Cultural Impulses in Political Campaigns

In one of his regular commentaries on Sunday, July15, published in the Gleaner, Mr. Edward Seaga restated the well known historical fact that Jamaica is not a literary society; it is an oral one, passing on information by the spoken word". In reference to the political platform (stage show) he says, "language has to be tailored to the level of understanding of the people. This means using catch phrases, buzz words and street language." In the music industry, many artistes, including Bob Marley and Tanya Stephens, provide us with excellent examples in their works. Later in his article, Seaga adds, "songs are also used to liven campaign meetings (stage shows), based on the lyrics, melodies and rhythms."

If I may use a bit of literary licence without quoting him out of context, I wish to deliberately juggle the sequence of some other profound statements contained in the rest of Seaga's article, so as to substantiate my viewpoint on the subject of today's commentary. I do this because upon reflection, after reading the article, I thought that they offer incisive insights into the Jamaican cultural landscape and could be applied to the music fraternity by providing useful lessons to a young lyric writer embarking on a career and wishing to succeed in the Reggae/Dancehall market. For this purpose, although I do not intend to confuse you I have put some alternate words in brackets, so while reading this, starting from the top, if one were to replace the words electioneering with lyrics, campaign message simply with message, political/campaign meetings with the words stage show, electoral system with consumers and electorate with people whenever they appear, I am sure you will quite easily agree with me.

The following six quotes are also taken from Mr. Seaga's article. "Each social class group in Jamaica has its own cultural preference as to how they understand and what they understand. These differences make up the cultural mix of our electoral system (consumers)." He also says, "Of course it is partly because of class snobbery why those who can handle the written word sneer at the alternative methods used by others who digest information in a different manner." Could this explain the source of many of the criticisms of Reggae/Dancehall lyrics? Again, Mr. Seaga says "many persons who are generally from a background where information can be appreciated and understood without mixing it with entertainment or reducing it to slogans or catch phrases, condemn this type of electioneering (lyrics) and form of communication. They are undoubtedly ignorant of the power of popular culture." I think Mr. Seaga gives those groups too little credit, and that the reverse is closer to the truth. After all, our most successful local marketing experts have exploited that fact for decades to effectively promote their clients products. No, I rather think that contemptuously they wish to keep the real political debate above the heads of the ordinary citizen, because there is this continuing belief of the middle class in Jamaica that they are the natural masters of the freedom and independence that was fought for by all our heroes and that the only legitimate culture is that which springs from them. As Mr. Seaga states therefore, "the most effective means of transmitting any (here Mr. Seaga has the word campaign) message is through music and slogans". He goes on, "perhaps this is a good reason for keeping the electorate (people) ignorant." No two people have the same luck. When I said on June 24 (Sunday Observer, Trivialities and Banalities) that our leaders are "keeping the masses ignorant of their proud heritage and persisting in the perpetuation of their mendicant mentality which plays right into the hands of the politicians", both sides of the political divide were upset. However, if fish come from river bottom and seh it go so, if it nuh go so, it nearly go so. Seaga concludes, "If the people are ignorant of issues, they can easily be duped into misplacing their support by entertaining and enticing them into 'feel good' situations which have a short-term impact." Now I ask, isn't this exactly what some misguided Dancehall artistes are so often accused of doing? That is, the promotion of instant gratification, and are- to a large extent- guilty of. But yet, as in all election campaigns since 1983, we are now seeing and hearing from the various political platforms, the same trite messages from many of the same persons who stigmatise everything coming out of the Dancehall.

