Reggae Songstress Nadine Sutherland, 53, Rues Age Discrimination In Music Industry

Reggae songstress Nadine Sutherland is ruing age discrimination within the music industry, arguing that the apparent preoccupation with youth, is influencing many of the decisions made by some of the gatekeepers in their quest for what is seen as “new” and “fresh”.

Sutherland said many older artists have been shamed into leaving the industry as many music marketers see the young and edgy demographic (the age cohort between 15 and 25) as their primary target audience, while others “pejoratively refer to the older artistes as ‘has beens’ or ‘past their prime’.

“I have seen people in the music industry attempting to age-shame older artistes, goading them to take early retirement. I have witnessed some aging artistes allowing this negative energy to take hold of their consciousness, letting these discouraging voices sit in their spirit, and sometimes causing them to languish in despair and depression,” she said in an Op-Ed in Sunday’s Jamaica Observer.

The Action singer who made her stage debut in 1979, at the age of 11, as the first winner of Jamaica’s popular Tastee Talent Contest, said one well-established marketing ploy by some foreign companies in the past, has been to “shave off the age of artistes”, with one record label at one point even marketing a female artist was as being 19 years old, when she was really 26.

“I am in agreement that there is always a need for fresh, young artistes to rejuvenate the talent pool; however, embracing new acts does not have to be at the expense of talented, older artistes who could not be accurately described as fresh. It should be borne in mind that older acts can bring fresh sounds to the landscape. Some older acts are restless experimenters. So, it is not a question of age, but more a matter of stage and energy,” she argued.

The former Tuff Gong label signee, in this case, makes a valid point, as her compatriot Macka Diamond, who is now 50 years old, has for more than a decade been the person most bullied about leaving the Dancehall industry.

However, these comments have not been coming from industry players, but, according to the Cucumber artiste jealous older females, who have aged badly, even as she continues to maintain her looks, figure, and music relevance and remains one of the most fashionable women in Dancehall.

Sutherland, now 53, had risen to musical heights in the 1990s, for the track Action, a classic Dancehall collab with deejay Terror Fabulous, as well as Anything for You with Canadian artist, Snow, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, and Louie Culture.

She cited the late Toots Hibbert as an example of an older person for whom very young people, most of whom could even be his great-grandchildren, still had an enduring passion, as well as Dancehall greats Beenie Man and Bounty Killer who, by their sheer talent, mystique, catalogue, and genius, became trans-generational.

“Toots Hibbert had a following which consisted mainly of white teenagers who were sometimes younger than his own grandchildren,” Sutherland, whose early hits were Starvation and Until, noted.

“Another point of reference was the response to the appearance of Beenie Man/Bounty Killer on Verzuz.  These scenarios are proof positive that mature artistes with a large catalogue have significant entertainment value.   In fact, the entire Verzuz series so far has been somewhat of a social experiment, proving the value older acts bring to the entertainment industry,” she added.

She also pointed to “reggae’s elder statesmen and stateswomen” including Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt, Beres Hammond, Big Youth, and Freddie McGregor, as examples of artists who “have just as much to offer to an audience as the youngest, most current act on the scene at this time”.

In furtherance of her arguments, Sutherland said there has been a conflating of success and energy with youth, while attributing failure and decay to aging, which is not necessarily the case, as artists who are true to their craft and career in most cases, can become better with maturity and age.

“I know that sometimes, as some artistes age chronologically, if they treat themselves well their voices can grow to be richer and fuller.   A songwriter’s work can become deeper and more textured as the artiste ages because of the extent of one’s life experiences,” she explained.

“Conversely, some artistes do worsen. There are several factors that can contribute to this deterioration. Some artistes do not realise that aging requires additional attention to the demands of their bodies.   Some abuse their voices through smoking or the excessive consumption of alcohol.   Others become complacent and do not adhere to the standards which were responsible for their success,” she wrote.