Sting Set to…..Rock? It Better!

A round up of recent news reports on what is arguably Jamaica’s best one night show suggests Jamaican music fans, dancehall in particular, are in for a ‘higher level, boombastic, so special, guh hard an’ done’ performance! Afterall, Downsound is back on board for Sting 2013 following the exciting partnership for the 2012 staging; Mavado who is hot from his recent collab with Nicki Minaj is set to take the stage; Super Cat, 2Chainz will headline adding retro dancehall pedigree and an international flavour to the line-up ; and, the show is going global to some 315 million targeted across five continents through partnerships with top broadcasters. 

Known for its yearly clashes and hardcore performances, Sting is promising the show of a lifetime befitting the maturity of thirty years in prime form. We will get an appreciation of the old reggae and dancehall styles, the crossovers, the new blood and the clashing too. Sting needs to be commended for maintaining the highly anticipated product for thirty years in spite of economic and other challenges.  Joe Bogdanovich of Downsound Records fame has successfully partnered with Supreme Ventures for the staging of Sting 2012 and the partnership returns this year in celebration of the important milestone. Bogdanovich is clear that ‘reggae and dancehall will be shown in a positive light’ and as part of the challenge of achieving high international standards, his mission remains that of uplifting the Jamaican music industry and making shows such as Sting part of the calendar of events visitors come to Jamaica to consume. I am clear, and the promoters are too, that Sting is an asset as a creative product adding to the varied cultural milieu we boast as a nation occupying a dot on the globe.

First held at Cinema 2 in New Kingston in 1984, I have attended a number of its stagings at Jamworld. Last year, I said this about its 29th staging and I can only hope that my concerns about the product will be heard.  

The Best Ever Sting? What Did 2012 Bring?

DECEMBER 29, 2012 BY DANCEHALLGEOGRAPHIES

On the heels of all the successful events in 2012, with Shabba’s Sumfest appearance as my massive moment, the big end of year buzz resided with Sting in the face of a declining dancehall calendar of events for December. This year the anticipation levels were locked in because on a platter was given the release of highly anticipated Busy Signal from a six month sentence served in a Federal United States prison. On that same platter was the hottest DJ of the year Konshens who fortuitously had a date cancellation. Then there was the devil-devouring lot, long awaiting the chance to pour holy water on Uncle Demon (aka Tommy Lee), while Macka Diamond and Spice heated it up over who was blacker!!? In other words, Sting, long known for and successfully retaining its place as the last bastion of the Jamaican dancehall clash performance mode, and dubbed the greatest one night show in Jamaica, had it good for the 2012 edition. Add to this the Supreme Promotions alliance with don of Downsound Records Josef Bogdanovich signalling new levels of cooperation, needed capital and media ops for ‘slapping cash’ into the hands of desired acts.

The line-up was enormous. I wanted to hear Busy Signal, Konshens, Mavado (who did not appear), Macka Diamond and Spice who didn’t clash afterall, and Ninja Man in particular. I expected Kiprich to deliver in his usual style and I was anticipating what the wrestling-labelled tag team clash would bring. But what did 2012 really bring? Some seem to be following the hype when hot air has in fact turned cold.

I arrived at the venue around 1:30am in somewhat of a panic because patrons were encouraged to arrive for the 12:30am appearance by Busy Signal. Well, recognising that Specialist was the act in performance, my heart settled and I decided to walk the venue from back to front, and side to side to check out the mood, fashion, those familiar faces and of course the security in place. By the time I settled into the crowd it was time for Etana who delivered in usual appealing style with tunes such as Roots, Wrong Address and Wifey.

The 2012 edition of Sting was divided into six categories, and if I must say so myself, a fine compendium of choices for a one night show. These were 12 Disciples of Dancehall, Best of Reggae, Independent Ladies, the Fantastic Four (Nature, Droop Lion, Iba Mahr and Chronixx), Three the Hard Way and Next Generation.

After Etana, the next time my focus reached the stage was for the announcement of Chronixx who is now seen as the next big act out of Jamaica: consummate performer, bright, lyrically adept, genre flexible, settled and has his goal squarely in front of him. I was then impressed by Nature, an act I was seeing for the first time who used the stage admirably with his conscious Rastafari-inspired contribution. Then, soon enough Romain Virgo did not disappoint. I’ve been paying attention to him, seeing him mature, watching his management choice and waiting for his next releases.

