Dancehall goes for peace

Krista Henry and Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writers

"For this nation, for this time, time now ...

Too many suffering, too many tears

To see a yute die and mi know him for years

When mi look round nobody care and di people dem a live inna fear

Di system need to change right now

Too much yute a go down inna grave right now"

- Change Right Now, Mavado

Always looking for a quick surge of energy onstage and extremely quick lyrically, dancehall and its artistes have always been quick to respond to changes in the society.

Songs about previous unrests and particularly violent incidents, released quickly after the event while it is still very present in the public consciousness, are rife. Among them are Zekes, by Cocoa Tea, after the riots in downtown Kingston around former Matthews Lane strongman Donald 'Zekes' Phipps in September 1998. Beenie Man also recorded a song about the riots and movement of market vendors (as happened in the Tivoli Gardens-centred unrest) during those riots, deejaying "market leave town and come a Cross Roads".

Twenty years before, the now-deceased Johnny Ringo recorded Green Bay about the killing of five men on the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) range in St Catherine in January of that year.

However, going past recording bloody events in the dancehall canon and commenting on the violence, the current focus by many dancehall artistes on peace songs seems unprecedented.

Recent attacks

Rocked by the recent attacks on entertainers, including the shooting and subsequent death of Voicemail's Oneil Edwards, as well as the wounding of deejay Madd Cobra, dancehall has a fount of ink to dip its lyrical quills in. In the midst of this tumultuous time came an incursion into Tivoli Gardens to apprehend alleged drug lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, which left more than 70 people dead.

Of course, dancehall entertainers have been wounded and killed before, with the attendant musical honours paid to them. Notably in the 1994 Tour, Capleton deejays "come back come hear sey Panhead skull bore/come back come hear sey Dirtsman skull bore".

Still, although those killings coincided with the mid-1990s swing by many dancehall performers to Rastafari (among them Buju Banton with his landmark Til Shiloh album), there was not the groundswell of public rallies against crime.

Current times

Reflecting on current times, dancehall has, in its own way, made an attempt to tame the crime monster through songs, talks, planned marches and more. Shortly after the shooting of Edwards, entertainers gathered in their white in Half-Way Tree for a vigil for the artiste, who at the time was in the hospital in critical condition. Singjay Vegas raised his voice high, calling for those who know better to reach out to other artistes and speak out against the brutal murders plaguing the island.

"The people that some of us big up in the music are responsible for this," Mr Vegas declared. "This is an indicator that we need to stop it. Too many people are dying."

This sentiment was reflected through music within days. Deejay Busy Signal made his step with the acoustic song Peace Reigns, in which he sings, "let peace reign for all mankind/man tyaad of di war on crime ... do good all di time not only sometime." In an interview, the deejay admitted his inspiration for the song was from life around him saying, "right now Jamaica need fi clean up, fix up. Me alone can't do it, but I still try by releasing this song."

Singjay Mavado, known for gun lyrics as well as positive anthems, soon released Change Right Now, a message to the 'higher ups' that the people in the streets are suffering. Mr Vegas, Alaine, Craig Jackson, Natel and Ghost also did a remake of the gospel song Can't Even Walk. Etana, D'Angel, Lymie Murray, Hezron, King Yellowman, Raine Seville, Neil Amos, Kimberley Naine, Gabriel, Hodari, Nickesha Barnes, Omari and Karl (Singa) also stepped forward to record Jamaica Unite.

The song was penned by Music for Life promoter Lawman Lynch, who is advocating for the support of strong Jamaican artistes to send and spread the message of peace and unity through the medium which Jamaicans relate to best. In an interview with The Gleaner, D'Angel said "I have worked with Lawman Lynch and his foundation before and I admire his efforts as a youth advocate. Since the concert has been postponed, this song is to just further promote it and to send a positive message simultaneously. We are trying to hit the nation from the young people, at the roots."

"We are hoping that this song can help to heal the nation," she added.

A peace march was also in the making, which the entertainers were to have taken part in. The march, originally scheduled for May, would have gone from the Police Officers' Club on hope Road to National Heroes Circle, downtown Kingston, but was postponed.