Christmas Traditions In JA

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

Since this is my last commentary for the year, I extend wishes to all my readers for a merry Christmas and the best in the coming year.

These holidays always bring back fond memories of my childhood growing up in Jamaica. Like most families, we tried to get together for at least one day- preferably Christmas day itself- during this period. Relative emigrants would always be in the mix because they would use this opportunity not only to come home and visit their family and friends but also to escape for a brief respite from the frigid cold of the northern climes in their domiciles.

On Christmas Eve, the family would go together to a church service starting at about 11pm. This was a common practice in nearly all the churches and denominations in Jamaica. On Christmas morning it was back to church at 5 or 6am for early service, at the end of which, the congregation would greet each other with kisses or handshakes. Back home, everybody was issued a jug or mug of warm eggnog and served a meal of fruits, ackee and saltfish, slices of ham, roast breadfruit and hard dough bread. As kids, the eggnog was a special treat, mainly because in addition to egg and milk, another main ingredient was brandy or rum. This was the only time when it was 'legal' for us to have an alcoholic beverage, and we would savour it.

After this meal, the family gathered around the Christmas tree in the living room and shared gifts, which were opened to screams of excitement, as many wishes came true. Soon, we would hear the strains if the Jonkunnu or masquerade bands coming down the street. These were men and women in various costumes, marching and dancing up and down with musicians in tow. Drums and fifes were central instruments to these combos.

This roving band would go in and around the town and different districts, with adults and children coming out to greet them with food or coins to show appreciation. After this there would be a natural separation of adults and children- the men would retire to a discreet corner, to exchange stories and have drinks and the women would begin preparing lunch, while we the kids would be enjoying the new gifts that we had received and playing games like Brown Girl In The Ring or Red Light. Soon it would be time for lunch, a menu consisting of rice and peas, roast chicken, turkey, pork and beef, bammy, macaroni and cheese and an assortment of vegetables. The rest of the afternoon was usually spent singing Christmas carols and the performance of short skits by the children.

Usually, this season is chockfull of activities, yet nowadays they take on somewhat of a different format and purpose. The traditional Christmas market can be found in most villages and towns across Jamaica. This culminates in Grand Market night, which is usually organised by church and community groups. In those days, Jamaica had a vibrant cottage industry. Women were encouraged to develop skills like embroidery and crochet. They would work all year from their homes and at their leisure to create doilies, shawls, caps, handkerchiefs, while the men, would reap fresh produce from their fields. All of these were sold at the Grand Market.

There is now a successful prototype that epitomizes the modern, urban version of the Grand Market. It has evolved out of a tradition started in the 1970's by Things Jamaican, then a government entity under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. For the last 8 years, the rebranded Kumba Mi Yabba is the annual Christmas Fair hosted by the Jamaica Business Development Corporation, which provides promotional and marketing opportunities for entrepreneurs in the Micro and Small Business Sector. The fair gives an opportunity for local producers to showcase their indigenous products to a wide cross section of markets which include tourists, diplomats, policy makers, local and international buyers and members of the general public. JBDC has taken on the role of main sponsor and organiser of the fair and with its evolution they have diversified from being purely a craft fair. The fair which runs this weekend, now incorporates such categories as, fashion, gifts, crafts and accessories for home and garden.

Although some of the larger stage shows that we have become accustomed to in the last decade, unfortunately are not being held this year, there are still a number of events that people can look forward to. The four day long Christmas weekend will feature Renaissance's All White Christmas Eve Party, Bembe Christmas Edition, Beres Hammond's A Moment in Time and of course, there is Sting on Boxing day. To ring in 2009, there is Absinthe and French Connection followed by Frenchmen and the Genesis Gospel concert on New Year's Day. Shaggy and Friends perform for charity on January 3rd.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Host: Jamaica Observer, Sunday, December 21, 2008 - Christmas Traditions in JA by Charles H.E. Campbell

Yes We Can

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

There is a saying in show business that goes “The moment you start to believe your own hype and make your alter ego take over, you are doomed to a crash landing.”

I have a dream, a vision, a mission- a passion even. So when people in the business tell me that my main problem is that I drive my business interests with too much emotion, for me it is not necessarily a negative comment- in fact, I am flattered.

Yes, one might say I have been to the mountain top. I have looked beyond the present status quo, the impediments, beyond the mediocre, beyond our shores and I have seen the enormous impact that our music and culture has had on all the continents and how we could better exploit this; by harnessing the raw talent we possess and inputting some cutting edge technology along with our history and ancestry. Given appropriate entrepreneurship and public/governmental support, we could significantly increase the gross domestic product and begin to turn the tide against destitution and desperation by facilitating some poverty alleviation.

Then here comes Chris Blackwell, polemically saying that our most creative years are behind us. What an unfortunate statement coming from someone whom I assumed shared my vision! Black well’s entire analysis of the present state of affairs in our music industry is on target, but with the right catalyst, that can be changed. To a large extent my generation has become our fathers. I mean in too many instances we are acting the same way. As in theirs, so too in our middle age, displaying the same prejudices, the same impatience and frustrations which made us look askance at them for becoming so pessimistic, conservative and reactionary. However, “one cold vibe could’n spoil dis ya boogie”. (Third World)

I remember when Ska and blue beat were called booguyagga music. Then Reggae at its genesis was so regarded. Now, it is Dancehall’s turn. Our music has never been exclusively visionary in its content. It has also been social commentary, expressing in song current cultural norms and occurrences, good and bad. For all their loud protests in polite circles, the politicians and the business sector have always co-opted it to better sell whatever. Today, in our liberalised media sector, this is even more acute because ironically in large measure they have become mere mouth pieces of their owners. “You cyaan blame di youth” (Peter Tosh), when all we hear on the radio and read in the newspapers is the hype. That’s what sells the news. The youths know well how to get the attention of all the above.

Beres Hammond recently told me a story of two youths about to get their first ‘big buss’ and planning to achieve the maximum impact. So one says to the other “We a go cuss up a whole heap a bad wud pan stage, dat wi get us in the headlines”. So we all need to truly turn the mirror on ourselves in addressing this hiccup we have fathered and mothered. We know we are better than this- Taurus Riley, Queen Ifrica, Cezar Cunningham, Etana, Tessanne Chin, Roots Underground, Morgan Heritage continue to shine the light. Our best days are yet ahead of us. We still can, yes we can because Jah-mek-I-Can. You know I am not one to willingly genuflect but still, let’s forgive Chris, because of his enormous contributions and obvious frustrations with our current state of affairs.

On a much more positive note, Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange announced at the launch for Beres Hammond’s new album A Moment In Time and his December 28th show “Beres Moments in Time 2008” that she is committed to the construction of Jamaica’s first concert hall. Given the emphasis of this excellent event, it was a most appropriate place to make the announcement. I hope the entire music fraternity throws its unreserved support behind this project and see to its fruition. This is precisely what we have been clamouring for, for decades.

The private sector must display some social responsibility and come on board, partnering with the government to ensure the building of this amphitheatre and concert hall complete with modern facilities and state of the art equipment. In so doing, projects like Beres’ will have an appropriate venue for its staging. Believe me, people like Seretse Small and Maurice Gordon, as well as the Digicel Rising Stars competition are identifying and grooming a slew of artistes – giving them worthwhile and essential experience – on the club circuits. This will provide the talent to guarantee such a venture the success that it has the potential to be. May I be emotional? Lets “rally round the flag” (Steel Pulse), drape ourselves in it... for dis ya one.

Speaking of potential, I am in Negril for the Reggae Marathon’s, eighth renewal. Unfortunately, by the time you read this it will all be over. What a fantastic event under the rubric of sport tourism! Of course, Frano and Dianne (Alfred Francis and his charming wife Dianne Ellis) are such intuitive social engineers and community organisers (a-la-Obama) that they have this group of fifty volunteers from their residential community and the community in which their business place is located, making life easy for us at load in. Simultaneously, these volunteers are obtaining critical socialisation experiences and important life skills to boot. I am particularly impressed with Weedy, a small-framed, eager young woman who covers the whole gamut of production tasks, including lifting crowd control barriers. Jah live. Rastafari.

Their fact sheet says “The Marathon, Half-Marathon and 10k, start at Long Bay Beach Park situated along Negril’s famed 7 mile white sand beach. The course loops into the town of Negril then heads north towards the town of Green Island.” The mostly flat course is an IAAF certified marathon and half-marathon course. The Reggae Marathon has earned the reputation for being a well organized, precisely timed international event, focused on runner enjoyment. This includes water and aid stations at every mile, cooling stations with misters and iced towel wraps, and most importantly, naturally, inspirational reggae music at every mile.

