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No Caribbean love for dancehall
Published: Sunday | May 10, 2009
Krista Henry, Staff Reporter
"One Caribbean, one soul, reaching for a common goal" may have been the mantra preached by Trinidadian David Rudder in One Caribbean, but when it comes to putting the message into practice it has not reached the music of the region.
As flocks of inter-regional artistes from the Caribbean are drawn to Jamaica to work with local artistes and producers alike, in a reverse move, Caribbean islands are putting a 'stop order' on Jamaican artistes travelling throughout the region. Jamaican artistes have long found themselves in the bad books of international authorities since the days when Shabba Ranks' career was stopped in mid-flight after experiencing the backlash of responding to a question about Buju Banton's Boom Bye Bye. Since doing that song in the early 1990s, Buju has been plagued across the globe with banned concerts, a trend which has now spread to the likes of Beenie Man, T.O.K., Capleton, Sizzla, Elephant Man and others.
closer to home
More recently, however, the ban has been implemented closer to home, with artistes being banned from performing within the Caribbean and, in some cases, their songs banned from being played by radio stations in Caribbean islands. Within the last two years, dancehall artiste David 'Mavado' Brooks has been banned from countries such as St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago due to the violent and sexually explicit content of his lyrical repertoire. In the mid-1990s, female dancehall artiste Patra was also banned from St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Last year, Guyana's state Television and radio, National Communications Network, placed a ban on the music of Jamaican artistes Mavado and Bounty Killer, who were both banned from performing in the country by the government. In an article published on Islandevents.com, it was reported that all private programme producers who host programmes on state radio, were asked to desist from playing the music of the two artistes because of the content of their lyrics. The report said, "following his (Bounty Killer's) performance, Guyana's Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said the promoters had given a commitment that the artiste would not sing songs that promote violence. However, he reportedly breached the commitment." Mavado, who was also billed to perform at Linden Town in Guyana in April 2008, was banned at the last minute after he was said to be a security risk and would, therefore, not be allowed to enter.
kartel barred from grenada
Two weeks ago, controversial deejay Adidja 'Vybz Kartel' Palmer was barred from performing at a show in Grenville, St Andrews in Grenada, scheduled for May 2. The artiste was banned from the event, Rap-it-up, which was to mark the official launch of his Daggerin condoms in that island, after government officials turned down his work permit, stating that his songs were too lewd and violent. When contacted by The STAR, the deejay pleaded for the ban to be lifted. He said, "This decision by the government of Grenada to not grant us work permits is regrettable, especially in light of the fact that this is a concert to promote safe sex in a region which has the second-highest rate of HIV infection in the world after sub-Saharan Africa, and a high incidence of AIDS, a disease which has devastated several families in the Caribbean. Through our company, Daggering Unlimited, we advocate safe sex and condom use, using entertainment."
Unlike the other islands, each year Jamaica opens welcoming arms to soca artistes for the carnival season who have long lauded the friendliness of Jamaica. Artistes such as Barbadian Alison Hinds, Trinidadians Destra Garcia and Machel Montano, among others, are frequent visitors. Other artistes such as Collie Buddz (who hails from Bermuda), Pressure (from the United States Virgin Islands) as well as Timeka Marshall and Natural Black, who are both from have lived and worked in Jamaica for extended periods.
not recommended
For Carlette Deleon of Headline Entertainment, booking agent to a number of Caribbean acts, banning Jamaican artistes in Caribbean islands is not an approach that she would recommend.
She told The Sunday Gleaner, "You should outline to the artistes the guidelines that they will follow, and if the patrons don't want to see them, then they don't pay to go. "I'm disappointed that Caribbean islands are having a knee-jerk reaction to a situation that is far more complex and one that needs more thought put into decision-making than to simply ban our indigenous artistes." Deleon elaborated that the banning may have a detrimental effect on the artistes and will, in turn, affect the image of more 'positive' artistes.
Dr Donna Hope Marquis, writer and lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and dancehall aficionado, believes the ban takes away from the earning potential of the music industry and the revenues that can accrue to our society. According to Hope Marquis, part of the problem starts in Jamaica as it seems that the same artistes that are labelled as negative locally are those that are banned and labelled as negative in the region.
music suffers
She commented, "I believe the artiste, the music and Jamaica are affected as bans anywhere portray all three in a negative light ... we must work with our artistes here in Jamaica to sort out any challenges we have with the music. Our artistes are from and of this society and so is their music. If we demonise our artistes here in Jamaica then others will feel quite justified to do the same elsewhere, except that, when this happens, it is not the artiste but actually Jamaican music that suffers."
She continued, "Jamaican debates about music, content and standards are telescoped across the world and the responses will parallel that of the authority figures here. It is quite instructive that the situation with Vybz Kartel in Grenada was orchestrated by government officials even though Kartel has a huge fan base there and he was actually to perform at an event which was to mark the official launching of his Daggerin condoms in Grenada. Condoms and public education programmes about the risks of HIV are positive uses of the music, but, again, we are faced with this dilemma."
