So Much Things To Say

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

So much things to say right now, they got so much things to say, So much things to say right now, they got so much things to say

I and I no come fi fight flesh an' blood
But spiritual wickedness in high and low places
So while they fight you down

Stand firm, and give Jah thanks and praises.
Oh when the rain falls, it doan fall on one man's housetop..
(Paraphrasing Bob Marley - So Much Things To Say)

As I showered this morning, not just to cleanse the body and uplift the spirit, but in the hope for some instant inspiration companioned by creative energy, the controversy of the week kept echoing in my mind. Initially, I was resolved not to give it any more credence by further commenting on it today. There are numerous other burning issues affecting the entertainment industry, that need to be highlighted and addressed, yet my urge to comment on epic developments and events, as they were occurring, over the last four months, has caused me to postpone doing so.
Ironically, my next thought was, I've got so much things to say... and that's the genius of Bob Marley. He has so comprehensively captured, integrated and woven, traditional and contemporary folklore, parables, phrases and slangs into his songs, that there is always an appropriate line or two from one or another, that aptly expresses our hopes, desires, thoughts or sentiments on current local and global developments, events and issues. Make no mistake about it, at his core, Bob Marley was a folk poet, in the mold of Louise Bennett and his namesake Bob Dylan.

Furthermore, he was a product of the 60's, which brought together a confluence of world forces -aligning large democratic movements in developed societies, with Third World national liberation movements, then, still under the yoke of colonisation - which will never again occur, because of their profound impact, and relative success over time. Add to this potent social context, and do not discount, Chris Blackwell's marketing genius and unique worldview as a successful, wealthy, liberal, London based, white Jamaican businessman, record producer, distributor, from the local plantocracy (being a direct descendant from the prominent Lindo family, that owned large tracts of land, concentrated mostly in St Mary). His understanding of, and identification with our culture, along with his interconnectivity through his deep immersion in British social and commercial life, placed him at the right place, at the right time, to see firstly, Jamaican and West Indian émigrés embracing the new genre, followed quickly by it's wholesale adoption by the broader pop scene, and consequently it's mushrooming dispersal throughout Europe.

We must be careful though, not to kill the message, by shooting the messenger. There is an element of truth in the views expressed by Buju that is usually downplayed, brushed under the table, in order to embellish the history and (under) development of Reggae. In doing so, we commit a disservice to the music, other artistes whose potential, creative works and careers, were put on hold for sometimes five or more years, while Chris concentrated on promoting the Marley catalogue. Just ask people like Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, Third World, Black Uhuru and significant others who were then signed to Island.

Today however, I wanted to examine the profound impact that the worldwide recession is having on our local entertainment sector. Certainly, since the middle of last year, we have been witnessing a downturn in business right across the spectrum, and we have been too splintered, weak and slow in our response, and the need to develop counter-strategies to mitigate the fallout. As citizens began to feel the economic pinch, most commercial entities experienced lower sale volumes. This reality prompted these enterprises to recast and reduce their advertising and promotional budgets. Between December and April, many annual shows and other live events were either scaled back or cancelled, due to inadequate or lack of sponsorship.

Attendance numbers at these events have been shrinking, with the notable exceptions of Sting and Rebel Salute. The latest evidence of this trend were the cancellation of Jamaica Carnival by its organisers, the low turnout at the recently held Western Consciousness, although it boasted its best line-up in years, and reportedly, the lower than usual patronage at Richie Stephens' Take Me Away.

I have been doing an informal survey among industry service providers. It seems that the fall-off in business for individual entities, range from a high of 90% for some larger, specialised outfits, to a low of 40% for smaller, more stock-diverse, integrated companies.

Luckily, it seems that in the United States of America the worse of this recession is past. Although we expect the impact of this development on us here, will be delayed, this gives cause for some optimism that by mid- summer local conditions will improve.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

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