Music-Jamaica: Reggae Struggles on U.S. Airwaves
Inter Press Service
12-AUG-98

KINGSTON, (Aug. 11) IPS - The best chance for anyone in the United
States to hear the latest reggae hit is to buy a CD at the nearest
record shop. This is because U.S. listeners are not likely to hear much
reggae on their local radio stations -- a situation that is disturbing
the music industry here.
The U.S. market is where the money is and, while reggae enjoys a cult
following in that country, producers at leading radio stations are
unwilling to present extended reggae playlists on mainstream radio, say
industry spokesmen.
This in turn has hurt reggae musicians viewing the United States as a
potential market where music lovers are ignorant of their work yet.
Worse still, apart from community-based radio stations with a diehard
following, and some ethnic hip-hop stations offering dance hall
selections, reggae on U.S. airwaves is all but obsolete.
Because reggae has failed to produce a consistent flow of hit records,
radio stations in the U.S. have not been receptive to new releases, says
Jamaican reggae experts.
"I continue to find that reggae has never been fairly treated by
mainstream radio in Americas; it's always been viewed as a novelty
item," says Roger Steffens, the noted reggae archivist. "It only seems
to succeed when the music is not marketed as reggae as was the case with
Ini Kamoze's Hotstepper and Shaggy's O'Carolina. They were sold as pop
hits."
Having a hit is the key to sustained airplay. That's the principal
reason Los Angeles station KROQ gave for changing the format of its
relatively popular positive vibration program in order for it to be
syndicated.
The show is hosted by Wayne Jobson, a Jamaican who saw the need to
expand its base through syndication. But there was a snag. "Some of the
stations across the United States were not prepared to play a Burning
Spear, for example," Jobson explained, "they will play Bob Marley but
they also want to hear No Doubt and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones."
The latter two represent the growing wave of white American ska bands,
the closest thing to reggae on mainstream radio. Bands like No Doubt and
311 will form the core of Jobson's new program which has been renamed
Reggae Revolution.
Following hot on the heels of ska in the good books of American radio is
dancehall music which, merged with hip-hop, has found its way onto
ethnic charts and African-American radio.
Thanks to hits by Bounty Killer, Beenie Man and Capleton, dancehall
music has carved out a niche market for itself. Its moderate growth has
also made it easier for its promoters to make a case for improved
airplay.
Bobby Konders, a third-generation Polish-American, is one of the
pro-reggae lobbyists. The disc jockey hosts the weekly On Da Reggae Tip
program on the highly-rated Hot 97 radio station in New York.
The two-hour program plays the hottest beats in the dancehall and is
credited with making songs like Beenie Man's breakthrough, Whom Am I, a
minor hit on the urban charts.
During his two-hour slot Konders and sidekick Jabba offer a variety of
Jamaican music though he admits there is a bias toward dancehall music
which is more likely to attract the ears of American teenagers. Konders'
main goal is to push reggae, especially dancehall, into the big time on
American radio.
"It's catching on in New York because there's a large West Indian
community but that's different from mainstream America," Konders says,
"For a while Shabba Ranks broke through so did Super Cat and Cobra;
right now it's Beenie Man, I'm sure if others like Sizzla and Bounty get
the same shot they'd be just as popular."
For dancehall to gain a foothold on urban radio stateside, Konders says
a follow-up to Beenie Man's monster hit is crucial.
That's where the upcoming Bounty Killer album, New Millenium, could have
a say.
"When his last album (My Xperience) came out he was hot and that helps
here, I don't know what's been happening for him now," Konders points
out. "He's worked with a lot of hip-hop acts on the new album so if one
of those records are accepted it should be successful."
But what is traditional reggae? What chance does it have in these times
of computerized beats and party groups? Not much, says Roger Steffens.
"Roots reggae hasn't got a chance because the U.S. market has become so
filled with niche radio stations and none of those niches is reggae,"
Steffens declares. "The vast majority of reggae programing has been
doomed to weekly community shows at often inconvenient hours."
Whatever the genre, inadequate marketing is reggae's achilles heel.
Steffens points to the influx of American ska bands as one area where
Jamaicans have missed a glorious opportunity to tap into American radio
in a big way.
"Ska is the driving force behind young people these days and I haven't
seen any Jamaican acts moving to reclaim that music," Steffens
concludes. "Reggae still has no idea how to promote itself after 25
years of trying to break into the American market."