Participants combine an island vacation and a great sporting event for a truly unique experience. Among many outstanding testimonials from participants, the one that stood out for me is from Dianne Woorell who says “I have run over 15 marathons in several different states in the USA. This is truly the best because of the amenities, friendly atmosphere, and definitely the most awesome Pasta Party. I plan on making this an annual event.” Reggae Marathon and Half Marathon well deserves our support and the organisers our sincere congratulations on an event par excellence.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Host: Jamaica Observer, Sunday, December 07, 2008 - Yes We Can by Charles H.E. Campbell

Obama and Multicultural Democracy

When Bryon Lee died on Tuesday, November 4 2008, in addition to feeling a deep sense of loss and sadness for his family and those of us in the entertainment industry, on this historic day for the world, it also struck me how much we take our progress as a multicultural society for granted.

In music, Byron Lee was an international symbol of our relatively successful experiment in a multicultural society. Of course, such examples abound in other sectors of our society; none more famous that the successful political career of Hon. Edward Seaga, Byron’s close friend and associate. I remember many discussions with African Americans and other diasporic Africans in the 1980’s, who thought it seemingly contradictory that a country of 98% Black people, who had been through the slavery experience, would freely elect a “white man” to the highest office in the land.

One of the characteristics that make Jamaican’s unique as a people is our relative ease in relating to different nationalities and cultures. The truth is that because for over 500 years Jamaica has been an important crossroads of world trade, geographically and politically we have integrated and assimilated many disparate cultures into one, symbolised by our chosen motto, “out of many, one people”.

Ironically, this was one of Barack Obama’s central themes in his long presidential campaign, but in the case of the USA, a nation founded on slavery 232 years ago, this experiment in a multicultural and multiracial democracy only started in 1965. This is what made his election to the highest political post so improbable when it began. Eugene Robinson, writing in the Washington Post on November 6, 2008, stated- “I can't help but experience Obama's election as a gesture of recognition and acceptance -- which is patently absurd, if you think about it. The labour of black people made this great nation possible. Black people planted and tended the tobacco, indigo and cotton on which America's first great fortunes were built. Black people fought and died in every one of the nation's wars. Black people fought and died to secure our fundamental rights under the Constitution. We don't have to ask for anything from anybody.”

Eugene Robinson might also have gone on to point out that since 1965, the success of Black Americans in many different fields of endeavour, such as sports (baseball, basketball and track and field in particular); music (from jazz and R&B to soul and rap); movies (actors and directors like Morgan Freeman, Spike Lee); and politics (Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice) has gradually given them a positive profile nationally and acceptance as equal citizens. This further facilitated Obama’s meteoric rise to power. He is without doubt a man of his times.

But make no mistakes about it- while it is true to say that Obama represents the majority of a dynamic country increasingly at ease with its diversity, George Bush’s presidency was such an unmitigated disaster (bringing the whole world to the brink of extinction) that it precipitated the election of a liberal African American with 43% of white voters endorsing his candidacy.

Even so we have to salute America. Which other rich, predominantly white society has elected a member of a racial minority to be its head of government?

All across the world, Obama has inspired many artistes to write songs about their renewed hopes for the future. Wyclef Jean penned Obama For President, Jay Z wrote about the American Dream and Ludacris sang about Time For A Change. In the land of Reggae, Capleton’s tune People Want Change and Mavados’ We Need Barack, join the early contribution of Cocoa Tea, which is simply titled Barack Obama. The Mighty Sparrow in his own inimitable style gives us Barack, The Magnificent, while Red Ride does another good calypso called Obama, You Make Us Proud. John Legend did one of the most popular tributes, If You’re Out There, matched by Will.I.Am’s equally popular Yes We Can. Meanwhile Sam Cooke’s A Change Gonna Come and Stevie Signed, Sealed, Delivered obtained new meaning and currency throughout his campaign.

Incidentally, in a conversation with Beverly Manley this week about her book, The Manley Memoirs, we commented on some other similar themes central to both Obama’s campaign and Manley’s political outlook. Throughout his recent campaign, Obama kept referring to the failure of the “trickle down theory of economics” as well as the need for self-reliance and personal responsibility, two subjects that Michael Manley consistently kept in the forefront of his many speeches and writings over the years. I learnt a very intriguing fact from Sister Bev. As it turns out, Barack Obama has credited an address given by Michael Manley to his college class for initially inspiring his decision to pursue a political career.

Host: Jamaica Observer, Sunday, November 16, 2008 - Obama and Multicultural Democracy by Charles H.E. Campbell

Truck Fest 2k8 Makes Headlines

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

Let me first declare that I was only tangentially connected to Truck Fest 2k8 through the use of our venue and allied services. When I first heard about t Truck Fest- held last week Sunday at Richmond Estate Recreation Park- I thought it was an obviously novel addition to our cultural landscape, but will admit that I was a bit skeptical about its ability to attract the large audience projected by the promoters. Maybe, this is because I do not share the fascination with motor vehicles that is a general characteristic of most men.

In the long run, while the numbers attending the event fell far short of the organisers’ anticipated target; I was pleasantly surprised at the significant turnout of families to the event. Before the function, I was intrigued to witness how their scheduled programme would manifest in its implementation and especially how it would impact attendees. In addition to the customary children’s rides and games, the festival had trucks on display and various competitions, including some which judged the skills of drivers as well as best horn, best sound system and best truck.

To be fair, the general feedback was quite positive. There were however, some drawbacks. For instance, there were obvious gaps in the scheduling and the array of activities. Some of the early patrons, having visited all the main exhibits, witnessed and/or participated in the various competitions, became somewhat bored during the hiatus leading up to the commencement of the stage show, which got under way in the early evening. Looking ahead, I am sure the promoters will use this year’s experience to guide them in correcting these programmatic weaknesses when planning their 2009 renewal.

Given the foregoing, it is most unfortunate that most of the post-production headlines dedicated to Truck Fest 2k8 have focused on the incident that prematurely ended the event in a chaotic manner. On Tuesday, October 21, Chat! headlined their page 17 with “Truck Fest Mash Up”, although page 11 of the same edition did give some balance, with captioned pictures of artistes who performed at Truck Fest and many happy patrons headlined “Ochi Gets Bumping”.

The Star on Tuesday, reported on page 2 “Bottle Throwing Incident Ends Truck Fest”. Then in Wednesday’s edition the headline on page 11 was “Mavado’s Management to Sue Truck Fest Promoters”.

From all the information that I have been able to glean from both sides since the event, this last report referred to is fairly accurate in giving the perspectives of the two principal sides in this saga. I must say however, that in a conversation with me, one of the promoters challenged the accuracy of some of the statements ascribed to them in the article. I also spoke with Julian Jones-Griffith who denies having told the Star tabloid that he intends to sue the promoters. Both sides also indicated to me an interest in privately meeting to resolve the issue amicably. I hope they get together soon to pursue this objective.

There is a sordid third side to this unfolding drama, however, on which there has been too little focus. The role of an emcee at stage shows like all live events, comes with a serious responsibility to maintain public order and decorum. A good emcee is one who pulses in tune with his audience, who quickly and accurately assesses their mood at any given moment during the proceedings. The objective of his communication with the audience is not simply to provide excitement- the hype- but to provide information in an accurate and balanced manner, so that his audience behaves appropriately. I know I have addressed this issue in the past, but given the recent incident, it is necessary to speak out on this critical role yet again.

For the third time- in my presence- MC Nuffy again did an egregious disservice to the sector in general and the relevant promoters who were paying him in particular. When the unfortunate confrontation between Mavado’s entourage and the unidentified cop occurred backstage, without allowing –the intervention of the promoter’s management- for a positive resolution, MC Nuffy took the mike, ran onstage and announced to the audience “Unnu dun know seh when artiste a roll, dem have all 30 people wid dem. And right yah now, dem have a portion a people inna VIP, who nuh fi deh inna VIP. So mi a seh dem fi free up VIP.” He then quickly raced offstage; narrowly escaping a volley of bottles which began to rain down upon the stage and the VIP section. This was answered by a barrage of gunshots from the VIP section, immediately followed by more gunshots from the southern side of the general audience. At this point, most people scrambled for some form of safety, some even scaling the fences to exit in the most direct and quickest manner. Thank God no one seems to have been seriously hurt, but again Nuffy’s actions aggravated a bad situation and in my view borders on incitement to riot.

Ninja Man as well as other acts were back stage, prepared to come on and this might have given the promoters and Mavado’s management the time needed to resolve the issue, while keeping the fans happy and unharmed. Instead, Nuffy’s actions threatened personal injury of Mavado’s musicians who were still in place on the stage, the safety of fans and production equipment and the reputation of the event. Had he handled the situation more professionally, the event would have continued to its natural end.

Echoes From The Groundings

I wish to publicly thank some of my readers who have taken the time out to share their thoughts and sharpen my focus on the topics which I discuss in my columns. Today, I want to highlight just a few of these, so we can keep the conversations going.

In zeroing in on the weaknesses of the present Noise Abatement Act, Susan McNally form Trelawny, who refers to herself as 'that cranky lady who needs her sleep', shares her personal experience as follows.

