THE EDITOR, Sir:
IT IS a personal contention that dancehall performers are indeed artistes and should be granted the same leeway and freedom as conventional artistes to use their ingenuity to make their work effervesce. This includes being able to use 'bad words' in their pieces and allude to societal taboos without discrimination.
The Jim Crow mentality that is so pervasive in our culture on so many different levels is not helpful. Intolerance has become the Jamaican way of life and each year, a plethora of groups are allowed to bellow, block roads and hold prayer vigils in protest against what they deem antitheses to our social order. The rest of the world is passing us by, as they have dealt with these issues time and time again. So with the never-ending antagonism meted out to purveyors of the dancehall genre.
I am in no way an aficionado of the said genre. I have no desire to partake neither any affection for the rhythms; however, these persons are indeed gifted poets and deserve my tolerance as they exercise their artistic prowess.
The story of society attempting to stifle artistic ingenuity is as old as the glory days of Rome. It happened to Shakespeare. However, students are regaled each time they read Shakespeare as it is a sanctioned medium by which to be exposed to sexual innuendoes, and sensational stories of lust et al.
Making the beast with two backs, the most popular suggestion of wanton sex mentioned in Othello, still has me knocked for six each time I read it, yet it is not forbidden.
Jamaica's own Colin Channer, Ireland's Frank McCourt and America's Pat Conroy have popular and well noted novels, that have a deluge of 'bad words' and explicit descriptions, yet they come well recommended and meet no enmity. I therefore, believe that our Dancehall artistes should be granted the same 'cross the lines if you please' and 'sure push the envelope' poetic licence as conventional writers and poets.
Dancehall artistes are indeed poets as they make skilful use of simile, metaphor, allusion, imagery, figurative language, personification and even allegory. To me and my awe-inspiring (and this is not a word which I use often) instructors of Literature at UWI, Mona, the aforementioned are indeed elements of poetry. Hence their writers and performers are incontrovertibly poets, thus should be allowed to exercise the same privilege given to authors and conventional poets.
I am, etc.,
VAUGHN-STAFFORD GRAY
giantsprat@hotmail.com
15 Maynard Avenue
Kingston 20
