“One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain.” Bob Marley
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Jamaicans love music, which is obvious given the fact that Jamaica is the birthplace of reggae, dancehall, mento, rocksteady, ska, and several other musical genres. We use music to celebrate, highlight social injustices, numb our pain or to simply hold a vibes (relax and feel good). As a matter of fact, on any given day in Jamaica you will have to listen to good music whether you want to or not, as it can be heard blasting from outdoor sound systems, especially in Kingston.
It is no surprise then, that reggae and dancehall music are being featured prominently in Jamaica’s 2020 election race in the form of dubplates. There is Shenseea’s endorsement of Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Jahvillani for Nigel Clarke, Dovey Magnum for Peter Phillips and my favorite, Spice for Lisa Hanna, among others.
But amid the controversy of elections being called during a pandemic and the back to school period, comes the cry by regular citizens as well as entertainers, for politicians to cease the use of Jamaican music during their election campaigns. This has been bolstered by the idea that the music is being utilized as a means to distract voters from important social and economic issues that should be the focus of the election.
One of the most outspoken opponents of the use, or perhaps misuse of Jamaica’s music on the campaign trail is Protoje, who makes his stance known in his anti-dub No Politician Can’t Beg No Dubplate From Me. In it he sings, “…dem mashing up di place dem nah provide for we, dats why dem caan use my voice none at all…how much time di music dem attack…a dem blame di music seh violence is routine in dancehall…” His song expresses what has long been our little secret- Jamaican music is not always celebrated in Jamaica.
MyJamaicanCulture 