"I am in communication with the Trelawny Police at the moment regarding an event which took place on a Sunday night 100 metres from my house. There is also an Elderly Persons Rest home between the two locations. I phoned the Duncans Police after midnight, that is Monday morning, and the constable I spoke to informed me that permission had been granted for the sound to extend until 2am Monday morning. As the Act clearly states in Section (4)(b)that the periods referred to are "midnight on a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Wednesday or Thursday and 6 o'clock in the following morning" when sound is deemed as 'violating the public peace'. I have doubts that the Police are conversant with the Act and they, as upholders of the Law, should be. I do believe that it is a minority who disrespect the Law but make the majority suffer for their selfishness.

I think the noise problem really is a Constitutional matter as the right to enjoy one's property is breached. If all my windows are rattling as well as my eardrums (and it feels like all my internal organs), then I'm certainly being kept from enjoying my property. Why does the bass level have to be so high? Most times it is [the bass level] that causes the problem more than the volume of the sound."

John Campbell, writing from the USA on the Act offers "the recent outburst of religious fanaticism among Jamaicans gives the church in your neighbourhood the right to disturb the peace with impunity. Totally understandable when one considers the religious trend in Jamaica with lots of it being fed by the USA's media-exports of superstar preacher/millionaires."

John also shares some rich personal experience, while prompting a need to authenticate his speculation as to why Johnny Moore got the moniker 'Dizzy'. "Dizzy was a personal brethren of mine as we both got our basic rasta groundation at Count Ossie's famous Rockfort Camp in the same general time span of the late 1950's, where everybody who was anybody would visit, especially when it was a groundation being supported by the likes of Don Drummond, Ernie Ranglin, Tommy McCook, and a youthful but sharp Johnny Moore. In fact, I suspect the name 'Dizzy' became his "Israel" name when older 'jazzical' rastaman like 'Dave Bluebeck' learned that he was a trumpeter and he would therefore be our equivalent of the legendary Dizzy Gillespie. Just a wild guess on my part- there may be other explanations for the "Dizzy" nickname.

In reference to On the Rock With Tradition (Sunday Observer, September 14, 2008), Ralston Lewis writes, "I wasn't sure what your point was. I'd love if you would give it another shot and in a couple sentences tell me what was your point." The clarity Ralston seeks is best given by Herbie Miller in his response.

"On the Rock... How perfect the script: metaphorically speaking, the plebs, the salt of the earth, the underclass goes to war, returns victorious and the naysayers all try and associate themselves with the heroes though they never supplied them with any food [supplement] or equipment. The planter class and the rich have never innovated anything this country has benefitted from. The descendants of the enslaved, still enslaved in many ways, have always found ways to innovate and to free themselves and in so doing chip away at the system and bring to Jamaica international goodwill.

Higglers in the 1970 kept us clothed and fed because they were innovative. To paraphrase Movado, "dem neva rich, neva tun dem back pon the country, dem neva fly out"- they remained and resisted.

Our music- yes the same 'buggu-yagga' music- has served us well. The world and all- except our big shots- know and respect that. And now, as a larger group than we have ever before had, our athletes have once again brought victory, pride and optimism to us as a neglected massive. And the elite's, those who never had the time to lend support, have jumped the line and installed themselves at the head rubbing shoulders and smiling for cameras. As down as it is presently, cricket also offers up its share of the hypocrisy of the privileged class. Let us not forget our George Headley who had to find love batting in front of the crowd and not in the pavilion among the class that tried to maintain for themselves, the cricket elite, the benefits, pleasures and glory of the sport. At our cricketing best our teams were better because some 'underprivileged' youth just could not be overlooked. And how their innovations elevated us to the top.

Dancehall, like so many forms of music (and cultural expression including literature, art and theatre) can be vulgar. At another time I can demonstrate the vulgarity of some European art forms including classical music, popular American Tin Pan Alley songs, blues, Jazz, rock and so on. It is very easy to do [when] done from the perspective of any genre over a long span of time. [This is true] in many countries and cultures. Yet, at its most potent, Dancehall, like all these musical genres, is well organised as a musical form. It is also theatre, satire and cultural provocateur aimed at the middle-class and their defenders. It is tradition creolised to suit a new world order, it masks revolution in which case, it is also resistance music. Not unlike Nyabinghi, Jazz, blues, Ska and Reggae used to be; today dancehall is viewed by the social elites as 'buggu-yagga' music. Give it time, as time alone will tell."

In proposing solutions, i would only wish to add that essentially my point was: Dancehall has two divergent strains, both caused by society's neglect of the ghetto and issues concerning the working class and urban youth. The crude and vulgar lyrics and behaviour that predominate are totally rejected by the middle class while they seem oblivious to the implications of sentiments expressed in the more conscious lyrics. With its obvious display of abounding latent talent and artistry, and based within a shared heritage and cultural context, in both reside and they also sustain the seeds of Jamaica's further social devolution to devious forces. Conversely, they could buffer our eventual rehabilitation and social/economic integration and progress.

Going forward, we need to find a way to develop self-sustainable communities. Social progress can only be sustained when all classes intermingle and therefore share common objectives and ideals. We need to dismantle the present housing designs that deliberately set out to create ghettos away from middle class schemes. This is a policy that separates us by class and caste, reinforcing a local form of unofficial apartheid existing since the colonial days. This, I think, has helped to create the prevailing apathy, disregard, suspiciousness and resentment among the classes in Jamaica today. In addition to dismantling the garrisons, I believe that we must design our communities to facilitate more social interaction among all social classes. In reforming our politics, all MPs and councillors should by law, have to live in the communities which they represent, so that they fully share and can empathise with the people's experience by remaining in close contact with the people.

Adversity and the Monkey

Over the previous week, the energy and economic crisis in the USA, especially the failures of major Wall Street institutions brought on by the sub-prime mortgage crisis, has featured prominently in various conversations I have had with people within the entertainment sector. Coupled with the crash of some of our largest local unregistered saving schemes, the fallout could spell disaster in the short to medium term for the creative industries in Jamaica. The widespread loss of their 401Ks and galloping inflation driven mainly by high fuel prices in the USA, had already begun to impact on recreation habits and lifestyle of the average American.
The statistics reveal that over the last eight months, Americans are traveling less frequently and taking shorter, essential trips. There is growing evidence suggesting a trend towards a reduction of leisure activities and time as people’s real disposable incomes are being eroded. One wonders if this had any direct effect on the reportedly low turnout at Reggae Sumfest this year and how it will impact the winter tourist season for 2008-2009. Any fallout in that November to February period could have negative effects on the local entertainment sector, as it is usually our premier tourist season and generates meaningful employment for artistes and musicians. Large festivals like Rebel Salute and Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues, which attract a significant international audience might also feel the pinch in 2009, unless there is a speedy recovery.
Global music sales had already dropped 8% in 2007, according to a report from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industries. USA album sales plummeted last year from 2006. For the first time since Nielsen Soundscan started tracking genre sales in 1991, all 12 genres dropped, with rap music down 30% and country music down 16%. Physical sales of CDs and DVDs fell 13% to just over US$15 billion. According to research conducted by the NPD Marketing Group, overall music spending in the US in 2007 was down by 10%, from US$44 to US$40 per capita.
There is a famous local proverb about the monkey and the puss in adverse times. Currently, for the fall season, anecdotal evidence shows that some itineraries for live musical tours have either been postponed or shortened because of low advance sales. Many economists predict that this recession will persist for at least two more years. Bearing this in mind, our local artistes and tour managers may need to put more emphasis on booking show dates outside of the US and aim instead for places like Asia, Australia and Europe in order to compensate for the inevitable further shrinking of the US market.
A few days ago I overhead a conversation between the CEO of Events ‘R’ Us and a senior executive at Kwick Erect Scaffolding Ltd. These gentlemen represent companies that are two of the larger suppliers of specialized equipment and services to live events. One individual asked the other how was business in September, to which the answer was, that in terms of sale volumes, September was the worst month of the year so far. The other conversant responded that the current situation was worse than he had ever experienced in his many years in the business. In Jamaica’s entertainment sector, September is traditionally the tamarind season because it is the month in which the least live events are held. There is no doubt in my mind that this year in particular, the situation has been compounded by the adverse economic environment globally.
Other than annual and brand name events, most of the larger live functions currently being staged are in fact for promotional purposes, being hosted by large companies like Flow and Digicel or to mass market product lines like Heineken and Guinness from Diageo. This has forced a realignment of strategies by promoters and event planners, who now stage multiple small events rather than one large event. In this context, house and theme parties are again back in vogue. Happily, the recent series of celebrations for Usain Bolt was a boon during this depressed period for the industry.
Hopefully, we are now close to the end of this low season, as under normal conditions, the Heroes Weekend signifies a surge in cultural activity and commences the build up of events towards the very busy Christmas period.

On the Rock with Tradition, Talent and Training

Minister Babsy Grange has made popular her theory on the success of our track and field athletes at the 2008 Olympic Games, as being a combination of tradition, talent and training.