In her article on homosexuality (Sunday Observe, July 8), Petre Williams quoted sociologist Dr. Orville Taylor "when you take on the Dancehall culture, you take on almost an entire population. And it is the Dancehall population that wins and loses elections. And the politicians know this." As a cautionary note to the PNP, conversely or consequently, you ignore Dancehall at your own peril. I have been listening to your advertisements that have now begun airing and I find their music slightly tepid. While they portray positive and patriotic images, in some, the music sounds like it is more appropriate for some English election campaign. Your other ads are supposedly buttressed by what essentially is rehashed Mento background music that harkens back to the 70s. I suggest that someone in charge of your promotional campaign review the tapes of your Half Way Tree rally so as to compare the response of the live audience to your new campaign tunes with the overwhelming cheers and singing the moment Mavado's music began playing from the public address system for a clear example of my point. While it is very obvious to me that you are specifically targeting Christians, with those religious strains in your music, and no doubt, based on some initial feedback, this will be effective for those groups, you should know that the G2K has produced some very effective ads using the Dancehall genre, especially the one with an artiste that sounds just like Shabba Ranks. These are the songs that I seem to hear being sung most frequently by people in general and youths in particular, all over the country.

But don't take my word as gospel, just look at the difference in public support now being generated by the newly formatted JCDC popular song contest- starting last year, and obviously further fine tuned this year. This contest had slowly become irrelevant because it got stuck for some time with the Mento rhythm long after it went out of vogue. However, the approach was revamped to incorporate new (Dancehall) rhythms and styles and is beginning once again to reclaim its lost status in the entertainment circuit. I watched the Portland leg of the competition on tv recently, and it was like a breath of fresh air. I was impressed with the excellent talents and developed skills of the contestants, and even more so with the visual presentation and orchestration including the introduction of standardised backing harmony vocals, produced by JCDC. The lesson here is, do not get stuck in the past. This is a very dynamic industry and you must remain current to maximise your national appeal.

Before closing, I must also comment about the results of the new focus on singers of this year's Rising Stars talent competition. The competition has exposed an extremely gifted set of contestants. With what has been unearthed so far, the judges jobs will be a pleasant one this year.

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On Portland Jerk and the Egypto-Nubian Element

In this new world of the 21st century, where knowledge trumps, it is high time we as Caribbean people disabuse ourselves of the notion that our history began with enslavement in North and South America.

One of the Caribbean's most accomplished scholars and authors, Guyana-born Ivan Van Sertima, along with some colleagues, has done tremendous research and published volumes to demonstrate the Egypto-Nubian element in pre-Columbian Meso-America and their leading influence on the existing inhabitants and cultures, especially the formative Olmec culture. The Olmecs, of course, built the first true pyramids and amphitheatres in the New World.

A section of the crowd at last Sunday's Portland Jerk festival at Folly

In fact, another anthro-photo journalist, Wayne Chandler, based on extensive research, including skeletal types excavated, posits the theory that blacks were a major sub-group and influence on the Shang culture which literally laid the cornerstone of early Chinese civilisation.

Significantly, Chandler demonstrates a fusion of the Shang Culture with the Egypto-Nubian and Meso-American at La Venta, Mexico , the capital of the Olmec culture of early America from around 1100 BC, which became pervasive in Guatemala , Honduras , Mexico , Costa Rico and Panama .
This is all intriguing stuff which should be used to inspire our youths, build their ambition and character and create productive citizens. But before you wonder where I am going with all this, please let me explain.

It is funny that these thoughts came to me while attending the Portland Jerk Festival on Sunday, July 1. I am sure everyone who enjoyed this year's edition of the festival would endorse my congratulations to the promoters, for the most impressive facilities, infrastructure and organisation yet. Certainly, the police presence and effective traffic control all the way through Port Antonio to the car park entrance at Folly was the best I have seen in all the years - and a welcoming relief for motorists.

The playfield at Folly was used for parking and was sufficiently large to accommodate most of the vehicular traffic. Thanks to some efficient attendants, there was no hassle on entering or leaving the car park. The festival itself was staged on the plateau above, however, the organisers wisely established ticketing operations at the edge of the car park, creating for themselves a sterile, controlled environment on the entire trek up the hill. On the bough of the hill, we came upon orderly entry gates with appropriate signage and personnel.