Around 3:36am when Busy Signal was being introduced by the studio recording Michael Anthony Cuffe so ably delivered, I got in gear for the performance I had anticipated. I quickly left the VIP area and settled into the crowd again because some performances have to be experienced in the midst of the most energised crowd constellation, what Kamau Brathwaite refers to as ‘congregational kinesis’.

So much was right about Busy’s performance. His oratory on prison life interspersed between timeless selections such as ‘Nah Go a Jail Again’ was masterful. It was Busy’s year at Sting 2012: hijacked from a flight on his way from Britain, incarcerated and having suffered many a nutrition and other woes behind bars, Busy’s maturity and professionalism was evident. We were treated to new releases, a fine tribute to Buju with Dean Frazer on saxophone, plus the gospel medley with a children choir dressed in full white. Busy Signal signalled his heroic status in dancehall and his delivery went a long way for securing more street love among two important blocks – the christians and the Buju fans who are impatiently anticipating his release. When his set was completed, in fitting style, Busy was presented with the Game Changer Award by Joe Bogdanovich.

Konshens my other favourite touched the stage at 4:37am dressed in what was trendy athletic / casual gear, with delivery typical of his successful year as he performed crowd favourites such a ‘Gyal Sidung’ featuring Darrio who is getting his much needed break alongside Konshens.

It wasn’t until daylight that the anticipated Uncle Demon, Tommy Lee Sparta hit the stage to deliver what seemed to be a well rehearsed set backed by Ruff Kutt Band. Though one perceived by many to be in need of holy water there were no attempts to perform any exorcisms either by Ninja Man, Bounti Killa (absent from Sting 2012) or I Octane. Of course his red and black outfit signalled confidence and hard core competence based on the year-long success he enjoyed.

In true Sting fashion, orchestrated or not, the popular Popcaan of Gaza camp fame had his set interrupted by Black Ryno’s appearance on stage which he announced with some obviously troubling Gaza loyalty invocations. Word on the street is that they are no longer members of Kartel’s Portmore Empire, but curiously street credibility relies on paying homage to such musical edifices. Ryno walked on stage during Popcaan’s set which triggered pushing and the movement of much security personnel to the stage. No one was either visibly or reported hurt but Popcaan was quickly asked to depart, the last of him being seen with a mob moving out of the venue. The task was then left to I Wayne and Lutan Fyah to pour lyrical water on the various factions and fiery atmosphere left by the skirmish.

I decided to leave at this point, daylight, in fact way past dawn, approximately 6:45am, for a number of reasons. On my way home, approximately 7:10am I was hearing reports of Sizzla’s performance and the fact that he did not disappoint. My decision to leave had less to do with security and safety than with my disappointment in the fact that as one of the greatest one night shows in Jamaica, and in its 29th staging over 28 consistent years, the organisers of Sting have still given themselves wiggle room for mediocrity.

So much was problematic because performances alone have never a stage show made. A great line-up was essentially sacrificed by less than perfect stage management, security inadequately deployed especially after the announcement that the show had moved into the clash segment, and a running order which was not managed, therefore not delivering a consistently created crescendo effect. No excuse can explain why great acts didn’t touch the stage by 6:45am. One good thing which stood out for me in terms of the organisation and character of the show was the short band changes.

When I tried to express my feelings about Sting 2012 I was greeted with the following responses:

“But Sting’s aesthetic is not intended to get it completely right anyway…ghetto people something is always evolving – unpredictable and thus not for those expecting the Jazz and Blues type of catharsis…” JS

“But that is STING. For dancehall it was pristine.” NS

In other words, “that’s just Sting”. There is a culture that’s unique and that also means one should accept mediocre standards in a context where we are building / maintaining a reputation as world musical superpower. But in such a context, is there room for mediocrity? If controversy is the aim, then certainly one can strive to be at the top of even that game. The fact that there is a link between events held in Jamaica and the ‘heads to beds’ number outcomes for the Ministry of Tourism and ultimately the country’s foreign exchange piggy bank is also another point for consideration. Whether we know it or not, major music events drive visitor arrivals up and we must remain cognisant of viewing this one night show as a catalyst for greater cultural and economic development in a holistic sense. Realistically, how many patrons really walked away thinking that they left the show on a high, having got their money’s worth? I certainly didn’t.

Finally, my question having missed the tag team clash is — why would Tony Matterhorn have agreed to team up with tired Merciless in the first place, and to go gladiator style with veteran Ninja Man and adept Kiprich at that?? Hah sah.

 

 

 

A Dance Wi a Dance!….Revisiting Maggotty High’s ‘Posthumous Revelations’

Hold up! Forgive me for flogging a dead horse!