In a sense, the basis of the international success of our music mirrors that of sports. In the case of music, however, the church and other religious institutions have been the crucibles which facilitate both the tradition and the training of our talented youth.

Our problem is that unfortunately, today, the keepers of the flame - not the Olympic one, but our collective morals - have so corrupted it, that now, in this land of ours, nothing is still sacrosanct.

Currently, in rotation on the Dancehall Channel, is the broadcast of a particular recorded dance, where in one scene, we witness the selector instructing a male dancer to simulate rape of his female partner. She plays along without resistance or even protest, except the non-negotiable caveat that her rapist must wear a condom. Promptly, upon the selector's request, a male patron presents a condom, while others by the stage side waved money.

While some of us float through life with heavy blinkers on, the Jamaican society is going through a deep cleavage fuelled by a culture-war over values - the middle class perspective - and neglect (from the point of view of the poor). Let me demonstrate the dichotomy we face. Most members of the JA Rogers Club reject Dancehall's crude and vulgar manifestations as being representative of our culture. On the other hand, the Empress and Kamisha -the Generation X - see it as a little bit exciting, like theatre.

Already extremely popular since Movado released it earlier this year, the song On The Rock written subsequent to his encounter with the police forces, at Temple Hall Estate on the night of his birthday bash in December 2007 took on more significance, and was again catapulted to international anthem status, when Usain Bolt requested it at his homecoming celebration at the Jamaica Pegasus.

The artistry of the song is ingenious. The use of the (African) traditional call and response technique inspires interactivity from its listeners. This is adopted from a traditional Negro spiritual called I Am Under The Rock with words like "I am under the rock, The rock is higher than I, Jehovah hides me, I'm under the rock, Go tell my enemies, I'm under the rock, Jehovah hides me, under the rock.' This version was sung at Leslie Ruel Madden's graveside on Thursday at his funeral. The words come from Psalms 61:2, "lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Movado actually samples the melody of this and another gospel song fusing them into one familiar sound, even though the originals do not necessarily sound alike.

The second song referred to is called Jehovah Jireh. The words are taken from Genesis 22:14 and means 'God is the provider'. It refers to the place where Abraham found the ram when he went to sacrifice his son Isaac. The original song was authored in the 1960's by Canadian gospel singer/songwriter, Merla Watson, and since has become very popular in Jamaican religious cirlces. It says, "Jehovah Jireh, my provider, his grace is sufficient for me, Jehovah Jireh, my provider, his grace is sufficient for me, The Lord shall supply all my needs, all my needs, according to his riches in glory."

Now hear Movado's version, the intro and chorus in part go, "Jehovah guide me, be my guidance, greater salvation for you... Jehovah guide me, be my guidance, no they could never stop me. I'm on the rock, I'm on the rock. Higher than I and I, higher than I and I."

Verse one concludes "wid helicopter inna di air, helicopter inna di air. Bright light a shine a ground, bright light a shine a ground. Dem say nobody nobody run from di river to the bank lock dung, Dem nuh know which part mi tun." And another Rhygin was born.

Now listen to the second verse, "Music a gal over gun, tell dem nuh stop di fun, Cause if dem stop di fun, dem muss prepare fi stop di gun, Di youths dem blood a run, dung deh inna di sun, Dem mek a bag a promise and nah fulfill none,

Mama cry out, you think dem response fi how much innocent youth die out, Look how much sell dem sell and no weh dem nah buy out, If revolution should a start dem rich enough can fly out."

Are we really oblivious of the symbolisms contained, the clear working class sentiments expressed and the deep traditions tapped into, in the dancehall song that the common folk has currently adopted as our national anthem.

As DJ Nanny B from UK posted online on August 22, "when we start the real revelation war then the army a we will come out for our just cause as real Maroon warriors.'

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20080913T210000-0500_140130_OBS_ON_THE_ROCK_WITH_TRADITION__TALENT_AND_TRAINING.asp

Abatement As Bait

My father used to tell me, "the law is an ass if only a minority of people respect it".

Recently, there were two competing entertainment series in Negril, Jamaica. As has now become the norm, the separate promoters were in negotiations with the local police about crowd and traffic control, among other services which would be required of the state security apparatus. One group, it is reported, completely agreed with the band of charges requested by the police. It is alleged that initially, the second group, while agreeing to the base price for constables, balked at the two accelerated rates for higher ranking officers.

Eventually, the first events went ahead before the outstanding issue was resolved. It could be merely coincidental that the event for one group was allowed to go way beyond the legal cut-off time under the Noise Abatement Act, meanwhile, the group which had not yet settled their dispute over police pay was ordered to shut down their event shortly after the deadline. Was a subtle message being sent to the relevant promoters? Needless to say, the situation was "amicably" resolved the next day, levelling the playing field, so to speak, and thereafter, both series went ahead uninterrupted by the restrictions under the Act.

Conflict of Interest

I bring this issue to light not because the promoters are carping about it, nor to impugn anyone's credibility, but to demonstrate the inherent conflict of interest. You see, the Jamaica Constabulary Force has the direct state responsibility for granting approval for the staging of events under the Noise Abatement Act. However, they also have the right to advise a private promoter as to how many and what ranks of officers are required to provide monitoring and control of the said activity. But because there are no officially prescribed fees for police officers providing these services, the fees charged often vary from one event to the other, from one parish to the next, with no obvious rationality, making the determination seem at best, arbitrary. Yes, one could say it is left up to negotiations, but what happens when these attempts breakdown or the resolution is not to the total satisfaction of the officers? Under these circumstances, is it not possible that this may lead to the abuse of the delegated power of the state in the selfish self-interest of particular local elements of the JCF?

While I support the Noise Abatement Act in principle, the law becomes a shackle if citizens are not provided with the appropriate outlets for entertainment purposes and creative expression. Now don't get me wrong, when it comes to street dances, I firmly believe that the law should be strictly applied, because these usually occur in the middle of a residential community, but we all know of very famous weekly street dances in favoured constituencies that go on until 9 or 10 am the next day, without molestation. In this light, I truly believe that the country has to re-examine this issue in the context of developing entertainment zones and venues in every parish where live events may be staged beyond what is now the legal cut-off time.

What's Good for the Goose...

I would also like to see the law being policed more even-handedly. It is my impression that secular events, especially popular musical events, suffer the brunt of our new commissioner's policy of applying the law in its strictest terms. For example, in my community, we live about 500 yards by the crow flies, from a church with the worst-sounding band that one could imagine, and a pastor who sings off-key and threatens brimstone and fire in the majority of his sermons. I know this, because the church has loud speakers inside and outside the building, turned up so high, that the entire district has to suffer through their services from dawn until way past dusk every Sunday. Then when they have their special weekday services and regular conventions, the disturbance goes on every night for an entire week. Yet, I have never heard of them being cautioned or warned by the police under the relevant act.

In fact, this has been occurring for more than a decade, without respite. So, even if they have been warned, it has had no practical effect. I have raised this issue many times with my police friends and the response is always the same- "we do not want to seem anti-religious'. In the same community, as a standard practice, relatively small domestic gatherings, like house parties, children's birthday parties, fundraising drives and charity events and even nine nights, are ordered to turn down the volume or end their proceedings, in accordance with the law. For poor people, it is beginning to seem that even in their own modest hovels, they are no longer free to enjoy themselves. This leads me then to ask, when is noise noise? The Act does not define it. It only says once it is audible over 100 metres, but it would seem that our cultural norms have coloured it.

I have been listening to and reading all the glowing comments by officialdom about the great feats of our athletes at the recently concluded Olympic Games, and I endorse them heartily. Especially those proposing improved sports infrastructure to enhance the skills, preparation and treatment of our local athletes. The concept of using our international dominance of track and field to diversify our tourism product is also an exciting innovation that is long overdue. The same should hold true for our music and live entertainment, which already has been making significant contributions to the local economy and society.

The stark absence of appropriate facilities for local outdoor entertainment is even more bewildering in a country whose music has gained such worldwide popularity. Reggae brings more and more visitors to our shores annually, yearning for a firsthand experience of its live offerings. The perennial official excuse has always been prioritising scarce state resources. Added to that these days, we are told that Dancehall simply is not worth it. So, people are forced to stage events in venues with inadequate basic facilities at inappropriate locations, only to face lock-down or prosecution. The entertainment sector has an uncertain future, and I predict that the society is at risk of social upheaval, unless all sectors come together to address these matters, resolve them and take the necessary action in our common interest. To borrow a recent phrase of Bill Clinton, people "are more impressed with the power of our example, rather than the example of our power".

