...To The Root, Reggae Month

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

In bygone days in Jamaica, January would bring with it a post-holiday lull in entertainment activities after the almost frenetic pace and frequency of events between December 15 and January 1, This is no longer so.
Rebel Salute, which for the last 17 years has been held in mid-January, and the 14 year old Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival which is now being staged during the last week of January, have transformed the first month of the year into one of the most important on our annual entertainment calendar. In addition, the various activities which now comprise the three month build-up to Carnival in the Easter season, as usually launched during this time.
Since the transition of Bob Marley and Dennis Brown, their birthday anniversaries in

February have occasioned grand celebrations of their lives and works. In large measure, this motivated the government to declare the entire month February, Reggae Month in 2008.

This year the theme for Reggae Month is “To The Root” and appropriately, Reggae Month 2010 kicks off tonight, January 31 at Big Yard on Orange Street. The Downtown community, along with the Dennis Brown Foundation and in association with artistes of the ilk of Beres Hammond, Ken Boothe, Freddie McGregor and Lloyd Parkes of We the People, have joined hearts, hands and resources, inspired by one of Dennis’ famed producers, Leggo, to stage a massive street party and concert in Dennis’ honour.

In keeping with this year’s theme and starting on Wednesday, February 3, the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JARIA) will stage four weekly concerts at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, highlighting the social backdrop and various genres of Jamaica music, from Mento to Dancehall, chronicling the movement and breadth of Jamaica’s musical experience. The first of these will focus on Maroon Drumming, Mento and Ska, featuring performances by the Charles Town Maroon Drummers, Kingston Drummers, Gilzene and the Blue Light Mento Band and students from the Music School at Edna Manley.

On Wednesday, February 10, the spotlight will be turned on Dub Poetry, Dub and Rockers. The line upwill include the indomitable duo of Sly & Robbie, along with Ras Takura and Racquel Jones. The following week, Wednesday, February 17, Rocksteady and Reggae will take centre stage. The last of these weekly concerts will be held on the 24th featuring Dancehall and Alternative music.
JAVAA’s annual tribute to “The King and Crown Prince of Reggae” will be staged in the Gardens of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Friday, February 5. This event is JAVAA’s annual tribute to Bob Marley and Dennis Brown and the line up this year includes George Nooks, Leroy Sibbles, Sugar Minnott, Johnny Clarke, Tanya Stephens, Dwight Pinkney, Lloyd Parkes and Fab Five.

Two of the most anticipated events for me personally are the Alpha Boys School Open Day on February 8 and the Boys Town/Trench Town Bus Tour on February 15. For those who may not know, the Alpha Boys School is renowned for its outstanding musical tuition and is revered as being instrumental in the development of Ska and Reggae. Among its long list of notable alumni are Lennie Hibbert, OD, who popularised the vibes, Leslie Thompson who was the first coloured man to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra, trumpeter Oscar Clarke who toured with Louis Armstrong’s orchestra, Rico Rodriques (trombone) and trumpeters Dizzy Reece and Jo Jo Bennett. Four of the founding members of the Skatalites are also alumni. These are Johnny ‘Dizzy’ Moore (trumpet), Tommy McCook (saxophone), Lester Sterling OD (trumpet, saxophone) and the most famous musician to come out of Alpha, the irrepressible genius, Don Drummond (trombone), who created such lasting hits as Eastern Standard Time, Reload and Occupation.

Junior Lincoln has a famous line that says, “at the dawn of our modern music industry, the musicians came from the east and the singers came from the west”. Trench Town has a unique history, as a significant number of our early artistes and songwriters lived and spent their formative years in this community. Bob Marley lived on First Street, Delroy Wilson and Joe Higgs on Second Street and on Fourth Street resided Cynthia Schloss and Dean Fraser. From back then, Fifth Street was very popular because that is where Rasta philosopher and elder Mortimo Planno, as well as Alton Ellis and Hortense Ellis called home.

