Address for the launch of Rebel Salute 2012 by JaRIA

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

January 3, 2012

Today I bring greetings on behalf of the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA). For those who do not know, JaRIA is an umbrella organisation representing the interests of the music industry and unifying the various organisations, such as, Sound System Association of Jamaica, the Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA), Manifesto Jamaica, and our two main collection agencies, JACAP (Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers), and JAMMS (Jamaica Music Society). Our main mandate is to advocate and lobby on behalf of the Jamaican music and entertainment sectors.




Over its lifespan, this event has shown steady growth, confounding the cynics, until it has now become the single largest, paid, one-night event on Jamaica's cultural calendar (contrary to the boast of others), with a large contingent of overseas-based attendees. Even more profoundly, that achievement comes despite the very weak sponsorship support from both the private and public sector.

Understandably, part of the reason for this, of course, is that some of the biggest sponsors of events in Jamaica are the manufacturers and distributors of alcoholic beverages, the sale of which is forbidden at Rebel Salute, thereby disqualifying their financial endorsement of the festival.

I would like to see Reggae projects like Rebel Salute being treated more even-handedly, having demonstrated their ability, over the years, to attract numerous visitors to the Island as annual patrons of this show. There needs to be more equity in the sponsorship provided for events in the entertainment sector. Family oriented Reggae events have been pushed to the back of the class while events promoting a decadent lifestyle have been getting the lion’s share (pardon the pun) of sponsorship funds from commercial entities who boast everyday about their corporate responsibility and patriotism.

Many commercial entities, such as Jamaica Broilers, Capital and Credit Merchant Bank and Grace Products, have used the popularity of the Reggae brand in naming their flagship products. Many other public and private entities use Reggae Music as the soundtrack of their international marketing campaigns. However, we don’t see Reggae events being given the kind of production and marketing support that one would expect from these entities.

To a great extent, as it relates especially to the private sector entities, in order to obtain reasonable sponsorship from these entities, they require a dilution of the events’ content and brand, and a predominance of the sponsor’s brand in order to qualify for support. This to me is a slippery-slope down which we are sliding, because, when these events lose their essence, then the loss of their audience will quickly follow, to their ultimate demise. Hopefully, from a sponsorship perspective, the organisers of Rebel Salute are witnessing the beginnings of a reversal of this travesty.

Today, I appeal to the captains of industry and their marketing executives to begin to reexamine their strategies in this area, because, the long term interest of Reggae music coincides with their own long-term corporate objectives of successfully marketing their products, both locally and internationally, by identification with the popular Reggae Brand.

Historically, the strong point for the festival has been its ability to successfully market a wholesome, enriching experience encompassing much more than that which occurs from the stage. Rebel Salute treats patrons to a drug-free, violence-free, alcohol-free and meat-free, family-oriented environment; profanity is prohibited, healthy eating is supported and a family vibe is encouraged and highlighted. It highlights the impact of the musical genre on the country’s social, cultural and economic development, sharpening the focus and drawing the attention of the world to this powerful asset that is wholly an indigenous Jamaican product.

One of the primary objectives of Rebel Salute is to promote community tourism while encouraging social and environmental responsibility. Ironically, the present policy of the Jamaica Tourist Board does not allow them to support this niche tourism product called ‘community tourism’ because of security concerns and a fear that if something untoward were to happen, that government agency would be the target of legal action. This is a sad reflection on our country as a whole.

One of the changes we all will have to strive to accomplish in the short term is a significant improvement in the security of our communities and a reduction of our crime rate.

It is my firm belief, that it is through themed events and festivals such as Rebel Salute, that Jamaica’s tourism product will substantially grow in the future. The days of tourists vacationing in Jamaica merely for the sun and the beach are long over. Tourists come to Jamaica to experience our famously dynamic culture and arts.

I dare to say, that the tourism industry should be seen in a broader context aptly called ‘the cultural sector’, and this should be used as a driving force to increase the number of visitors and enhance their experience while vacationing in Jamaica. Community tourism also has many other advantages, the most important one being that it allows the communities to obtain, retain and circulate, in the local economy, a greater percentage of the earnings from this sector. Simultaneously, it gives our visitors a greater appreciation of the warm hospitality and diverse, dynamic cultural norms and manifestations of the Jamaican people.

So, we have to lay the objective conditions to allow the Tourist Board to, once again—as it began doing from way back in the 70’s, feel confident that it can promote community tourism as a main plan of its Brand Jamaica product.

Under Vision 2030, the government committed to strengthen the tourist industry through the provision of a world class Jamaican experience, and Rebel Salute has, for the last 18 years, epitomized the advantages of this strategy.

Secondly, the Vision 2030 reinforces the need to increase the contribution of the creative industries to our economy and taking our culture “to the world” based on the advantages Jamaica has over our competitors with our “Brand Jamaica”. Reggae is undeniably the tool that has made Jamaica a brand name to the rest of the world and is definitely the sound that lures thousands of visitors here each year.

So, Rebel Salute is, undeniably, a pivotal tool that has propelled Jamaica as a brand name internationally, and is definitely at the top of the list of annual events that lures thousands of visitors to Jamaica’s south coast each year.

Email:che.campbell@gmail.com