“Jamaicans Do Not Own Reggae”

A day after Professor Carolyn Cooper published an article titled Jamaicans do not own Reggae, in which she rebuked citizens of the country whom she described as “nyamming up themselves on social media” because SOJA won the Best Reggae Album Grammy, a 2006 video of Buju Banton expressing concern that the music was under threat of being fully expropriated, has resurfaced.

In the video which was shared by veteran Dancehall artist Junie Ranks, Buju is seen telling Onstage’s Winford Williams, during an interview backstage at a show in Belgium, that he was gravely concerned about the trajectory of the music.

“Right now if yuh look and si di white man – no disrespect to none a dem – has taken Reggae to a next level.  You have Gentleman… and all these other bands…,” Buju began.   “Even Patrice, who used to come an watch mi rehearse inna Europe and watch mi sound check, now him a headline show and performing just like Buju Banton”.

“So there is evidently a plot to take away what we have and present it to di people.   But how we gonna prostate did ting, if we are not putting ourselves in the position to,” the Til Shiloh artiste stated.

“These people are gonna run away with our heritage man.  In 100 years from now, you gonna hear that Reggae music originated in Europe,” he added.

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In her article which was published on her website and in The Gleaner, Professor Cooper, who is the author of Sound Clash: Jamaica Dancehall Culture at Large, had said, among other things, that “beautiful silence, rather than ugly outrage, would have been a much more appropriate response to SOJA’s triumph” and that it was “time for Jamaicans to recognise that even though reggae originated here, we don’t own it. Just like how parents don’t own their children”.

Her comments had come in the aftermath of SOJA getting the Reggae Grammy nod over Sean Paul, Spice, Jesse Royal, Etana and Gramps Morgan.

Describing SOJA as a global battalion of Reggae artists who were not born in Jamaica, but have been “trodding on the reggae journey for a quarter of a century”, and have “immersed themselves in our culture and have tirelessly worked to perfect their craft”, Professor Cooper who is a specialist on culture and development, said that the  “militant patriots should at least have listened to SOJA’s lyrics, which pay tribute to the Jamaican roots of Reggae”.

Citing Chronixx as an example, Professor Cooper had also stated that “unlike fanatical defenders of Jamaica’s ‘ownership’ of reggae, our musicians respond positively to foreigners who engage with our culture respectfully”.

“SOJA stands for Soldiers of Jah Army… SOJA have been. They are not hurry-come-ups. They have paid their dues. This was SOJA’s time to win the Reggae Grammy. Their name reflects the pronunciation of ‘soldier’ in the Jamaican language. That’s a whole other issue. Reggae fans all over the world take pride in learning the Jamaican language, which so many of us despise,” she had argued.

However, some commenters took Professor Cooper to task, arguing that she was contradicting herself, as based on her logic, if Jamaicans do not “own Reggae music”, then they do not “own” the Patois language which she has described over and over as “our Jamaican language” and as a “fundamental element of individual and national identity”, which the Government should make an official tongue.

“Like some people want us to accept the gentrification of our OWN MUSIC without any form of criticism.   If Reggae music isn’t Jamaica, then we don’t have our OWN LANGUAGE, and we certainly don’t have our OWN RELIGION,” lukezricardo had said.

“African don’t own Afro beats? Latin people don’t own Salsa?” amaunyy said, referencing the Latin Grammy Awards which focuses dedicated to nurturing, celebrating, honouring, and elevating Latin music (recorded in Spanish and Portuguese and with of Latin origin (Latin America, Spain, and Portugal).

“I’ve seen Jamaicans do pop music and it’s still classified as dancehall. Hip hop is to America as reggae is to Jamaica. We own that genre. lil nas x old town road was fought against by county artist saying it’s not country. We have all right to fight for our music,” adrii_socalm had argued.

Others said that Professor Cooper was betraying her own self and her country and that Jamaicans were not wrong to lay claim to the music originated on the island.

“Jamaicans give away everything.  No other genre tied to a country would ever say this,” kwansimah_ had said, while gem.i.luv added: “The writer/ speaker is the one sounding angry to me🙃… why shouldn’t we claim it? We often tell our people to love the culture, be proud of it, embrace it…isn’t that another way of saying own it? It’s always the so called intellectuals….hahaha”.

“With this attitude soon Jamaicans won’t own any parts of Jamaica whether it be land or culture. This is giving #houseslave,” msgoodeg stated.

The Linguistics Professor was however supported by a several persons, some of whom said Jamaicans were creating a mountain out  of a molehill.

“Much to make from nothing. U cant own a genre of music,” kevar_x said, while pressa02 added: “All this talk about Jamaica own reggae, and it’s only a handful of Jamaican artists who produce authentic reggae, if you want real reggae you have to go to Europe. So Jamaicans stop been biased and start producing good reggae music”.