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The Culture: A Major Part of the Problem
Dancehall's Diet A Broken Record
Published: Tuesday | June 18, 2013
Well, this just won't do. Switching from radio station to radio station, trying to find something to listen to, often proves tedious these days, doesn't it? A little more variety, particularly in the local offerings, would go a long way.
This is fairly ironic, given the tone of the growing campaign to loosen restrictions on parties that go on till the wee hours of the morning. Irate sound-system operators and artistes have taken to the airwaves, saying dancehall music, in particular, is under attack, and that enforcement of the 2 a.m. cut-off time for parties is a symbolic middle finger to lovers of the genre.
They say this is the sound of the 'ghetto people', and that to interfere with this expression is to unfairly hinder the freedom of the masses. Now, how true all this is really is a matter of debate. You may agree, or you may see it as a crass generalisation that supposes that all inner-city residents love dancehall music and want more of it. We'll leave that matter alone, for now.
What seems to have been left out of the debate, though, is the alarmingly low quality of much of the dancehall music being produced these days.
It's like the songs are being rolled out on a Jetsons-style conveyor belt that has been stuck on the same setting for years. The last thing we need are more 'mama', 'bad-mind' or 'badman' tunes. Give it a rest already. Find other things to focus on so you can surprise your supporters and silence your critics at the same time.
Dancehall music can be highly entertaining and even uplifting, when done right. It just seems that the effort to get it right isn't as prevalent as the people who want to become dancehall stars. The result is mediocrity.
SKETCHING JAMAICAN MAN
Let's pretend for a moment that we all agree that the genre really is a reflection of life in Jamaica. What can we learn from this?
If we simply go by the lyrics of the average 2012-2013 dancehall track, we can actually develop a sketch of the ideal modern Jamaican man. He's the man the artistes claim to be and the one they insist all males should aspire to be. So who is he?
Well, most important, he is NOT a homosexual. This must be made abundantly clear by repeating, as often as may be necessary, that he will be damned before he ever considers wearing another man's trousers. He's far richer than his many enemies. Why he has all these enemies is not important. Just blame it on bad mind.
He has true friends with whom he has been close for years. He can sing lovingly of them, reminiscing on their lives together and how close they are. There is nothing gay about this, though, since they have never, and will never, share clothes.
His mother is a fine woman who will forever be the lady in his life. While he never goes in search trouble, he does own lots of guns, and his aforementioned friends have even bigger guns. So be careful what you do and say around him. He may be dressed like a dandy, but it's OK, the clothes are all top brands. There's nothing wrong with fur coats and male leggings, as long as they're expensive.
AMAZONIAN ACROBATS
The modern Jamaican woman, as described in dancehall lyrics, is no more complicated. She's an absolute acrobat in bed. This is the thing she is most proud about. Everyone knows about her bedroom proficiency, even though she certainly doesn't sleep around. She will do whatever is necessary to hold on to her man, even if this involves inflicting harm on female competitors.
Her man is her whole life. She will give him as many children as he desires, and will accept that he needs other women to keep him sexually satisfied. She enjoys bending herself into the most uncomfortable positions at parties so people will say she is a fabulous dancer. She does all her shopping overseas and her house is full of the priciest furniture. She will seduce other women's men if the mood strikes her.
So, is this who we are? I hope not. As I do with the music, I long for more diversity and variety. I find that makes everything more interesting.
Robert Lalah is the features editor and author of the popular 'Roving with Lalah'. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com.
From: The Gleaner, June 18, 2013
Published: Tuesday | June 18, 2013
Well, this just won't do. Switching from radio station to radio station, trying to find something to listen to, often proves tedious these days, doesn't it? A little more variety, particularly in the local offerings, would go a long way.
This is fairly ironic, given the tone of the growing campaign to loosen restrictions on parties that go on till the wee hours of the morning. Irate sound-system operators and artistes have taken to the airwaves, saying dancehall music, in particular, is under attack, and that enforcement of the 2 a.m. cut-off time for parties is a symbolic middle finger to lovers of the genre.
They say this is the sound of the 'ghetto people', and that to interfere with this expression is to unfairly hinder the freedom of the masses. Now, how true all this is really is a matter of debate. You may agree, or you may see it as a crass generalisation that supposes that all inner-city residents love dancehall music and want more of it. We'll leave that matter alone, for now.
What seems to have been left out of the debate, though, is the alarmingly low quality of much of the dancehall music being produced these days.
It's like the songs are being rolled out on a Jetsons-style conveyor belt that has been stuck on the same setting for years. The last thing we need are more 'mama', 'bad-mind' or 'badman' tunes. Give it a rest already. Find other things to focus on so you can surprise your supporters and silence your critics at the same time.
Dancehall music can be highly entertaining and even uplifting, when done right. It just seems that the effort to get it right isn't as prevalent as the people who want to become dancehall stars. The result is mediocrity.
SKETCHING JAMAICAN MAN
Let's pretend for a moment that we all agree that the genre really is a reflection of life in Jamaica. What can we learn from this?
If we simply go by the lyrics of the average 2012-2013 dancehall track, we can actually develop a sketch of the ideal modern Jamaican man. He's the man the artistes claim to be and the one they insist all males should aspire to be. So who is he?
Well, most important, he is NOT a homosexual. This must be made abundantly clear by repeating, as often as may be necessary, that he will be damned before he ever considers wearing another man's trousers. He's far richer than his many enemies. Why he has all these enemies is not important. Just blame it on bad mind.
He has true friends with whom he has been close for years. He can sing lovingly of them, reminiscing on their lives together and how close they are. There is nothing gay about this, though, since they have never, and will never, share clothes.
His mother is a fine woman who will forever be the lady in his life. While he never goes in search trouble, he does own lots of guns, and his aforementioned friends have even bigger guns. So be careful what you do and say around him. He may be dressed like a dandy, but it's OK, the clothes are all top brands. There's nothing wrong with fur coats and male leggings, as long as they're expensive.
AMAZONIAN ACROBATS
The modern Jamaican woman, as described in dancehall lyrics, is no more complicated. She's an absolute acrobat in bed. This is the thing she is most proud about. Everyone knows about her bedroom proficiency, even though she certainly doesn't sleep around. She will do whatever is necessary to hold on to her man, even if this involves inflicting harm on female competitors.
Her man is her whole life. She will give him as many children as he desires, and will accept that he needs other women to keep him sexually satisfied. She enjoys bending herself into the most uncomfortable positions at parties so people will say she is a fabulous dancer. She does all her shopping overseas and her house is full of the priciest furniture. She will seduce other women's men if the mood strikes her.
So, is this who we are? I hope not. As I do with the music, I long for more diversity and variety. I find that makes everything more interesting.
Robert Lalah is the features editor and author of the popular 'Roving with Lalah'. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com.
From: The Gleaner, June 18, 2013
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