Kavelle Anglin-Christie, Staff Reporter

One of the teenagers wounded by gunmen on Sunday, March 6, 2005, in African Gardens, August Town. - Norman Grindley/ Deputy Chief Photographer

THE SILENCE THAT the anti-informant message 'informer fi dead' promotes is real and has a face.

It's the face of Jane, a resident of August Town, St. Andrew, and many others in her position. Jane says the informer complex has held her and her community hostage for years because people are too fearful to effect change.

"More than likely dem always shot informer innah dem mouth, like the old man wha dem kill out a MoBay. People 'fraid 'cause every day the world ah get worse. Right now if me see a man shoot a next man me naw say nothing, 'cause you a put your life at risk. And more time the same police wha you tell will go back and tell the man dem say somebody call in 'bout dem. So innah my world, a some people who nuh love dem life do them things deh," she said softly.

She said the simplest action can cause someone to be labelled as an informer and murdered.

INNOCENT MOVE

"Even if you on the road and you see a man ride pass with him gun and you nuh see him, but it so happen that when him pass you start dial a number and some minutes after that you see police come round dem a go say a you. So more time when you a make a call you cyaan round here and a whisper or man ah go say a police you a call. When me a talk pon phone me talk and make everybody hear, because me nuh have nothing fi hide," she said, though she was still whispering.

It is Jane's reality that makes her adamant that music influences people. She therefore says she disagrees with the artistes who say their lyrics do not have an impact on society.

Jane says the songs help to boost the egos of criminals and drive fear into citizens: "Of course 'dem thing deh have a lot to do with it. More time when you go to the dance dem and you see the whole heap a bad man dem and dem hear a song like dat a say informer or whoever fi dead dem start rail up and buss up shot," she said.

"Them (artistes) just a say people don't listen to them because maybe them don't know or them hoping say is not true, but is a real thing. Why you think some ah di young gal dem fling demself all over the place when song out say 'bun him'? Because it real and people listen to them," said Jane.

ARTISTES NEED TO BE CAREFUL

According to musicologist Winston 'Merritone' Blake, "Artistes need to be careful about what they say because there are people who don't read a lot and what the artistes say is like a Bible and the lyrics become their theme song. Like a man would say 'you nuh hear wha Brother Bob say?' or something like that. So these songs that they sing, people take them seriously... and crimes can only be solved if people come forward with information. That is why you see criminals walking out of court, because of a lack of information."

Blake says "The statement 'informer fi dead' is now a giant billboard in the ghetto and that's why someone can now walk up and murder someone and walk off and people will say they didn't see anything, and Zekes could have called a character witness to say how good he was ­ it is the fear of being labelled as the informer. It is a powerful undercurrent in our society, especially in our poor areas. It is not just a guy on the mic saying something, it is a way of life."

Name changed to protect identity.