History, Self Interest and Freedom of Speech

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

Please note that this blog entry is especially important to me, because the printed version in Sunday's Observer (12 April) was totally massacred in their attempt to edit, making complete nonsense of what I intended to say.

From time to time, an issue raised in my commentary strikes a resonant cord with some readers. Oftentimes in continuing the conversation, they express shared views much more sharply and eloquently than I ever could. In response to my last article (Sunday Observer, March 29, 2009), I received the following feedback from St. John Campbell.

“Your article should be read by every Reggae artist in today's entertainment business. I hope the artistes take heed and try to come out with lyrics that raise the political awareness of the listeners and dancers worldwide. Bob Marley's greatness was established by the messages contained in his music, and today there are many fine young adults who learned a lot about the evils of racism, from slavery to modern hardships, from listening and dancing to Bob Marley's songs. U.S. President Barack Obama may have been one of them- which is probably why his wife is having Ziggy perform in the White House later this month, although Ziggy is definitely responsible for his own greatness among Reggae performers.

I hope the singers and song-writers read your article and thought about the subject, and are beginning once again to sing and produce conscious lyrics. They could address burning issues like: reparations for slavery, the importance of Barack Obama's rise to his present position, and many more uplifting subjects relevant to those of us for whom life is a struggle to merely exist. Singers and entertainers should take on the responsibility of educating or otherwise stimulating audiences to sing more "songs of freedom" and "redemption". This way they will have made a strong impact on our future development as a people. By all means they will also earn a good living from increased record sales and concert attendance. Reggae music is still very popular worldwide, and the potential for making worldwide reggae hits should not be put in jeopardy by giving priority to lewdness instead of conscious inspirational lyrics.”

Brother John, I could not have said it better. At the same time, I do not wish to have my views misconstrued to mean that I support any misguided attempt to bridle the legitimate views expressed in the songs of our young artistes.

‘Well pree this, how so much fish deh yah like seh a sea this?’
(Assassin)

Taken on its own, how can anyone have a problem with this line from Assassin’s song? I must admit that I find it quite witty, but then, for the life of me, I am still to spot one word of discrimination, much less promotion of violence against any group or individuals within the society. If he had said "Inna Jamaica so many a wi fat, Nuff time it mek mi skin feel quite hat"- would we take exception to that too? In our national paranoia, this issue has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. Have we gone off the deep end or something? Come on now, please let rationality reign again. It is ironic, is it not, that the loudest objectors are the very ones usually calling for a more inclusive society. I fully endorse the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association’s stated Position that:

‘JARIA is reminding all sectors within the Jamaican society that tolerance of competing views is the hallmark of a vibrant democracy and artistes have the distinct right to express their views through song within the confines of the law and the canons of decency.’

We will never change people’s views by hitting them over the head with a big stick. The elevation of the present status quo that the enlightened ones amongst us desire, will only come about through reasoned appeals to peoples’ self interests like those expressed in John’s remarks above. After all, what else do you expect of people, from whom you have deliberately kept knowledge of their glorious role in world history, which could give them inspirational thoughts and diverse subjects to write and sing about? During Heritage Week 2008, in an address to 250 primary school children, Grace Kennedy Limited CEO, Douglas Orane said:

"The majority of people in Jamaica are of African ancestry, from places like Ghana, so I think the experience of slavery has actually contributed to the fact that we have such a prevalence of violence in our culture… My feeling is that unless we start to explore the historical reasons for why we behave the way we do, we will not be able to correct them… similar efforts would peak the interest of youth in their African heritage… It needs to be a broad-based exploration of ourselves as a people."

‘Nuff said boss man. While others of us have been advocating this approach to educating our children for decades, the neo-conservatives maintain that teaching cultural history is anachronistic in this globalised world. So, they strip us of our soul, then pray that the psychological scars will not break out in deviant behaviour.

‘Que sera, sera (whatever will be, will be.)’
Jay Livingston and Ray Evans 1956.

That seems to be the guiding Philosophy of our education system today. We are not into building identity and character anymore, but merely good workers and minstrels. It is good therefore that Orane, no rabid radical by any means, has publicly embraced this view. Hopefully the powers that be will be more receptive to the recommendation, coming from him.

During the peak of the decolonization period of the 1960’s and 70’s, Jamaica was a cauldron of activism and social ‘groundings’ about issues like self-identity, war and peace, racial and ethnic equality, human rights and social justice. Any cursory glance at the lyrical content of our popular songs of that time, will demonstrate how closely, art mirrors life. For further proof, just check the lyrics of artistes like Bob Marley and the Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Andy, at the turn of the decade and compare them to their lyrics from the latter 60’s onwards. Many of our artistes not only participated in, but were inspired by, and in turn motivated these (Intellectual, Liberation, Rastafari, Anti-imperialist, Black Power) movements through their art.

Then, the final solution which had been successfully tested in Harlem in the 60’s, to contain the freedom march of Black Americans, by decimating the capacity and influence of their leadership, was perfected and unleashed on us in the 80’s and 90’s. On top of the entrenched tribalism (installed by gorgons and jinnals), the international hard drugs trans-shipment and trade with its attendant criminality, became a significant feature of our lives. In self fulfilling prophesy, this completed the creation of two new classes; guinea-gogs and gangs of hooligans.

As society retreated they took over, and now run large swaths of our physical and social landscape, and as Marley says, “Babylon system is a vampire, sucking the blood of the sufferers.” It certainly does not thrive on raised consciousness.

The same democratic principle that gives us the right to freedom of expression, also allows us the right to keep our views private, in our own self interest. (So, why am I doing this again? Hmmmm...) Dem coulda haul an’ pull up likkle more, it nah go help yuh international career, at a time when local sales and shows are shrinking. Gwaan Beenie Man, yuh a di smart one. Ask Buju, Sizzla, and the list goes on; while the campaign has intensified, to boycott the entire Reggae genre, as one English station has already done. So now your bunkered approach, a tek food outta anodda man mout’.

Marley was no less anti-gay than current artistes, yet his vast catalogue does not contain one such song. Even the more militant Peter Tosh never dedicated any of his songs to gay bashing. In fact one of his biggest hits was done in collaboration with a then famous bi-sexual. That, followed by an extensive joint tour, came as a fillip at a critical juncture of his career.

There is another obscure piece of the Reggae Sunsplash story that is worth revealing for history’s sake. For the first few years of the USA tour, the organisers had some negative experiences and financial returns working almost exclusively with Caribbean promoters in “ethnic” nightclubs and other venues, covered mainly by ethnic press. It seemed a veritable dead-end. Then a gay, Jewish publicist was hired. He introduced us to William Morris Booking Agency, mainstream promoters, proprietors of larger venues, and he propelled our worldwide profile by orchestrating prominent pre and post-production features in many national (USA) electronic and print media. As they say, the rest is history.

So, I often wonder, how successful would Reggae’s world penetration be today, if it were not for the active support, in more ways than I care to list, of the gay community. I know that to the shallow and myopic, my reasoning may sound compromising, inconsistent or contradictory, but let’s think on these things.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

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