As if the yank, jerk, bruckins, and dinki mini did not create their own moral anxieties, today we are faced with another dance crisis, only this time it is a horse of slightly different colours involving the ‘discipline and punish’ trademarks of the school uniform worn by Maggotty High students as they celebrated the school year’s end with revelry and abandon all of two years ago. Yes! Two years ago. How does this come to be topical, and earn its place in prime time commentary?  The ‘posthumous revelations’ from the two year old video revealed students in a ‘saturnalia’  of sorts fully captured by the ‘videolight’.

Dionne Jackson Miller effectively summed up some of the major issues in her recent blog post here with some of the major points being the uniform as part of a covenant between student and school for maintenance of decorum and decency, as well as the vulgarity displayed in the free and fair play of ‘daggerin’ and other moves which the students executed with precision. The students made it clear that ‘a dance wi a dance’ in the celebratory styles known as part of the rich history of dance culture pulsating down the African Diaspora’s body of memory all the way to Kingston’s riddim amphitheatre. Expulsion, suspension,  and counselling were among the restorative justice considerations for the dance crimes committed. Fortunately or unfortunately, only the one student from the video who still attends the institution would bear the brunt of the unrestrained sexually explicit conduct.

Don’t get me wrong. Students must take responsibility for their actions. This is non-negotiable. What is negotiable is how we as a society will chose to treat with occurrences that bring us face to face with our sometimes hypocritical standards for judging a range of behaviours. My one regret is that in the waves of moral panic over the past fifty years in particular, we have been too quick to persecute, penalise and take not only a classist view, but also, an ahistorical approach to the proliferation of a variety of dance styles, performance modes and celebratory patterns. I therefore use this opportunity to share some of my own insights documented in DanceHall:  From Slave Ship to Ghetto (2010).

Have you heard of the Yank?

Dance moves such as yanga (mento dance), yank, jerk, and ska movements that emphasise domestic activity (washing clothes, bathing), recreation (horse racing, cricket) or anything that appealed to the ska dancer, are antecedents of popular dancehall moves such as the butterfly, log on and dutty wine.  So are moves such as ‘legs’, performed by famous dancers Pam Pam and Baskin of the early years, the ‘chucky’, and ‘horseman scabby’.

African and other continuities

As descendants of African movement and aesthetics, dancehall moves convey continuities such as the emphasis on ‘the beat’ and the ‘natural bends’ – elbow, head, pelvis, torso and knee bends (see Dagan 1997, pp. 102-119) in the movement pattern as documented in various African dance styles. Welsh Asante (1985) recognised that commonalities in all contemporary African dances have an inherent connection to ancestral Africa “through epic memory and oral tradition, even though these dances represent different languages, people, geographies, and cultures (Welsh Asante 1985, p. 71).  Following from this she identified seven foundations or senses in African dance:  polyrhythm, polycentrism, curvilinearity, multi-dimensionality, epic memory, repetition, and holism which are all evident in contemporary dancehall moves.

Following from the understanding of continuities specific aesthetic qualities have been isolated.  Cheryl  Ryman (2003, pp. 170-1) discusses the connection to ancestral rhythms and moves through an explanation of the characteristic wining of the hips, the bounce (facilitated by natural knee bends) and an S-shaped stance in both male and female dance.  The ‘S-90 skank’ (1970s), mimicking the actions of the ‘rude boy’ on his motorcycle is an early example, as well as traditional Jamaican movement forms such as in Revival, Gereh, Bruckins, and Mento.  Ryman discussed the seeming preoccupation with sexual (hip-centered) movements within the context of African principles:

“If we understand that procreation was/is considered vital to the African’s survival in life and death, in Africa as well as the diaspora, then we can perhaps understand their apparent preoccupation with ‘sexual’ movements.  Further, it is not unusual, as in Jonkonnu, for the traditional treatment within the context of the dance to be such as to allow for what the folk themselves define as ‘sexual play’.  It is simply a representation in dance-movement.” (Ryman 1980, p. 4)

Importantly, the characteristics pervade traditional and contemporary movement, and they have utility outside the dance.  The agile pelvic movements help with uphill walks especially with heavy contents on the head and in this sense the hip acts as a ‘shock absorber’ (Eskamp and de Geus 1993, p. 56).  Other characteristics such as bent knees, grounding of the body rather than lifts, rhythmic complexity, and parallel feet have also been documented.