Host: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20080830T230000-0500_139662_OBS_ABATEMENT_AS_BAIT_.asp

The Soul Connection

Three giants of soul music have recently transcended to musical nirvana. In a sense, this signifies the end of a musical style which fused elements of gospel, swing and blues.
Jerry Wexler, record producer who died on Friday, August 15 at the age of 91, once described soul music as “funky, it’s deep, it’s very emotional, but it’s clean.”
Wexler, a New York Jew, is credited with coining the term ‘Rhythm and Blues’ while working as a cub reporter for Billboard Magazine. At the time, the black popular music charts were referred to as ‘race records’. Gerald Wexler tells how the change came about, this way- “One Friday, the editor got us together and said, ‘Listen, let’s change this from race records.’ A lot of people were beginning to find it inappropriate… I said “rhythm and blues”, and they said ‘Oh, that sounds pretty good. Let’s do that. In the next issue, that section came out as Rhythm and Blues.”
In 1953, Wexler became partner and vice president of Atlantic Records, eventually becoming very influential in the works of Black artistes of USA’s deep south. Initially, he used his drive, sales and promotional skills to help make Atlantic a leader in the recording industry, as they produced records by the Drifters, The Coasters, Tippie and the Clovers, Ruth Brown and Joe Turner, among others.
In the 60’s, the niche sounds being produced by Stax Records, a small label located in Memphis, Tennessee, emphasising spontaneity and improvisation, caught his attention; with renewed fervour, he used these facilities and musicians to record songs by Otis Redding and Dusty Springfield. This is where Wexler’s career crossed paths with Isaac Hayes. At Stax, from 1964, Hayes, who died on Sunday, August 10 at age 65, was a principal songwriter and performer. As fate would have it, his first recording session under this arrangement, as a back-up musician, was with Otis Redding. Soon, Isaac Hayes and co-writer, David Porter, penned tight, gritty, unpolished hits like Soul Man and Hold On, I’m Comin’ by Sam and Dave and Baby by Carla Thomas, symbolising the unique Stax sound- a southern alternative to Motown.
Isaac’s first album as a solo artiste, Presenting Isaac Hayes, was released in 1968, but was not a financial success for the Stax label. Like a bolt of lightning out of nowhere, however, Hot Buttered Soul (1969), his second album released by Al Bell after Stax split with Atlantic, became a landmark in soul music by radically forsaking the standard three-minute song format. The album had only four sons, including two extensive covers, Walk On By (Burt Bacharach, al David) – 12:03 minutes- and By The Time I Get To Phoenix (Jimmy Webb)- 18:42 minutes. Hayes introduced the latter with 8 minutes of rap. The album’s production and engineering techniques instantly became the lasting model used for future soul and hip hop songs, including Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.
Using local musicians, Jerry Wexler also began producing records at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, for singers like Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin. One famous story tells how, Wexler, unable to express the sound he wanted in musical terms, he created a new dance called the jerk, to demonstrate the stronger back beat he required of musicians who were recording Wilson Pickett’s In Midnight Hour.
Eventually, on the Atlantic label, Wexler produced 14 albums for Aretha Franklin encompassing hits like Respect, Dr. Feelgood, Chain of Fools and two of my all time favourites, Spirit In The Dark and an awesome remake of Simon and Garfunkel’s Bride Over Troubled Water.
Concurrently, Isaac Hayes was creating the score and along with the Bar-Kays, a studio band at Stax, recorded all the music for the film Shaft (1971). To quote Ben Sisario writing in the New York Times on August 11, 2008, “with a cymbal pattern borrowed from Otis Redding’s Try A Little Tenderness, which Hayes had arranged, the song [Theme from Shaft] layered funk guitars, horns, woodwinds and strings, prefiguring disco, it became a number one hit.” Hayes followed up with a double album called Black Moses, also released in 1971. Unfortunately, after that, he lost me as a fan, as his music leaned predominantly towards disco.
In 1997, Hayes began voicing the character of the chef on Comedy Central’s two-time Emmy Award-winning, animated comedy series South Park. This, along with the 2000 remake/sequel of Shaft, starring Samuel L. Jackson, spurred resurgence in his popularity and longevity of his music.
Ironically, both Isaac Ayes and Bernie Mac, who died a day before Isaac, have roles in a comedy, Soul Men, starring Samuel L. Jackson, and set for release in November.
The influence of American soul on Roy Shirley’s musical style is immediately obvious, even to the uninitiated listener. A soul-infused ballad called Shirley, done on the Beverley’s label was his first release and local hit in 1965. Along with Ken Boothe, Joe White and Chuck Josephs (aka Chuck Berry Jnr.), he then formed the vocal group, the Leaders. They did not have a significant impact however, so Roy teamed up with Slim Smith and Franklyn White and launched the Uniques. After they split up, in 1967, as a solo act, Roy recorded the first distinctly Rock Steady vocal, Hold Them. It was the first recording financed by Joe Gibbs. This was followed up by two more hits in quick succession. Coincidentally, Get on the Ball and Music Field, were Bunny Lee’s first releases as a producer.
Continuing in the soulful vein, Heartbreaking Gypsy, a popular version of Ben E. King’s hit was later released on Shirley’s own Public Label. Referred to as the high priest of Reggae, a la James Brown (high priest of soul) Roy was one of the most eccentric and quirky performers in Jamaica’s recent musical history. He used his mastery of three octaves and dynamic energy to deliver some of my most memorable stage performances. To quote Shirley, in reference to himself, “Al Green is the man that confessed in Jamaica that he has learnt his style from Roy Shirley because I was the only singer first, who sing the double voice thing with falsetto.” Born in 1944, Roy passed away in early July 2008, at age 64.
To end on sad note, Johnny ‘Dizzy’ Moore of Skatalites fame, passed away yesterday, at 2:30pm, Saturday August 16, 2008. To quote Herbie Miller, “Dizzy Moore, the internationally recognized trumpeter, founding member of the Skatalites and a Ska innovator, bravely battled colon cancer for the last seven months. Arguably the most recorded soloist of the era, among the hundreds of recordings on which Moore is featured are Something Special, Ringo, Man in the Street, Schooling the Duke, the Wailers’ Love and Affection, Lonesome Feeling, and Nice Time.” Long live his music!

Temptation Isle

I am in Negril for the Emancipation weekend and glad for the opportunity to observe for the first time, the production and staging of Red Stripe Temptation Isle. This is a series of nine events which got started on Thursday, July 31 and concludes today Sunday, August 3, 2008. The entire programme consists of six elaborate beach parties and three club sessions; two of which include live performances.

The first feature which impressed me was the complex outlay of temporary infrastructure which was installed at each of the seven venues. In keeping with an emphasis on dancing, all of the promoters constructed dance floors of different sizes and in some instances multiple dance floors, centrally located within the hosting venue. These were sophisticated structures with high-tech trusses, to which were attached moving, strobe, LED and intelligent lights, over transparent floors at some of the venues. A few of the events also boasted a performing stage. This for example was true of the first event, Tempo, held on Thursday.

Another novel feature was the extensive use of decorative props, which further enhanced the ambiance of each venue, while projecting the various party themes.

The original and largest party is Stages. For the last three years, it has been held at the UDC Football Field, next door to Long Bay Beach Park. Stages is a day and night affair. In an interview conducted on Friday afternoon, here is how Daniel Abbott, one of the promoters, described it to me.

“Stages this year, is about Rio de Janiero- we are inviting patrons to come and party on the white sand of a Brazilian beach and then experience the nightlife and hip-strip of Rio inside our clubs. We have two 5,000 square foot clubs that we have built at the venue to accommodate the night life of Rio. We also have quite a few VIP areas.

“This year Caymanas Park came on board as a sponsor, so we actually have an air conditioned area set up, that will accommodate live betting at Caymanas Park. We will be feeding live, the eleven races here at the venue throughout the day. You will be able to go and actually place your bet on a horse that is running live at Caymanas and have an opportunity to either win or lose.

“We also have Flow as a major sponsor now on board. For them, we have created a 5’ raised 52’ x 52’ area with a 40’ x 40’ air conditioned lounge that will feature Flow’s ‘watch-talk-click’ scenario so you can actually go on the internet. Temptation Isle also has their own channel which is 391 on the Flow Network. We will be streaming live video and live footage of the party on this channel throughout the weekend.

“Intec Lighting is a big part of our production annually. When we had our planning meeting this year, we came up with an idea that is slightly different than what you would normally see at most events. As you can see here, we have 40’ trussing. In the middle of this, you have two 10’ diameter rings which will be covered with LED lights all around which give you a chasing effect and a lot more flexibility in terms of lighting for the venue and special effects that can be created. We have a whole lot of intelligent lighting hanging from the trusses which will be the main intelligent lighting for the venue.

“Red Stripe is coming in with a brand new and very creative deejay lounge. This is actually a 24’ x 16’ bar. One floor above the bar is the deejay booth of the same square area, which gives the deejay the ability to oversee the entire venue and get a feel of exactly what is going on.

“This year, the venue is bigger because we have extended it into the water. It is normally on the football field only, but we have now taken out the fence and gone into the water itself. We have a four-storey water slide, 120’ long which takes you directly into the ocean when you slide on it. This will also carry you directly up to our swimmer’s bar.”

