Is there hope for (Jamaican) reggae?

Michael Abrahams, Columnist

February is Reggae Month, when we celebrate a musical genre we gave to the world. Over the years, reggae artistes have hit number one on the charts in many countries, a category was created for the genre at the Grammy Awards, and reggae songs have appeared on the soundtracks of several major motion pictures.
Reggae was also one the major rhythms used to accompany voices chanting against apartheid, and Time Magazine named Bob Marley's Exodus Album of the Century, while the BBC declared his One Love Song of the Century.

We say we are proud of reggae. So why then do we treat it with scant respect? For example, we do not document our music and our musicians the way the Americans do theirs. Most of the books that have been written about reggae have been penned by foreigners, and many of the best and most iconic photographs of our artistes have been taken through foreign lenses.

The inaugural International Reggae Poster Contest was held in 2012. More than 1,140 posters were submitted from 80 countries. Most of the entries were from the United States (206), followed by Ghana (96), and Mexico (60). The top 100 posters were on display at the National Gallery of Jamaica, and I visited the exhibition and was overcome with emotion. Ambivalent feelings, really. Entries were from all over the world, and I felt a great sense of pride knowing that music from a country whose population is less that 0.05 per cent of the world is appreciated, respected and studied by so many.
On the other hand, it was disappointing to note that fewer than five posters in the top 100 were from Jamaica. The winning poster was actually from Israel, followed by Turkey, then Italy.

Bob Marley is unquestionably the most famous and influential reggae singer of all time, and his images can be seen on T-shirts and posters in towns and cities across the planet. However, the largest collection of Bob Marley memorabilia belongs to Roger Steffens, an American author and radio personality, who houses the archives in six rooms in his home in Los Angeles. According to The New York Times, Steffens' live multimedia presentation, Life of Bob Marley, is "the next best thing to seeing Bob Marley live".

The Americans have their Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, with lavish annual induction ceremonies. On the other hand, the Reggae Hall of Fame awaits proper establishment, with no regular induction schedule, and is still searching for a permanent home.
All this while dancehall continues to dominate our airwaves. Sure, there are dancehall artistes producing great work, but much of what is being played lacks depth and creativity.

Reggae has now apparently taken a back seat and many reggae artistes report being frustrated with the local scene, claiming they receive much more love and appreciation when they perform on foreign soil. Meanwhile, sales of reggae songs continue to dwindle. As a matter of fact, the biggest selling reggae album in the United States last year was by Snoop Lion (formerly Snoop Dogg), and the second biggest by Matisyahu, another American artiste.

In the days of Reggae Sunsplash, strong Jamaican acts would grace the stage and the festival would be well attended. Sunsplash is no more, but the organisers of its replacement, Reggae Sumfest, feel the need to fly in foreign acts, often performers in other genres, in order to boost attendance. As a matter of fact, many reggae festivals overseas do not even need Jamaican artistes on their shows for them to be successful.

And as to the precursors of reggae, ska and rocksteady, we have all but abandoned them. Ska bands can be found in Japan, North and South America, and Europe, but have basically vanished from the land that gave birth to the genre.

So, at the time of writing, I am at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival. It is the third and final night, and I have seen international artistes Crystal Gayle, Aaron Neville, Chaka Khan and the O'Jays perform and I'm waiting for Jamaica's Beres Hammond to hit the stage and close the show. Maybe there is hope.

Michael Abrahams is an obstetrician and gynaecologist, comedian and poet. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and michabe_1999@hotmail.com or tweet @mikeyabrahams.