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.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Host: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/Entertainment/html/20090829T230000-0500_158480_OBS_THE_PROMISE_OF_CULTURAL_TOURISM.asp

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

Host: http://jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/Entertainment/html/20090815T190000-0500_157541_OBS_NEGRIL_WEEKEND_.asp

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.



Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Host: http://jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/Entertainment/html/20090801T210000-0500_156545_OBS_HISTORY_IN_THE_MAKING_AT_SUMFEST.asp