David Rabkin, Contributor
IT IS all but impossible to dispute Jamaica's cultural contribution to the world. If an index of artists per capita could be created, few would be surprised to see this country come out on top. Shoppers buy Reggae T-shirts as far away as Thailand and wish each other 'One Love' in South Africa.
Since coming to this country I have discovered that the roots and branches of Jamaica's cultural icons are alive and thriving. From music to theatre, literature to dance, creativity on this island is abundant. Unfortunately, if one could create an index relating creative talent to economic benefit produced, I suspect Jamaica would score quite poorly.
QUEST
My suspicion arises in part from my own quest for Jamaican cultural enrichment. This past weekend, for example, I attended Carnival. Having been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, I was prepared. In fact, I even co-ordinated a visit by my sister to coincide with this special event. While I know that Jamaica has only a short history with this event, I also know that people here definitely know how to have a good time. The week before I asked a number of people what the schedule of events would be. Nobody knew for sure. The consensus among my small sample group was that the Sunday street parade would pass New Kingston around 11:00 a.m.
I checked out the newspapers up until that Saturday and found nothing. Big billboards announced concerts in the traditional tourist areas, but no mention was made of the Kingston parade. Even my trusty taxi driver, Oneson, was unsure how to proceed.
As Sunday approached, I turned my search to the Internet. www.jamaicacarnival.com, theoretically the official Web site, was of no help. It was the ever-reliable www.whatsonjamaica.com that gave me my first clue: Red Stripe had placed announcements for street concerts at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Correctly surmising that the concerts would follow the parade, we showed up at the corner of Trafalgar and Knutsford at 12:15 p.m.
Upon arrival we found vendors, policemen and higglers setting up for the day. Foolishly thinking the vendors would know the schedule, they informed us that they were just there to sell refreshments. Moreover, the signs for tickets hanging on their carts were actually from a previous event. At least we weren't charged.
Not wanting to bother the boys in uniform, but also not relishing an indeterminate wait in the sun, I approached a group of policemen. We were very politely informed that they had no idea when the parade would arrive. Nonetheless they had donned their hard hats and were in formation for any eventuality.
An hour later we found ourselves standing next to some local friends who had heard the parade left UWI around 11:00 a.m. It now being after 1 p.m. we surmised that somebody was late.
EXCITEMENT AND NOISE
Around 2:15 p.m., excitement and noise began to build. A fleet of cars, horses and floats led the way. The first to pass on foot was (inexplicably) a large transvestite followed, finally, by the revellers in their Carnival gear.
The parade itself was loads of fun, with all the dancing, drinking and music I had imagined. I regretted only that the crowd of onlookers was not bigger.
After the first pass of the parade, our little group went back toward the stage to watch the planned concert. Seeing the live music was not about to start, we instead went to Jamrock, the sports bar and restaurant in New Kingston, and watched my Lakers pull out a tense one versus Minnesota. Around 5:30 p.m. we emerged and found the crowd still smaller in numbers and the entertainers still not yet on the scene.
The concert eventually took place and I'm told it was great. Unfortunately I was already at home. I was also at home one night several months when Shaggy finally took the stage, after I had stood on a golf course until after 2:00 a.m. waiting for his set to begin. One event I attended that did start on time was a fire-eater performing at a resort hotel. In that case I wish I had been at home.
Hidden cultural riches are also to be found beyond the realm of music. Fortunately I did not give up after visiting three bookstores in search of Anthony Winkler's fabulous book The Duppy. I did, however, allow myself to be defeated after three trips to Portmore in search of Sea Safari. Does anyone else find it strange that they have signs all over the city and no phone number anywhere?
ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTS
The message is clear: the philosophy of "if you build it they will come" is just plain wrong. Consumers of entertainment products, regardless of genre and regardless of nation, must be marketed to. Nowhere is this more important than in the home market.
Jamaica has found itself blessed with the ability to create first-rate entertainment products. Many people over the years have created and suffered to build this local capacity. The sophistication of the local consumer has always been a key element in this industry. Where else can you find a Finance Minister who is an expert on Peter Tosh! This interplay between local consumer and local artist is fundamental to the ongoing health of the industry.
The Jamaican entertainer faces an access problem. The first step toward its solution is to recognise that artistes are business people, whether they like it or not, and to treat them as such. Those performers who understand this are the ones who stand the test of time. The ability of artists to influence others is highly correlated with their ability to reach a market. Even the smallest following can turn into a compelling link, but reaching that initial customer segment takes reliable communication and promotion.
The second step is to appreciate that if the local market is lost, the island's ability to produce new talent will ultimately be lost as well. To illustrate, through co-ordinated and consistent promotion, Nashville has become a self-replicating phenomenon. On the other hand, the demise of Motown Records, and the subsequent void that was never filled, has led to the decline of Motown as an artist-producing region.
ACCESS SHORTAGE
The third step in addressing Jamaica's access shortage is for the community at large to recognise the pivotal role that entertainment plays in the country's ability to market itself. Those whose livelihoods depend on tourism and speciality food products are particularly vested in the adoption of a more professional marketing approach to this industry. The fire-eater just doesn't fill rooms the way he used to. As with so much in Jamaica, the most rare and valuable elements are in abundance. In this case they are deep talent and a rich culture. The basic business elements, however, have not yet put in their regularly scheduled appearance.
So, what time is the Carnival street parade next year?
David Rabkin is Project Director of the Jamaica Cluster Competitiveness Project, sponsored by the Jamaica Exporters Association. Mr. Rabkin is a Vice-President in the Boston-based advisory firm, ontheFRONTIER. He can be reached at: drabkin@onthefrontier.com
