Jamaica’s Abyss

 

It is no doubt that Jamaica is one of the most beautiful and progressive countries in the Caribbean. The people are warm, friendly and congenial.

Jamaica has always been an island which promoted and cherished academic accomplishments, and one of the factors which have made Jamaicans unique is the reality that they can be academically brilliant yet well versed in fashion, beauty, music, cuisine and the arts at the same time.

Due to the chameleon nature of several of its citizens, people from various regions of the world are drawn to Jamaicans. However, in the past few decades or so, Jamaica has taken on a whole new vibe that not even the old-fashioned “yardies” can decipher the mode of conduct.

Unfortunately, Jamaica is on the precipice of entering an abyss and I am not sure it is one that it can recover from. In the book of Genesis, an abyss is referred to as a deep hole, one that cannot be measured. Jamaica’s abyss is modern day chaos of despair and shame.

The country’s unfavorable make-over began with its music. A place which was once known for its cool, mellow, prophetic, reggae music from the likes of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and The Third World Band has become jaded by the infusion of dancehall “reggae” music.

In the beginning dance hall was a novelty which was made popular by artists such as Buju Banton, Patra, Cocoa Tea, Lady Saw and others. The lyrics were clever, harmless and represented another side of Jamaican culture that some of us Jamaicans found fascinating.

Since that time, artists such as Mavado, Konshens, Bounty Killer, and Vybz Kartel have come on the scene with extremely graphic lyrics which depict Jamaican women in a negative light. This change regarding the “reggae music” genre also gave way to less modest dance moves.

Suddenly dance hall queens emerged, becoming well known for their whining and grinding. It became painfully apparent that the Jamaican British reserve had been lost in the upheaval of the Jamaican music industry.

The very mellow, sophisticated dance steps displayed at clubs and dance halls everywhere quickly changed to rigorous calisthenics and in some instances shocking, intimate displays.

Somehow the music scene became the measure which all Jamaican women were judged. It did not matter what part of Jamaica you hailed from or that you migrated abroad for many years,  as soon as someone met you, they would ask, “Can you whine and grind like the dance hall queens?”

Sadly this culture of explicit gyrating moves has taken on a life of its own. The unfavorable publicity that it has yielded has changed the quality and tone of Jamaica in general.

For individuals who are not acquainted with the culture and Jamaica’s rich history, they automatically assume most Jamaicans are uneducated ignoramuses showcasing themselves like clowns on the dance floor.

It is not only about the dance and the revamping of the music, but it is also about the western ways which the artists have adapted. Many have resorted to all sorts of body piercings, tattooing, and have forsaken their dreads and tams for thought provoking hairstyles.

Although people do enjoy when their artists are a bit different, it appears that Jamaican artists have gone from being different to outlandish. These changes have also created unsolicited attention whilst artists travel or are participating in international endeavors.

The most troubling of these changes is the fact that mainstream Jamaicans have accepted the transformation and are quick to renounce anyone that objects. Although it may seem like a minor occurrence in the grand scheme of things; music affects all areas of life. It is a powerful tool which should be used responsibly and its artists should represent Jamaica well by being formidable ambassadors.

The new dance hall genre that has developed has been contributing to the increase in drug trafficking, domestic abuse, violent crimes and a whole plethora of other social maladies.

It is a known scientific fact that when people listen to lyrics or music which is aggressive or derogatory it subconsciously affects their psyche. One need only to look at Jamaica’s crime rate to understand how this new music culture is seeping through the veins of the youth and people in general and corrupting them.

Not to mention the fact that the rigorous, undulating gyrations have the potential to cause grave harm to the musculoskeletal system. Unknowingly, some of the youths are setting themselves up for disabling conditions in the future.

Recently, a well-known Jamaican politician spoke out about the glamorization and idolization of certain artists and the power they yield as a result of the stronghold they have on particular groups of people in Jamaica. Due to her very blunt stance, she began receiving death threats which speaks volumes about the path Jamaica is currently traveling.

To threaten someone’s life because he/she believes that some artists who engage in the whole dance hall culture and rebel music scene are polluting Jamaican society is unforgiveable. The truth of the matter is, the dance hall genre comes with a lot of illicit drug usage, drug trafficking and at times violence which results in murders. This negative backlash affirms that the intellectual quotient of some Jamaicans are slowly going down the tubes.

Quite honestly, in years gone by I found music by Shabba Ranks, Buju Banton and Lady saw entertaining because it kept me in touch with some parts of Jamaican culture. From time to time they often instigated laughter because of the clever verbiage.

However, in most recent years, the lyrics have become so graphic and lewd that I cannot bear to listen for more than a quick second. The culture which I had once known and loved as a child because of its reserved and sophisticated nature has dramatically changed and there are days when I cannot even relate.

Other politicians may believe that the member of parliament who spoke out is making much ado about nothing, but as they try to impose more military on the streets to keep Jamaica and Jamaicans safe, they will realize that until they clean up the dancehall “reggae” culture, Jamaica will continue to attract negative elements and people who will only make the country’s quality of life worse.

Jamaica has always been a positive role model for countries in the Caribbean and around the world. The music has often set the tone for swag appeal and fashion. Today, due to the x-rated vibe of dancehall, the trickle down effect can be seen in all areas of life such as nude dressing, crimes and the way males and females interact with one another.

Society on a whole and many hoity-toity Jamaican’s  scoff and make fun of twerkers, but they would be quite surprised to find out that dance hall moves are just another form of twerking.