It’s Time Reggae & Dancehall Music Got The Respect It Deserves At Award Shows, Analysts Say
Of the many genres enjoyed globally, Reggae stands out as the one which inspired many musical artforms and its singers have touched lives and expanded minds for decades. However, as much as reggae and is revered around the world it still does not get the respect it deserves at the big music award shows.
This is something that has to be changed if the music is to continue growing, according to music consultant Donovan Watkis, who shared his views on the matter with the Jamaica Gleaner.
Watkis first suggested that black music is more than hip hop and R&B and that this also needed to be understood for others to give the genre a chance.
“Black entertainment is more than hip-hop and R&B. Reggae/dancehall and the Jamaican culture, as a whole, has contributed significantly to black culture worldwide. The first album to sell a million copies worldwide was by a Jamaican – Harry Belafonte. Since then, we have had many successes through the contributions of greats such as Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Peter Tosh, and countless others,” he said.
He also highlighted the fact that the recent Verzuz Battle which pitted Beenie Man against Bounty Killer was one of the most successful worldwide. “Most recently, the Verzuz Battle showed that Jamaican culture is top content capable of pulling international attention, and so it is a shame that the genre is still excluded on these huge award shows.”
He added that black-owned networks like BET would have to also recognise that dancehall and reggae are forms of black music by highlighting Jamaican artistes’ contributions.
“Recently, US rapper, Russ said that ‘if a pop act ever made money from black culture they should give back to the culture’. Well, I am adding that, if BET or any other mainstream platform or black artistes ever profit from the cultural capital Jamaican artistes bring to their music, they should give back to the culture by highlighting to the world the best of Jamaica at the awards.”
Watkis believes that with the advent of Black Lives Matter Movement, now is an ideal time for Jamaican music to get its spotlight.
“Platforms such as BET pride themselves on giving marginalized voices opportunities to express themselves. They should have changed their policies to include all forms of black entertainment ages ago, but now is as good a time as ever. The world is now reshaping the way it does business with the advent of movements like Black Lives Matter – so if BET (and others) are serious about leading this change, then they must include diverse offerings as they celebrate black culture. Jamaican reggae music matters, and Jamaican artistes matter.”
He added that the contributions of older musicians should now be focused on because their inspirational messages are still valid today.
“All the major voices in our music, from Harry Belafonte, to Bob Marley, to Buju, to Bounty, Sizzla are important, and have contributed to revolutionary inspiration and thoughts that fuel the courage for movements such as Black Lives Matter. Jamaican music has also inspired mainstream acts like Drake, DJ Khaled, Rihanna, and even pop acts like Justin Bieber. It’s time our music gets the recognition it so richly deserves.”
Another music industry analyst, Clyde McKenzie, also shared his views with The Gleaner on the need for more black music in the US at this time.
“The fact is that, historically, our music has never been fulsomely embraced by the traditional black media in the United States. Access to mainstream media has been a challenge for Jamaican music throughout the decades. I believe that we should call the Black Lives Matter supporters on making sure that they are all-inclusive. So it is not some black lives and voices which matter, but that all black lives and voices. If they are sincere, they will understand that, when they speak of black lives, it cannot be conditional. It must be all-inclusive, and music is a part of that inclusion.”
He added however that Jamaican musicians shouldn’t simply wait for inclusion in the US but should begin to think of ways that they can generate interest themselves like contributing to a local award show.
“The fact is that it is really not our venture and therefore, they have the right to determine what they include and exclude. Perhaps the best alternative is for us to create our own awards which will be reflective of our reality rather than be dependent on others to be providing us with a promotional platform.”
McKenzie added: “We can lobby to be included on mainstream platforms which are externally owned while simultaneously creating our own to promote and deliver our own content and cultural products.”
Both analysts agree that if ever the time has come for Reggae and Dancehall to be featured on the world stage it’s now when the appreciation of the contribution that blacks around the world have made to society is finally being given some recognition.