Just Like In The Movies

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

Sunday, December 20, 2009

"To divide and rule could only tear us apart; in every man's chest, there beats a heart. So soon we'll find out who is the real revolutionaries; and I don't want my people to be tricked by mercenaries.....We'll have to fight, (we gonna fight), fighting for our rights"
(Zimbabwe - Bob Marley)

And we have been putting up a concerted effort to get our views across to the Jamaican government, the European Commission and the other sectors of the Jamaican society. In the last year, the industry has focused on issues such as:- trading agreements with the European Union; the need for an Entertainment Encouragement Act; the formal establishment of entertainment zones; exemption periods under the Noise Abatement Act; the need to examine whether the local Parish Councils/KSAC are not the competent authorities who should be issuing licences under the Noise Abatement Act, as it is done in other jurisdictions such as Florida and Canada, so as to avoid an inherent conflict of interest as is now the case when it is issued by the police; the need for more transparency and uniformity in the determination of fees under the Town and Country and Places of Amusement Acts.

The problem we face in making our representations, however, is that there is a public perception that we in the industry have no genuine social conscience, no regard for law and order, no intention to pay our due taxes, no respect for ethics, standards or morals.

In May 2005, I wrote a commentary titled 'Self-Regulate Or Perish' and in summary said, "it is high time that we become pro-active and begin some sort of self-regulation, accept a modus operandi and enforce standards of the industry, rather than always being forced to resort to reactionary measures -- applying band-aids and covering up in pretence that nothing has happened or is wrong -- whenever external forces like corporate Jamaica or Outrage! apply pressure for the necessary changes."
We have to stop burying our collective heads in the proverbial sand. While the industry continues to be plummeted by crisis after crisis, we appear incapable of developing internal regulations and guidelines to govern our affairs.

For instance, rather than waiting on the minimum ten days notice as allowed by law, and recognising the time required to plan, organise and promote events, our producers and promoters must submit the appropriate applications to the Jamaica Constabulary Force under the Noise Abatement Act, as soon as they have determined, dates, venues and other particulars for their functions. By so doing, we will put the onus on the police to respond to us in a more timely manner. If that does not occur, then we would be well within our rights to lay the blame squarely at the door of the police for not treating with our applications in a professional manner.

Secondly, on this same issue, and in light of well known recent developments, it is fair to say that public sentiment is no longer in our favour as it regards the ending times for events -- especially on Sundays and weekdays. Needless to say, we have no one but ourselves to blame, for flouting the present law so shamelessly and for so long. If we are to be taken seriously, we will have to develop and implement a sustained campaign led by our artistes, musicians and promoters to encourage our audiences to come out earlier, so that our events can start and end on time. There is of course, a flipside to this coin that we are all well aware of, many of those who go out and party every night, don't have a job and don't need one. This brings into the discussion the close links between the entertainment industry and the criminal elements within our society. It is time to break the umbilical cord and distance ourselves from these elements who are driving our society down the slippery slope to anarchy.

Thirdly, it has come to my attention that the European parliament, in response to their powerful gay lobby, is currently discussing the withholding of working visas from all Jamaican artistes, irrespective of genre. This temporary ban, would spell the death knell of our music industry as we well know. As we well know in this age of downloads and online file sharing, the sales of cds have decreased significantly. Artistes are therefore heavily reliant on earnings from tours, performing live to European audiences. If this income stream is lost, it will be very difficult to regain a foothold because Europe's domestic Reggae artistes have emerged to be major players and will quickly fill the void.

Another issue that demands our attention and on which we have vacillated so far, is the essential need to rate and label our songs and events for content -- both Vybz Kartel and Natural Black sang in their respective songs recently, "just like in the movies". This is not censorship, but rather advertising that will appeal to targeted audiences, be it general, adult or X-rated. "Every man got a right to decide his own destiny". (Bob Marley)

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Groundings-20-12-2009

What's Going On?

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell


THIS is without a doubt the most challenging article I have attempted in the six years since I was cajoled by senior media colleagues to begin writing this column. Initially, I had it all planned out and down pat. You see, I am presently in Negril, working on the Reggae Marathon, which is listed as one of the 10 best in the world. So, I was quite prepared to highlight and extol its virtues, its superior organisation and even to recommend it as an excellent pilot for so many other potentially successful projects showcasing athletics and Reggae -- the two things we are most famous for worldwide.

Furthermore, Dr Donna Hope-Marquis, lecturer in Reggae Studies at the University of the West Indies, has published on her Facebook profile what I thought was excellent advice in relation to the Gully/Gaza saga and I had fully intended to heed it. To quote her, "No publicity is bad publicity, but no publicity is bad publicity." Then on Tuesday, four days before the 'Real McKoy', it was announced that the police had turned down Alliance Entertainment's application for a permit -- under the Noise Abatement Act -- to stage Mavado's annual birthday bash at Temple Hall Estate. Why wait so long, when the application had been submitted since November 3?

There is a classic security strategy in circumstances where the foundation is weak. It advises security officers to ensure that their public pronouncements cover all angles. This is seemingly very transparent and rational, so that their actions cannot be viably challenged. To achieve this, they usually obfuscate the problem with extraneous information. Unfortunately for them, this time the tactics are deluding no one. As my daughter has a habit of telling me, when I try to overwhelm her with statistics and facts to rationalise crap, "TMI, Daddy", meaning too much information (or details). All of seven reasons were given by the police for their denial of the permit. When these reasons are taken all together, it does lead any well-thinking person to conclude that Jamaica does not have the capacity, or prevailing conditions to stage any public functions at this time. When they are peeled away, one at a time, scrutinised and examined in detail, it reveals however a hidden motive.

The first point made by the police is that "the Stony Hill area has been seeing an upsurge in shootings and murders in recent times". Well, which planet did they just arrive from? Whilst sadly, it is generally true that Stony Hill has been experiencing increased criminality, to use relative terms such as 'upsurge' and 'recent' is cynically preying upon the real fears of its residents. As someone who lives there, I can confirm the facts, but this has been a trend for five years or more. Secondly, to say that "the conflict with Mavado and Vybz Kartel -- Gully/Gaza situation is of great concern as persons loyal to one or the other might create problems" is an attempt to exaggerate for manipulative purposes, what is a national predisposition to violent actions in dealing with our conflicts.

How is it that when the man slashed the throat of the police officer at the entrance of Jamaica House recently, the Commissioner never saw it as a reflection of the quality of the security system at Jamaica House or I suppose its occupants? Should the leaders of the two main political parties be blamed for the many atrocities that are meted out daily in their names, all across Jamaica? The most violent street demonstrations of recent times was the gas riots of April 22, 1999. Those demonstrators never hid from the police. We saw them on TV, and the protest was led and manned, in most part, by some of our current business, civic and political leaders. Nevertheless, it all went awry, but the youths learnt their lessons well.

It is funny though, that Supt Castelle thought that the behaviour of the demonstrators on Thursday typified that of the patrons who would be attending the Real McKoy, even though Mavado and his management team denounced the actions of the demonstrators, and rightly so, all of us know that they have little or no control over what people choose to do when they are upset. The police should be assisting with conflict resolution, not aggravating it through their actions.

In his song, What's Going On, Marvin Gaye said, we don't need to escalate, you see, war is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate, you know we've got to find a way to bring some lovin' here today.

The third rationale shocked me even worse: "the likelihood of persons from Cassava Piece and Grants Pen, following this artiste to the area". To paint two whole communities like this with a broad brush is nothing short of prejudice and discrimination of the sort I thought we had left behind when we gained independence from our colonial masters. To quote Marvin again, Father, father, everybody thinks we're wrong, oh but who are they to judge us, simply because our hair is long (or we come from), oh we've got to find a way to bring some understanding here today.

Next in their refusal, the police speak to "the strong possibility of gunfire at this function". I suspect we will also hear how many guns and knives were found in their raid of the event in 2007. Do we all remember the shooting incident that took place backstage at the JLP conference last year? Did we not have the capacity, professional training and expertise to design and implement a plan this year, to eliminate the potential of that recurring? This is a national dilemma for which we have to develop more practical and intelligent measures to counteract.

The fifth and sixth issues raised, regarding increased traffic congestion and loud noise nuisance, are common to every single event and public gathering, including church, which are hosted in this country because of our nation's poor practices in urban planning and the general paucity of designated and appropriate entertainment zones. Furthermore, Temple Hall is unique in this sense, as it provides adequate parking for its patronage, and is located away from any housing development or scheme.

Lastly, for the refusal statement to admit the inability of the police to effectively monitor the function is a reflection on the police force itself and should not be an acceptable reason for not allowing this event to be staged.

