Hartley Neita, ContributerSOME WILL remember Edward Seaga as Dr. Jekyll. Others as Mr. Hyde. The former were his political opponents while those who saw him as Hyde were mainly his political colleagues and the many friends he made in the cultural field.
I first met him during the 1950s when he was a record producer and I wrote reviews about music and the theatre for The Star and sometimes The Daily Gleaner. He was a charming and sincere man. I was working with the Government public relations department when he became a minister with responsibility for cultural affairs.
COLOUR SLIDE PACKAGES
It was he who changed the name of this Department to the Jamaica Information Service. He broadened its role to include producing, among other things, colour slide packages of different aspects of Jamaica. He also expanded the Jamaica National Festival started by Wycliffe Bennett in 1955 and established the annual Jamaica Festival by including the culinary arts, craft, beauty contests, pop music, float parades and religion in its portfolio. He even wrote a poem and submitted it to the judges under a nom de plume and it won a gold medal.
It was in this period that the dictator-side of his personality became evident. It was his way or no way. He had political might and felt this gave him the right to insist on things being done according to his own gospel. In the meanwhile he bulldozed hundreds of shacks in the Back O' Wall slum in his constituency and created in Tivoli Gardens what was to become a model community in which the arts and sports flourished.
Before his time, the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union had organised marching bands and units of uniformed supporters. Seaga introduced these in his constit-uency and set the pattern for national marching band competitions which Tivoli always won. In no time, too, the Tivoli Gardens Comprehensive High School and community began winning football and cricket competitions. He had already signalled his support for modern dance and Tivoli became a force in the creative dance competitions.
I had the pleasure of seeing a film he produced on the creation of the Tivoli community which demonstrated how he used his studies in sociology to create this model community which was to be replicated islandwide. Unfortunately, Tivoli and his constituency Western Kingston became associated with crime and violence, and some of his political utterances only helped to create a negative image of him.
ASPIRANTS FOR LEADERSHIP
He also spoke sternly to some of his own party colleagues, telling them "to light a candle, sing a sankey and find their way back home", letting them know he was the only don in the party and that none of the aspirants for leadership had it in them. And there are many whose political careers were cut short when they differed with him.
He believed in a Jamaica of his own creation. The most creative development plan for Jamaica ever prepared was his '20-Year Development Plan' in the 1960s. He pushed the ska beyond its limited chordal limit which became the foundation for the success of Rock Steady and Reggae. It was his promotion of Jamaica cuisine which led to Jamaican menus being offered to visitors in our hotels.
PUBLIC EDUCATION
His leadership in the public education programme for the decimalisation of the Jamaica currency, and in the establishment of black and white television in Jamaica in 1963 and colour in 1981 were examples of his forceful determination. These were implemented in under one year.
When I was interviewing him some time ago for the biography of Hugh Shearer I was then writing, I told him that when I was finished I would like to write his. Unfortunately, he told me this biography was already being written. I look forward to it, as I believe that Jamaicans, especially the 'Young Turks' in his party, need to know more about this man. Ten years ago, they would have become political has-beens, and maybe they still will.
