"…To Di Werrrrrl"

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

In the Sunday Observer of February 10, 2008, I wrote in my commentary entitled Reggae Month Reprise, "On January 13, 2008, I lauded the new Ministry of Culture's instrumental and innovative move to institute the official celebration of February as Reggae Month. This comes after years of vacillation on the part of any Jamaican government to wholeheartedly recognise and commemorate the achievements and contribution of Reggae music and its practitioners, to Jamaica and the world at large."

Further in the article by way of critique, I added, "recognising the obviously short planning and organisational timeframe leading up to the announcement, I still must express my hope that from next year and going forward the events commemorating the month will be more multidimensional than the current activities. Whereas Bob Marley is undoubtedly the king of Reggae and deserves all the accolades being bestowed on him, to the average onlooker it would seem that the focus is almost exclusively on Bob."

Today, after a catharsis of sorts, it is with no small amount of pleasure (and gratitude) that I can now write with some certainty that the programme being planned for Reggae Month 2009 has gone some ways in deepening the focus, with the involvement of a broad cross-section of Reggae industry stakeholders and other allied private sector interests.

The theme for the month will be "…To Di Werrrrrl" and special recognition will be given to industry icons who have figured prominently in the amazing penetration of Jamaican music culture across the world. Since the programme is to be formally announced next week, I am constrained from disclosing or discussing additional details at this time.

More importantly, however, I am heartened to observe the spirit of unity and patriotism that so far has been displayed by this assembly of the Reggae music academy. It gives one renewed hope for the repositioning of the Reggae industry in the country's social, cultural and economic development. Individuals and agencies with disparate interests and agendas have deliberated together with the common objective of establishing a self-perpetuating Reggae Music Awards, which will be run eventually by an independent assembly of the music industry, as the highlight of Reggae Month Each year. To quote Minister Grange, "the project provides a barometer for gauging the development of the music and the practitioners' annual achievements."

This is a long overdue development and can only generate increased respect for and within the sector. The Reggae music industry in Jamaica will never really be taken as a serious player, until it steps up to the plate and claims paternity of the sector. As Marcus Garvey said, "none but ourselves can free our minds".

I think that Reggae music must hold the record (pun intended) for having the most awards internationally per unit sold. None of these awards have ever gained universal acceptance, especially within the industry. Most are seen as just another way of exploiting the artistes and the Reggae brand for private profit. In my view, this collective venture would quickly supersede them all, in terms of independence and authenticity, on the basis of coming from the birthplace of Reggae and from experts and practitioners steeped in the industry.

I am quite confident that they will pull it off. I also sincerely hope that this spurs a process, which will ultimately lead to the formation of an umbrella organisation which incorporates all the entities and sub-sector groupings within the still budding industry.

Still, as my Mama always tells me, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions", so we shall have to be vigilant, lest the project be hijacked, yet again.

Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival begins on Thursday of this week. The public announcement of the volume of sponsorship by the Jamaica Tourist Board has provoked some heated discussions within the Reggae and Jazz fraternities, as well as in the society at large. There is a distinction that needs to be made though. Within the music industry, the dominant view is not that this festival does not deserve this kind of public support. The main concern regards the fact that, to date, no other local festival or annual concert seems to have been able to qualify for anything even close to this kind of endorsement by the JTB in particular. Since it is a public agency, this gives rise to the question of measurable qualification requirements. To quell the rumblings and assuming it does it exist, maybe the JTB should publish some formal, objective criteria which details how other private events may qualify to similarly benefit.

On the TVJ 7pm news on Friday night, however, the feedback question asked was- "how do you feel about the government spending $40 million of your money on the private Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival?" Even the very tone of the question reveals where public perception and sentiment are trending on this issue, because it has been so poorly handled by the JTB.

Another revealing issue which has come up for discussion at these recent sector meetings is the dismal failure of the music cluster to access and fully exploit funds available under the Private Sector Development Programme currently being managed by Jamaica Trade and Invest (formerly Jampro). Their website states "the Private Sector Development Programme (is) a five year technical assistance programme funded jointly by the European Union, under the 9th European Development Fund, and the Government of Jamaica. Its aim to make funds available to "business operators within Jamaica's productive and services sector, as well as to their intermediary private sector organisations and support institutions to grow their businesses and improve their competitiveness" in the global marketplace.

On the other hand, it is no coincidence that the fashion cluster has done much better at making maximum use of their dedicated funds from this source. Over the years, they have progressed much further in the establishment and development of their sector. This is due largely to a more collaborative and cohesive approach in their mutual affairs and a union of purpose. We should take a leaf or two out of their manual and emulate their best business practices.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Christmas 2008 in Retrospect

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

As the saying goes, if you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind. So it was, that on Boxing Day, when for the very first time, the Warlord takes the stage at Sting and calls for peace. He is unceremoniously booed off, cutting his performance short. In keeping with other recent comments from him, Bounty Killer had just declared that he draws the line at making derogatory remarks about people’s mothers, declining to follow Vybz Kartel down that road. Having however, played a substantial role in destroying the moral compass in Dancehall lyrics, and with his fans expecting him to carry the fight as usual, they were not sympathetic to any truce in the war of words (and more) between the Alliance and Empire camps, and aggressively showed their displeasure.