I wish to recommend in closing, that the 'big stick' approach we inherited will not work with today's youth. We have to appeal to their better instincts and self-interest, which can only be done through discussions and negotiations. Beyond that, the real issue we face is the need to update our laws and regulations, so that they are in keeping with timelines as it permits to adequate planning and promotional requirements for events. This is how we will achieve mutual respect and social justice, lest they become merely words that we band about.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

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Buzz Marketing

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

This has been a tumultuous week for the music fraternity with other sectors of the society putting a negative spotlight on us. The general sentiments which have greeted me in my casual encounters are as follows: "Let me see if you are going to attempt to defend the indefensible in your column this Sunday" and "We fed up ah this Gaza/Gully almshouse; it's a disgrace and it ah tarnish our international image."

From within the industry, the main concern is that the media frenzy amplifying the feud harms not only Vybz Kartel's and Mavado's international appeal, but the ability of other artistes to tour and earn. Recent concerts have been cancelled because citizen or government pressure is brought to bear on promoters in the Caribbean, North America and Europe who have artistes from either camp on their billing, forcing them to abort their plans.

In Trinidad, students from one school 'invaded' another because they defend opposite camps. In the streets of Miami, they say PNP and JLP are no longer relevant - you either defend Gaza or Gully. Some of our elders see Dancehall music as a virus and wish it would quickly fade away. This is simply not going to happen.

In its present form, Dancehall music has been around for approximately 30 years. In its evolution, it has also spawned and continued to provide inspiration for two other very popular musical idioms, hip hop and reggaeton. While we in Jamaica continue to dither on the need to harness its enormous economic and social potential, the rest of the world has transformed it into big business and continue to reap the growing benefits to be derived.

In keeping with our colonial past, we continue to produce the raw material, suffer the psychological and physical scars, while foreigners copy, refine, manufacture, package and distribute it - adding commercial value and reaping the resultant rewards from us the eventual consumers of the finished product.

Here in Jamaica, we spurn dancehall music, just like Ska was frowned upon, seen as corrupted Jazz performed by poor, black Downtown musicians who could not get it right. That was until Byron Lee from middle-class Jamaica started playing it. Reggae, which proceeded it, was too volatile, too potently revolutionary, what with artistes like Peter Tosh, Bob Andy, Junior Byles, Brent Dowe, Freddy McKay, Mikey Smith, Bob Marley, singing the praises of Rastafari, calling for a dismantlement of the neo-colonial system and envisioning fundamental
social transformation.

So from the comfort of our ivory towers and middle-class perches, in the 1980s we began, almost solely, to project and promote the less threatening Dancehall music which implored our people to forget their troubles, shun their values, eat, drink and be merry. To hell with vision, morals and ethics, because making the almighty dollar trumps all other life goals. Instant gratification and materialism has become the order of the day. This is what we bequeathed to the present generation, from which our current crop of artistes spring.

What today's dancehall lyrics are missing in large part is informed, conscious and progressive world view which so characterised Ska and Reggae at its foundation.

Meanwhile, musician Seretse Small contends that "we have ignored the developmental needs of segments of our society for too long", citing further that "the Gully/Gaza phenomenon grows out of an environment where music/art is not supported". Society continues therefore, to provide the social cradle for dancehall lyrics, decadence and violent behaviour. We are all complicit, especially the sponsors, the media and our politicians. Just think back over the years to the dancehall songs which took on new hostile/adversarial meaning because they were incorporated into election campaigns.

To quote Small again, "there are so many artistes who start out writing conscious tunes and because of the lack of support, end up writing slack or gun tunes, as they cause greater controversy and therefore benefit from a lot of free publicity as radio stations, journalists, preachers [even] and lots of other persons talk about them. The more sensational, the better. There are so few opportunities for creative persons to promote/market/develop products that it has resulted in the dominance of extreme buzz marketing to reach and excite audiences." He referred me to the book titled Buzz Marketing by Mark Hughes and proceeded to teach me that this is a tried, tested and proven marketing tool being employed. "Buzz marketing is based on the ability to get persons to talk about your product. The ability to create a buzz or chatter."

There are six buttons which can be pushed to create buzz; taboo (sex, lies, bathroom humour); the unusual; the outrageous; the hilarious; the remarkable and the secrets (both kept and revealed).

As Seretse concludes, "if we think carefully about Jamaican music, we realise that the buttons of buzz marketing have been used successfully by our artistes (especially dancehall) to sell music with very little resources or support on hand."

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

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European Penetration Requires New Strategies

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

The very success of Reggae in the European market could spell the reduction of market share for Jamaican acts in the future. Unless we review and adjust our business, production and promotional strategies, aimed at that continent, Jamaica runs the risk of forfeiting considerable market share to European Reggae artistes and bands who have become extremely popular in these domestic markets.

Reggae is no longer categorised by European promoters as world beat music rather, because of its tremendous popularity, it is now considered by them to be mainstream music, alongside Pop. This theoretically, should be good news for our Jamaica artistes and musicians, potentially generating increasing sales of musical products, and performance bookings. That direct correlation however, is far from the reality on the ground.

On my first tour of the exhibition booths at the World Music Expo (WOMEX), held in Copenhagen, Denmark, October 28 to November 1, I had moments of nationalistic ecstasy. Out of a total of 280 displays, Reggae music featured in approximately 10. These displays were owned and operated by commercial interests form Spain, Netherlands, France, Austria and Brazil. On the surface, this was marvellous, making me a proud Jamaican witnessing first hand and appreciating the global reach and integration of Reggae music into the popular cultures of various European nations.
Then I began holding substantive discussions with several major European event and festival promoters, as well as artiste booking agents.


On the last day of the exposition, I took time out to visit Christiania and attend an event called Rubadub Sundays. These experiences reinforced what I was learning from my meetings. By the time I was departing Denmark, reality set in, flipping my emotions between bouts of depression, followed by renewed determination to lobby from within the industry for a new mindset, a new blueprint for the Jamaican music industry, so we may reap more of the benefits of this great musical legacy which we have bequeathed “to di worl’”.


What the average Jamaican has so far failed to understand is that in these markets, Reggae is not simply another successful musical genre; to most Europeans it represents a movement and attendant lifestyle. The major factor sustaining Reggae’s phenomenal penetration of the European market is the alluring appeal and adoption of many cultural features of the Rastafari movement. Rasta’s global philosophy of peace and love, promoted by its musical troubadours- its apostles and disciples- is buffeted by the mystique of Jamaica. Our island is perceived as a cultural Mecca, a melting pot and the musical capital of the world, located in the most exotic and tropical of environments. Meanwhile, Rastafari is regarded as a self-liberating force, breaking down outdated, restrictive and oppressive social philosophies, modes and practices like xenophobia, while facilitating cross-fertilisation, creativity, freedom of expression and association. This is an affinity which began and was recognised in the late 1960’s with the hippie movement. In Jamaica and the USA, it was manifested in the Coptic Rastafarians, a unique mix of rural-based African-Jamaicans and Caucasian hippies. Looking back at pictures of the first two stagings of Reggae Sunsplash in Jamaica (1978 and 1979) is a revelation and confirmation of the large percentage of hippies which helped to make up the audience in those early days.

In fact, this was a pivotal boost to Negril’s international reputation as a tourist destination, then promoting an integrated, self-sustaining product. What evolved was community-based cultural tourism with a strong emphasis on Reggae music, vegetarian diet and healthy, eco-friendly alternative lifestyle, long before that philosophy became universally en vogue. In the year 1971, hippies captured, squatted and eventually established a large commune on a section of an island adjacent and linked with Copenhagen, traditionally called Christian Wharf. They renamed it Christiania, set up their own system of government, economy, collected taxes from their residents, while promoting an alternative lifestyle.

Throughout the next 3-plus decades, they have facilitated a continuous influx and integration into Denmark’s society, of Africans and indigenous Indians from South America, among others. Reggae music blares from the sound systems in the bars, restaurants and in the open town square where vendors are located selling art, craft and trinkets, many of which feature Rastafari symbols and colours. In fact, one of our guides commented that “buying souvenirs here is not wise. As everyone back home will be convinced it was made in Jamaica.” Everywhere in Christiania residents were wearing the dreadlock hairstyle and greeted us in the name of Rastafari. This refutes the description of the Rastafari religion as a cult by Leonard Lee Barrett, in his book The Rastafarians, since the classical definition of a cult is a phenomenon which gives birth and dies in the area it is developed.

At Rubadub, which was attended mostly by a majority of native Danes (picture blonde, blue-eyed Vikings) many were wearing dreadlocks and the music consisted in large part of what they call roots Reggae, plus the latest Dancehall songs. Mavado and Vybz Kartel were being played alternately. What was profoundly disturbing however, was that the songs were almost all remixes of the originals. These had been re-engineered and produced by Danes, primarily for their domestic market. In addition to these, the dance floor would get incredibly busy whenever Reggae/Dancehall songs originating from Denmark were played. This bore out what I had been learning from the music industry practitioners at WOMEX.