Intermittent afternoon showers slightly held up production load-in arrangements on Friday, but in no time they were back on schedule and the Daydreams ultra-inclusive was in full force by 2 o’clock, with a traffic jam stretching all the way along the strip from the roundabout at Negril’s square, to the party’s car park. This year however, patrons have mostly complied with police restrictions against parking on the street. I am told that compared to previous years, this has made it much more convenient for motorists to move up and down along the strip. In talking to patrons who have been attending these parties annually, the general feeling is that they get better and better each year.

Temptation Isle provides a good mix of entertainment and recreational activities at a level of sophistication that should make all Jamaicans proud of this product. Alex Chin and Daniel Abbott, along with their co-producers, deserve credit and congratulations for creating this concept and producing and excellent series annually, which significantly boosts Negril’s economy. In fact, from my discussions with various people involved in commerce in the town, for them, this year’s economic spin-offs surpass spring break.

Foot Note:

Will someone from the National Housing Trust please explain to the nation why Emancipation Park was closed on Emancipation Day, Friday, August 1, forcing hundreds of families who had turned up to enjoy the recreational facilities to remain on the streets?


Host: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20080802T180000-0500_138566_OBS_TEMPTATION_ISLE.asp

Our Language Stigma

The public debate surrounding the proposed translation of the bible into Jamaican dialect continues unabated. It is disconcerting, to me at least, how much controversy this initiative has generated, almost overshadowing such pressing issues as the deepening recession in the USA, the effects of high fuel and food prices on Jamaican lives, precipitating a downturn in the tourist and entertainment sectors. We even see the issue of global warming and its effects finally taking centre stage in major international fora like the recent G-8 conference in Japan. Yet in Jamaica, it remains on the fringes of government and political focus. Ol’ time people use to seh, when America sneeze, wi ketch pneumonia. Already however, its becoming manifest that when America sneezes (air pollution), we are doomed to be flooded by increased frequency and more intense hurricanes, as well as rising seas.

The debate has taken a new twist since Prime Minister Golding’s recent remarks to a graduating class. He commented to the effect that, we would have no need to translate the bible, if the education system had not failed. This has generated a howl of protests from patriots of all stripes. Everywhere I go, live or virtually, people are expressing the view that the Prime Minister’s interjection on this topic reveals an unfortunate prejudice against and a belittling of our native tongue.

Whereas PM Golding was primarily making a critical point that students need to master English in order to succeed in the post-school working world, to juxtapose the two as cause and effect was to delegitimise our culture. Looked at in reverse, is PM Golding really saying that if we all had a complete mastery of the English Language, Patois speaking would be extinct? Would we wish to see the total destruction of the colourful Jamaica language? Is our language an irrelevant, negative cultural hangover from a previous dispensation? Maybe we should ban all roots plays and indigenous poetry and even our folk songs. Anthropologists confirm that language is central to our customs, collective cohesion and society. It is also critical to the presentation of our traditions and ancestral memory. We best interpret and translate life through our natural language.

As our sporting, artistic and cultural prowess have gained worldwide prominence, so too have the use of our language become widespread. I have met many Japanese, Mexicans, Spanish and Africans who can barely speak a sentence of comprehensible English, yet they can adequately communicate in Jamaican Patois. From Banana Boat Song (Harry Belafonte) to Oh Carolina (Folkes Brothers) through Guava Jelly (Bob Marley) to Gimmi De Light (Sean Paul), our music has effectively incorporated Jamaican language, conjuring up unique Jamaican images with which the world has identified, thereby creating international hit songs from our artistes. Moreover, we now have foreign artistes like Fugees, Black Eyed Peas and Kanye West seemingly enhancing their hit potential by using our dialect in their songs. Maybe if we were not so ashamed of our language and were teaching English through the use of the local dialect, the education system might have been more successful. As Ragga says, “if you want to take someone on a journey, you have got to begin where they are.”

Then again, maybe the education system is achieving what it was designed to accomplish. To paraphrase Errol Hewitt, writing in the Sunday Gleaner on July 13, “in Jamaica, talent expertise and experience…is closed out because of the selfish and ascriptive nature of our society, which ignores merit, [especially if it comes from the underclass] and embraces mediocrity in order to maintain the status quo.” This is the precise dichotomy facing us as a nation.

The divide between the classes and the tribes become more acute with each passing day. With the civic and political leadership remaining the preserve of the entrenched, facilitated by the ineffective education system, the only routes left open for the social and economic wellbeing of others is cultural, sporting and criminal activities, oft times becoming interrelated.

This has had a deleterious impact in our communities and cheapened the value of life in our society. No wonder, to quote Kevin O’Brien Chang (Sunday Gleaner, July 13, 2008), “our homicide rate in 1965 was 3.7 per 100,000 (but by) 2007 it was nearly 60 per 100,000”.

Incredibly, O’Brien Chang- with his blinkers on- goes on to state that “this may be the greatest explosion of civil violence any nation without significant ethnic, tribal, linguistic, ideological or religious differences has ever experienced.” Huh? Are we living in and talking about the same Jamaica here? This totally denies our reality and just goes to show how far some of us have been able to insulate ourselves from the brutal, tribalistic society in which the average Jamaica has to struggle for survival.

Then again, I may be wrong. As David Brooks said, writing in the New York Times on June 24, 2008, “life is complicated. The reason we have democracy is that no one side is right all the time. The only people who are dangerous are those who can’t admit, even to themselves, that obvious fact.”

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Jamaica's Artistic Genius On Display

On the ultimate day of Kingston On The Edge- the two year old urban arts festival- held from June 20 through to June 28, two female artists successfully collaborated on an innovative mural project which set an example worth repeating all over Jamaica.

The aim of Red Rubberband, consisting of Allison Perkins and Keisha Castello, is to be bold with their social commentary, give voice to their expressions "outside the Eurocentric settings of our galleries and go beyond the focus on the traditional use of medium and shed more light on process, while getting the community involved".

Peace in our neighbourhoods

The project painted three murals in the Kingston metropolis- 79 East Street, the junction of Duke and Port Royal Street and the junction of North Avenue and Swallowfield Road. Everyone was invited to come with their brush and paints, just to express themselves. Keisha says, "We begged paints, bought paints, brushes, etc, persons from uptown, as well as residents from the local communities, turned up with paints, the interactions and energy of the day was amazing and now we running with the vibes that overflow, the project will continue until we done all the walls that can be done." I encourage everyone to visit one or all three of these murals and take note of the central messages coming through the participants calling for justice, protecting our women and children and peace in our neighbourhoods.

On June 24, Christopher's Jazz Bar and Maurice Gordon presented the Harold Butler Trio live. The patrons who attended this jam session will long remember it for the sheer brilliance of Harold's artistry on the keyboards. The trio consisting of Gordon on bass, Chris Tyrell on drums and Butler ended the first set with Satin Doll and an extended, jazzed up version of Push Come To Shove.

In the second set, Mfumbasi replaced Gordon as Bulter shook of the inhibitions, becoming more relaxed and expressive with his unique stylings on 'A' Train, Feel Like Making Love, I Wanna Love You. By the time he started playing Summertime Butler was well into his stew, keeping his audience riveted, fully attentive and eating it all up.

On the third set, the trio started with a soulful Cynthia Schloss hit, Love Me Forever. Butler proceeded to milk all the emotions inherent in the tune, to the point where tears began rolling down Winston Blake's cheeks. They gave us Oh Sweet Sensations, Napoleon's Solo, You Don't Know What It Means To Be Loved, Big Ship and Green Dolphin Street, in that order. Without a doubt, Harold Butler is the genuine stuff and we witnessed live, a true master at work. Butler is one of Jamaica's finest keyboardists and the coupling of him with musicians at least 25 years his junior was superb.

Over the years, Jamaica has produced its fair share of musical child prodigies. Vocalist Ana Strachan is one such. In 2002, having won the Jamaica leg of Hal Jackson's Talented Teens International Competition, she placed third in the international leg held in New York.

In 2003, she teamed with her younger sister Samantha, earning eight gold medals, two trophies, a plaque and the title of grand champion performers of the world at the World Championships of the Performing Arts, held in Burbank, California. Subsequently, Ana was honoured with the Prime Minister's Youth Award for excellence in the arts. This was followed in 2004 by Choices Magazine's young achiever of the year award.

She has already performed two opera and song recitals in Jamaica and a 'Mozart to Marley' concert, along with her sister in California, to rave reviews. In 2007, Ana sang at the seating of the California State Senate in Sacramento.

Ana is determined to hone her special gift to become an accomplished classical singer, but she needs philanthropic support. She is currently training in dance, acting as well as voice. Recently, she was accepted to a number of universities in the US. She has chosen to attend Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia, beginning in fall 2008, majoring in music. I would urge some local public and private person or institution to endorse and support Ana in her quest and contribute to our cultural evolution.