Published: Sunday | May 10, 2009
Krista Henry, Staff Reporter
"One Caribbean, one soul, reaching for a common goal" may have been the mantra preached by Trinidadian David Rudder in One Caribbean, but when it comes to putting the message into practice it has not reached the music of the region.
As flocks of inter-regional artistes from the Caribbean are drawn to Jamaica to work with local artistes and producers alike, in a reverse move, Caribbean islands are putting a 'stop order' on Jamaican artistes travelling throughout the region. Jamaican artistes have long found themselves in the bad books of international authorities since the days when Shabba Ranks' career was stopped in mid-flight after experiencing the backlash of responding to a question about Buju Banton's Boom Bye Bye. Since doing that song in the early 1990s, Buju has been plagued across the globe with banned concerts, a trend which has now spread to the likes of Beenie Man, T.O.K., Capleton, Sizzla, Elephant Man and others.
closer to home
More recently, however, the ban has been implemented closer to home, with artistes being banned from performing within the Caribbean and, in some cases, their songs banned from being played by radio stations in Caribbean islands. Within the last two years, dancehall artiste David 'Mavado' Brooks has been banned from countries such as St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago due to the violent and sexually explicit content of his lyrical repertoire. In the mid-1990s, female dancehall artiste Patra was also banned from St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Last year, Guyana's state Television and radio, National Communications Network, placed a ban on the music of Jamaican artistes Mavado and Bounty Killer, who were both banned from performing in the country by the government. In an article published on Islandevents.com, it was reported that all private programme producers who host programmes on state radio, were asked to desist from playing the music of the two artistes because of the content of their lyrics. The report said, "following his (Bounty Killer's) performance, Guyana's Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said the promoters had given a commitment that the artiste would not sing songs that promote violence. However, he reportedly breached the commitment." Mavado, who was also billed to perform at Linden Town in Guyana in April 2008, was banned at the last minute after he was said to be a security risk and would, therefore, not be allowed to enter.
kartel barred from grenada
Two weeks ago, controversial deejay Adidja 'Vybz Kartel' Palmer was barred from performing at a show in Grenville, St Andrews in Grenada, scheduled for May 2. The artiste was banned from the event, Rap-it-up, which was to mark the official launch of his Daggerin condoms in that island, after government officials turned down his work permit, stating that his songs were too lewd and violent. When contacted by The STAR, the deejay pleaded for the ban to be lifted. He said, "This decision by the government of Grenada to not grant us work permits is regrettable, especially in light of the fact that this is a concert to promote safe sex in a region which has the second-highest rate of HIV infection in the world after sub-Saharan Africa, and a high incidence of AIDS, a disease which has devastated several families in the Caribbean. Through our company, Daggering Unlimited, we advocate safe sex and condom use, using entertainment."
Unlike the other islands, each year Jamaica opens welcoming arms to soca artistes for the carnival season who have long lauded the friendliness of Jamaica. Artistes such as Barbadian Alison Hinds, Trinidadians Destra Garcia and Machel Montano, among others, are frequent visitors. Other artistes such as Collie Buddz (who hails from Bermuda), Pressure (from the United States Virgin Islands) as well as Timeka Marshall and Natural Black, who are both from have lived and worked in Jamaica for extended periods.
not recommended
For Carlette Deleon of Headline Entertainment, booking agent to a number of Caribbean acts, banning Jamaican artistes in Caribbean islands is not an approach that she would recommend.
She told The Sunday Gleaner, "You should outline to the artistes the guidelines that they will follow, and if the patrons don't want to see them, then they don't pay to go. "I'm disappointed that Caribbean islands are having a knee-jerk reaction to a situation that is far more complex and one that needs more thought put into decision-making than to simply ban our indigenous artistes." Deleon elaborated that the banning may have a detrimental effect on the artistes and will, in turn, affect the image of more 'positive' artistes.
Dr Donna Hope Marquis, writer and lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and dancehall aficionado, believes the ban takes away from the earning potential of the music industry and the revenues that can accrue to our society. According to Hope Marquis, part of the problem starts in Jamaica as it seems that the same artistes that are labelled as negative locally are those that are banned and labelled as negative in the region.
music suffers
She commented, "I believe the artiste, the music and Jamaica are affected as bans anywhere portray all three in a negative light ... we must work with our artistes here in Jamaica to sort out any challenges we have with the music. Our artistes are from and of this society and so is their music. If we demonise our artistes here in Jamaica then others will feel quite justified to do the same elsewhere, except that, when this happens, it is not the artiste but actually Jamaican music that suffers."
She continued, "Jamaican debates about music, content and standards are telescoped across the world and the responses will parallel that of the authority figures here. It is quite instructive that the situation with Vybz Kartel in Grenada was orchestrated by government officials even though Kartel has a huge fan base there and he was actually to perform at an event which was to mark the official launching of his Daggerin condoms in Grenada. Condoms and public education programmes about the risks of HIV are positive uses of the music, but, again, we are faced with this dilemma."
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