Andrew Smith/Photography Editor
From left, Rass Rodd of Dub Traffickers; Steppa in performance, and Fitzroy 'Viva!' Cole.

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Although dub poetry, combining often rebellious poetry and music, is a critical success, is there really a stage to get the message across? A number of dub poets have resorted to the mainstream arenas, such as stage shows, to perform their work.

Dub poetry is a form of performance poetry consisting of spoken word over reggae rhythms, that originated in Jamaica in the 1970s, Oku Onura, Mutabaruka and the late Mikey Smith being the pioneers in Jamaica, with Linton Kwesei Johnson at the forefront of the British scene.

The link between music and poetry has been around for years and is the root of dub poetry itself, but capturing the attention of a dancehall crowd often takes a lot of work, running, climbing, 'dutty wining' and more. Just how does poetry fit into this scene?

A buzz for the business

According to dub poet Steppa, stage shows are creating a buzz for the business. "I do a lot of hard-core stage shows like Rebel Salute, Sting, Startime, Sunsplash and more. When you do poetry and you on the level, people call you. Tony Rebel connected me to perform, so too did Sunsplash. Right now I'm signed on to a label called Smoky Room, which is a hard-core dancehall label," he said.

Shakespeare may be great but he would not be tolerated at such shows. Steppa says "You have to be powerful. You cannot come and read like Shakespeare. You haffi come wid vibes, lyrics, voice must be powerful. People don't come to think, they come to enjoy. Dub poets can go anywhere, not only to poetry shows. I perform wid Sizzla, Beres Hammond and more, you haffi come different. My strength is delivery and style. I can deejay. At place like Sunsplash you can get like $35,000 to $40,000 for two nights."

However, not all agree that dub poetry and dancehall mix. Rass Rod, CEO of Dub Traffickers, says "I don't see performance poetry as suited for that type of ambience, the big main stage show. Poets are out as secondary; we are treated like band change. They put us on to facilitate band change. Individual acts are seeing themselves as mainstream, like mainstream artistes, that's why they wanna go on stage shows."

Another dub poet, Fitzroy 'Viva!' Cole, says "Jamaican people and promoters don't know how to market their poetry. Only few poets get to record. If you record you can sell records. On a stage show people don't pay for it like how they pay a reggae artiste. It is not mainstream enough to play on radio. Dub poets on the international arena are built up like reggae artistes through the music in the poetry."

No act

Rass Rod also says "most of our local poets don't have an act; good piece of poetry but no act. They can stand up for an hour or half-hour and do good work, but there's no supporting work otherwise. There are many platforms for dub poets, mainstream like Sunsplash. There are others like funerals, weddings, corporate functions, cultural functions, where there is only poetry done, no compromise."

It is in such arenas that Viva! performs. "I'm an entertainer, hype, I have a fire. Mi drop it serious. Dub poetry in Jamaica, people don't hear enough about it, the quality. It's not only Mutabaruka and dem good, the quality di people have to offer is good. Like I have a friend who's an undertaker, they call me to present a poem. When it done I get a money. Or for an office party or concert, you get like $3,500 for like 10 or 15 minutes," he said.

Rass Rod also does not see dancehall as his stage. "I don't see myself doing main stage. Main stage shows carry a different morality. Poetry is so large about knowledge, society, that is delivered through word and artiste diversity. Dub poetry is active. The JCDC maintains poetry. It's not there locally, but internationally," he said.

He does, however, concede to a link among singing, dancehall and dub poetry. "Everything is born from poetry. Everyone used to listen to it. Poets have to deliver it in a manner acceptable to the people. Poets should try to deliver it like the singers. Dub poetry connotes morale of lyrics, a voice of resistance. Certain aspects of Kartel connotes high poetry. The way they deliver their art form is similar to dub poetry, while the subject of dancehall is like poetry," Rod said.

And Steppa says "Poetry is in everything, organised melodious form of words. Kartel and Busy Signal, they are kind of poetic. But dancehall and dub poetry different. Dub poetry can be done without a rhythm, more a reggae thing. Yuh haffi love poetry fi really do it."