The European Reggae scene is dynamic and has matured to the point where the native populations are now accustomed to and now more readily identify with their own home-grown talent. It is therefore more challenging to headline major shows and festivals with Jamaica artistes, as these European acts saturate and have more audience pulling power in their countries of origin. This is a fact of life that our artistes have to accept and adjust their fees accordingly, especially while Europe is going through a recession. Right now, the only Jamaican headliner touring Europe is Sizzla! Our artistes will have to consider more collaborative works with European artistes and producers as a way of introducing themselves in these countries.

Secondly, the musical trend has swung back to live instrumentation, featuring unusual instruments and sounds, indigenous to Africa, Asia and South America, creating a new kaleidoscope of harmonised sounds embedded in their music. Our producers therefore have to expose themselves to the different forms of emerging music and fusions, so as to keep abreast of the current market trends. We may even have to throw away the Pro-Tools and go back to the big recording studios and professional musicians.

Thirdly, the owners of venues, clubs and festivals, trust and prefer to do business with booking agents established in Europe. The tendency of our artistes to have more than one entity conducting their affairs does not help their cause with these agencies. They told me so themselves.

Fourthly, because of the large numbers of upcoming European/dancehall acts, competing to gain a foothold in the market, the club circuit, which is the niche below the big festivals is amply supplied by local talent without the extra costs of air fares, visas accommodations and per diems.

For years, some of us- most notably Junior Lincoln- have been agitating for the need to unite in our mutual interests, specifically to set up a multi-national marketing agency encompassing such functions as promotions, distribution and the booking of our acts. In the meantime, we have to quickly establish working alliances with major European agencies and a more collaborative, structured relationship with their festival organisers, in order to more effectively lobby our and European governments to facilitate the issuance of visas in a more timely manner , and fund the cost of air travel to Europe.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

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Dancehall Has Melody, Papa Eddie

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

“Dancehall music lacks components of classical music, which includes lyrics, melody and rhythms.” So Hon. Edward Seaga told the reporters and editors at the Jamaica Observer’s weekly Monday exchange on October 12, 2009. As Bugle says, “if you blame life, you blame who give it, so don’t blame life, blame the way how you live it”. Bear in mind, that for the first ten years of our independence, Mr. Seaga was minister of development and culture (1962-1972). Less than a decade later as prime minister (1980-1989), he retained that post in his large portfolio. Therefore, he held political responsibility for our cultural development for 19 of the first 29 years of our independence.

During this time, one of the most significant national contributions of Mr. Edward Seaga was the repatriation of Marcus Garvey’s body back to Jamaica for its permanent interment at National Heroes’ Park in 1964. Since then, our political leaders have been verse at adopting progressive symbolisms for official use to neutralise and quell the revolutionary spirit present in the population since our forefathers were forcibly taken from Africa, brought through the Middle Passage, and enslaved here in the British plantation system.

After this laudable act, neither he nor any ruling political party since has implemented any serious, consistent policies and programmes, to educate our children and the population at large, about Garvey and his movement, the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” (Garvey) After the formal act of independence, our leaders in almost all spheres of society perpetuated the Eurocentric institutions, mindset, class divisions and inherent prejudices designed and bequeathed to us by our colonial masters.

As time passed, the people at the bottom of the social ladder have been trapped by the twin evils of political tribalism and abject poverty. This is reinforced by the systematic stifling of social mobility due to the dismal failures of our educational system and the social welfare network necessary to keep our young in institutions for their training and socialisation. To quote Ian Boyne, from his article published on September 20, 2009 in the Sunday Gleaner “it is not Dancehall music which caused [the almshouse that] is happening in Dancehall today. The foundation was there before Dancehall- a well-laid foundation built by our politicians and ruling class.”

Mr. Seaga’s background in social anthropology and his senior state positions for so many of our early days of statehood made him a primary witness of the budding musical creativity of our people. Yet, he did not ensure that the teaching of music become mandatory in our school system. Given this perspective, (and in reflection it may have been a blessing in disguise), the international success of our music to date is nothing short of phenomenal; a veritable miracle.

The creativity which birthed and sustained our music, especially Dancehall is driven mainly by artistes digging deep into their African impulses and intuition. Let’s face it, what has developed over time in Jamaica, are two diametrically opposed barometers and standards- a Eurocentric one closely adhered to by the upper crust of society, and a more indigenous Afrocentric one, continuously evolving through the sheer creative genius of our working, unlettered classes. Today, 47 years after independence, the people living in our inner cities and deep rural areas have been alienated from and eventually rejected the European standards almost entirely. They no longer defer, refer or pay homage to them.

When Mr. Seaga refers to classical music, no doubt he means European classical music. As a consequence of our inaction, to address this social malaise as a nation, the majority of our people including most of our artistes, have no inkling as to the structure, appeal, much less appreciation for this music. Ironically, it is in the birth places of much of this European classical music of which he speaks that Dancehall music continues to make significant headway amongst the youth in its international market penetration.

However, let’s examine Seaga’s criticisms on face value to see if they have any merit. Does Dancehall lack lyrics, melody, depending solely on rhythm for its huge popularity? Dancehall music is structured quite differently from the old, European classics. Oftentimes, rather than instruments playing the tune, it is actually the deejays themselves who provide the melody (tune). The following are a sample of lyrics of our recent Dancehall hits which debunk Papa Eddie’s critique. To say that they demonstrate rhythmic structure and poetic flow is irrefutable. In them are contained not just aesthetic value, but a metaphorical window into contemporary cultural practices as well as the mindset of today’s youth. As Boyne said, taking artistic licence with Karl Marx, “Dancehall is both a protest and a sigh of distress.”



We keep striving, Any means necessary, we surviving

A ghetto youth with a brain is too frightening,

And dem nuh waan fi see di garrison dem rising, But we keep striving

(‘Happiest Days’ – Vybz Kartel and Mavado)



This is for my fallen soldiers, we miss you,

Although you’re gone, we still with you,

Gone from the battle field, Life is so real

As a Likkle Yute Used 2 Hang Out Pon Di Corner
Me and Di Whole Ah mi Friend Dem We Ah Bun Some Marijuana
Although Nuff Ah We Never Grow Up Wid No Fahda
Still We Haffi Try We Best Mek It Cross De Border
(‘Fallen Soldiers’ – Demarco)



It’s a nice Sunday evening, a cool afternoon

Nobody goes to work, nor nobody goes to school

Siddung pon the corner, joke around and act a fool

The elders play dominoes, [youth] dem play pool

I love college, but I’m going to the beach,

Money in my pocket, so I know I have to reach

Call a couple girls tell them to link up with my peeps

Tell them roll in the topless Jeep

(‘Holiday’ – Ding Dong)



These are the days
When the gal dem in dem teens have the AIDS
Nuff yute nuh have degrees but dem have the grades
Picture dis an' try fi si it wid yuh ears
These are the times
When yuh sneakers ain't yuh only nines
Some weh call pon Jesus a dem commit the crimes
Nuff illiterate an' still a read between the lines

(‘These Are The Days’ – Busy Signal)



Does Dancehall lack form or musical standards? While not claiming that every song in Dancehall music is uniformly excellent in lyrics and melody, no other genre can credibly make that claim either. My argument is that the best Dancehall tunes stand their own against any other. Most Jamaican artistes are not formally trained in music or otherwise, but many of the producers are adept in the playing of musical instruments. Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor, for example, is a multi-instrumentalist. He along with Don Corleone and Liquid are world famous for consistently producing complex, syncopated rhythm tracks. Over the last 2 to 3 years, they have been responsible for a majority of the hit songs emanating from the Dancehall. They have doggedly, meticulously revolutionalised and raised the musical standard in Dancehall music so that it now favourably compares with any other current international musical idiom or genre.

It is no longer objective to just glibly lump everything in Dancehall as ‘riddim driven’. This does a disservice to the advances in the diversity and synchronised instrumentation, which has epitomised and enhanced the melodic sounds complementing the tunes they produce. These producers tend to add even more melody to rhythm tracks created or remixed for specific artistes like Elephant Man, Vybz Kartel and Mavado.

In my commentary on July 12, 2009, Reggae On Broadway, I urged Dancehall fans to see the University Singers performance of From Mento To Dancehall, a suite of interpretations spanning 30 years of Dancehall, including Ele and Mavado. I now implore Mr. Seaga to do the same. Maybe if Mr. Seaga experiences such orchestrated interpretations, with choir and dramatisations, he will be better able to appreciate the art form, its creativity, complexity and sophistication.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

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It's Not An Easy Road

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

The customary summer tours for Reggae and Dancehall artistes are now over. The general trend which began from the spring, intensified during the mid to late summer. From talking to a number of industry sources, the information reaching me confirms that the global recession is adversely affecting concert tours and festivals in Europe, North, South and Central America, the Caribbean and Asia. What is more, this applies to all categories of artistes, from the most popular and internationally famous, to the young emerging acts.

