From: Mikey Subject: Reggae under pressure in Barbados Got this from a sistren in Jamaica, it was published in a newspaper. Mikey, RAW #613 -- EDITORIAL THE DECISION BY THE BARBADIAN AUTHORITIES to ban all reggae shows (called dub in the eastern Caribbean) from national venues in that country for the next 18 months is not one that can be taken lightly. It reflects the consequences of the maladies of violence and profanity which have been the scourge of local music since the mid-1980s. The wider Caribbean region is potentially one of the largest markets for exported reggae music, with concerts in most of the eastern Caribbean islands pulling in excess of 10,000 people and record sales being high. So there could be negative fallout if the other islands were to follow Barbados's lead. Jamaican artistes have had their share of problems in the eastern Caribbean, including two arrests in 1998 in Barbados for ganja and indecent language. The fact is much of what is tolerated in Jamaica is punishable in the eastern Caribbean. For example, American rapper DMX drove the crowd wild at last year's "Sashi" show in Ocho Rios; but when he performed in Trinidad shortly afterwards he ended up spending the night in jail. Much of the reggae (dub) music coming out of Jamaica is considered garbage and nations like Barbados have a right to protect their citizenry from such cultural penetration. And many Jamaican artistes travelling into the various territories have not helped their cause either because of disreputable behaviour in airports and hotels. Jamaican artistes often face difficulties clearing CARICOM ports, such as Bunny Wailer faced recently when an immigration officer sought to deny him and his group entry to Trinidad. Several years ago Luciano was ordered to remove his trademark military garb before he was allowed entry to Barbados. There was a time when Rastafarians were not allowed into Cayman. The Barbadian police have said that the dub concerts are 'a focal point for drug dealers and concomitant violence. Whether that can be justified is questionable, because dealers will do business whenever and wherever it suits them. The Barbadian action will raise questions about how the CARICOM treaty deals with cultural exchange, and indeed with the fundamentals of freedom of expression. If there is a free market, should musical products from other islands be denied entry, as might be the case with the increased scrutiny of recorded work at Barbadian ports? Mikey RAW #613 http://iriejam.com ============================================================================