Ambassador Theatre, “the Jamaican Apollo Theatre” and performance training ground for young musicians of the era, as they competed in talent shows there, was located on Seventh Street. This was a critical feeder for the Coxsone and Duke Reid recording studios.

Alpha and Trench Town are two latent commercial cash cows that given vision, the right impetus and wise investments, would become in short span, major tourists attractions as living monuments and reservoirs of our rich musical legacy, helping to transform the surrounding communities.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Gay German MP Campaigns Against Jamaican Music

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

I am glad my wise colleague Clyde McKenzie has publicly joined the discussion on declining appeal for Jamaican acts overseas. Only this week, we learnt of a panel discussion organised by Kesselhaus (a location where Sizzla's performance was cancelled on November 26, 2009) to be held and broadcast on February 23, 2010 in Berlin, Germany with representatives from politics, gay lesbian associations, artiste managers, representatives from the Jamaican artiste fraternity (to be announced) and German promoters.

The topic of the discussion is 'Sustainable Measures Against Homophobia in Art', with the aim of developing lasting strategies for the handling of controversial artistes, between prohibition (or ban) and dialogue.

All this has been put in the context of the continuation of a dialogue addressing a great need for new, concrete steps to ensure that artistes who perform lyrics that are deemed in Germany to be homophobic, or that glory violence, are not allowed into the country, nor can the media promote their images, music or CDs. Some very influential people, led by Volker Beck MP, leader of the Alliance 90/Green Party in the German parliament, are attempting to step up the campaign by broadening this ban to include all Jamaican artistes by defining it all as Dancehall.
This is against the background of the Alliance 90/Green parliamentarians concluding that the Reggae Compassionate Act, signed in 2007 by several Reggae and Dancehall artistes, pledging not to make statements or perform songs that incite hatred or violence against anyone from any community, including homosexuals, has not worked.

On June 20, 2008, the Bundestag Printed Paper published a reply from the German Federal Government to the minor interpellation tabled by the members of the German Bundestag -- Volker Beck (Cologne) and others in the Alliance 90/Green's parliamentary group. It included the following false statements which amount to a smear campaign against Jamaica and all its musical forms.

"Gay people are in a critical situation in Jamaica", "prison sentences of up to 15 years are imposed simply for holding hands". The document implies that Brian Williamson (JFLAG) and Lenford Harvey were victims of homophobic violence and that there has been a steady increase in frequency of such murders over recent years. It states further that "homophobic lyrics feature in the repertoires of many of Jamaica's Reggae and Dancehall stars, but clergymen, trade unions and the Jamaican Government, also stir up gay hate".

The reply goes on to state, "conditions in Jamaica have shown us the extent of the anti-gay violence that can be agitated by the hysterical and homophobic rantings of these crazy artistes. The messages coming from the stage work people up into a frenzy and provoke them to go and beat up and kill gays. As a result, it is a regular occurrence in Kingston, and elsewhere in the Caribbean, for men who are gay or perceived to be gay, to be hounded through the streets and subjected to savage attacks which often end in death".

These are serious accusations which badly tarnish the image of Jamaica. We are being promoted as a nation of lynchers and killers. I have been reliably informed that there is an ad currently running on German radio urging people not to go to Jamaica, they slit your throat there. The question I wish to ask is, whether our diplomatic service is aware of these accusations and the campaign against our artistes and musicians. If so, then why have we not yet formally responded to set the record straight?

To quote from Clyde McKenzie, "how often do we hear about the indiscretions of an artiste being described as a poor reflection of the industry? I often argue that this is unfair, but I know the reality. The actions of a few are used to judge the behaviour of many and this is unfortunate".

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Host: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Groundings-17-10

The Seeds Of Hope

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

Sometimes in the midst of despair, we find fertile seeds of hope.

I attended a number of functions in December that were inspiring in their display of artistry, creative direction and professionalism. As we enter 2010, these and other such signs bode well for the future of our music industry in Jamaica.