There is a well known but false perception that I hear constantly from lay persons. They say that the entertainment industry is inure to troughs in the economic cycle. While this may have been so in the past, during the current recession, nothing could be further from the truth.

The industry is impacted on three main levels. Firstly, since the start of the year, there has been a significantly lower percentage of carry through on queries. This means, that after the initial contact by a promoter or his booking agent, to the management of the artist or musician, it has become much more difficult to convert that interest into a firm offer. Consequently, the number of offers for concerts, tours and festivals, have also fallen sharply. On the third level, this has led to fewer confirmed dates. Many promoters even pay the mandatory, non-refundable deposit and after having further checked their market place, and the viability of the concert or tour, they write off the deposit and cancel the contract with the artiste.

This was the worst summer we have seen in 5 or 6 years. In fact, maybe the last time we experienced such fallout was between 1995 and 1997. Many festivals were cancelled or drastically downsized. Some events that were normally staged or planned for 4000-seater amphitheatres or stadiums were or have been moved to smaller venues like 400 to 700 capacity nightclubs. In an effort to reduce their overheads, promoters in their negotiations to fulfil artistes’ production rider requirements, are demanding that artistes’ cut their travel party.

Many concert tours, have been cut short by weeks, as well as suffered from cancelled dates throughout. Therefore, in order to sustain their performance careers, some top artistes who have traditionally frowned on performing to tracks, have now had to resort to this means for their musical accompaniment. This is yet another blow to many of our senior musicians and touring bands, who under normal circumstances, are exclusively contracted to specific artistes. The unfriendly economic environment has found them short or out of work, and many are shopping around for temporary jobs to supplement their income.

In the last ten years or so, our industry standards and practices have improved enormously; however, this organisational level that has been achieved is being dangerously compromised on the altar of expediency. Artistes, who traditionally rely on one booking agency to conduct all their affairs, have suddenly put themselves on the roster of numerous agencies and persons. Although, this is quite understandable in some cases, objectively, this practice is a step backwards, organisationally, and is in the long run, unsustainable because it creates confusion in the market place and will make major foreign promoters shy away from doing business with certain of our top acts because they are never sure who really has the authority to speak on their behalf in this area of their career. We have been down this road before. This is one of the weaknesses that ultimately prejudiced Dennis Brown’s career.

In this scenario, what is even more perplexing is that some of our more popular and experienced artistes are virtually shooting themselves in the foot, by refusing to reduce their performance fees in keeping with the shrinking global market and lower demand. Happily for our industry, however, the smarter ones have compromised, taken a pay-cut and continued touring. During this summer also, many musicians toured for per diems only. They had to sacrifice and save out of these meagre earnings so that they would be able to take something home. It nuh pretty out deh. The situation is so delicately poised that I have deliberately refrained from giving specific examples or identifying any of the artistes and musicians affected, for fear of further prejudicing anyone’s career. “It’s not an easy road, Yuh see the glamour and the glitter and yuh tink a bed a roses.” (Buju Banton) Who feels it knows.

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Cooking The Goose

Groundins

By: Charles H.E.Campbell

In his column, Legal Notes, in the Business Observer of Wednesday, May 13, 2009, Gavin Goffe of Myers, Fletcher and Gordon addressed the issue of GCT on entrance fees for events- the ‘general admission tax’ as he appropriately called it.

Goffe raised some very important points of law, which require a re-examination by the Government of Jamaica (GOJ), if it is sincere in its stated recognition of the entertainment industry as a critical plank of our economy going forward.
He said, “charities [...] especially those that hold annual fund-raising events, could have a liability for failing to charge, collect and pay over GCT on admission fees over the past six years”. Goffe prognosticated that, “if GCT exemption is not allowed, it would deter charities and churches from raising funds by organising events and lead them instead to seeking outright donations, which are not taxable under either the GCT Act or the Income Tax Act.”

In reference to all-inclusive parties, Goffe went on “the organisers of high-profile, ‘everything-included’ (except the GCT) summer parties [...] fall squarely within the Act as providing a taxable service. The promoters’ liability to charge GCT is not limited only to the admission fees, but possibly also the promotional/sponsorship deals that they have entered into.”

Overheads for staged events in Jamaica are disproportionately high, in comparison to developed societies, because of the lack of appropriate venues, such as amphitheatres and multi-purpose complexes for large outdoor events and theatres and concert halls for indoor events. Thus live events in Jamaica require significant temporary infrastructure and technical production equipment. Furthermore, events in Jamaica are prone to be adversely affected by any number of variables including the vagaries of weather and other Acts of God, demonstrations, riots, gang violence, curfews and special state security operations.

By its very nature, therefore, the business of promoting live events is fickle and of extreme high risk in comparison to other sectors of the economy. When an event is postponed or cancelled, a significant amount of pre-production expenses have to be written off, while as a general rule, contractual agreements with suppliers and service providers must still be fulfilled. If affected by any of the above, the company will sustain heavy losses.Given the nature of the event industry, a promoter can only estimate the potential of his patronage, and will print tickets according to this projection. Where printed tickets for an event are not sold, they have no monetary value after the expiry of the event.

The entertainment product itself is highly expendable and time sensitive- once the date of the event has passed, the product has expired. In this sense, the successful management of an event is more of an art than a science. Special consideration should therefore be given to this sector in the approach to the collection of GCT.
Without sponsorship, most events would not be viable or profitable and in many cases, inadequate promotions due to lack of sponsorship lead to substantial losses for event promoters and executive producers. When GCT has to be paid out of sponsorship funds, it undermines the very purpose of sponsorship, in aiding to cover the overheads, which gate receipts and other sales cannot compensate for, in our small economy.

Now, it is rumoured that the Taxpayer Audit and Assessment Department (TAAD) intends to target and assess promoters for GCT collections based on the number of tickets printed or the capacity of the venue, and even to collect this prior to the staging of the event. Firstly, in producing a function in Jamaica, the capacity of the venue does not directly or necessarily relate to the concept, design and projected or actual attendance. Secondly, promoters are not able to access project financing through the banking system and therefore pre-production cash flow has to be sponsored or self-financed. In many instances, sponsorship funds committed to events are not paid over until after the event.

Thus, to pay over GCT prior to the event and even before tickets are sold, would drastically erode the event’s pre-production cash flow which may make the event unfeasible or even impossible. The most accurate, scientific and ethical method of assessing GCT is on actual tickets sold. If the TAAD strictly implements these policies, it would be the death knell of the industry. As the Jamaican proverb says, “dem goose (woulda) cook.” In the short term, the GOJ may get a windfall in taxes, but in the long run, they would be killing the goose that laid the golden egg.
Conversely, if the sector is to increase event admission prices by 16.5%, it will lead to a reduction of audiences across the board, because entry fees to events, given the cost of overheads, is already high. Such an increase will put many entertainment products out of the reach their target audiences and lead to a lowering of production standards, inferior entertainment products and ultimately a drastic downturn in the industry.

Registered companies in the events branch of the entertainment industry, which possess a current Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC), should not be treated differently from other companies operating in the Jamaican economy, as it relates to the collection and payment of GCT. In every other sector, companies are allowed to offset input expenses against GCT collected on behalf the GOJ on the sales of their goods and services. Rather than targeting a particular event for the collection of GCT, the event production company should be allowed to go through the natural annual cycle and pay GCT on their net sales for the year.

In my view, the government should be going in the opposite direction. Event companies should be allowed to offset the losses incurred from one event, by profits earned from proceeding projects in any given fiscal year. Further, GCT calculated on sales for functions should not be applicable and calculated until the event has broken even.

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Dreams Do Come True

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

All of us as children are taught as a motivational tool by our parents and teachers that if we work hard, dreams do come true. In addition to this, those generations that came of age between the 1940’s and 1970’s were also taught, and in significant numbers were involved in some form of volunteerism- helping to organise socially uplifting or charitable programs and deeds. This engineered and engendered a gradual transformation of our social landscape and structure. Professor Rex Nettleford refers to this as the ‘smaddification’ of our Jamaican society.

These generations recognised this to be a critical task in the formative phase of the process of nation building. To them, it was imperative for us to pull ourselves up, from the hovels and ghettos, by our own bootstraps. Organisations like Jamaica Welfare, Jamaica Agricultural Society, Jamaica Teachers’ Association, as well as church groups including the Anglican Women’s Auxiliary, the Roman Catholic Social Action Centre and Christian Youth Organisations, Mico Teacher’s College, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) played a leading role in the process of social integration.

