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.