Ian Boyne
WHAT HAS been billed "the greatest reggae show on earth", Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest, was slated to get under way today, but the two reputedly greatest stars of the genre will not be in the line-up. They have been banished for transgressing the commandments of chief sponsor Red Stripe vis-à-vis performing violent lyrics.
Many will recall that following gay protests in the United Kingdom and the United States of America over the violent anti-gay lyrics by artistes like Beenie Man, Bounty Killer and others, a group of influential private sector companies here normally associated with dancehall sponsorships decided to form an alliance against supporting events with artistes who promote violence. A long-overdue, well-needed move. There is no indubitable evidence that there is any causal relationship between the powerful gay lobby's successful campaign against the violence-promoting Jamaican artistes and the Jamaican corporate group's decision, one may contend. Let's just say one followed the other.
But Jamaican dancehall artistes had for years been spewing violent lyrics and bigging up shottas and criminality without any response from these companies which have profited heavily from the dancehall. They turned a blind eye to the anti-social behaviour and destructiveness being promoted by certain dancehall artistes, while giving big, impressive-sounding after-dinner and luncheon speeches decrying the decline in values and attitudes in the society. This was being done while they were openly promoting anarchy with their big bucks.
HYPOCRISY
Well, after the gays in England mainly, but also in the United States, showed them what could happen when the riot act is read, they decided belatedly to take a firm stand against promoting certain events. But not all have stuck to their guns (no pun intended). Cable and Wireless (C&W), headquartered in a place which has been the scene of much violence, has shamelessly and disgracefully bowed to crude commercial interests by signing new contracts with some of these same violators; a move which has made even the artistes themselves scoff at them publicly for the company's hypocrisy.
I have to give a rare agreement to my TVJ colleague and dancehall apologist Anthony Miller who recently snickered on Entertainment Report about C&W's grating double-standards. But Red Stripe has decided not to back down and to show some guts and stamina in this struggle against violent lyrics. Mark McKenzie has been resolute, unyielding and principled, and has shown what corporate leadership ought to be in a largely amoral corporate world.
Reports are that the Sumfest promoters were willing to bring in Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, concerned as they are only about raking in money and pulling crowds. These fellows don't care a damn about how they project us to the world. But Red Stripe stood its ground and because they are paying the piper they had all the chat. Money talks - many times for the immoral and the expedient, but this time, thankfully, for some principles and for the good of the community over mammon.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Of course, Sumfest features some artistes such as Sizzla, Capleton, Assassin, and Kip Rich, known for promoting violence in their lyrics. They have not so brazenly and defiantly crossed the line as have Bounty Killer and Beenie Man in their recent performances. I strongly suspect they might attempt to carry out their usual almshouse and anti-social antics, but we will not hold the Sumfest promoters guiltless if they do not immediately kill the mike and pull them off stage, consigning them to the same punishment that has been meted out to Bounty and Beenie. These guys must feel in no uncertain way that enough is enough and that people are prepared - finally - to put their money where their mouths are.
I can anticipate the rage (without rationality) of the dancehall apologists: Companies like Red Stripe are unforgivably guilty of censorship, attacking the freedom of artistes, trying to dictate to artistes, and following the corrupt and immoral homosexual agenda. Sumfest is an adult show, marketed and branded as such, and, therefore, just as pornographers are licensed to broadcast on certain restricted channels and in light of the fact that Hollywood is almost synonymous with graphic violence, it is sheer hypocrisy and an attempt to fight poor ghetto youth and black people's culture to put this pressure on the fellows. It is wickedness, it is racism, it is bad-mindedness, because finally some ghetto youth are driving good cars and living in good homes while uptown people feel only them and their kith and kin should have those luxuries.
Is fight dem a fight 'gainst the culture. The more sophisticated might even appeal to the notion of freedom of speech or artistic freedom and raise howls about this ban on Beenie and Bounti leading to more sinister threats to freedom of speech. Some will say that this is how big capitalist companies use their money and their power to suppress what they want to suppress and to "fight down" what they want to fight down. Some of the silliest arguments and non-sequitur reasoning I have encountered have come from people defending what I call negative dancehall ? for I am not against dancehall per se.