During this era, they concentrated on skills training in the traditional trades, but more importantly, incubated indigenous entrepreneurs and cottage industries. The end result was the development and grooming of future leaders in the social, economic and political spheres. One such institution was the Alpha Boys’ School, which trained underprivileged and wayward youths- not only as musicians, but as well-rounded individuals who went on to master the playing and public performance of American jazz and rag music in the big bands which entertained sailors and the society’s upper crust at clubs and hotels, mainly located in the eastern end of the city.

Simultaneously, up in Wareika Hills, a group of Rastafarian, intuitive musicians led by Count Ossie had regular jam sessions using African-inspired religious and traditional beats and tunes. Ernie Ranglin, already a seasoned musician, regularly participated in these sessions. A core of these Alpha trained musicians, including Don Drummond, Roland Alphonso, Johnny ‘Dizzy’ Moore, Tommy McCook, Lester Sterling and Lloyd Knibbs, with a conscious urge for self-expression, and drawn by their cultural roots, found this camp to be their ideal crucible for their musical experimentation and self-definition. Out of this, our first modern musical genre called Ska was born, incorporating jazz, blues, Mento and Nyahbinghi, with an underlying Latin influence.

These musicians had a dream and although many of them did not live long enough to reap financial or symbolic awards, they were the builders and Ska became the foundation, the cornerstone on which we have built an entire industry. Other than those musicians referred to above, who were all fiercely patriotic, no one then, could have foretold the incredible spread and impact that Jamaican music and culture would now have on the entire world.

The next generation of musicians and artistes led by Millie Small, Desmond Dekker, Prince Buster, Derrick Morgan, Jimmy Cliff, followed by Burning Spear, Culture, Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown, John Holt, Bob Andy, Marcia Griffiths, Bob Marley, Mighty Diamonds, Gregory Isaacs, U-Roy, Inner Circle and Third World all played their part, at great personal sacrifices sometimes, in propagating our music and culture worldwide.

In the succeeding years, with the emergence of Dancehall as a primary genre, highly influenced by the same pioneering sounds of Ska, Rock Steady and Reggae, deejays like Shabba Ranks, Patra, Shinehead, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Sean Paul, Elephant Man, Capleton and Shaggy have pushed Jamaican popular music and culture into new and wider international markets. While other nationalities have profited substantially from its enormous market appeal, unfortunately, to an extent, we in Jamaica have taken this resource for granted and failed to sufficiently protect and exploit the great legacy bequeathed to us by the pioneers. Within the industry, though we all see the bigger picture- the true potential- we are so preoccupied with developing our individual careers and generating income for ourselves and our enterprises, that collectively, we have so far been unable to coalesce around one single project, volunteering our services in the true Jamaican spirit, for the long term interest of the music and the nation. They say however, it’s never too late for a shower of rain.

Finally in 2008, the government of Jamaica declared February as Reggae Month in Jamaica. It now behoves all the players in the entertainment industry, to come together in a common cause, to take the ball and run with it. Reggae Month should be treated as the launch of our annual cultural calendar.

Jamaica is already seen as the cultural mecca of the Caribbean. It is famous for grand, outdoor events and festivals like Sting, Jamaica Jazz and Blues, Rebel Salute, Reggae Sumfest, ATI/Negril Dream Weekend, Jamaica Carnival, Little Ochi Seafood Fest, Yam Festival, Portland Jerk Festival and Jamaica Festival and Independence celebrations, to name just a few. Popular street dances like Passa Passa, Bembe and Rae Town have their own unique appeal, as do parties and sessions like Good Times, Mello Vibes, Osmosis, Yush, French Connection, Fully Loaded, Luau, Frenchmen and Renaissance signature soirees.

Now, in addition to Doctor’s Cave Beach, Dunn’s River Falls and the Blue Mountains, we also boast internationally renowned attractions like the Bob Marley Museum, the National Gallery and Trench Town, the so called birth place of Reggae, because so many of our artistes resided there early in their careers. Recording studios such as Studio One, Harry J, Tuff Gong, Dynamic Sounds, Big Yard and Anchor are legendary for the artistes and international hits recorded. Some of the most dynamic night clubs in the Caribbean operate right here in Jamaica, including the Quad, Amnesia, Jungle, Bourbon Beach, the Deck, Waterfalls and recent additions, Fiction and Pure/Plush.

By putting the focus on Reggae Month, if properly planned, organised and promoted, it will give us the perfect launching pad for marketing all of these entertainment ventures and products to the world, raising the profile of Jamaica as a premier destination for leisure, entertainment and cultural and heritage tourism.

Happy birthday, Ele. Walk Good, Steelie. Job well done- Reggae/Danchall will forever be in your debt.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

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The Promise Of Cultural Tourism

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

In the Sunday dailies of August 23, 2009, three inter-related comments by well-known public commentators struck me, particularly because they were coming on the heels of the tremendous achievements of our athletes during the World Athletics Championships in in Berlin.

Writing for the Sunday Observer, Basil Walters quoted Michael Lorne, attorney-at-law and leader of the revitalised Marcus Garvey's People's Political Party, as saying, "if appropriately valued by the authorities, the music industry could have provided an alternative source of funding to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)".

Further in his article, Walters quoted Michael 'Ibo' Cooper: "Jamaicans apologise for three things, and is the three things that put us where we are. Black, Rastafari and Reggae... The elites, even with the pride and exposure that Bob Marley has brought us, are still reluctant. Maybe to them it might swing the status quo, it might change the power balance, I don't know. But dem 'fraid of it." Previous to that in the article, Walters had quoted Ibo as saying, "Music has suffered from a lack of funding from the private sector etc, because of the consciousness that it portray, because of Rasta."

Writing in the Gleaner on the same day, Don Robotham in his article, Lessons From Berlin, stated "our achievements attain the highest international levels when those at the top put the interests of those at the bottom and in the middle at the forefront of our activities". At the end of his column, Robotham rhetorically asks, "How do we go about recentring Jamaica to address the many serious social challenges we face in our economy, education system and in our social, political and cultural life more generally?"

He goes on to suggest that the achievements of our athletes in Berlin, and might I add, the many internationally successful Reggae and Dancehall acts, are proof "that the regular grass-roots 'born Jamaican' is ready to meet this challenge. The problem is at the top".

When these comments are placed in their proper contexts, it would appear that at least some of us are beginning to wake from our slumber and pull ourselves into the 21st century - as a well known politician recently posted on his Facebook profile, 'if you keep doing the same things over and over and expect a different result, you are mad'.

Let's face it, sugar is no longer king and our banana industry will never again attain its heights of production because of the disastrous impact of globalisation and global warming on these traditional agricultural crops. As far as bauxite goes, we only have 30 years of reserves and our annual production for the remainder of that period will always be dependent on the economic health of large industrialised societies. So going forward, the contribution of these industries to Jamaica's economy and social development will be minimal in comparison to their traditional roles.

I believe, however, that there is now a convergence of thought and vision between individuals like Robotham, Lorne, Cooper, etal and the government's planning agencies. Listening to the Breakfast Club on News Talk 93 FM some weeks ago, I heard Dr Wesley Hughes, director general of the Planning Institute Of Jamaica (PIOJ), saying that the cultural industries are poised to play a much more significant role in contributing to our national economy. As he stated it, the role is already a substantial one, however, because our economists are accustomed to measuring tangible goods and services, he has spent the last 10 years, retraining and orienting those in his employ, to equip them so that they may better capture and analyse the critical statistics that bear out the economic value and social impact of the cultural industries annually. Hopefully, as a consequence, these facts and figures will begin to influence not just public policy, but erode the persisting prejudices, still harboured by the elites which are stymieing the industries' potential.

Traditionally, the music industry has been seen as one that is composed of untrained, uneducated, social misfits who don't pay taxes and only take from the society without giving back anything. This is a far cry from the prevailing situation. I have been fortunate enough to have spent the last eight months getting acquainted with a broad cross-section of professionals covering all of the disciplines encompassing this budding industry. I have come to the realisation that a major transformation has taken place over the last 10 to 15 years, both from a generational standpoint, and more importantly, most of the technicians, administrators, marketers and promoters have some form of tertiary training and they operate their businesses through formal, registered structures, applying orthodox business practices in line with most other sectors in the Jamaican economy.

In fact, nowadays, most artistes have a retinue of professionals numbering about five or six, including artiste managers, booking and public relations agents, accountants and lawyers, with most of these functionaries operating formal business corporations. Further, at the pinnacle of the industry, there is a body of approximately 300 artistes, arts production companies and allied professionals such as entertainment venues, attractions, event planners and equipment providers, who employ upwards of 15 people full-time, proving that the industry already has a positive impact on the job market. Other promising features are the inter-connectivity and spin-offs to other sectors, as well as the fact that the music industry continues to have a more direct impact on widespread communities since it is more evenly distributed than most other industries across the island. These, I believe, are major strides forward and should facilitate our nation's ability to more accurately measure the contributions of the sector.

