Music is the motor of the soul. It is through music that most of us have found love, in all the concepts of love. When we experience music we record memories and these memories shape the way we see the world. One of the genres that the world associates the most with love and good experiences is Reggae.
Reggae talks about love and unity but also about oppression and tribulations in Babylon. It helps people to cope with difficulties in their daily life. Reggae normally portrays Babylon as an evil city in the physical and spiritual sense from which walls we all must come out. But when we take a deeper look at the reggae we see these walls are actually caging the industry itself.
The First Wall
The first wall rises when reviewing the article by Curtin Campbell, “Music Industry faced with Management Crisis?” on the Jamaican Gleaner, one can come to understand not all is fair game in the industry. This article touched important points about the difficulties of management in reggae. When Campbell interviewed Winston ‘Niney” Holmes, a Jamaican reggae veteran manager, he goes on to explain that the politics to get a hit are not of talent and advertising techniques but to pay radio DJs to play the tune on their shows. This practice costs thousands of dollars to only get the tune played a few times. It may not seem like a big problem and while it does give great exposure, it can cause the artist to not get royalties because the tracks were not in the station’s library. Niney also comments on another reality for managers in Jamaica and the reggae industry is that managers have become lazy due to sour businesses. This is interesting since a manager should know that business can become sour but that should not make the motivation to dim. Right now reggae is international and there's enough people and space to find more business. Managers need to be more diligent and honest in their practices, but also, artists should also be more educated about the administrative aspects of their careers.
The Second Wall
The second wall rises when the global concept is centered in Jamaica. It is sad to say that even though Jamaica is the birthplace of Reggae it is not the future of Reggae. Reggae music is been played in every language and has affected positively many movements globally. Reggae is no longer a Jamaican genre, it is a global genre with its local variations. Unfortunately, when negotiating in the reggae industry we are faced with many challenges, and as Lloyd Stanbury said in an interview with the Jamaican Observer, "I am examining the issues surrounding the challenges faced in developing a global reggae music industry. My main questions focus on whether the roadblocks that I see are presented by the Babylon system, or whether they are self-imposed by the cultural practices and un-professionalism of the Jamaican reggae artistes,”. This is very frustrating since the way most people deal in the reggae industry is a “we’re friends” kind of mentality. Practices as these only end in a waste of time, money, and effort for the most part. It is about time that the reggae industry starts to learn about how to professionally interact with each other in the music industry.
The Third Wall
This is the shaky one and it rises when we speak about race and reggae music. Nowadays, reggae is a global thing. In the most part, it helps people of all parts of the world and all different races to cope with loss or change. But for some reason, reggae artists are still expected to be black and Jamaican. Even though in the early stages of reggae this was the rule, in recent times that is far from reality.
With the recent events where Joss Stone winning Billboard’s “Reggae Album of the Year”, the question about race in reggae music. What really should matter here is not really race, but about what are reggae artists independently of race and nationality doing to have such an award. Why is reggae taken over by artists that are only experimenting with the genre versus experienced reggae artists winning such awards? The problem lies in the lack of representation from the artists because of the limitations that have been present in the core of reggae music. For example, the constant burning of the Babylon system can and will limit ones because they refuse to convey to the general rules by which the music industry abides. If reggae artists were to take the steps to get the representation to get the recognition they want and deserve there will be more opportunities for all.
The Fourth Wall
This is the back wall of Babylon and it rises when the economics are reviewed. As stated in a study conducted by the Victoria University, the lack of appreciation and knowledge for copyrights and the law creates a way for artists and musicians to be exploited. Many will raise their eyebrows at this one, but the truth is that when a release is made and the artist is only paid for voicing a tune, or the producer is paid for making a beat and then both the singer and the producer are not a registered and have not registered their works it becomes like a hype hit song. No one will ever get money from that tune, maybe some recognition. But what happens when that song hits the charts? Or what if someone registers the song under their disguise and even going to court will not give it back? This is why the communications have to be open. Also, the artists and producer must become more educated to preserve their business.
Conclusion
Reggae can and will break the walls that have imprisoned her when the ones with the knowledge take an oath to educate one another and to be honest. As long as we continue to work with unprofessional ethics the genre will not go forward and many people that do not know about the genre, its message, and its history will continue to capitalize it while we the reggae artists of the world will be exploited. Now that our eyes have been open what will we do? Will we take charge of what it is ours or will we continue to suffer inside the walls of Babylon?
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