Tarrus Riley reaps songwriting rewards from JACAP
Published:Friday | September 6, 2019 | 12:06 AMKimberley Small / Staff Writer
The Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers (JACAP) staged its first-ever awards banquet last Saturday. Held at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston, the event honoured founders and members while recognising the top licensees and earners in the categories of authors, composers and publishers.
Honoured as the top licensee in the area of broadcasting was the RJRGLEANER Communications Group, while reaping accolades as the top global earner in the category of authors, was Omar Reuben Riley.
Popular for self-written songs like Lion Paw, She’s Royal, and One Drop, Tarrus, as he is known when wearing his singer’s hat, has also held the pen for numerous reggae music hits for several artistes.
Without announcing all his songwriting credits, the reggae star reaped the reward from his work in another way – by registering as an author.
“I love JACAP and what they’re doing for artistes. As a singer and songwriter, I urge all the others to register. It’s a simple thing,” he said - easily slipping in the hook for one of his popular tunes.
“I have a lot of songs. I write songs for and with a lot of people, too, but it’s not something I advertise. I’ve written songs for people you wouldn’t believe. And that’s the good thing about JACAP – I get my credits for real,” he told The Gleaner.
The Code
Advertising is not popular among songwriters. Tarrus suggests that practice is as old as the industry itself; that there is a ‘common code’ between singers and songwriters in which one is in the spotlight and the others remains behind the scenes.
Tarrus reasoned that this ‘code’ emerged because some great singers are not songwriters. “Whitney Houston is one of the greatest of all time, but she’s not a songwriter. But they never promoted that. That’s what makes someone like Bob Marley really special.
“Finding someone who can sing and write – which some would say is a complete artiste– they are few and far apart. And singers won’t necessarily promote themselves as ... not writing,” he said.
Potency lost
However, this practice has lost some potency, with industry shifts placing songwriters in the forefront.
Earlier this summer, NBC premiered Songland, a songwriting competition in which unknowns are given the chance to work with established producers to write for a well-known recording artiste.
Though Tarrus doesn’t cloak the fact that he has written for other artistes, he adheres to the code by skimping on the details. With his consistent writing contributions in contemporary reggae music, both in his catalogue and others, ‘Singy Singy’ is not about to lay a trail. “With all due camaraderie, I’m not trying to air them out, but I’m not trying to hide, either.
I just think we should all make sure we’re protected on the administration side.”
One person who can take credit for all of Tarrus Riley’s songwriting efforts is his late father, celebrated singer, songwriter, and producer, Jimmy Riley. “Big up to my fada. He was one of them who told me songwriting is important and to make sure to find a special topic to sing about – topics that are arguments – because is dat run music.
A million man can sing a song to give thanks, but there are a million ways to say it.
“We must remember, we’re not here to fit in but to express ourselves. Mi jus’ a write music. I’m doing this so that the old man can be proud, so my family can be proud. The legacy is important to me.”