Amina Blackwood Meeks, Contributor
THERE IS a phenomenon in the stage show business in Jamaica whereby a promoter or organiser bills, let's say, 12 artists to perform but in fact 20 end up on the stage on the night of the show.
It works like this. Two or three of those actually contracted to appear will make an entrance with an entourage, their special likkle posse of fans and supporters. They make their way backstage with the artist and patiently wait until he is announced to the audience. The artist then takes the microphone performs two numbers or one or pieces and then "big up a member of the crew". In no time flat the stage full up wid de whole crew, each of them "touching the mic", leggo two lyrics and if there is time, the microphone passes back to the contracted artist who completes his set. At the end of it all, the whole crew is jubilant. It might not matter to them whether they get paid or not. In fact, often times de promoter run dem, come ask fe money. Bout? Me have any deal wid you? Who yu too? That's okay.
They consider that they have received something far more valuable - a chance to be seen and heard by "de massive", a chance fe buss. That chance itself is a signal accomplishment.
There are enough songs in which are heard the plaintive wail, "just gimme the mic". It comes from the hearts of stars who record their conviction that long before stardom they knew that just one chance to demonstrate what they were really worth was all that was required for the world to see what it had been waiting for. And long before that plea to touch the mic, there was the supplication, "just listen to ma demo". In other words nuff people try all the time with the resources of talent with which they have been blessed to meck a likkle money, meck a impact and bless others. But in their experience people who could help to make it happen just naw pay dem no mind. The ones who give them a six for a nine, hand out promises they never intend to fulfil is a whole nadda kekkle of something very fishy and we shall return to them on another occasion. But of all of them, the aspirant might say, "de man dem a hole me down".
Beenie Man expressed it another way: "Bad mind is active". And in too many instances the suspicion proves true. There is a hole-down mentality at too many centres of power or make that centres of abuse of power in Jamaica. It is particularly active in arts and entertainment. It expresses itself variously in an unwillingness to allow individuals to shine, an attitude that only a few people can do whatever it is they want done.
Hear the voice of the abuse of power, "We are not creating stars here. We not in the business of promoting personalities". Dem right you know. They really do little or nothing to nurture and develop the talents they so want to hide. And so vex that it has flourished in spite of them that they are loathe to promote it. But hello?! Arts and entertainment, like sports are precisely and exactly about the stars and personalities that exemplify their particular field or genre.
Those who refuse to be held down or held back have their own strategy for breaking free. Dem go a farin where people make stars and promote personalities. If dem did bad-minded dem laugh afta we when we can only see dem on teevee or read about them in expensive glossy farin entertainment magazine. Or they remain here and set up cartels and alliances around established stars. Or around those artist they know can draw crowd, cork de place and, therefore, in great demand by promoters. When a promoter approaches one of these stars for a show he is likely to get stuck with a touch-one-touch-all line in the fine print that he did not write, cannot see, but will have to understand if the show is to go on. In any case, de man dem is going to go on anyway.
I suspect that we would see more of this in other areas of entertainment, if the thing were structured differently. That is, without guard dogs, jacket and tie, burglar bars and other paraphernalia that keep the faces of the centres of abuse of power from public view. That is, those who revel in the fact that their organisation is structured not to promote stars or be dependent on any. Hello? Look again. There are virtual cartels in too many areas of cultural activity in this country. Name any playwright and you can name the director, choreographer, actors, set designer and other technical crew with whom he has worked for the last how-many years no matter what the play or storyline. Pick a topic, any topic of national and international concern around which a public discussion has been called or continues to be called because the issue simply will not go away. I bet you could make up your own list of who will be on the panel and who will be the emcee.
None of it is good for national development. None of it can result in anything resembling sustainability. None of it can strengthen us, For if is the same likkle group a do de same likkle ting wid de same likkle result from the time of Paul and Silas, something must be wrong why nobaddi else no join up wid dem.
That's a far cry from the truth, however and it may surprise us all to learn how many people are carrying the same banners, working for the same cause, contributing to the same traditions that too many people are happy to say they are the only ones doing. Too much of it has to do with the fact that old school that use to subsist on starvation wages at a time when this nation had no understanding of the value of the arts and entertainment, still want to pay starvation wages. This is in spite of lip service to the contrary and Mister Omar's ever busted budget and resultant high prices for everything, including the taxi fare that must take performers to the venue and the fashion houses that must deck dem out in outfits that idle and bad-minded people don't have to write disparagingly about.
Too much of it is just sheer grudgefulness that somebody is going to become a star at the expense of people who work behind the scenes. That is the nature of the business. Like how many people know the architect or the workers who build the lovely house in which they live?
Beyond that, however, is the indisputable fact that the more stars we facilitate, the more hope people will have that their turn will come in the natural order of things. The more people they have to draw inspiration from, the more the world will see us truly as a special brand and not a place where a few flukes escape but no more no deh-deh. And no more naw come especially like how too much a who deh-deh a reach fe false teeth and walking sticks right now. Plus when dem busy pon one assignment, like how is dem one, the 10 other assignments to be completed just walk off to somewhere else, that's not promoted as a one poet town or one playwright town or one whatever it is the assignment is about. And for those who believe that there are millions to be made from cultural industries and who are in the business that facilitates cultural industries, the more stars we create the more the business flourish.
Look here, just listen to my demo and pass de mic. The free market will take care of the rest. Unless that too is a lie.
