( L - R ) Peter Moses and Mutabaruka

When Mutabaruka spoke at the start of the Tru-Juice Rebel Salute 2007 launch, held at the ballroom of the Hilton Hotel, New Kingston, on Thursday evening, space was on his mind.

The matter of a fixed venue for concerts was also addressed briefly by Delano Franklyn, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and at length by the evening's guest speaker, Citigroup Country Officer, Peter Moses.

"Years ago there was a piece of land adjacent the car park at stadium. I was told that the piece of land was earmarked for a music theatre," Mutabaruka said, noting that sports has taken over the space.

"Considering what the music has done and is doing for Jamaica, it is important and necessary to have a centre for the music play without having to stop at 2:00 a.m. We need a proper place for the music to play ... The music pass the stage where a man say is a downtown music and them no respec' it," he said.

Franklyn noted that he has been lobbying for such a convention centre for some time, saying that he would do everything to see that it goes through. "You are very influential and you deserve respect," he said.

However, Moses, after remarking on how many young people want to be entertainers and his own experience of playing U-Roy and the Paragons Wear You To The Ball at school in Pittsburgh in 1970 for American friends, said "I hear a lot of talk about 'them don't do this, them don't do that'."

Built from within

"I say forget about them ... If you want a convention centre, get together and build a convention centre. The best things in life, the things that last, are built from within ... Before others take it and benefit from it, hug it up," he said.

"The government of Jamaica will not build a convention centre for you ... The industry did not develop through the government. It needs to be developed in a corporate way, so that the people who are in the industry can benefit from it ... I suggest that you form yourselves into a strong group of people who not only know how to entertain but how to be business people," Moses said.

And Super Plus CEO, Wayne Chen, had earlier cited government's hands-off approach, saying, "what I have been lobbying for, for years, is the state to get out of the way. Remove the duty on instruments, the GCT on amplification equipment. Anything that goes into the production, reproduction and distribution of music, free it up and allow many, many unheralded talents to blossom in this country."

- M.C.