Clyde McKenzie, ContributorLAST THURSDAY saw the launch of the Jamaican Music Museum. This, most lovers of our music will agree, is a most timely development. One of the problems facing our music industry is the absence of properly documented material. So often researchers, both local and international, have had to rely on orally-transmitted accounts of important developments in our music which become increasingly inaccurate with the passage of time.
If there are no rigid guidelines a man's account of what happened last week might be quite different today than it will be next week. This does not mean that the person relating the story is lying, it is just one of the sad realities of how our mind works.
Imagine then when one tries to get someone to relate accurately to something what transpired 30 years ago. If there are written or recorded accounts it will certainly help the memory towards accuracy. But what happens when none can be found as is often the case with our music? Such a situation could lead to confusion.
The absence of tangible historical records lends itself to a climate of disrespect for many of those who made great contributions as pioneers. After all many of the people who were present at the dawn of Jamaican music have very little to show by way of financial accomplishments. This has led, in many instances, to people challenging the claims of many of these pioneers regarding their input in the development of our music.
Development
There are many persons who have made a contribution in the development of our music. Some of them are not high profile artistes, musicians or producers, but made a difference, their stories be told.
Many of our current crop of artistes are blissfully unaware of the influence of these pioneering figures on the music from which they derive their living. How many of the them can speak with any degree of authority about Clement Dodd - the legendary Sir Coxsone - the man whose label spawned the immortal ska.
What is perhaps even more sad is that many of the artistes are not aware that the 'riddims' that they are 'riding' were created by people like the late great Donat Jackie Mittoo and people like bassist Leroy Sibbles of the Heptones fame.
Contribution
Very few of these artistes would, therefore, know of Sir Coxsone's arch-rival, the flamboyant Duke Reid as sound system operator and record producer, or know of the contribution of such personalities as Hux Brown and Jackie Jackson, the husband of songbird Karen Smith.
In the late 1960s, as a child, I would walk pass the Duke on Bond Street with some trepidation. He was armed with his rifle and revolver and bedecked in all sorts of jewellery. Cherished are those memories.
Pioneers like guitar legend, Ernie Ranglin, are still active. Ranglin plays some brilliant guitar on Tumble, a cut from Beenie Man's new album. How many of the young entertainers are aware that it was Ranglin who arranged the first Jamaican million-seller, My Boy Lollipop, which catapulted a young girl from Clarendon, Mille Small, and Chris Blackwell's Island Record to prominence.
It was Ranglin who prior to this had arranged what is considered to be the first ska tune, Easy Snappin with Theophilous Beckford, on Sir Coxsone's Downbeat label.
Some of us will remember Headley Jones as a former president of the Jamaica Federation of Musicians Union, but fewer will recall his contribution as a builder of amplifiers and studio equipment which shaped the structure of our music. Mr. Jones is currently in his 80s and lives in western Jamaica. He is an articulate man and still seems as sharp as a tack. A museum could serve as a conduit for values from one generation to another. For too often the current exponents are not taking advantage of the wisdom of age, nor are the forerunners interacting with the energy of youth. Our music has been suffering on account of this.
It is interesting how a 67-year-old man like Clive Davis could oversee a project which saw the youth of Rob Thomas and Wyclef Jean coming together with the phenomenal artistry and experience of Carlos Santana to make a truly supernatural album. Can't we do this here?
If we are going to reap the benefits that can be ours in the music industry we will have to jettison some of the hubris and realise that we can accomplish so much by working together.
We need to understand that the music industry is potentially our biggest earner and that it could be our road to economic prosperity. If there is any doubt about this statement, we only have to think of Bob Marley.
About nine years ago, the Minister of Local Government, Youth and Community Development, Arnold Bertram, told me in an interview, that the 1970s saw the spawning of four important industries which he named as the ATL Group; the ICWI Group; the NCB group and Bob Marley.
Success
He explained that Marley's rise was particularly significant in that he had attained his success without any assistance from the state, or from any financial institution, "by the ripe old age of 36". Almost 20 years after his passing, Marley remains a major source of revenue, not only to his family, but to his country. It would be interesting if those of us in possession of such treasured items as the instruments that were used by certain renowed artistes could donate them to the museum.
Priceless would be such items as the original sheet of paper on which Jimmy Cliff wrote Many Rivers To Cross - if there is one. The first cheque from Chris Blackwell to the Wailers for 4,000 pounds would certainly now be worth more than its original face value.
What about Marley's contract with Sir Coxsone, which was supposed to have been signed by his mother?
With digital technology the space required for storing copies of certain documents might not be as large as in those times preceding the digital age.
Let us welcome and support the museum.