It is high time that all stakeholders take the potential of cultural tourism to the next level.

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Negril Weekend

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

When Norman Manley laid down the highway in Negril, it was an unpopular decision. Back then, it was a seven-mile stretch of the most beautiful beach anywhere in the Caribbean, in the middle of a low-lying swampy wilderness.

His vision was to develop community tourism centred around this prime asset. Soon after, the Anglican Church built their camp and as a youngster, I enjoyed many wonderful moments camping and hiking in Negril and associating with the most hospitable of local populations.

Somewhere between Woodstock 40 years ago and Reggae Sunsplash, hippies in large numbers discovered the scenic beaches and beautiful people of Negril. For a time thereafter, they virtually colonised the village, walking around with barely any clothes, tanning and bathing naked on the beach. Many inter-married with the local population and stayed permanently.

R
eggae and Rock were their music of choice and Negril developed an international reputation for generating seven nights of music and promoting an alternative lifestyle. The evidence of this early interaction is still there to show, with the many racially mixed families who reside and operate small businesses there. After a while however, this scene was relegated to the West End, now called Bob Marley Avenue.

The first couple hotel properties that were established on the beachfront honoured the cardinal rule of having no more than two storeys. However, as time went on and the country became even more reliant on the tourism product, massive structures were established right along the seven-mile strip, so that presently, a view of the beach is totally obliterated from the road. A new type of tourist was now targeted and a new product called 'all-inclusive' began to cut out completely the benefits that the wider community traditionally garnered from supplying services to the vacationers.

Clive Pringle, aka Cubba of MX3 Entertainment Complex, states the implication succinctly when he says, "if you want to have sustainable tourism, the local population will have to feel like they are a part of it. If you cut them out, then they are going to prey upon and harass the tourists because there is no structured way through which they can benefit. Being natives, they naturally see Negril as their community and reject being shunted aside by outsiders". This is a social discord that will have to be addressed in the short term before the situation becomes explosive and injures the very tourism product, which the town of Negril is famous for worldwide. Social integration and peace in Negril is so essential to a sustainable tourism product and economy. We ignore the power of the poor to the industry's peril.

It has been nine years since a small group of promoters established a series of parties cumulatively called the Negril weekend and the events have grown in number and size, attracting mostly Jamaicans and Jamaica expatriate teenagers and young adults to Negril between Emancipation and Independence. This creates an economic boon yearly for the hoteliers, restaurants, shopping centres and nightclubs. In the process, they have developed a prototype which could be replicated in all the major tourism destinations in Jamaica. As a matter of fact, Portland has now established a similar programme. My advice to these promoters is to strengthen and advance the rapport recently established between themselves and elements of the local commercial/entertainment sector, so that they can better define common objectives and a mutually beneficial relationship, putting the present schism behind us once and for all.

While attending the ATI and Dream Weekend parties last week, I began to feel slightly like a cultural anthropologist. It seems a major transition has occurred in the type of music being played at most parties and sessions. Except for fleeting moments, when the most hardcore classics and current hits are sampled perfunctorily, hip-hop music - admittedly sometimes mixed with the heavy Dancehall baseline - is now the major fare at these live events. Added to this, even the dancehall tunes and lingo are barely distinguishable from hip-hop. If only for historical purposes, it behoves our music theorists and researchers to define in print for posterity, what is the structure of the Dancehall music, versus hip hop, before the Jamaican genre given to the world becomes so diffused by its intermingling with its internationally predominant cousin that it is consumed and totally defies definition.

Another fact borne out by these parties was that racial segregation, to some extent, still persists even among today's youth. This was most starkly demonstrated by the contrasting and simultaneously held Daydreams, with its coalitions of 'browns' and Pretty In Pink, with its varying shades of bewigged blacks.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

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Queen Ifrika, Superstar!

Groundins

By: Charles H.E.Campbell

This year, the line-up for the two International Nights of Reggae Sumfest showcased a larger percentage of in-form, quality Reggae acts. That fact, along with their excellent performances, emphasised a resurgence in the Reggae genre, while giving, in my view, a better balance to the festival's musical offerings. Additionally, except for Nas, there was a refreshing absence of hardcore hip hop acts. Instead, Rhythm & Blues- from stars such as Ne-Yo, Jasmine Sullivan, Toni Braxton and gospel-tinged Keri Hilson, plus some beautiful blues songs with exquisite guitar strumming from Tito Jackson- fleshed out the nights with ear-pleasing melody and professional, sometimes dramatic stage craft. At the end, in total, these were two nights of extremely good musical fare. Unfortunately, I did not make it down for Dancehall night, but I heard that it was just as successful, with the re-emergence of Bounty Killer in a hardworking, tremendous performance.

Friday night, I watched history in the making. Any artiste, regardless of the genre they represent, will tell you that the Jamaican audience is very hard to please. Many internationally renowned artistes have left our shores with bruised egos after their local performance; many Reggae acts, with vaunted international success on the live entertainment circuit, have failed to hold or move local patrons with their performances on home soil at major events.

From its formative years with Millie Small in England through to Diana King, who is treated virtually like a Reggae goddess in Japan, Reggae’s female artistes have attracted large audiences worldwide and some like Marcia Griffiths, have sustained these, to maintain successful careers over relatively long periods. None before, however, in my living memory, have ever genuinely gained enough of a local fan base, to transform their live international appeal, into super stardom in the Jamaican marketplace.

Queen Ifrika created a unique chapter of our cultural history, becoming the first female Reggae performer on whom this honour was bestowed, by the overwhelming numbers who remained to watch, cheer and sing along , throughout her performance, in the early hours of Saturday morning, at Reggae Sumfest 2009. This is no mean feat, or meagre accomplishment, given our male dominated cultural backdrop, as well as her socially conscious lyrics; exposing societal neglect and social taboos. Initially when I learned of the scheduled time slotted for her stint on stage, I was concerned that many fans might leave before then, or be too tired to fully appreciate it. To my surprise, from early on, the talk in the park was that hers was the most anticipated act on the running order of the night’s line-up, eclipsing all her male counterparts.



After waiting all night, even when the band change in preparation for her set, seemed to be dragging on too long, hardly anyone was prepared to leave, thereby missing what most had predicted by then, would be her turn to be crowned, if she delivered. She did not disappoint us. Storming the stage with an excess amount of high energy, she achieved an instant rapport with her audience, using her superior communication skills and natural charm. Her audience came alive, in response and by the time she began singing her latest hit song, the potent ‘Montego Bay’ they were in rapture; yet she just kept fanning the flames like only a true ‘fyah muma’ could. She even took time out, between some of her songs, to council, cajole and lecture with the sweetest smile you have encountered



It was an awesome experience and it could not have happened for a better candidate than this young, proud, intelligent, eloquent, charismatic Rasta empress, who busted into our musical consciousness about three years ago and has not ceased to reach deep inside herself to tell us not what we want to hear, but how we can go forward in life with more clarity. Since then, she and her career, have been on an upward spiral, growing from strength to strength, gaining international attention, with a string of hits, highly rated performances and subsequent rave reviews wherever she performs. Whether as a song writer, singer, a dj, or performer, Queen Ifrica has honed and mastered her craft, converting her obvious potential into a continued display of versatility and creativity. Even before Sumfest, already this year, she has been dynamically active internationally, and also recently launched her new album Montego Bay which every Reggae lover should acquire for their personal collection.



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Reggae On Broadway: Let the Sunshine In

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

Many people know the song, Let The Sunshine In. It became an anthem of the international peace movement in the late 1960’s through to the 1970’s. Not many however, know of its genesis.

The Flesh Failures (Let The Sunshine In) is the finale of the Broadway musical, Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, with New York’s social scene, the hippie counter-culture and rock music as its backdrop. It opened at the Biltmore Theatre (now Samuel J. Friedman Theatre) in April 1968 and ran for 1,750 performances over four years, closing on July 1, 1972. The musical featured a racially integrated cast and was the Broadway debut of Melba Moore and Ben Vereen, best known for his role as ‘Chicken George’ in Roots.



During the 1960’s and early 1970’s, New York was a cosmopolitan, cultural potpourri, home to many second and third generation Jamaicans, dating back all the way back to the times of Claude McKay, the Harlem Renaissance, Garvey and the UNIA. Reggae music had begun seeping into the selections of club disc jockeys and was already very popular among the peace and hippie movements.

Composed by Galt MacDermot, with lyrics written by James Rado and Gerome Ragni (authors of the book on which the play is based), The Flesh Failures (Let The Sunshine In) has a distinct Reggae beat. Best known for the Hair score, MacDermot’s work spans the gamut of performing arts, drawing his inspiration from a wealth of musical styles, crossing the boundaries of jazz, folk, gospel, reggae, classical styles and rap.