It makes me wonder if the incident involving some in Beenie Man’s crew at Reggae Campfire, held on December 31, had anything to do with Beenie’s declaration of family ties to Kartel, announced during his performance at Sting. To many, this was a sure indication that Beenie was taking sides in the ongoing feud. But then, it shouldn’t surprise anybody- for reference, the symbolic sequence of events that we can all point to which began Kartel’s split from the Alliance, was his presence at the wedding of Beenie and D’Angel and performance at Beenie’s Summer Sizzle in 2006 and then his collaborations with both D’Angel (Baby Father) and Beenie Man (Breast Specialist) in early 2007.

Worthy of note, some of the backing musicians that worked at Sting informed me that Kip Rich got the loudest and Beenie Man, the most sustained responses from the audience. Ironically it seems that the clash between Mavado and Vybz fizzled into a lewd draw. One has to give Vybz his ‘props’, however for the use of gimmickry-, his dramatic entrance with the coffin labeled ‘RIP Barber Boy, 2006-2008’ took the cake, in a creative technique reminiscent of Ninja Man. Also, did any one take notice of the contrasting styles of dress? What does it mean that Mavado portrayed a sniper, while Vybz portrayed a guerilla fighter?

On the business side of Sting, Howard McIntosh told me that this year’s audience at Sting was the largest in many years. Do you wonder why? Is it because of their advertising thrust? They did go back to basics and advertised and promoted the clash hard. Yet, the audience was very appreciative of an Etana in that mix. Or did Sting naturally fill the void created by the absence of other traditional live events that were cancelled this year?

Beres Hammond’s A Moment In Time at the National Stadium on December 28, lived up to expectations and even went beyond. The synergy between the audience and the orchestra under the expert musical direction of Dean Fraser, was simply amazing. The two weeks of rehearsal paid rich dividends and they delivered a musical feast that can best be described as joyous. While Freddie McGregor was obviously suffering from hoarseness, his performance was still very appreciated by the approximately 7,000 patrons in attendance. Beres’ surprise guest artiste, Freddie Jackson, fit the bill and had his fans singing along to the string of hits he belted out in his stint onstage.

This event, in only two years of its existence, has quickly become the standard bearer for excellence in live concerts. The sophisticated set design by Martin Lewis, greatly enhanced the visual impact. The production’s novel use of graphics, displayed on mini screens onstage and the larger side screens off-stage, to announce each act rather than the traditional approach of using an emcee, eliminated the standard lags between acts and allowed for a continuous flow of music.

Each new act, followed the previous on-stage on cue, as the musicians played their overtures. Except for the intermission, from the moment the first act, the Mighty Diamonds entered the stage, it was great non-stop music for four and a half hours. Caliber artistes like Barrington Levy, John Holt, Toots, Gregory Isaacs, Marcia Griffiths and U-Roy (who said he was unrehearsed but was spurred by the other performances to come and pay tribute) all gave much love and outstanding performances. When it was Beres’ turn, he started with a bang and from then on, could do no wrong. Word for word they sang along. Beres’ was obviously in a playful mood.

The tongue in check comments which he made in between his singing, thrilled his fans almost as much. They were constantly breaking out in laughter. Some of these comments reflected the parlous state of our economy and society in general, with its prevailing dependency syndrome and the consequent travails of a successful artiste like Beres, as he relates to his community.

On the entertainment circuit, other big hits over the holidays were the all-inclusive theme parties like Renaissance Christmas Eve All White Party, Absinthe at Temple Hall Estate; Destination London at Argyle Avenue, New Kingston; French Connection at the New Kingston Golf Academy and the crème de la crème, Frenchmen at the Caymanas Golf Club.

After a long season like this, one really has to pay tribute to the various crews that set-up the temporary infrastructure necessary for these major productions. From the technical crews who are responsible for stage, light and sound, to those that erect dance floors, tents, decks, skyboxes and install portolets, and the fabulous decorators, there is a tight band of professional, efficient people that have to work long, hard hours to create these events. Sometimes, this requires working up to 72 hour stretches at a time. This is not just extraordinary commitment and sacrifice, but is unthinkable in any other industry and therefore their work and contribution to our pleasure should be acknowledged and appreciated.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Host: Jamaica Observer, Sunday, January 04, 2009 - Christmas 2008 in Retrospect by Charles H.E. Campbell