Few surprises on Malachi Smith's Hail to Jamaica

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

There is precious little by way of surprises on well-established dub poet Malachi Smith's Hail to Jamaica.

However, as in all things, context is crucial to understanding the 18-track set's predictability. And said context will go a far way in determining what conclusion will be formed on its merit - or lack thereof.

Smith is one of the many Jamaican writers not in residence. He has been living in Miami for many years, but keeps very close contact with the island. This includes coming back to 'yard' to launch his albums.

Hail to Jamaica, then, is an expression of a Jamaican living outside Jamaica's patriotism (the CD starts out with the title track - The National Anthem, done folk music style) who is longing for home. Smith reworks a popular ditty to "Christmas a come me waan fe go home". The album also lauds the achievements of Jamaica worldwide and then states "we prove it to the world long time/now America is your turn" on Pioneers, and on near frenetic Wha Dis, he tackles Jamaica's prime evil - politics.

There he talks about "officials who bring in the election gun" and in the following Move Up, advises "election is just a procession/ respect your brother's decision".

The language Smith uses is earnest, but save for a few exceptions, the turns of phrase are hardly striking. Among those exceptions are when he addresses what seem to be his favourite topics - Jamaican food, Jamaican language and last but certainly not least Jamaican women.

Food and women

Two of those topics, the food and the women, are fused in the semi-erotic Change of Heart, where a young girl captures him at the airport in Jamaica and, among her many entreaties, says "a long time me a steam fish/ah hope yu drink up yu stout".

Then on Miss Yu Jamaica Gal (at just over five minutes the longest poem on Hail to Jamaica) Smith speaks of eating a full meal and then "belch like when a old Ford Transit bus backfire".

Gross or humorous, take your pick. The Gleaner chooses the latter.

Then there is the 'forward' line of the CD, where he says on My Jamaican Tongue "your tongue is ballroom dance/fe me a go-go".

Then on the closing Liad Mout' language and women are combined as he tells the women what he is after. "If yu outta style like Gremlin motor car/mout tell yu a you a carry de swing." And "if you smell like duck ants nest/mout tell you how you sweet like turpentine."

However, while many a poet tosses in a snatch of song, Smith's warbling on Miss Yuh Jamaica Gal and Miss My Jamaican Christmas is ill-advised.

Most poems are done to music, among the exceptions being Preposterous (which is about respecting women's achievements in general and just maybe, Portia Simpson Miller's specifically) and State of Emergency. Smith honours fellow poets Oku Onoura, Mutabaruka and Mikey Smith, as well as Miss Lou on Expiration.

So, the subject matter is wide. Whether or not Hail to Jamaica will strike a chord depends on if one thinks earnestness and that range sufficiently offset the predictability and mostly straightforward language. And that singing, too.

Track listing

1. Hail to Jamaica (featuring Jamaica Folk Revue)

2. Psalm of Malachi

3. Pioneers

4. Wha Dis

5. Move Up

6. Change of Heart

7. My Jamaican Tongue

8. Miss Yuh Jamaica Gal

9. Miss My Jamaican Christmas

10. Going Home for Christmas

11. Heaven Nuh Sweet Like Yasso

12. Preposterous

13. Expiration

14. Head Space

15. State of Emergency

16. A Loaf

17. Evening Dreams

18. Liad Mout'