Radical politics, progressive harmony & reggae music
By Louis E.A. Moyston
I listened carefully on the discussions
on reggae music during
the month long celebration
in February. I observed that it is
a popular approach to analyse
issues with a focus on outcomes
at the expense of history. There
is an obsession about looking at
reggae in discussion about the
genre and the world acclaim of
the music but there is little discussion
about the sociological,
philosophical and political foundations
of the music. Therefore,
it is important that we examine
the rise of reggae within the
context of the political quality
of the setting within which the
music emerged. These reggae
celebrations are good but the
education aspect of the music
in terms of its development and
the foundational pioneers as
opposed to the focus on a few
popular stars.
The Rastafarian thinking and
movement was an early influential
and profound source from
which reggae springs forth; and
later the radical politics of the
Manley administration which
was like a second emancipation
also created a setting that
nurtured the rebel music. The
new thinking of the philosopher
politician Michael Manley,
that started 50 years ago, created
the radical political space
that offered a fertile ground that
gave rise to the radical nature of
reggae music. In terms of trying
to understand the contemporary
Jamaican popular music, it
is important to look at the new
of a new conservative politics
and the emergence of new individualism
and mass culture in
the global and national society.
Generally speaking, the nature
of the music is a reflection of the
society at that time of history.
There is indeed this reflection in
the African American tradition
that contributes in a significant
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way in the emergence and
development of African American
music tradition. The celebration
of reggae should include
the critical role of the African
American musical experience
in the development of modern
popular in Jamaica.
Music and its definition
and re-definition
I received 0 out of 100 for my
second form music test, but I
never forget the definition of
music imparted to student by the
stern music teacher Mrs. McCalla.
In her fine Jamaican Standard
English she defined music
as “a combination of sounds
that are pleasing to the ears.” It
is somewhat a Euro-centric view
of music rooted in the definition
that music is “a combination
of vocal or instrument to produce
beauty of form, harmony
and expression of emotion.” It
is also defined as “the written
or printed signs representing
vocal or instrumental sounds.”
Of course in Jamaica the earlier
forms of music ranged from the
classic definition to the introduction
of African music by way
of drumming. The latter bears
no feature to the preceding definition
of music. In the case of
reggae having its own definition
of music, I recall Joe Ruglass
in the age of protest music in
the 1970s said repeatedly that
the Europeans used their stage
to advance comedy and tragedy
but we in Jamaica used it to
advance the struggles for equal
rights and justice. It was within
the context that reggae music
took form.
In addition to the Eurocentric
definition of music I take
issue with matters concerning
the sources of music. Source
has to do with a setting from
which something originates;
technically it relates to a process
in which a particular element
enters a system. However, there
is a view that the sources to
music are the primary and the
secondary; the former speaks
of instruments, musical sheets
and manuscripts and musical
performances. The latter has
to do with music dictionaries,
textbooks and monographs with
research on music. There was
a time when these definitions
and descriptions of music were
dominant in Jamaica. This dominance
was disrupted by African
drumming and the role of
the church as new sources of
music in Jamaica. Black music
emerged in Jamaica, retention
of Africa during the slavery era.
No wonder theme of African liberation
was a central to music
of the 1970s, in the very early
stages of reggae music.
Radical politics and
revolutionary music
Music has valuable historical
value; equally history and politics
give rise to political expression
in music: qualities of antiestablishment,
protest, resistance
and also songs designed for
political campaigns. While the
African American musical experience
may have had an early
influence on the development of
protest music in the evolution
of early modern popular music
in Jamaica, it was the Rastafari
influence that became the
dominant feature in the rise of
the protest nature of early reggae
music; later the radical politics
of Michael Manley became
another powerful source in the
emerging “rebel music.” The
Rastafari thinking and movement
constantly preached black
consciousness, love peace and
freedom and also the struggles
form equal rights and justice.
Themes of Garvey were also
present. It must be remembered
as the earliest advocate against
cultural imperialism and this
character was very much
present in early days if reggae.
There is no doubt that the antiimperialist
position, support for
African liberation and the ushering
of a new consciousness
and national spirit emerged in
Jamaica. The music began to
reflect the radical politics. Earlier
I mentioned the influence of
African American music on the
development of modern Jamaican
music in general and protest
music in Jamaica. History
shows that the radical politics
of Marcus Garvey in the 1920s
in Harlem, New York and also
the radical nature of the Black
Muslim movement radicalised
some Jazz musicians to highlight
Africa. In the 1950s and
1960s, the era that gave rise to
the Civil Rights movement and
later the black power movement.
These progressive and radical
developments in America had
far reaching impact primarily
on R@B with too many artistes
and musicians to highlight but
I must say Nina Simone and
Curtis Mayfield are two radical
forces in rebel music in America.
These two musicians and
artistes, especially Curtis Mayfield,
also contributed to the
development of protest music in
Jamaica.
Reversing the
progress: culture and
politics and the 1980s
On the contrary we note a
change in the world and national
society in the 1980s. This
was the era new individualism,
conservative economics and
politics, the age of mass culture
and the marketisation of society
and music. Society has become
transactional and greed and
selfishness became acceptable
values. Much of the achievements
in progressive political
thinking and also the quality of
culture that guided rebel music
have been eroded. This conservative
world and national society
created a new setting that
became powerful sources in the
making of contemporary music
in Jamaica. The music is indeed
a reflection of society and also,
in part, of the political leadership.
So, it is important to look
at the society and the changes
involved and how this process
influenced the music.
Reggae is an outcome of a
historical and political process
in Jamaica during the glorious
era of the 1970s. As we celebrate
it is important uncover and
highlight some important features
and foundations that were
critical to development of the
music form in its early stage.
This approach is also helpful to
describe the nature of contemporary
music in the African American
experience as well as the
contemporary popular music in
Jamaica. Permit me to pay tribute
to Vin “King” Edwards, the
only living very early pioneers
of modern Jamaica music and
pioneering sound system “King
Edwards The Giant.” I hope you
will be considered for a long
awaited national award for your
contribution in the emergence
of modern Jamaica music.
Louis E.A. Moyston, PhD
thearchives01@yahoo.com
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In this June 13, 2019 photo, members of the all-female band
ADAHEZ, Chevanese Palmer, from left, Karissa Palmer, Gabeana
Campbell, Tashana Barnett and Shadeeka Daughma,
pose for a photo on the steps of the Bank of Jamaica, in
Kingston. Jamaica’s central bank thinks the country’s economy
is doing very well and it is using an instantly recognizable
symbol of the island to get this message to the people:
reggae music. Associated Press/Collin Reid/File
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