation and construction of this park, this level of interest and usage should be a signal lesson to the leaders of our country. Had the naysayers won the day in the initial stages, and the venture not come to fruition this facility that is now so popular would not have been available for the citizens of Jamaica.

Host: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20070320t210000-0500_120659_obs_one_love_artically.asp

Sunday, 4 March 2007

Literally Literary

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Charles Campbell
Sunday, March 04, 2007

The third weekend in February was rich in spirit. Dean Fraser's and Chalice's performance at Symphony on the Saturday night on the eastern lawns of King's House were truly amazing. Although Dean's solo stint was short, his selections were carefully chosen to amply demonstrate his mastery of the tenor and soprano saxophones. Commencing with a medley skilfully interwoven with Ras Michael's None A Jah Jah Children No Cry, Dean followed up with Luther Vandross's Dance With My Father.

His range, phrasing and breath control were so enthralling that Dean had us all mesmerised and earned himself a spontaneous standing ovation from the audience. Without a doubt, Dean stands head and shoulders above the rest of our current local horn players and very few in the world of music can compare with his dexterity. While I have heard Dean play various genres and in many situations, numerous times over the years, this performance leaned heavily on his arranger skills and performance experiences and was nothing short of genius.

Chalice on the other hand was simply magical. I am sure they surpassed even their own and certainly the audience's expectations. From the first note, they struck a rapport with each other and the patrons that just continued to build from one song to the other raising to a crescendo that ended with the second standing ovation of the night. Chalice seemed fresh and relaxed.

The interaction of the band members and the witty and sometimes updated lyrics of most of their songs pulled their audience along on a nostalgic musical journey. Trevor Roper was a dynamic lead singer and many local bands never retain the same vibe when they change that up front personality. Chalice's new lead singer is certainly the exception - Dean Stevens not only fit the role, but added new dimensions to the part. He oozed magnetism and awed the audience.

On Sunday, February 18, we went to Fi Wi Sinting at Nature's Way, Buff Bay, Portland. Their promotional materials claim the festival promotes African heritage through food, art and craft and music.

The festival more than lived up to this claim. By way of local festivals, it is truly unique and authentically Jamaican. While many features were reminiscent of our traditional Jamaican country fairs, Fi Wi Sinting's central theme was homage to our ancestors, their traditions and our cultural accomplishments. We experienced simultaneous performances of Kumina, Jonkunnu and Nyahbinghi drumming and chanting in separate interactive settings and locations.

Meanwhile, Mutabaruka played appropriate African, Afro-American, Caribbean and Jamaican music. Dubbed the African Dance Party, many couples swayed, rocked and gyrated to the rhythms. At various intervals we were entertained by Akwaaba, poets, Amina Blackwood-Meeks' storytelling, drummers from the West African nation of Guinea along with New York-based dance group, Asoso, who presented an African dance class, which saw many members of the audience joining in. The entire concept was interactive participation of the patrons and entertainers. This brainchild of Sister P (Pauline Petinaud) demonstrated how we have adapted and woven our African heritage into our traditional and popular culture.

Most impressive was the high level of discipline and courtesy displayed and the audience mix. The event was family oriented, but it was still surprising to see for instance a retired senior resident magistrate, his wife and their friends, university students, visitors from Nova Scotia and Colorado, children and toddlers, country folk, Rasta and even the urban chic, respectfully sharing and enjoying the same space, the numerous activities and the various kinds of food including the delicious live food, which I must confess I tried for the first time.

We had an interesting conversation with Frank Lumsden, Jerry Small and Shirley Lindo about the origins of the Maroons, JA Rogers and his literary contributions and the myopic views held by otherwise progressive people about the advent of our music being 'stolen' by foreigners like the Japanese, many of whom were also present at the festival.

We came to the conclusion that they do not simply imitate, but totally assimilate our music and the culture that feeds and drives it. We agreed that art is the common legacy of humankind and the more nationalities that adopt our music only further authenticates the sheer genius of it. It also expands the marketability of our artistes. We discussed the fact that under slavery and early post-emancipation, many African-Jamaican musicians migrated to the southern USA and were part of the cultural renaissance that spawned American jazz and country and western.

It was instructive to note that this one-of-a-kind Jamaican festival has not been able to attract or secure any substantial private/public sector sponsorship in the seventeen years of its existence. This year, all the festival got was $60,000 from the Jamaica National Bicentennial Committee chaired by Prof Verene Sheperd. Commendably, IRIE FM has been the main sponsor over the years, covering all of the advertising costs, but interestingly maintaining a very respectful low profile at the event. I was so spiritually nourished at this event that I recommend it to all Jamaicans next year, both as sponsors and patrons.

On the February 2007 edition of the gathering of the Poetry Society of Jamaica, there were three standout poets, Ann Margaret Lim, Sage and Viva. I found two common threads in all of the poetry though. Firstly, one which spoke to a society that constantly conjures many negative images as the raw material for our word-sound artists, hence they speak borderline fatalistically of politics, social life and even love. The second was the highly developed incisiveness of their critiques.

The intensity and latent anger of Viva has certainly left a lasting impression on me. Two of his unforgettable lines were "oh muse. save me from 'wanna-be' poems" and the most profound line of the night, "poetry is life. not just literature". If you think Muta's poems make roas' breadfruit uncomfortable, den check out dis bredrin.

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Wednesday, 21 March 2007

One Love Artically

Sunday, 4 March 2007

Literally Literary