Narcissism and Dancehall (Campbell)

[Historian]

For entire column, see The Jamaica Observer at:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/enter...ehall_11109148

Narcissism and dancehall

Howard Campbell

Sunday, March 25, 2012

At its dawn, the evolution of our modern reggae music was significantly influenced by other musical idioms which were current in that era, including mento, ska, jazz, rhythm and blues/soul, and rock and roll to a lesser extent. Essentially, our songs highlighted concerns and even sought redress on issues such as national, class and race discrimination, prejudice and oppression. They became clarion calls for justice, peace, universal love, and harmony. Early dancehall music maintained this progressive formula and approach.

In the 80s, one of the international marketplaces that eventually came under the influence of reggae/dancehall's militant anti-establishment stance was the alienated urban North American youth, who were experiencing the twin evils of racial and class stigmatisation and victimisation. Their collective self-worth, especially among young urban males, was very low. Therefore, when they began to interpret and adapt the music from their cultural perspective, hip hop was born with all its negative features such as narcissism, vulgarity, crudity and misogyny.

In the 90s, as Jamaican dancehall acts began to obtain distribution contracts with American record companies, some A&R executives used undue influence to encourage our artistes to borrow from and infuse this hip-hop beat and lifestyle into their music. Before that, we did not call our women 'ho's and bitches' nor did we call our bredrin 'dawg'. What we are left with in Jamaica today is a poor imitation of hip-hop music as the soundtrack to what we still euphemistically call dancehall music.

The irony is that while our local media remains, to too large an extent, focused on this segment of the industry, internationally, from a marketing standpoint, dancehall music has seemingly reached a plateau, and therefore this has not been an effective long-term marketing strategy. In fact, what we are observing in the international market place is a resurgence of requests for overseas performances and tours by those dancehall acts who came to the fore during the 70s, 80s and early 90s.
Meanwhile, based on their publications and programming, our local media appear to be totally oblivious to these current trends. Their daily restrictive diet and corrupt payola practices continue to stifle local creativity, diversity and Jamaica's once proud position of being the market leader in reggae music.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/enter...#ixzz1q7nrFLVv

[Don1]

Reggae/Jamaican music/Dancehall or whateva... is BOOMING!!

Look like yuh unnu neva get di memo

[Historian]

I Got that Memo (lol)

Reggae/Jamaican music/Dancehall or whateva... is BOOMING!!

Look like yuh unnu neva get di memo

Yep, boss, I got that memo (lol)

[Assasin]

this is not really true. I guess he never been to a General echo, yellowman, Welton Irie dance and the numerous classes with choice selection of words.

The fact is people like to re-write history. The fact is some of the main problems with music now is payola and free downloads. This influence what the DJ play and the free download has put a lot of good producers on the side as if you don't have rights to an artist it make no sense as an indi producers who use to make money from 45s, dubplates, and albums are getting jilted and if you notice most of the "top" producers now are young boys.

I won't go anymore but the writer is trying to make a point but he needs to do a lot more research, because as a man who have been to many dancehalls and stage show from mi eye deh a mi knee. An example of this was a artist who named himself "********** Kojak" and then later changed it to "Kojak". The american influence was always there, no contract or not. How did we have artists such as Dillinger, Trinity, Josey Wales, Lee Van Cliff, Johnny Ringo" etc?

[Mosiah]

So right, Sass! The American influence has always been there!

[Don1]

So right, Sass! The American influence has always been there!

What's up nigg@??

[Exile]

Not so much rewrite history as DONT KNOW the history.

[Assasin]

you are so right, because how many of those slackness songs have been picked up by international labels? Most of them won't accept it. I was in a studio a few years ago when a label pick up a tune and send it back to be remix because of something that sounded offensive on the song.

The engineer was asking us in the studio if it sounded like what the label said and it didn't but he still had to remix the song to take it out. Most of the slackness tunes are not influenced by big label signing but popularity in Jamaica and its diaspora.

[Historian]

Mr. Campbell....

I guess he never been to a General echo, yellowman, Welton Irie dance and the numerous classes with choice selection of words.

The fact is people like to re-write history. I won't go anymore but the writer is trying to make a point but he needs to do a lot more research, because as a man who have been to many dancehalls and stage show from mi eye deh a mi knee.

Assasin, since the columnist has, without question, made a valid point, I won’t get into a useless debate right now.

Let me assure you, however, that as far as Jamaica’s history of recorded music is concerned, from the days of early mento and ska to the present era of 21st century dancehall music, there are VERY FEW individuals in Jamaica more knowledgeable than Howard Campbell. In fact, both as an avid music lover and as an entertainment journalist for many years, Mr. Campbell has probably attended more live concerts than anyone reading this forum.

He is fully qualified to write about any aspect of Jamaica’s ska, rocksteady, reggae, dancehall, jazz, etc. He has been doing so for many years.

Just letting you know some facts.

[Assasin]

What he is saying is NOT FACT. I don't care about his qualification and as you talk about mento we can go as far as "Ruckumbine inna the Salt and Peas" to know if slackness been around.

[Mosiah]

Why do you always do this? Just because he has attended every Jamaican concert over the past 50 years and has written extensively on the subject...yuh know what...

[Don1]

you talk about mento we can go as far as "Ruckumbine inna the Salt and Peas" to know if slackness been around.

Slackness?? woiiee mi belly!!

[Assasin]

what is rucumbine??? ask any mento singer what they are singing about.

[OJ]

its the typical foolishness that we do all the time.. the fact that he is around the subject does not be he is right in his opinion...

[Don1]

what is rucumbine??? ask any mento singer what they are singing about.

True artists use allegorical or metaphorical references to sex or sexual organs in their craft...artfully. They master the use of double entendre
That is a generally accepted device to convey a strong message without being offensive. That song is an example of such artful use of a sexual metaphor.

Ignoramuses pretending to be artists don't have that skill or awareness ...and so resort to smut in their so-called art.

I suspect you cannot see the difference.... nutten nuh new inna dat