- WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
LEFT: George Nooks.RIGHT: Lloyd Parkes, bass guitarist and singer.

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

THE MELLOW vibes of sweet, smooth love songs or the stirring lyrics of rebel music made in Jamaica many years ago can still be heard beating from sound systems across the globe. Vintage reggae music still stirs the feet of many, proving that good music never grows old.

Michael Barnett of MKB Productions, promoters of Heineken Startime, says "Ninety per cent of the songs recorded and received today are vintage music. Vintage means that of exceptional quality. Their music is always current and very, very significant."

Derrick Harriott, singer andowner of Derrick Harriott's One Stop Store, concurs, saying that "Ten to one, the more oldies selling than the new ones."

According to Harriott, "Whereas someone will buy one copy of a new artiste, one customer will buy like 10 copies of the old artiste's album. More often than not, it's a compilation CD or the 'best of' collection from an artiste. When the solo artist is very popular, they sell a lot. Top sellers are like Ernie Smith, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, John Holt Jimmy Cliff and such."

He described the clientele as "Persons anywhere from mid-20s up. You would be surprised how many young people know old music ... shows like Heineken Startime and radio programmes such as Bob Clarke on IRIE FM assist in making the playing field level."

MUSIC IS IN A VACUUM

Barnett said, "I'm concerned about reggae music today. A couple artistes are making it big, but music is like in a vacuum, it has become stagnant. The lyrics are different and there's no melody; melody is what helps you to remember a song. Present music is not constructive but destructive."

Still, he says, "Veteran acts are enjoying the fruits of their labour now. They recorded for 20 and 30 years and never benefited. They were not educated about publishing and copyrighting laws and they would get a small fee from producers for recording and that's it. The producers benefited but now the artistes are benefiting from numerous live shows."

However, does the vintage label bother the artiste? Not Ken Boothe. "I am a legend. I will be on vintage type shows, but I don't mind. I've been in the business for 41 years and I enjoy it," he said.

Leroy Sibbles says "I've lived three decades in the music business. After a while, you start to get certain titles, such as 'vintage' or 'oldies'. But I don't mind. I'm grateful. My music is classic and it has its legacy of history and achievement."

However, there are some who are not as comfortable with the vintage sticker. George Nooks says "Right now I consider myself an all-around artiste. I've been in themusic business for a long time, 30 years. I don't consider myself a vintage act, but an international artiste. I have records released ever so often. I'm steady, going on."

Lloyd Parkes, bass player and leader of Lloyd Parkes and We the People Band, which provides the music for many vintage shows, says "Not many could do what we did (vintage artistes). Most of the songs today, are music done by us. They just change the rhythm. You hardly find a young musician who does something for themself."

SOUL

"Our music is something that have soul to it; it's not computerised, it's been out there for a generation. There was more instruments coming together and it had more everything to me. But reggae music is here to stay; it's gonna be around forever," Nooks said. "Our music is like that time, a more subtle time, not as harsh as it is now. We bring a different mood, but reggae is still Jamaica music," Sibbles says.

And the crowd support is stillthere, especially internationally.

"Outside of Jamaica there is much support. I finished doing nine shows in Europe and it was amazing. I was overwhelmed by the response in Belgium and Spain; everyone knew my songs. The younger generation loves our music. I met a young artiste the other day and he said what inspired him was when his mother used to play the old music," Boothe said.

SUPPORT

"I get a lot of support both locally and internationally. In 2000, I was offered an Order of Distinction from the Jamaican Government. Honestly, there's more support worldwide. It's more thrilling overseas. There's just a feeling you get; I can't explain it," Parkes said.

Leroy Sibbles says "locally, it depends on where you perform, the venue. Locally you have a Sumfest, Sunsplash, Heineken Startime, depends on the promoter. In Europe you really feel like a musician. It's a fact that we sell better internationally, because nobody here wants to spend money buying records anymore".

"Foreigners know more about the business; they don't take us for granted. More should have been done locally a long time ago. Then we could have set a path for progress for people back then and now. No one took it seriously," Sibbles said.

Nooks concurs, stating "we are appreciated more internationally than locally, definitely. It's very hard to understand why. Maybe it's when you have something at your own leisure, I can't understand it".

RECORD SALES

The live performance response also applies to record sales. "Internationally, I definitely sell more," Boothe said.

Parkes says "Music doesn't sell in Jamaica anymore. People don't buy stuff, they pirate it. What they do buy are performances. Internationally, we sell more. First time, you could sell a record for US$150,000, now it doesn't sell for US$50,000".

"I did a show in New York called the Westchester Reggae Fest, held on June 3 and 4. One night was dancehall music and the other was vintage. Both were sold out and a ticket cost like US$100," Parkes said.

Respect comes across the generations.

DJ Lady Saw says "I like Gregory Isaacs, John Holt, Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths and more. I think Jamaicans appreciate them. There are a lot of vintage shows and they are always sold out ... I love listening to Gregory Isaacs. He has such a unique voice. Also Marcia Griffiths; she represents for women, she's a good role model for a lot of younger people and she has endured a long time".

"I listen to old school Barrington Levy and Beres Hammond. Internationally, if you don't have a Barrington Levy, Beres Hammond, Burning Spear and dem artiste the turnout is gonna be so so. A lot of these dancehall artists by ourselves cannot pack an arena like these guys. I went to a concert in San Francisco called Reggae By the River and if you saw some of the line up, people you haven't heard about, like Steel Pulse," Vegas said.

Still, he says "the thing is music is so competitive, it's a factory constantly manufacturing new acts. Nothing stays around. Sometimes you go to a concert and the audience doesn't want to hear a classic singer. Sometimes you goto a show and they don't want to see a dancehall act. It depends on the audience".

NOT APPRECIATED

However, Marie Francis, director of Public Relations of the Jamaica Association of Vintage Artists and Affiliates (JAVAA), states "They are not necessarily appreciated - possibly in a show situation in terms of persons coming out to support, a more mature audience. They are especially not appreciated in the electronic media. When Desmond Decker died the other day hardly any young person knew who he was. His song Israelites was the first reggae song to reach English and U.S. charts. Very few young persons understand a wide cross-section of music, much less our music".

She said hardly anyone knew that Sean Paul and Sasha's I'm Still In Love With You was a remake of Alton Ellis' hit.

"Another thing I find is that corporate Jamaica, unless it is our contemporary artistes, we cannot get any type of sponsorship for live shows, TV shows. Whenever it involves our vintage artistes they are not interested. On one hand, people say we need smaller live music shows, but it costs to put on. Once it involves vintage artistes, it almost next to impossible. I guess it's because they can't draw a crowd; if they do it's a mature crowd," Francis said.

"There needs to be balance," she said. "What's so hypocritical is when they say they are not supporting the lewd lyrics and such, yet they do. When they are having their own corporate events like banquets, presentations who do they call? Certainly not Vybz Kartel or others like him. That type doesn't represent their corporate image. They call us We need to set it straight. It should not be one at the exclusivity of another".