In 1969, the 5th Dimension popularised the second half of what was originally a medley, releasing Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In as a single. This version downplayed the Reggae beat and transformed the composition into what was known as sunshine pop. The song won Record of the Year and Best Contemporary Vocal Performance by a Group at the Grammy Awards of 1970.


Reggae was still barely getting airplay and mainstream acceptance at home and was referred to as ‘two-chord music’. In 1971, however, Bob Marley saw the symbolic significance of the penetration of Reggae into this art form, saw how it could change prejudice and perception, and penned the song Reggae On Broadway. The line that says “get on the floor, baby, I said you give me it once more now” was a lyrical description of the movements of the cast in this closing number.


The persistent under-valuing of our music has not stopped the growing appreciation by other peoples and cultures. In fact, for this very reason, we can no longer claim to own it. It has truly become a part of the heritage of the world. Unfortunately, in a sad repeat of history, we continue only to be primary producers but mass consumers of the raw material of Reggae.

I had the pleasure of attending the Reggae Symphony concert held at the Broward Centre for the Performing Arts (BCPA), Fort Lauderdale, on March 29. The concert featured performances by Freddie McGregor, Marcia Griffiths and Bob Andy, backed by Lloyd Parkes and We the People, along with a 5-man horn section including Dean Fraser, Nambo Robinson, Everol Wray, Samuel Grant, Everton Gayle and the string section of the New York Symphony Orchestra, including cellos, violins, violas, harps, flutes. The facility has excellent acoustics, with theatre-style seating and a full complement of stage and production infrastructure. The interplay between the wind and string instruments had a magical effect on the voices of the singers. I had never quite heard our music sounding this good and not many Jamaicans will ever have that luxury; at least not until we build such concert halls in Jamaica.

On May 8, a video featuring Michigan’s Grand Valley State University Varsity Men (Glee Club) performing in February 2009, doing a choral treatment of Hol' You Han', was posted on youtube.com. The video immediately went viral. It is a Jamaican folksong, popularised by the Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley. Arranged by composer Paul Rardin, associate director of choirs at the University of Michigan, it features the smoothest transition from and shows the cultural continuity of folk to Dancehall; with a deejay solo performed by Matt McMurry. Very few persons in Jamaica, except the Dancehall producers, are experimenting with our music in this way. One refreshing exception to this void is the University Singers. I attended their gala event on June 20 and was literally blown away by by their performance, especially by the suite of songs From Mento To Dancehall.


All Dancehall fans deserve to see and hear the choreography and arrangement of their sample of songs from the three decades covered, arranged by Djenne Greaves. From the 80’s Zunguzunguguzunguzeng by Yellow Man, Buddy Bye by Johnny Osbourne and Ring The Alarm by Tenor Saw. Covering the 90’s they gave us I Will Do Anything For You by Snow, Nadine Sutherland, Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Louie Culture, Culture Knox and Terror Fabulous; Tingaling by Shabba Ranks and Second Class by Carol Gonzales. Moving in to the current decade, we got Dancehall Nice Again by Elephant Man, On The Rock by Mavado, Gully Creeper and Nuh Linga by Elephant Man and Mission by Damian Marley. All of the above dramatized the art form and gives us a better appreciation of its creativity, complexity and sophistication, while adding aesthetic value to the raw product. This would have been so much more enhanced had they been using a venue like the BCPA.

For decades, Cuban tourism has been famous for their vaudeville-type shows, which incorporates all the performing arts, package and present their music and its social backdrop in concert halls and nightclubs, attracting night-lifers from all over the world. I must admit that all these reflections came to me while I watched on CNN the grand event that was the Michael Jackson memorial, staged at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on July 7.



Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Host: Jamaica Observer, Sunday July 12, 2009- Reggae On Broadway: Let The Sunshine In

The Gloved Wonder: The World's Greatest Entertainer

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

Before Michael Jackson came along, Sammy Davis Jnr. was credited as the best performer of the 20th century - ultimately, Michael eclipsed him.

Born in Gary, Indiana, on August 29, 1958, Michael Joseph Jackson was the seventh child of Joseph and Katherine Jackson. His father was a steel mill worker and part-time musician playing R&B with the Falcons. Joseph saw the musical potential in his sons, who in the early 1960s had formed The Jackson Brothers. In 1964, young Michael and Marlon joined their older brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine, renaming the band the Jackson 5.

In 1966 they won a local talent contest which helped them to secure a record deal with Gordon Keith's local Steeltown label in 1967. Their first single, Big Boy was released in January 1968 and was a regional hit. They began doing high-profile performances including winning amateur night at the Apollo Theatre and opening for Motown's Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers at the Regal Theatre in Chicago. This brought them to the attention of Motown head, Berry Gordy and by spring 1969, the Jackson 5 was added to the Motown roster.

Their first single, I Want You Back was released in December 1969 and reached number one in January 1970. The Jackson 5 became an instant sensation, with other 1970 releases ABC and I'll Be There shooting to the top spot on the Billboard Pop Singles and the Billboard Soul Singles (R&B) charts.

In 1971, Michael's solo career began with the top five hit Got To Be There, followed by the title track of the motion picture, Ben, which was a million-seller and his first US#1 in 1972. This would mark his domination of the pop music scene for the next two and a half decades with Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995) among the world's best-selling records. Thriller (1982) won an unmatched, record-breaking eight Grammys and is the best-selling album of all time, with over 100 million units sold worldwide to date. AC/DC's Back In Black (1980) runs second with a mere 45 million units sold. As of 2008, Dangerous has sold 32 million copies worldwide; it is the most successful new jack swing album of all time. By the way, new jack swing is pop music usually performed by black musicians that combines elements of jazz, funk, rap, and rhythm and blues.

Michael broke down racial barriers. For instance, in 1982, he became the first African-American entertainer to air on MTV, helping to capture a large crossover following. Significantly, he insisted that his videos be almost simultaneously released on BET as well, making BET founder, Bob Johnson, credit him for the survival of the music network in those incipient stages. The widespread popularity of Michael's videos gave both music channels international fame. Videos such as Beat It, Billie Jean and Thriller transformed the music video concept from a promotional tool into an art form. Other innovative videos such as Black or White and Scream continued to propel Michael's career during the 1990s.

Michael popularised a number of physically complicated dance techniques, most notably the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style impacted multiple generations, paving the way for modern pop music in America, while influencing many hip hop and contemporary R&B artistes, including Ne-Yo, Usher, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey and R Kelly. His musical creations have been sampled by countless others.

Throughout his career, Michael raised and donated millions to beneficial causes through his foundation, charity singles like We Are The World (1985) and Heal The World (1991) and support of 39 charities.

Michael sold a total of 750 million records worldwide and in the process, achieved 13 number one singles and won 13 Grammys. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice - once as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and then in 2001 as a solo artiste. He also received numerous other awards and honours including multiple Guinness World Records- especially one for 'Most Successful Entertainer of All Time'- World Music Awards' Best-Selling Pop Male Artiste of the Millennium and the American Music Award's Artiste of the Century. In 1984, he was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 2002, he was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

Michael was the consummate entertainer who perfected a wide range of skills including lyricist, composer, producer, dancer, choreographer and incorporated all of these to dominate the charts with his instantly identifiable voice, gravity-defying and spectacular dance moves, musical versatility and sheer star power. In the mid-1980s, Time described Jackson as "the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley". By 1990, Vanity Fair cited Jackson as the most popular artist in the history of show business. It is estimated that Michael earned over $500 million from royalties on his solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts and endorsements.

On March 8, 1975, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 headlined a concert at the National Stadium, promoted by Chester McCulloch. Interestingly, Third World and Bob Marley were the other acts for this history-making show.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

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Get With It! Dancehall Rules!

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

Sunday, June 14, 2009.

If one wishes to gauge the popular culture or determine the most influential stimulus driving it, consider this fact: Dancehall. We can bleat against the genre’s influence and popularity all we want, but as time passes, Dancehall music continues its penetration into our social and cultural life, gradually permeating many other cultural and artistic manifestations, traditional rites, rituals and even our psyche.
The reality is that, by far, the majority of the live events in Jamaica today could be described as Dancehall events. Once, parties played a range of music; from Calypso and Soca, Soul, Rhythm and Blues, Reggae. Now, the popular all–inclusive parties offer largely only Dancehall music and its derivatives (Rap and Hip-Hop), very much like a regular dance. The uptown young people have adopted the Dancehall styles and trends in their dress and even the Dancehall lingua franca.

Traditionally, set-ups and nine-nights were heavily reliant on Revival songs, Negro spirituals, church hymns- many times sung from the actual song book- and traditional Afro-Jamaican dance forms like Kumina, Etu and Dinki Mini. Some were complemented by professional roving bands that had mastered the funereal repertoire and were formed mainly to provide this service at these rites. More and more, the musical form and backdrop of these rites are now sound systems playing predominantly a diet of Dancehall music and what should be the consolation of the bereaved is essentially a big bashment, serving still, a deeper, social purpose.

