"But you mustn't forget that Jamaica is an island in which everybody is a star." - Island Records founder Chris Blackwell.
I would add: and where creativity is bursting out around every street corner and every disadvantaged youth as a song, dance, act.
Everyman man on the corner is waiting for his share of the pie.
Jamaica’s Music Industry is the strongest of all the creative industries. Jamaica is most known for its Reggae music through the iconic Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Jimmy Cliff and scores of others.
The International Reggae Conference 2010 was held at the Mona Visitor’s Lodge and the keynote speaker was the Hon. Minister of Culture Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange.
In her address to the Reggae enthusiast she sent out a warning that if steps were not taken immediately, Jamaica could no longer be synonymous with Reggae music. “Jamaica is losing its grip not only on the distribution, but also on the very production of the music” she said.
Jamaicans do have a strong repulsion against homosexuality and yes there are those who advocate violence against homosexuals. It crept into our music as a form of hype in the Dancehall space. Why? How did we get here? This is not where we began. One Love One Heart? Out Of Many One People?
In Europe and the states artistes who are singing conscious songs are constantly replacing our local acts.
Gay-rights lobbyists are battling artists like Elephant Man, Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killer, and Sizzla Kalonji and Capleton successfully banning them from several international concerts. The Jamaican Music Industry is dependent on revenue from live performance, fewer appearances on international tours and events may also lead to a reduction in record sales and in turn revenues.
There is hope for Dancehall music, several acts have rejected to join the hardcore sect, and have taken to parody and more constructive social commentary in their lyrical content; so maybe, just maybe 'all di sexy body gal dem' lyrics will get a rest and we can hear songs that challenge us to consider our social situations and laugh at ourselves.
Jamaican music is not just Reggae and Dancehall, there is Mento, Ska, Rocksteady and Dub. Yet the air waves are mostly filled with Dancehall music and most times the lewdest of that genre. While our other musical forms are neglected. Producers feel that there is no demand for them. Yet instead of sexually charged and hate filled music, we could be supplying the European market with conscious sounds; there is demand for the older music from the Studio One and Treasure Isle heyday which impersonators are gladly filling.
Reggae is not the only music we are losing control of; there are presently more Ska bands in Europe than in Jamaica. A geographic protection and description is needed for Jamaica music one that details its origin and defines what Reggae, Ska, Dub, Mento and Rocksteady entails in term of the beats, instruments and measures. This is one of the possibilities that should be explored by the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) and the Ministry Youth, Sport and culture.