Host: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20080705T150000-0500_137542_OBS_JAMAICA_S_ARTISTIC__GENIUS_ON_DISPLAY_.asp

Root Causes and Solutions

I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon of last Sunday with a group of Jamaicans from diverse backgrounds and ethnic origins. Among us were some regular visitors to the island, while others were naturalised citizens, mostly through marriage to Jamaicans. A number of them are involved in the cultural industries. This was the continuation of a grand birthday weekend bash which had commenced from the previous day. We had witnessed a spectacle of nature and culture in combination at the Rock Away party the night before. This became the initial talking point, immediately upon our arrival.

Steve, the selector from Cyclone Disco, had whipped up a good groove even before, then between and after the performances of Josey Wales and Charlie Chaplin. By then, the dancing was no longer restricted to the dancefloor, as it was totally corked, so everyone shuffled, jigged or danced with their partner, wherever they were located.

Suddenly at 1:50 am, coming as if out of nowhere, on what had been a calm and clear blue starry night, an intense, steady wind started to blow. Nobody seemed to care or even notice; no one was leaving and the party was rocking. After a while- obviously affected by the high winds- we saw a most spectacular display of light on the JPS high tension wires which run along the North Coast highway. The wires brilliantly lit up and this glow travelled for approximately 300 feet, ending in a mild explosion. This was repeated twice on different sections of the wire, then all the lights from Ocho Rios to Discovery Bay (including Brown's Town) went out. All this time, the wind kept howling, even making musical instruments out of drink bottles in hand. But the people just kept on dancing. Soon, the very skies took over the light display, with vivid streaks of complex lightening. These were not your simple flashes, rather, the visual form resembled a network of arteries and veins. Now the rain came in buckets and only then did patrons start to depart, still leaving behind a determined few dancers refusing to let the weather spoil their boogie.

The drama described above led us to discuss the topic "standard of living versus quality of life". There were two general conclusions. Firstly, that comparatively, the quality of life in Jamaica was, all things considered, still very good. Also, that one of the most attractive things about Jamaicans is our fun-loving nature. Jamaicans, we all agreed, certainly know how to have a good time, regardless of their own personal or domestic circumstances.

We continue to see an increase in the frequency of these outbreaks of freaky weather systems. The discussion therefore quickly turned to global warming and its future potential negative impact on our cultural activities and way of life unless we begin to correct our abuse of the environment. We lamented the fact that leading elements within the artistic fraternity are not yet in the forefront of the movement to make our people aware and active in efforts to preserve the environment we share and so depend on.

Inevitably the issue of our high crime rate and spiralling violence came up for discussion. The twin questions asked by someone who is not domiciled in Jamaica and last visited three years ago, was what are the root causes, and what are the real solutions.

The responses were almost unanimous, that the essential causes were two-fold. Our failed economic policies of the last 30 years coupled with a broken political system that has divided us into two warring tribes, while the country's political leadership panders to special interests for expediency and aggrandisement. It seems that the Mighty Sparrow foresaw this in his song 'Capitalism Gone Mad'.

The economic fiasco is best summed up by Linton Kwesi Johnson in a review of Stephanie Black's documentary, 'Life And Debt', published in the Guardian on February 28, 2003. "Having made modest strides in shaking off the legacy of slavery and colonialism, on the road towards self-reliance during the first decade of independence, Jamaica was suddenly plunged into deep financial crisis by the rise in the price of oil in 1973." Thus began our borrowing relationship with the IMF. "Jamaica has been swallowing the IMF medicine ever since."

"Jamaica's continuing financial crises, high unemployment, lawlessness and social turmoil have to be seen against the background of IMF/World Bank policies that governments of both the left and the right have been forced to pursue for well over two decades…The local farmer … cannot compete with the cheap imported onions, carrots, [and subsidised milk powder] from the US. The IMF insisted on the removal of tariffs on imported goods. The banana industry "has been devasted by the US instigated WTO ruling that robs them of their secured tariff-free markets in Europe."

"Black's film shows … the spectacular failure of the IMF's 'remedy'. After the structural adjustments, the cuts in public expenditure, the removal of tariff on imports, the privatisations and devaluations, Jamaica is still plagued by financial crisis."

Finally, we agreed that the seeds of a real solution reside in our very roots. Immigration is our story, it's the reason we are here. While the African were brought here in chains, the other immigrants who came later were seeking a better life and greater opportunities. Many were fleeing oppression and persecution in their own homelands. This continuous influx of new talent, energy and ideas accompanying each wave of immigration has been one of our greatest historical strengths. Many of their descendants in turn have migrated to Europe and North America, where they excel academically, economically and socially, disproportionately relative to other migrant groups and to the benefit of these societies. 'Colonisation in Reverse'. We are exceedingly creative and ambitious. The only way to begin a crime meltdown, to springboard our innovation and progress is to be able to attract and keep the brightest, the doctors, scientists, engineers and artists. It is up to us to reject the politics of prejudice which manipulate our tribal, ethnic and class divisions in addressing issues like education, healthcare and the environment. We must restart the process to let "social barriers bruck down, inna one love Jam Down".

Good Must Prevail

Last weekend, all the morning papers dedicated numerous pages to the high level of violence in the Jamaican society. In addition to reporting on the various attacks upon citizens and the security forces by gunmen, readers were treated to commentaries and analyses addressing the "violent culture" and galloping anarchy destroying our social fabric.

As a subtext, there were discussions on radio this week, on how to manage cultural change in its many dimensions. This prompted debates on whether music affects behaviour and specifically the influence of Dancehall lyrics on the misguided segments of our youth population.
By Friday, June 6, Teino Evans reporting in the Weekend Star, quoted Bounty Killer as saying, "only thing wi need some more fun-filling things in the music, that's why mi not even a sing too much again, 'cause my thing is very aggressive and wi nuh really need that right now."

Meanwhile, in an effort to "show passive resistance, solidarity with Jamaicans who have lost loved ones to the escalating violence" Paula Ann Porter-Jones in the Headlines! June 5 edition promoted a day when people wore all-black clothes called, Black - My Story. Paula Ann eloquently says, "so I wear black - the colour of mourning for friends, relatives and fellow Jamaicans, lost to senseless violence but also the colour of strength and endurance - because this too will pass, good must prevail. We will win."

Black people, the world over, but especially in the west, have suffered through slavery and oppression for centuries, but have had the strength to endure. At this time, I remain firm in my belief, that if our youths are exposed to a more in-depth study of our significant contribution to world history, it might go a far way in reorienting their lifestyle and violent actions.

For instance, Joel A Rogers (Jamaican historian and author) and Dr Auset Bakhufu have both written books documenting that at least five former presidents of the United States of America, had Black people among their ancestors. The bi-racial presidents included Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), Andrew Jackson (1829-1837), Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865), Warren Harding (1921-1923) and Calvin Coolidge Jnr (1923-1929).

Warren Harding's father, George Tryon Harding, was a mulatto, with thick lips and chocolate skin. Harding's only academic credentials included education at Iberia College in Ohio, which was founded in order to educate fugitive slaves.

The Virginia Magazine of History, volume 29, says that Andrew Jackson was the son of a white woman from Ireland who had "inter-married" with a Negro. His eldest brother was sold as a slave in Carolina.

While saving over 18,000 copies of his own letters and other documents for posterity, Jefferson destroyed all of the papers, portraits and personal effects of his mother, Jane Randolph Jefferson, when she died, in an effort to hide the fact that she was half Native Indian. His father was a mulatto from Virginia.

JA Rogers quotes Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks, as saying, that Abraham Lincoln was the illegitimate son of an African man. Lincoln was called 'Abraham Africanus the first' by his adversaries. His hair was more Negroid than Caucasian. So was his colour. He described himself as "of dark complexion with coarse black hair and dark eyes." His vice-president, Hannibal Hamlin, was a mulatto. He was more outspoken against slavery than Lincoln. The Chicago Democrat on June 4, 1861, said "the constant theme in the south for the last two months has been the election of the Abolitionist Lincoln and the free Negro, Hamlin."

Calvin Coolidge, proudly admitted that his mother was dark because of mixed Indian ancestry. Dr Bakhufu says that by 1800, the New England Indian was "hardly any longer pure Indian, because they had mixed so often with Blacks." Rogers says "the portrait of his mother, to those acquainted with Negroid physiognomy, does show Negro ancestry."

Rogers' central thesis, for those who know his works, is that the gene pool has been mixing forever. All of the presidents mentioned above were able to pass for white and never acknowledged their Black ancestry. If they had, in those times, they would not have been given the opportunity to serve as president of the United States of America.

The fact therefore, that Barack Obama - an obviously Black man - has now been nominated as the presidential candidate by the Democratic Party of the United States, demonstrates how far the American society has come, in its struggle against racism, and since Blacks gained the right to vote in the 1960's.

Obama achieved this feat by tapping the worldwide web to raise hundreds of millions of dollars from an army of over 2 million small donors. Simultaneously, he has built a powerful movement of grassroots supporters and volunteers. His organisation has bases all across the USA in virtually every hamlet. Obama's winning formula so far is money-message (of change)-organisation.