Like those nine-night and set-up gatherings, in the last ten years, we have seen funerals gradually transform from being sombre, pious and solemn affairs, to being more closely akin to Dancehall-influenced celebratory bling bashes. From the top line vehicles, sometimes rented just for this occasion; to the modes of dress and attire- micro miniskirts, 4” and 5” hooker heels, sequined, tattoo-enhancing, cleavage-bearing blouses, frill tuxedos, jeans and outfits from internationally acclaimed designers; to the elaborate weaves and glue-on wigs in varying and sometimes psychedelic colours; and the other bling accessories- the images presented and represented in a funeral setting are a stark departure.

Even the material and the designs used for coffins have evolved from being simple, sober and elegant to being gaudy, extravagant and trophy-like, often featuring sprayed on and printed on images of the deceased. Come to think of it, the word ‘evolve’ in this context might be inappropriate. In a sense, this practice is not new, because our ancestors in Ancient Egypt, Kush and Nubia buried their dead in elaborately designed, richly painted, human-shaped coffins known as sarcophagi. This new trend might in fact, just be a throwback. But then, how do you explain the glass carriage towed by the hearse (replete with images again), blaring Dancehall songs like Mavado’s I’m On The Rock, the one that goes “to all my friends that pass and gone, it’s not good bye, it’s good over evil” (Dem Alone) or anything from Elephant Man’s extensive catalogue of ‘religious Dancehall’ songs; the Dancehall trademark of dancing in the middle of the street; or the champagne and Guinness libations in the church and at the graveside? Surely, this is indigenous stuff.

Admittedly, however, some events are merely inspired by the Dancehall. Many roots plays dramatise real life stories and controversies of Dancehall personalities.
Those of us who have been travelling around the island recently will notice the word ‘Gaza’ spray painted on many a wall across the country, from the Kingston Metropolitan Region to Bluefields and Savannah-la-Mar. Gaza is the colloquial reference for the physical space (in Portmore) of Vybz Kartel and the Empire. The widespread graffiti symbolises his influence over whole communities in the on-going lyrical, infernal feud between himself and Mavado and his Gully (Cassava Piece) camp.

After some initial resistance from the traditionalists, the musical genre has also made significant in-roads in penetrating the hallowed halls of especially the charismatic churches. The adaptation of Dancehall music and dance styles epitomised by the relative success of Lt. Stitchie and Papa San, followed by the heavy bling mode of dress promoted by some of the younger gospel deejays like Prodigal Son and DJ Nicholas, is testament to the growing acceptance of the Dancehall culture among all sections of the population.

Surely the time has come to recognise- not just the trend, its implications and ramifications- but the potential for good, inherent in the very creativity that is at its core, along with its other redeeming qualities and features. By so doing, as a nation, we may begin to harness those essentials, in a drive to help us achieve our desired goals in education, national unity, social cohesion and the erosion of the political tribalism that has stymied the development of our country for so long.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Killing The Goose

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell


N.B. The Jamaica Observer published an abridged version, omitting salient and critical aspects of some paragraphs, and by so doing might have misrepresented the thrust of my article. Please see original version below.



The Dancehall community feels it is being unfairly targeted and set upon by various local authorities, and they are digging in their heels. The fraternity cites recent actions by the Broadcasting Commission and other Law Enforcement agencies, for coming to this conclusion. As a consequence, they seem to be adopting a bunker mentality, remaining skeptical to approaches by all perceived ‘outsiders’, even questioning the motives of JARIA, the newly formed umbrella organization for the Jamaican Music Industry. This is a major challenge which the association will have to overcome through dialogue with influential members of this genre if it intends to effectively pursue its mandate to represent all sectors within the industry. The “Hail & Reasoning” planned for 7:00pm on Tuesday, June 2, at Rib Cage, is an attempt by JARIA to begin a process of consultation with Artistes, Managers, Producers and Promoters from this sector. The function is designed exclusively, to allow them full expression of their points of view, on all the issues currently impacting their profession and individual careers.

Ironically, a similar sentiment, as it relates to JARIA, still persists amongst some formally trained classical musicians, but this is because of historical reasons and the misnomer of the term Reggae in the association’s name. For posterity, it is important to note that ‘Reggae’ was only incorporated into the name after it was discovered that the domain of ‘Jamaica Music Industry Association’ was already registered by some other entity. Fortunately, this unfounded view is gradually being eroded, as a significant number of them, unlike their Dancehall counterparts, have joined and become more integrated in the work of the organization. This has helped, through ongoing and oft-times intense deliberations, to better clarify their needs and vision, and by extension, the ability of JARIA to lend critical support and representation, in keeping with the stated mission of the organization.

These are natural growing pains for any organization of this type, seeking to represent sometimes competing (and even conflicting) interests. However, JARIA will have to speedily overcome this phase, in order to concentrate its focus on the many burning issues affecting the entire sector, and are in dire need of being addressed in everyone’s mutual interests.

One of the most important stated objectives of JARIA is to lobby for the reduction, amelioration and/or revision of regulations, laws and taxation that presently retard the ability of the industry to operate efficiently and profitably, and on a more level playing field. For example, the Government is actively moving ahead with its policy of making Parish Councils autonomous bodies. This means that each one will be allowed to establish their own rate structure and scale for services within their Parish, including Places of Amusement Licenses and permits to place advertisement boards in public places. This is against the background that already, there has been an escalation of indirect overhead costs for events in all parishes. This is due, in large measure, to License related fees charged by participating local agencies, apparently without any centrally stipulated and approved, uniform standards, classifications, codes or verifiable references, which would make the process transparent to the average applicant. Some public bodies are obviously exploiting this unregulated state of affairs, not in the public interest, but to satisfy extortion demands, and the sheer greed of so-called public servants in their employ.

To fulfill application conditions for a recently held event in Clarendon, for instance, and before the timely intervention of the Parish Manager, five Public Health Officers were ‘assigned’ at a rate of Ten Thousand dollars ($10,000) each for two four-hour shifts. This number was solely decided by the parish’s chief public health officer, as being necessary to supervise ten (10) food stalls. Upon request by the applicant, the department was unable to provide any objective criteria for arriving at this number. Further, when asked to rationalize the fees, the deputy chief public health officer claimed that the fees were based on the fact that the event was being held on a public holiday. When it was pointed out that the holiday was actually being celebrated on the Monday because the official date fell on a Saturday, the response from the department was that the rate was a weekend rate. Aren’t you flabbergasted? This implies that the public health service in Clarendon only functions from a Monday to a Friday. Does this mean then, that under normal circumstances, diseases, germs and viruses are in frozen animation on a weekend, unless an event comes to town? The deputy chief public health officer also kindly informed the producers that the correct rate was Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000) per four-hour shift and that this was in fact a discounted rate. To add insult to injury, an attempt was made to console the producers, by suggesting that if the function was being staged St. Catherine, their counterparts would require Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000) for each public health inspector. Dejected and frustrated, the producers called the Ministry of Health seeking guidance and were informed that no fees apply and the promoters are only required to pay duty allowance. I do not know where in the public sector duty allowance is Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) per person.

A similar arbitrary approach is used by Parish Councils and the KSAC in determining the costs of permits for temporary advertisement boards, normally used as teaser boards and placed along roadways, prior to the commencement of the main advertising campaign for an event. While the KSAC charges one flat fee of Two Thousand Five Hundred ($2,500) Dollars per 2’ x 2’ board, some councils charge upwards of Five Hundred Dollars ($500) per week for each board. This defies logic, since by nature the boards are designed to create awareness of the event at the very beginning of the promotion cycle, ideally for a minimum of ten (10) weeks. At that unit cost however, no event can possibly afford to use the boards for the full cycle. In effect, their main purpose is partially defeated and unwittingly, the Parish Councils are losing potential revenues by applying these unfeasible rates.

Another tax measure re-imposed by the Minister of Finance during this year’s national budget exercise, is Central Government’s requirement of sixteen and a half percent (16½%) General Consumption Tax on every ticket sold for an event. What happens when the event is an all-inclusive event, where food, beverages and other services such as parking or shuttle transportation are a part of the ticket cost? Has anyone thought through how to separate, isolate and pro-rate the services included in such a package? Note here, that GCT is paid by the promoter to the providers of all contracted goods and services, for example, stage, light, PA system, caterers, transportation- every thing down to the cost to print and supply the event tickets and arm bracelets. Does the law still allow companies to deduct GCT paid by the promoter on related overhead costs?

The need to arrive at common industry positions and lobby Government on these issues, has become even more critical during this global economic recession, as along with increased overheads, most events now demand more risk financing by promoters due to a drastic reduction of corporate sponsorship and lower patronage.

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