Even the slight downpour as we were entering did not disrupt the procedures. The security team in charge of the event displayed throughout the benefit of training and experience in this area of the business. Inside the festival area, it was obvious that some thought had gone into the layout because it enhanced the crowd flow management. We were able to browse and shop quite comfortably.

Sometimes, one of the side effects of the growth of events such as these, is the dilution of themes and standards. Primarily, this is because of the challenging responsibilities of coordinating and managing the input of independent operators, especially concessionaires and merchandisers. In many instances, this is where quality control is compromised and themes get diffused.

For the most part however, this festival's independent operators have remained fairly true to the concept of using the jerk seasoning and methods in the preparation of the foods sold, so the festival scores high marks for this. Many of the original herbs and spices used in our traditional jerk recipes did not originate in the Caribbean, but were introduced by the first and second waves of African migrants into the New World.

However there is one inherent problem, the level of organisation and efficiency of some of the longstanding concessionaires. It seems that this skill has not grown apace with the festival over the years. Maybe, some organisation like the Ministry of Health would consider doing some workshops to assist in upgrading their ability to manage. The sponsors could deepen their involvement in this festival by providing some educational stalls, giving patrons some ethno-historical context, demonstrating the preparatory and cooking methods, even putting the herbs and spices on display and for sale.

Access to the seaside was a managed affair, as is only proper, given the severe erosion of the beach area at Folly. Security was posted at the access point which leads to the old great house and down to the beach. Patrons wishing to visit either of these were issued with armbands allowing re-entry after.

Having toured the park a couple times, visited the great house and the beach, we chose jerk seafood for lunch and enjoyed it in the shade of trees on the great house grounds. By the time our meal was over at about 2:30 pm, there were already about 2000 patrons present. So far, from the stage, we had been entertained by gospel artistes including DJ Nicholas, whose band played a popular Morgan Heritage tune which buoyed his testimonial about his previous life as an 'extreme rasta' and his conversion to Christianity as the only vehicle to salvation and God.

In the midst of this, the chorus of his song seemed to imply that those who still seek their inspiration and solitude through the teachings of Rastafari are worshipping the devil. If my interpretation is correct, may I appeal to DJ Nicholas for a little religious tolerance on his part, jumping from one extreme to another portrays immaturity and less than a full grasp of the teachings of either religion.

By the way, whereas the blacks I initially referred to came to the Americas between 1500 BC and 980 AD, those who came in the second wave between 980 AD and the 1600, including the Mandingos, were in the main from Islamic countries. But shhhhhh! Please, don't tell George Bush and his cronies, because they may intensify the search for terrorist cells (sic) in our DNA.

Back at the Jerk Festival, our focus was now on the stage as we watched GI, a local (Portland) artiste give us a credible version of Tarrus Riley's She's Royal, having too, seen a Rising Stars contestant perform the same song on TV recently, it is worthy of note that when other artistes begin to sing your songs, it is a measure of confirming your arrival as a popular artiste.

So anyway, here we are standing at the back of the audience, facing the stage. We look around to see that the place is nicely terraced to form a natural amphitheatre. However, the stage has been 'misplaced' on the highest ridge, rather than at the lowest point of the slope. This would facilitate the maximum line of vision for patrons from all sections of the grounds. This was when the thoughts aforementioned came to me, as I reflected how we had lost so much of our African heritage that something as intrinsic and integral to our long history of designing and managing mass events, was not immediately obvious to the organisers.

During the next band change, in preparation for Byron's Dragonaires, the sound system, Purple Love, again took over and made it very obvious that among dancehall fans, this summer belongs to Munga Honorebel. As his hits flowed, most patrons were dancing up a storm.

When the Dragonaires struck up their infectious Caribbean beats however, their impact was immediate and totally coalesced the festive spirit into a sea of waving flags, in a musical tribute to the still largely illusive Caribbean integration, necessary to give us a soft landing in the new world of the 21st century.

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