Issential Knowledge

So because I go to school in New Orleans, I am blessed with a week off in February for the Marti Gras festivities. Though I respect the tradition of Marti Gras, I’m not too enthusiastic about the college version of the holiday, so instead I took the opportunity to go to Jamaica, the birthplace of Reggae music, and reconnect with family and friends from former lives. The week long trip during Black History Month, and what I found to be “Reggae Month” in Jamaica, was long overdue but right on time. The experience was unforgettable, so for the next few posts, Ill be highlighting some of my favorite experiences as it relates to Reggae music, and the American Reggae community.

The biggest breakthrough was finally understanding why its so difficult to get Reggae music outside of Jamaica. Any Reggae artist that is known outside of Jamaica, is already known by everyone on the the island. The radio serves as the primary source for news and entertainment, so most Jamaicans are well versed in the popular music. Artists are deemed not ready for the marketplace unless they have already achieved success in Jamaica. This is the same for other genres, yet because of geographic isolation that Jamaica faces and the relatively low level of technology, this prolongs the release of Jamaican music abroad for months.

Besides the radio, the other event that informed this revelation was my visit to Tuff Gong studios. Tuff Gong is the label that Bob Marley Started and is one of the most recognizable symbols in reggae music. Upon my arrival, I was excited to find all of the music that i couldn’t find in the U.S. in the famed “record store.” On entering the record store, I was greeted with a beautiful collage of artist posters and album covers, but only a single rack of popular American CDs. Very disappointed, I looked through the CD’s until i finally asked a person working if they had any Alborosie that I could purchase. Alborisie is a New sing-jay from Italy who remixes classic Reggae songs, and another artist that i have had a hard time finding tracks from since he has not had an official release as of yet. By asking this question, I was taken into a back room with thousands of 45’s. I knew that many artists released these as the first production, but i had no idea the volume of music that was haphazardly stacked around the room. Each box was labeled with only the name of the song, with songs from the same artist in the same general area. As you can imagine, I was extactic to gain access to this treasure chest of music, but i quickly became frustrated as I flipped through the records (being sold for 75 Jamaican Dollars, about $1.10) finding new tracks that I had never heard in addition to many artists that were also new to me. All I could think about was the reasoning for this ancient way of producing music.

I understand that this is how Reggae has always been produced, but with Damian and Stephen Marley running the label, I am surprised that it was not a more organized operation. I’m not even suggesting that they stop releasing 45, because the DJ’s have grown accustomed to them, but at least make the music avail able for sale in some other form so that street vendors are not the first people to have the newest releases.

This journey to Jamaica was a life changing experience, and one that will shape the future of this site. I know what I must do to help the community I love and respect capitalize on the international market that exists for their product. I know that Jamaica is the birthplace for the culture, and that this is the first priority of the genre, but there is nothing un-Irie about making money. I see a huge amount of money spent on a product that doesn’t make it to the people that deserve it. The artist has the power to change that by embracing technology and bringing the fan closer than ever before. If not, then Reggae will be left behind.

Check out these pictures from my visit to Tuff Gong Studios, and check back soon for more updates. One Love and Jah Guide.