This is an important history lesson we can teach our youth to give them mores in this present struggle to manage cultural and social change.

I, however, have to agree with former president Jimmy Carter who says that an Obama/Clinton ticket "would just accumulate the negative aspects of both candidates". Carter says "if you take that 50% who just don't want to vote for Clinton and add it to whatever element there might be who don't think Obama is white enough, or old enough, or experienced enough, or because he's got a middle name that sounds Arab, you could have the worst of both worlds."

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20080607T160000-0500_136492_OBS_GOOD_MUST_PREVAIL_.asp

Expanding Our Musical Horizons

Last week Friday, (May 16) Red Bones Blues Café and the Griot Music outfit, presented another in their series of live sessions. The featured singers were Janine Cunningham, Bijean Gayle and Della Manley, in that order. They were backed by Seretse Small on lead guitar, Aeion Hoilett on bass, Denver Smith on percussions and Sheldon Bernard on flute.

It was an impromptu decision to attend the session and I am glad that I did. I had previously become acquainted with Janine personally and found her to be introspective, meditative and culturally inquisitive. I concluded that she was a serene soul sista, exploring her roots but quite comfortable within her own skin. I did not even know then that she was a singer. This was the first time I would be seeing her perform and I did not know what to expect.

Fortunately, we walked in, literally on her first note, because by the end of her set, she had totally enthralled me and I would have long regretted it if I had missed any of her performance that night. Janine's style reminded me in some songs of a young Billie Holliday and in the more up-tempo ones, of Gladys Knight, as she blended her obvious influences of jazz, blues and soul. I was genuinely impressed with her on-stage charisma - she is beautiful and elegant to begin with - her range and unique interpretations. Janine also seems to have a knack for songwriting, demonstrated by her beautiful original ballad, called Parasite and the witty, unfinished (?) ditty, Time. bong, bong, bong. The structure of her songs allowed us to appreciate Bernard's sensitive flute stylings, wafting in and around, as if an extension of her voice.

Janine set the standard for the rest of an enriching evening, filled with excellent performances. Bijean Gayle, amply displayed a more soulful, pensive side to his artistry. His set was made all the more satisfying as it allowed space for us to enjoy Smith's skill on drums and percussions, as well as the versatility of Small's fret work on the guitar.

Some time before, I had seen Bijean perform with his group, Hush, at Christopher's and had given them very high marks, as a budding new group. This time around, performing solo, in a more laid back setting, gave me renewed respect for this young man's growing mastery of a variety of musical idioms.

Della, was the final act of the evening. By then, the conversation level in Red Bones, had raised a decibel or two (liquor does do that to you), so her voice was too often drowned out. Still, we enjoyed the blend of urban folk infused with jazz and blues, which is the bedrock of her music. As they had been doing all night, the complementing musicians did her proud. I had gone to the session, in a melancholy mood, but left singing Bob Marley's line, "one good thing about (good) music, when it hits you feel no pain."

In search of solutions to our persistent crime problem, might I suggest that if some good corporate sponsor wishes to make an invaluable contribution to reducing the crime rate in the country, this would be an excellent type musical programme for cultural enlightenment to finance and take around the country. While I spoke in my last commentary about us being a cosmopolitan people historically, we are fast losing that redeeming trait.

A programme like this, however, may not be commercially viable in the average township in Jamaica. In large segments of the Jamaican population, the musical options over nearly a generation has been vastly depleted - reduced only to sound systems playing a steady diet of almost exclusively dancehall and hip hop. Thus, firstly, you may not get enough people paying the minimum $500 entry fee, then, many who might attend, may not come away feeling as spiritually lifted as I did, because their ears are unaccustomed to such diverse musical offerings and lyrical stylings. I submit that over time, it may well have a soothing effect on patrons.

There are many other groups and bands capable of playing this quality and type of music. They are also interpreting and updating our reggae and traditional music, infusing it with jazz. Sunday night at Gran Bahia Principe, Everton Gaynor's band Signature, put on a show that sounded like an orchestra was on the bandstand. With Michelle Black on lead vocals backed by three musicians, they thrilled the mostly Spanish and American audience and had them all singing the world anthem, One Love (Bob Marley). Hats off to them, I was duly proud.

We need to reactivate the police and military bands, the scout, cadets and other uniform bands, marching bands, school choirs and folk groups, so that this again becomes commonplace within our urban and rural communities, thereby expanding the musical horizons of our youth and population at large, as well as injecting some positive vibrations.

Jamaican, The Cosmopolitan

I wish to fully endorse Clyde McKenzie’s line of reasoning last week, to the effect that “what has been clear to me is that within our cultural industries, lies our economic salvation”. He went on to say, “the cultural sector is recognized as the area with the largest growth potential in our economy”. Clyde then raises the perennial question “how much of what [presently] comes in as tourism income... is directly or indirectly due to the strength of our cultural industries?”

Almost as if to justify this fundamental question, on the very same day, May 4, 2008, the Sunday Gleaner ran an article written by Krista Henry stating that “in the last 15 years, according to the website of the Embassy of Jamaica in Tokyo , over 100,000 Japanese travelers have visited Jamaica not only for sightseeing, but Reggae and Reggae concerts.” The article goes further to state that “today, Reggae music is a multimillion dollar industry in Japan ” to the point where “now Japan has copied all aspects of Reggae/Dancehall culture”.

Of course, we could site many more countries in Asia, Europe, North and South America, Africa and even the Middle East where Reggae has had such an impact that it continues to attract tourists to Jamaica . The relatively recent so-called ‘Spanish Invasion’ has been influenced in no small part, by their love of Jamaican culture and ganja. However, since I know that Clyde is referencing a much broader cultural spectrum, I will not dwell on that today. If may take the liberty of interpreting what Clyde is speaking about, I think the bigger point he is making is that we need to harness the various strands of our culture together in a direct, structured and commercially viable way, by cutting across and integrating our various art forms and discipline into a whole(some) sustainable package which is marketable and more so, represents us as a people.

Let us, for example, examine the approach taken by some West African countries, like Togo , Mali and Cote D’Ivore. They have set up some living interactive villages. In these communities, they have injected scenes of traditional lifestyle, coexisting with modern art forms. I found this approach to market art and craft so superior to our craft markets that I firmly believe that if it were adapted to Jamaica it would transform our potential to market our craft and in the meantime provide our visitors with a more fulfilling experience and knowledge of us.

But then, it is back to defining ‘Brand Jamaica ’.

Recently, Paula Giddings, a professor of Smith College , USA , in reference to Barack Obama said “it will be interesting to see if a man of colour, a man who is cosmopolitan, can be the quintessential symbol of America ”. She could easily have been highlighting an essential characteristic of Jamaicans. Traditionally, it is from this perspective that we approach our artistic impressions. Never mind the fact that now when we go to a dance, it feels like we are entering a war zone. It is also within this context that our culture is readily attractive and assimilated by the rest of the world. Our history and diversity have a lot to do with who we are as a people and what has created this unique culture. For a long time, Jamaica has been a sort of crossroads for world trade and population migration. The evidence is strong that disparate cultures in America and Africa had drifted to and already begun to integrate in Jamaica , long before Columbus ’ voyages, which itself became a second wave, carrying not only Europeans and equatorial Africans, but Jews and more specifically Islamic Moors (North Africans). Between then and now, the island has become a veritable melting pot, including cultures like East Indians, Chinese, Middle Easterners and even a new influx of South Americans in modern times.

During colonial times, Jamaica became the most favoured nation, supplying the colonial office and American multinationals with many officers, technical, administrative and labouring staff in some far-flung exotic places. The middle class became exposed to other cultures, cosmopolitan and the most enlightened and dominant class, inspiring and promoting cross-fertilisation of varied cultural influences and impulses in Jamaica . Remember though, that the population is 96% African stock, interpreting everything from this orientation, adding colour and spice to all we adopt. Without getting into psychological semantics, this is who we are, what inspires our lifestyle and what make our cultural manifestations so alluring to the world.

Another important influence is the beautiful mild, tropical environment and climes, we have inherited by being so close to the equator. This has produced an active, outdoors, recreational instinct and habits which further enhance our charm as a people. This is the intangible product that we need to refine, develop and promote as ‘Brand Jamaica ’. As Clyde puts it, “we have seen the unmistakable influence and power of Jamaican culture- it is now time for us to make use of the tremendous opportunities associated with this phenomenon”.

Today, I end on a very sad note. The untimely passing of Rohan Bryan is a loss to the entertainment industry and has totally devastated his parents, Robert and Andrea Bryan of Grizzly’s Entertainment. Rohan was an inspiration to many, by his example. His unassuming, humble and calm disposition, were very admirable traits. I wish for ‘Saddle’ and Andrea, the strength to overcome their pain and cherish the memories of the wonderful son he was.