The Role of the Dancer

The role of dance and dancers in the dance halls is paramount. The experienced dancer was and still is like a ‘god’; if one couldn’t dance s/he was definitely seen as a lesser being. The ability to execute movements was an indication of one’s class membership (White 1984, p. 75). The portrayal of dancehall as only music misses the important role that dance movement plays – not only in the playing of sounds, but playing on sound. The norms and power of certain dance styles become evident in the description of dance moves at the typical blues dance –

“two “legsman” may trade moves….A group of adolescents may be in a circle, creating new amalgams; a man and a woman may be doing the “boogie-woogie,”…. Another couple may be dancing slowly, closely…sometimes almost motionless, openly sexual….One youth may be all by himself – shuffling or…just “rocking”. He probably pays no attention to women that night, being quite satisfied to rock; self-sufficient and wrapped up in the music. (White 1984, p. 74)

Former dancehall queen Denise ‘Stacey’ Cumberland (crowned 1999) is clear about the role of the dancer in the dancehall:  “The dance can’t happen without dancers.  They are the crowd pleasers; if the music has nothing to vibrate on, the dance can’t be nice” – it is a dance space. In discussing the trend (1999-2007) in dancehall with the increased proliferation of new dance moves, Stacey highlighted a special synergy between dancer, DJ, the young, the old, the friend, and the enemy.  “I have seen dancehall taking out old people; dancehall never so nice in the history of dancehall…because it is not modelling, not hype again, just enjoyment and everybody together uniting, everybody [dancing]” so much so that you forget your enemy on the dance floor.  In fact, Stacey acknowledges that the proliferation of dance moves creates a synergy between dancers and DJs because there is always a new dance for the DJs to sing about.

A typical dancehall platform

Part II – Songs of Kingston’s Redemption

“Sons of this nation sing these songs of redemption”

I cried tears. Tears of empathy, pain, sorrow, love, consideration, and joy. It was the most intense thing I had seen on Jamaican music and prison life. The most riveting exposure of not just prison life but the successful rehabilitation programme using music in Jamaica’s penal system. Fernando Garcia’s Songs of Redemption was one of the films screened at Rototom Sunsplash’s 20th staging last summer. It revealed a ‘prison with swag’, specifically the Tower Street Correctional Centre which has been long known as General Penitentiary or ‘GP’ for short.

Reminiscent of recordings such as ‘General Penitentiary’ by Black Uhuru, and set in a space originally housing slaves who arrived at Kingston Harbour for sale to the highest bidder for plantation labour, Garcia exposes the intensity of prison life in what feels like real time, and yet in a sensitive manner. The film is dedicated to activist Carla Gullotta, and portrays the journey of  inmates with musical inclination. It moves through the experiences of singers such as Serano Walker, Pity Less and Horseman as they collectively write, record, rehearse in spaces such as the ‘Bloom of Light Band Room’, and stage productions for invited guests and prison staff. The phenomenal transfer of frustration from the perils of life and its lessons into love and music produced sweet songs from the proverbial caged bird in a range of styles from dub poetry, to deejaying and singjaying. Serano, for example, had written some 200 songs since his incarceration, and magical self affirmation came for example as Pity Less changed his name to ‘Pity More’.

The heart-broken, dejected, and in some cases, abandoned inmates unveiled their dreams and life paths as they recorded redemption songs in the music studio established as part of the rehabilitation programme initiated by, among others,  Officers Gillette Ramsay and Leroy Fairweather (now retired). Horseman for example, who attended Alpha School for Boys since age thirteen, dreamt of surpassing Don Drummond’s genius and contribution. It was also Horseman who recorded the ultimate dream embodied in the line – ‘haffi hol’ back a girl inna wi arms again’.

The farewell for one of the rehabilitation programme’s fathers – Superintendent Leroy Fairweather who was due to retire –  brought emotions from heart to the tear ducts.  You see, it was this same ‘fairer than the weather’ guardian with a heart who believed that if prisoners are occupied there’d be less time for them to get into trouble. He affirmed that ‘prison is not made for dogs, [one is] punished and sent there, its not a place you go to for punishment’. For the film’s main characters, it was as if they were losing a parent.

Some of the strongest affirmations came from Serano and Pity More. Serano explained that he began feeling like a person, finding peace, and happiness through music. He was particularly vocal after the performance organized with visitors such as I Wayne and Bongo Herman after which he said it felt as though music was helping him to create a soul.

The film is ultimately one which makes a strong statement about the philosophy behind punitive measures which have no redemptive imperative. It is all about redemption, and as Pity More said –  ‘from you redeem yourself there is no condemnation’.