The first event worthy of mention is the Jamnesia series, which is held fortnightly at the family home of Billy Wilmot in Bull Bay. This is one of the few consistent programmes which allow young musicians, singers and deejays to rehearse, with a live band, work out the kinks, and perform their works in front of a live audience. This is a very important stepping stone in the professional career of any young pop performer. The skills set that is required to develop and sustain a successful stage act, while allied to is in fact quite different from that which is required for a studio and recording career. After all the necessary training in such discipline as voice control and timing, stage craft and audience communication, one still needs the practical experience which can only be gained through regular events such as this, to hone and fine tune their craft.

The problem is that in Jamaica, we no longer have the many venues, like Silver Slipper, Turntables, Tit For Tat, Sombrero, Hotel Kingston or Jonkunnu Lounge, or even programmes that facilitate this. We all know that this is due to the relatively higher overhead costs and over time, events have relied heavily on recorded music and sound systems, rather than live bands for entertainment. Hats off to Billy and the Wilmot family, for carefully screening the acts, insisting that they must attend rehearsals and most of all, for persisting with the programme over the last two years, at what must have been tremendous personal financial sacrifice to them. Jamaican entrepreneurs need this kind of long term vision, if we are going to reclaim our country as the entertainment Mecca to which everyone seeks to come and experience.

On Friday, December 18, I attended Bands Incorporated 2, at Lindsey Avenue and this was most refreshing and enlightening. While I had already seen some of the acts before at Jamnesia, this event was supported by much enhanced reinforced sound, more sophisticated stage lighting, and a bigger performance area. What thoroughly impressed me was the consistently high standard of musicianship, lyrics, and the authentic dub vibe demonstrated by all five bands.

This dub revival phenomenon which has been ongoing over the last two years, is a really good sign that the more progressive, trained young musicians are beginning to connect in a very special way with a most important element and phase which has played such a critical role in our successful musical (r)evolution. The bands who performed on that night were Mystikal Revolution, Raging Fyah, Rootz Underground and Dubtonic Kru. Interestingly, one detects a lot more of the one drop riddim in Rootz Underground's music, as they have gained international exposure and experience.
On Tuesday, December 29, Rebel Salute had their media launch at the Hilton Kingston. Having attended launches for other major events during the month, I must say that this is the one that impressed me most. In doing so, I commend the Barret daughters, Kenya and Jahyuda, for staging an almost flawless event, both from a conceptual perspective, as well as, organisational including layout and décor. These two young women have a lot to be proud of.

The programme had the right mix of speakers with the focus and thematic thread throughout being the appropriateness of this year's Rebel Salute as the perfect foil- the calm amongst the waves for countering all the negative features and developments which took place in the music industry in 2009. Patrick Barrett, aka Tony Rebel, has used this festival as a beacon in our live event landscape over the last 17 years, and has held firm to his uncompromising stance of no meat and no alcohol. He has not garnered the kind of support from the private sector who continue to carp about negative lyrics and Dancehall practices, nor has he received adequate support and sponsorship from public sector entities such as the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Tourism Enhancement Fund, even though, this event consistently brings to Jamaica more visitors and Jamaicans who reside abroad than any other single music event. It's time to stop the bleating and "put yuh money where yuh mout' deh, otherwise, nuh boddah chat, yeh" (Gaza Kim and Lisa Hype).

The Pepsi Rebel Salute line up for this year is very impressive, with the long awaited return of Steel Pulse, Barrington Levy, Admiral Tibet, Daddy U-Roy, Tarrus Riley, Queen Ifrica, Etana, Jah Cure, Richie Spice, Sasco (aka Assassin), Marion Hall (aka Lady Saw), Junior Mervin and Peter Metro.

These three events are fertile ground for the re-channelling of our young, creative minds into more constructive, progressive, directions with their musical skills. This is what the world is looking for. This is what made us famous and we must in 2010, renew the drive to repatriate our birthright and claim our once predominant place on the world's live music scene.

Host: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Groundings-03-2010