On Key - A parting of ways

Andrew Clunis, Freelance Writer

THE LEVEL of disaffection between musical aggregations and their employers in Jamaica seems to be increasing.

Bands are being fired left right and centre. What does this say? Are people's standards for musical excellence increasing, or are bands refusing to continue to be treated as the black sheep of performance outfits?

Some months ago, Bounty Killer and his band Ruff Kut Krew went separate ways. Ruff Kut sources said that they had decided to become a freelance outfit, playing for anybody who required their services. They had an almost exclusive arrangement with Bounty Killer, thus, they couldn't accept other engagements for fear of conflict.

With Bounty Killer being a very selective artiste, Ruff Kut began having difficulties with the low volume of work that was coming in. Certainly, they were the best sounding dancehall band on the circuit. On stage, they incorporated many more sounds into their music than the regular dancehall band.

It will be interesting to hear Bounty's sound with another band. Certainly he is a very talented artiste and he would have learnt enough musically to direct a talented outfit to produce the sounds he wants.

Beenie Man recently fired his band Blaze. That parting of ways was not as amicable as Bounty Killer and Ruff Kut. Certainly, Blaze manager, Maurice Fletcher, has not taken it lightly. He is upset that he was dismissed in the manner in which it happened.

The critical thing here now is, with Beenie Man set to take on his responsibilities for Virgin Records, how will a new band fit into his programme? He is now on the road with MOB, a young band led by Noel Parkes, son of Lloyd Parkes. MOB is really a three-man outfit, but with Blaze member Paul "Titus" Green opting to remain with Shocking Vibes, it is expected that he will be used to widen their sound.

One of the things which made Beenie Man stand out above other dancehall acts, was the cohesiveness displayed live, between himself and the band. They were silky together on stage. They read crowds well and displayed a professionalism which was envied by most performers. It will be interesting to see what the Doctor's programme is like, when next he performs in Jamaica. He has the most competent management team in the business today, so one can only presume that they made the right decision.

The next big separation is Lloyd Parkes and We The People from Heineken Startime. The band leader said his band was fired because he made standard requests for accommodation and remuneration for a show, which the directors of MKB, producers of the event, did not take kindly. It is undoubtedly clear, that We the People has been a very key element in the success of Heineken Startime. With no disrespect intended, there are few bands which can play rocksteady music with the precision Lloyd Parkes' outfit does. Startime is a party show, where people go to dance. The band which is on stage had better get it right, because these people know their songs and they expect to hear every little detail. Besides, the performers have grown to respect and expect Lloyd Parkes to provide backing for them on Startime. Will the firing of Lloyd Parkes and We the People affect Startime in any way? Time will reveal the answers.

We continue to produce musicians at a rapid rate, especially along the north coast. What would be good, is if we could see some of the younger bands being drafted into the vacancies that are being created.

Let's leave this question hanging. Isn't it about time that musicians are paid respectable rates for their contributions? God knows how hard they try to make some of our ordinary artistes sound good. From all indications the piece of the pie they are getting is comparable to a crumb.

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