If the film has any shortcoming it would be the glaring omission of reference to Jah Cure who also participated in the rehabilitation programme and reaped such success that by the time of his release from prison he was a celebrity with net worth around JA$1 billion. When I mentioned this to the film producer he revealed that Jah Cure’s experience was not altogether positive.

With support from the Human Rights Programme of  the European Union, the film has been getting rave reviews  but don’t just take my word for it. Listen out for it coming to a theatre near you. Personally, I am looking forward to using it as a teaching resource.

Part I – The Legends of Ska

This year’s 20th staging of Rototom Sunsplash, dubbed The Love Edition, had me on my second visit riveted to events in the Reggae University. I say a lot about this festival in my forthcoming book Reggae Pilgrimages: Festivals and the Movement of Jah People. This time around, the Spanish city of Benicassim saw the premier of some formidable visual products. In this long overdue post I focus on the first film – Brad Klein’s Legends of Ska.

The film which was organized around interviews with ska greats and the filming of a historic reunion of stars in Toronto during the summer of 2002, was in the making for some 12 years. It featured approximately 13 Skatalites members, and goes to the heart of Jamaican music through an exposition on ska’s many insiders.

The film unequivocally affirms that ‘without ska there is no reggae’. Indeed without the legsmen such as Satchmo there was no good ska performance, and without mento there would have been no ska.

Unlike Heather Augustyn’s book Ska (2010), there are no revelations about corruption in the business or stories of artists being ‘jipped’ by producers. Rather, we get the heart-warming, soul drenching love that consumed the music-makers. Derrick Morgan was the first Ska superstar and it was Federal Records with engineers such as Graham Goodall (original RJR pioneer engineer) where the recording of ska began. Ken Khouri and his brothers of Beverley’s Records, and Chris Blackwell’s Island Records were also there. Prince Buster’s ‘Voice of the People’, Duke Reid’s ‘Trojan’, Sir Coxone Dodd’s ‘Downbeat’ and Thomas ‘Tom’ Wong’s ‘The Great Sebastian’ were the sound systems that ran the place.

The ska stars and singers featured include Stranger Cole, Derrick Morgan, Derrick Harriot, The Blues Busters, Laurel Aitken, The Paragons, Desmond Dekker, The Wagabonds, Millicent ‘Patsy’ Todd, Higgs and Wilson, Lord Creator, Justin Hinds, Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert, Doreen Shaffer, Jackie Opel, Alton Ellis, and players such as Lloyd Knibb, Lloyd Brevette, Lester Sterling, Jackie Mittoo, Johnny Moore, Tommy McCook, Don Drummond, Roland Alphonso, and Rico Rodriques, many of Skatalites fame.

Of course the film could not miss the important role which the Alpha School for Boys played in the emergence of ska, with many of the featured stars having attended the school. Don Drummond, famous ska boss on the trombone, was the most enigmatic of them, one who never spoke much but whose trombone spoke for him. It was Jimmy Cliff and Millie Small though who took ska to another level when international possibilities knocked.

Both Patsy and Doreen spoke of how challenging it was in the early 1960s for women in the business who were almost invisible in the production process. They revealed how they felt they had to remain silent in the midst of the ‘business pushing’ men. Women in the business have certainly come a far way but still feel like lesser beings in the highly male-dominated space of Jamaican music.

Many may have forgotten that Bob Marley,  the ultimate rude boy of the time, also recorded ska, but his destiny was already written on a reggae track. It was Prince Buster, wearing well the moniker ‘Voice of the People’, who became top sound man on ‘Beat Street’ (or properly Orange Street) because he knew what the people liked and changed the ska sound with hit tunes such as ‘Wash Wash’ and ‘Hard Man fi Dead’. He soon shot to number 1 on the Jamaican Hit Parade (charts of the time). His lyrical rivalry with Derrick Morgan fuelled another kind of life into ska with clashes at several levels, becoming dangerous at times.

Only Lester Sterling and Doreen Shaffer survive of the Skatalites.  Prince Buster and Lord Creator have both suffered strokes and are mostly immobile. It is indisputable that the timing of the reunion was impeccable, with release of the film nothing but historic, legendary and ultimately timeless.

The story told by Lester Sterling at the end of the screening has stayed with me. He spoke of the early reggae tune ‘Woman Nuh Want Bangarang‘ and that in the process of recording he asked for any rhythm to be played, saying ‘reggae reggae reggae’ in trying to make the sound he wanted on the track. In his memory that was the first time the term ‘reggae’ was heard. Take a back seat all others claiming to have originated the word!

“Bangarang”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJTGKrTRNE8