Nathaniel Stewart/Freelance Photographer
LEFT: Prodigal ... On Sunday morning you only get a half-hour of uplifting music for the whole week and that can't change anything.
Photo by Hugh Stone
RIGHT: Mavado's take on 'Amazing Grace' is, ironically, well into the prime time spot.

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Trumpeting the message of the Lord comes with many trials and tribulations. Gospel artistes try their best to spread their message through music, but they are often thwarted by the lack of prime-time airplay they receive on radio compared to their secular counterparts.

It is rare or near non-existent to hear gospel music during prime-time afternoon radio. Ironically, the closest may be Mavado's Amazing Grace, a twist on a traditional hymn to make a song worshipping the gun.

Among the more popular radio stations for the young and hip are FAME FM and Zip 103 FM, which go heavily into dancehall, reggae, soca and hip hop. Gospel music seems to have been relegated to Sundays, the traditional day of worship.

According to reggae gospel artiste Prodigal Son, it is without a doubt that gospel acts do not get airplay during prime time, especially in comparison to secular artistes. Prodigal told The Sunday Gleaner that there are only stations like LOVE FM that are geared towards gospel music. Mega Jamz and IRIE FM also play gospel selections.

However, the other major stations such as FAME and Zip play gospel mainly on early Sunday mornings. "On Sunday mornings, most people are at church or some are still sleeping from partying the night before. Other music (reggae and especially dancehall) gets prime-time play Monday to Monday. On Sunday morning you only get a half-hour of uplifting music for the whole week and that can't change anything," Prodigal said.

Obviously very irate about the issue, Prodigal noted that Rastafarianism is a religion as much as Christianity. Unlike Christian artistes, Rastafarians receive far more airplay each week in prime time. "Why gospel music only gets played on Sundays is because our music opposes theirs. That's just the reality. It's really unfair to gospel artistes, 'cause our music is positive," he said.

More can be done

Nadine Blair, presenter on Love FM and also a popular gospel concert emcee, agrees with Prodigal that more could still be done for gospel artistes. "They get a lot of play on Love. I think there are some people outside of us that play, who do their best, especially on Sunday. I feel we have enough variety in Christendom that persons can play the music. If persons want, they could do a theme-based thing; you can find anything in gospel music," she said.

Blair said sometimes when gospel gets limited play, it results in a segregation between secular and non-secular artistes.

Goddy Goddy, who has been involved in gospel music for the past eight years, sees an improvement in the amount of airplay that gospel music receives. However, he believes that more can be done. He claimed that at times it takes close to a million dollars to put out a gospel project and it gets stifled when disc jockeys do not play it on the radio. As a Christian, he would never 'pay' selectors to play his music. A solution that he would like to see is the creation of a Christian station.

A Christian station could be a viable option, as according to Blair her listeners are extremely appreciative of gospel music, whether it be reggae gospel, country gospel or any other sub-genre. "The effort is there, but I'd like to see more done. These are artistes that focus on a good message; more emphasis should be paid to gospel artistes," Blair said.

Gangstas

When gospel artistes are not getting regular airplay, it affects their music heavily. Prodigal said "it just means that people don't hear you, they don't know your're around. One set of people are known; they are the ones making it financially. Outside of Jamaica, they see Jamaicans as gangstas who always smoking weed because that is what they hear in the music. They don't know that Jamaica has positive and uplifting music".

According to Prodigal, the music is not appealing to the normal listenership as it is not 'bruk out and skin out' music. However, he does give respect to those selectors that give gospel music a chance.

However, for disc jockey Kurt Riley from FAME FM, gospel music can be difficult to bring across to the masses who like a certain type of 'worldly' music. Professing that he is a 'party DJ', Riley admits that he doesn't have a selection of gospel tunes. He also admitted that most other selectors don't, but that doesn't mean they play purely secularmusic, as conscious Rastafarian tunes are played as well.

"I think their music is not hardcore enough to catch the ears outside of Christendom. The riddim needs to be stronger, more catchy. In order to get through to the Romans you have to be seen as one, but it does not mean you have to act one," Riley said of the gospel artistes.