In the midst of Jamaica’s 64th independence celebrations my distress is that the iconic Festival Song contest has become a snooze fest.
It began in 1966 as Edward Seaga’s brainchild. He wanted a symbol that would unite Jamaicans regardless of race, creed, colour, religion or politics. And he succeeded with a bang. Or, perhaps, better put, with a bam.
I want you to know that
I am the man who
fights for the right not for the wrong.
Going here and going there.
Talking this and talking that.
That song captured hearts and minds. Everyone could identify with its sentiments:
Soon you will find out the man
I’m supposed to be.
Don’t be sad.
I don’t trouble no man.
But, if you should trouble me again,
going to bring a bam bam…
For the next thirty-odd years Festival song entries were mostly linked by a golden thread.
Creativity!
The winners told stories that resonated with Jamaicans. 1969:
Etty inna di room a cry
Mama say she mus’ wipe her eye.
Papa sey she nuh fi foolish
It is no wonder; it’s a perfect ponder
why they were dancing
In 1971 unknown Eric Donaldson burst on the scene with a song that captured everyone’s imagination.
Oh, Cherry, oh, Cherry, oh, baby
Don’t you know I’m in need of thee?
If you don’t believe it’s true
what have you left for me to do?
Look how long I’ve been waiting
for you to come right in
and now that we are together
please make all my joys come over
Every Jamaican sang along. Eric was mobbed on stage when he was announced winner. Cherry Oh Baby remains the most beloved Festival Song.
Mid- to-late 1970s Festival Songs became more patriotic but still creativity centred. 1978:
I say this is Jamaica, my Jamaica,
the land of my birth
I will never leave her shores.
I will never run away.
the green, the gold I say.
we must face the test of time;
that our people they are strong
and we going to get along.
For some people say we are poor
but the progress you make my friend
is not always how rich you are.
Nationalistic themes carried over into the 1980s when Ras Karbi combined patriotism with storytelling. 1983:
Time get a little hard
Jonathan Brown, him forward abroad
Lef’ him wife an’ pickney,
talk ’bout him gone a foreign country.
A true him got di Visa but him couldn’t get no wuk
Cold buss him shu’t him haffi come back a Yaad
Jamaica I’ll never leave you again.
I love you. I’ll never leave you again.
For about two decades creativity has left the building. Monotonous robotics rule the festival roost. If your song doesn’t mention how great Jamaica is (not creatively like Tinga’s No wey no betta dan yaad); ackee; saltfish; roast breadfruit; beaches blah, blah, blah you might as well not enter.
There was a flicker of hope in 2020 when Buju entered a patriotic song that harkened back to the golden era of creativity but we immediately retreated to the new standard of boring repetitive lyrics.
This year, I tuned in (dozing) from habit then woke up to Aba Jones’s entry Teet’ a fi me! THIS was a Festival Song in the style of late, great Stanley Beckford. Aba told a hilarious story of a man who paid to fix his girlfriend’s smile but demands
Yu mout’ a fi yu
but yu teet’ a fi mi
so if yu eva cheat
yu haffi gimme back mi teet’
Finally: Creativity, rhythm, Jamaican story telling! But as soon as I heard Chief Judge Roy Rayon, himself a four time Festival Song winner, say lyrics had to be “relevant” I knew Aba was dust.
Relevant to what Roy? To what was Cherry Oh Baby’s lyrics relevant? Love Fever (1985) was creativity, excitement and festivity. Give thanks and Praises (1987) was perfect for our 25th Independence especially its creative lyrics and music. Come Rock (1991) was exceptionally creative commentary set to danceable music. Rise and Shine (2008) was a Caribbean rhythm with the word “Festival” thrown in (including the brilliantly creative “Festival two thousand and great”) for brownie points. It brought everybody together dancing to an infectious rhythm. That’s relevance!
We must stop rewarding dreary repetition for the sake of vanilla patriotism. We want creativity. I know what I’m about to propose caused problems in 1973 but that was then. This is now. Please, Babsy, pretty please, return to Jamaicans voting for their Festival Song. Judges should only pick the finalists. Then it should be handed over to the people.
Peace and Love.
Gordon Robinson is an attorney-at-law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com