HIGHLY TALENTED
I am not anti-dancehall. I can listen to dancehall all night and not get bored. Those who underestimate or undervalue the creativity, artistry and skill of dancehall artistes either don't really know the dancehall or are hopelessly prejudiced and culturally jaundiced. Listen to our cultural artistes, the fun-masters like Elephant Man or even the comedic artistes and you can't fail to be impressed by their skills. I don't agree with those who say dancehall is pure stupidity.
And make no mistake about it: Beenie Man and Bounti Killer are superb artistes. That they have reigned for so long in a genre with such a high mortality rate is a tribute to their greatness and artistry. In terms of performance, Beenie Man is the master. His versatility is astounding. I keep talking of a Reggae Superjam performance he gave years ago at the Pulse headquarters where he did soca, R&B, Country and Western, disco, dancehall and classical reggae.
Throw Beenie on the stage with the great performers of the world and he can hold his own. If he could get his act together, clean up his lyrics, he (and Bounty Killer) would be a potent force for good in the country. If we can't get them to voluntarily clean up or depend on their management to exercise the necessary restraint and discipline, then we have to put the pressure on them, as the gays and Red Stripe have been doing.
NEGATIVE DANCEHALL DEFENDERS
Now to the silly and specious arguments of the negative dancehall defenders. Freedom of speech is never absolute. No civilised society allows people the right to incite violence. I have some questions for those who use the freedom of expression canard to defend violent dancehall lyrics: Does society have the right to prohibit lyrics promoting sex with four-year-olds? Suppose an artiste is a paedophile and feels that the attack against paedophilia is unjustified and wants to freely express his support for sex with children in his lyrics? Should we allow him to do so once it is done in restricted space?
What about incest? Suppose an artiste feels it is just religious prohibitions which undergird the opposition to incest and he wants the right to artistically express support for a man's having sex with his own 10-year-old daughter, should we allow him his freedom to do do? What about the white artiste's right to do songs attacking "niggers" and Jews and calling for their lynching? Should we interfere with that racist's freedom of expression?
What about the right to promote child pornography, or the photographer's artistic license to show graphic photos of children having sex with adults? Some of these very examples are grotesque and stomach-curling, but they serve to make the point: Even the most rabid defender of negative dancehall and the "freedom of the artiste" does believe in limits to freedom. Freedom of expression is not absolute. So stop the asinine talk about Beenie's and Bounti's absolute right to say what they want and to chant "All b...man fi dead!"
And Beenie's dishonest, ridiculous and cowardly explanation on Cutting Edge last Wednesday that what he means by b?man is really paedophilia should be dismissed out of hand. My concern is that Red Stripe makes it plain that it is not just concerned about the right to life of homosexuals, but of ghetto people and the poor uneducated youth who are the likely victims of violence in Jamaica. Violence against all kinds of persons is wrong, not just violence against homosexuals. So attention must be paid to lyrics which speak of tearing out the marrow of the youth who dis man woman or him mother. That must not be allowed on Sumfest. No bigging up of the gun.
We must also assert the right of sponsors like Red Stripe to do as they please with their sponsorship money. They have no obligation to support any entertainment event and, therefore, have every right to say they are not using their money to support certain artistes who flagrantly violate rules which they have the right to set as sponsors.
I, as a television producer, have no right to tell the National Commercial Bank (NCB), Jamaica Mortgage Bank (JMB) Guardian or Jamaica Broilers that they must sponsor my television programme. They can decide not to sponsor me. They owe me nothing. And if the values promoted on my programme violently clash with theirs, they would be hypocritical to support me.
Red Stripe should be joined by other sponsors in standing up for principle over expediency. Pressure not just the artistes but the promoters who are usually just money-grabbing amoralists. Civic-minded people, religious people, family-oriented groups and human rights activists must support companies like Red Stripe in their campaign to promote decency and sanity in the dancehall. And Sumfest - Emily permitting - will rock and pull the crowds just the same without Beenie and Bounti, who can be seen all over the place.
Of course, Beenie and Bounti won't hurt terribly from the financial loss of not appearing at Sumfest. These fellows will find enough promoters and sponsors who would do anything for money, so they won't be short of work. But a victory has been scored for decency, human rights (the most basic being the right to life), civility and respect for all human beings. Thank you, Red Stripe. Cheers!
Ian Boyne is a veteran Journalist. You can send your comments to ianboyne1@yahoo.com or infocus@gleanerjm.com.
