Marley Legacy 03/16/2012
 
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Nicole Bain, writer and dancer writes about the enduring legacy of the King of Reggae, Bob Marley.
It has been 31 years since the passing of Reggae icon Robert (Bob) Nesta Marley but his musical light shows no signs of dimming. What is it about this man of humble beginnings that continues to evoke the interest and admiration of fans the world over? There seems to be no single answer to that question, but rather a number of contributing factors. For some music lovers, Marley’s genius lies in his amazing way with words. He seemed somehow to be connected to the listeners for whom he wrote.  Says Kayann, “I think, Bob is popular for the same reason the Psalms are frequently read. He gave a voice to the turmoil and desires of our heart, and then tried to offer hope for a better tomorrow.” 

But do his lyrics still have currency among a generation of young people far removed from the time in which he lived and wrote? Respected Jamaican music producer Mikie Bennett seems to think so. “I remember saying to my daughter a few years back that Bob Marley’s songs were going to affect everybody at some stage in their lives because as a songwriter I think Bob Marley was channelling a higher intelligence. I think he just prepared himself to channel the messages he got. His messages spoke to a lot of situations, physically and metaphysically.”  
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Mikie Bennett (L) chatting with guests at Grafton Studio.
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Vybz Kartel (photo courtesy of FB page)
Adijah “Vybz Kartel” Palmer, one of Jamaica’s most popular dancehall artistes announced last year that he plans to launch a line of cake soap for the skin, apparently called Vybz Kartel Cake Soap. For those unfamiliar, cake soap is a solid, cheap, blue, almost brick looking detergent that is used by the majority of households in Jamaica, if not the Caribbean, to wash clothes by hand. So it is a little hilarious. Cake soap for the face? (A suitable North American parallel might be frothing your skin with All or Tide.) It seems like a gag product, the dancehall equivalent of fuzzy stuffed snakes springing out of the peanut brittle can.  You almost feel as though Kartel is at home sniggering to himself as the collective blood pressure of Jamaicans rises.
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Vybz Kartel (photo courtesy of FB page)
It is also a little sad. Why? Because on the surface at least it seems as if the French got it right: “plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose” (the more things change, the more they stay the same). Not only has Kartel launched his own cake soap, he has also admitted (sort of) to bleaching. Bleaching is the act of deliberately lightening skin. This seems to have come as a shock to many across the world, and his comparing his skin lightening to a white person darkening their skin by tanning has many aghast (see youtube video below - approx. minute 3). This admission of intentionally striving for a fairer complexion brought again to the forefront the whole issue of identity, race, and class in Jamaica, issues that have the power to get us hot under the collar. It may be difficult to comprehend the depth of feeling around the issues being ventilated so here is my attempt at breaking it down.
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Sumfest Recap 07/25/2010
 
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Reggae Sumfest took place between July 17 and July 24 this year. If you've never been to Sumfest, you really have missed out on a one of a kind experience. The music, the food, the booths, the characters (hoo boy) all under the open sky. This year's Sumfest featured major Jamaican and international artistes including Shaggy, Tarrus Riley, Etana, Chris Brown, and Usher.

We've put together a list of reviews of this year's show for those of you who missed it and for those of you who went but are curious about what others thought.

Blogger Annie Paul gives a round up of Sumfest based on tweets of persons who attended. 

Gleaner reporter Janet Silvera writes on Bounty Killer's performance and his message of change

Adrian Frater of the Gleaner reports on Dancehall Night

Janet Silvera writes on how the remaining two-thirds of Voice Mail were tearful at the absence of O'neil Edwards on stage

Yasmin Peru of Jamaica Observer reports on Chris Brown's performance

Richard Johnson of Jamaica Observer writes on Vybz Kartel's performance
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