Public transport or public party?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Music can reveal the heart and soul of a nation instantly. It can be our destruction, and it can also be used as a tool of revolution. We celebrate and bask in the pride of Jamaica being heralded across the world as a forerunner of musical ingenuity clearly seen in our reggae.

Many have used our beats and aligned themselves with our creative and cultural tones that are irresistible sounds of freedom and triumph.

It is highly unlikely that you are in one part of the world and do not hear the colorful ensemble of our music filling the airwaves. Jamaica remains unrivaled in her artistic prowess musically.

However, as we celebrate Reggae Month, it is worth asking what kind of soundtrack we are building for the next generation.

This is why I find it a major concern and extremely unsettling that the current landscape of music in which we are building the foundations of family, often celebrated in so many of our lyrics, lacks the values which we must hold dear.

There is a prevalent and growing culture which seems to go largely unchecked and tolerated in the form of derogatory and explicitly sexualized lyrics.

I witness this almost every morning on my way to work, around 7:00, without fail. I hear the crass and disturbing lyrics booming in the ears of our children taking public transport.

In his recent contribution to The Gleaner, Ralston Nunes lamented the transformation of public passenger vehicles (PPVs) into “mobile dancehalls”. His call for stronger enforcement is necessary. Yet we must also confront what this environment is normalising for the children seated in those vehicles each morning.

Some mornings the bus doesn’t just move, it bounces and rocks from left to right as though it forgot it was public transport and not centre stage. Left, right, bass shaking the chassis like it’s trying out for Sumfest.

If this trend continues, the only thing separating some PPVs from full-fledged stage props is the absence of hydraulics to make them dip and rise with the beat. You must wonder what kind of morning exercise the children are being forced into before they even reach school.

In far too many of our PPVs, the driver at the wheel is more mesmerised by the bass-backing lyrics that are to be treated as a public contagion. The driver’s shoulders jerk to the rhythm without a care in the world, head violently snapping, one hand loosely guiding the steering wheel as the bus lunges through a late amber light and slips between lanes with confident recklessness.

These songs espoused as relevant and “just a part of the culture” are the equivalent to watching pornography. It is the same consumption, but with different methods.

Some of these drivers have unknowingly set themselves as influencers of our children when they willingly connect the Bluetooth of their devices as instruments of perversion and sounds of corruption. Who gave them the right to disciple the children in this way?

I believe those who have given themselves to this service, whether out of choice or the lack thereof, should respect our children and safeguard their minds as they venture out to learn and grow to be productive and purposeful contributors to Jamaica and globally.

MUSIC A FORM OF ‘SOFT POWER’

The research surrounding music is far too compelling for us to ignore this issue. It should be treated as a public health risk. In 2024, Serena Jampel found that across history, music has mobilised populations, shaped political movements, and unified entire societies around shared values. If music can mobilise nations, it undoubtedly influences the moral imagination of young listeners.

Music is not just neutral background noise; it is a powerful social force that shapes identity, emotions, and behaviour. Scholars like Özer describe music as a form of “soft power” capable of influencing attitudes and collective consciousness. Studies in neuroscience demonstrate that music activates multiple brain regions simultaneously and influences how individuals interpret emotional stimuli.

In our Latin American context, there is evidence that structured music education enhances social-emotional development and reduces risky behaviours among vulnerable youth. This underscores that music shapes behaviour, for better or worse.

Jamaican law already provides a framework to regulate loud and inappropriate music in public spaces – from the Road Traffic and Noise Abatement Acts governing PPVs to broadcasting standards and public decency and child protection laws that recognise limits on harmful content. We should insist on consistent enforcement of these existing laws, extend reasonable content standards to public transport where children are captive passengers, and establish clear decency guidelines for PPVs.

As we wave our flags for Reggae Month, let us also guard the ears and minds of the generation who will carry that flag next.

DAYNA STEWART