Marcia Griffiths Says Only Music Can Unite Jamaica, Calls For More Positive Songs

The Queen of Reggae Marcia Griffiths is pleading with Jamaican musicians to record more positive songs, especially in light of the turbulence Jamaica is undergoing, as music has proven time and time again, to be the only tool capable of uniting the violence-plagued country.

The Young Gifted and Black singer, whose music career spans 57 years, was responding to questions posed by Television Jamaica’s veteran journalist, Anthony Miller about the more than 100 recorded murders committed in Jamaica since the start of the year, during Friday night’s edition of The Entertainment Report.

Griffiths, in her response, drew references from the bible Psalm 68 vs 25, pointing out that the singers and musicians are the Almighty’s ‘Chosen Ones’ who are bestowed with the gift of musical talent, and are expected to lead the way.

“And this is the reason why, Anthony, time after time, I beseech to the singers and players, which are so important, we call upon them that whatever message they are sending through the medium of the music, it should be positive. We need message in the music because everyone relates to music,” Griffiths, who turned 72 last November, said.

When Miller posited that: “but I guess some of the youngsters would say we can’t just preach the peace and love thing because that’s not what we are living; that’s not what we are seeing”, the Live On singer insisted that music was a mission and singers have a God-given responsibility to empower others using their voice.

“No. It’s a must, because music is the only vehicle that we have to unite the world.  It’s our greatest weapon.   So until someone teaches these youngsters that this is our greatest asset and our weapon to unite the world in a positive way, then, you know, its just gonna be the same,” the former I-Threes member argued.

Griffiths said that the murder situation in Jamaica was heartrending, but that music, the island’s greatest asset if used positively could help to heal the suffering.

“It’s sad; its very, very sad because as I said earlier, the music is all we have.  But the problem is again, we are not sticking together.  We want a change a positive change, a beautiful world; a better Jamaica and all I can think of is what God calls upon the singers and players of instruments,” she added.

Griffiths said that she was hoping that more artists will recognize that music is Jamaica’s legacy and that positive music are the ones that have not only longevity, but are everlasting.

“So these are what we hold on to, and I embrace this generation and the young artistes coming up and doing their thing because they are so creative.  But I want then to recognize that this is our legacy that we have, and we can use it to the best of our ability and the only way to do it is to send good messages,” she opined.

“But I am not hearing that message in most of the songs.  There are a few conscious young artistes there of course, but it’s lacking the message,” she said.

She pointed to her days at Donovan Germaine’s Penthouse Studios in the 1990s, where she mentored a teenaged Buju Banton, and directed him from unwholesome music towards songs that were more palatable.

“And just like I did with a young Buju Banton when he came to Penthouse – he has never forgotten the words that I said to him when he was a teenager about his message and he did make a positive turn.  Once you do a good song, classic song, it will live forever,” she pointed out.

“As much as I do in my everyday life meeting all these youngsters, I am so happy to share my journey and my experience and to teach them about what their utterances in the music – because if they are going to make a contribution, it is always good to do it in a positive way.  Legacy is so important,” she emphasized.