Cobra
Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
'No problem mon!' is one of the Jamaican dialect or patois phrases that many tourists pick up.
THE native tongue, Jamaican Creole, has been the subject of many discussions, the latest being whether or not it should be taught in our schools.
However unique and special the language might be, it is deemed by many within the music industry as one of the many barriers hindering dancehall music from making the leap into the Ivy League. It is important to note that those advocates point out that the language is a barrier only for deejays and not necessarily singers.
The school of thought is that the songs which are done in the Jamaican vernacular appeal to a limited market - only the people who understand it. This, the patois critics say, restricts the mass appeal of the music, because a very large percentage of the foreigners who make up the overseas markets do not understand the language or simply "dem jus nah ketch di pattan".
Producer Donovan Germaine put the accent on that thought, as he believes that the genre is liked overseas, but total appreciation is being limited by the outsiders' ignorance of the national language ("dem nuh know wah ah gwaan").
"One of our problems is that people don't understand what we are saying. They love it, but they are not grasping it. But we have to find a way to let them know what we are saying. That is one of the main reasons why Shaggy got over, because they could understand what he was saying," stressed Mr. Germaine.
This was accentuated by managing director of XL Agency, Mrs Brenda Sutherland, 'fah she did ah seh di same ting.' "I think the language is a barrier. It is simply, I don't spend my money on some hip-hop songs because I don't understand them, so I wouldn't expect the foreigners to buy our music either? And, to add to that, what we are saying in most of our songs don't make sense; they don't tell a story," she said.
Remedial reading
The members of the 'patois block' school of thought point out that they are not in any way, shape or form saying that the deejays should 'twang', that is, disregard our local tongue and ply their deejaying trade in standard English. However, they suggest that the deejays should simply try to incorporate some 'proper English' with the local language so as to make the genre more universally appealing.
This view point was shared by Ewart 'Cobra' Brown, as he noted: "Sometime we fi try bring across our language in a different way, a way that the people that make up the overseas market will understand".
"We nah seh dem fi deejay inna standard English, but at the same time dem can use some words weh universal, dat when the people dem hear it, everybody know weh yuh a talk bout," he said.
As a means of clarity, Cobra gave some examples to The Sunday Gleaner. He said rather than saying "mi did deh dung a G.P. (General Penitentiary)", the artiste could simply say, that he was incarcerated. He also pointed out that "I was at the club" is a suitable alternative for saying "mi did deh ah Asylum or Cactus", because it would pack a wider appeal punch.
This point was rebutted by rapper and percussionist from Morgan Heritage, Mr. Mojo, who is of the mindset that such an approach would 'water dung' the music, in that Cobra's approach would dilute the local genre and it would not be a true reflection of the Jamaican culture, which is of paramount importance.
"I wouldn't encourage that, because that is robbing the music of its essence, that is, they would be taking out elements that make the music what it is. When a man mention GP or Asylum, that is a part of the culture, just as a Jay-Z would mention Brooklyn and Jermaine Dupri would talk about 'Club 112' in Atlanta; those are the things that make rappers who they are," he explained.
Mr. Mojo, was quite optimistic, since he thinks the present atmosphere will eventually improve. He told The Sunday Gleaner that the foreigners will soon 'log on' to the Jamaican culture completely.
"If me as an American-born don't understand some of these slangs that these rappers use and some of these Jamaicans understand them, then it is just a matter of time before the foreigners understand our culture. Rome wasn't built in a day. At one stage dancehall was a place, but now it's more than that. It has its own sound, its own identity different from that of reggae music," Mr. Mojo said.
However, as a means of reaching those that have not grasped the lingua just yet, he suggested that the deejays pronounce their words better than they are doing at the moment; in short, 'dem mus chat a likkle bit better.'
While not denying that the dialect is an obstacle, Mr. Mojo pointed out that there is not much to worry about, because those being affected by the lingua are numbered among the minority. "It does turn off some people, but they are not the majority. Look at Spanish music, for example. When it crosses over into the American market, a lot of people buy it and don't even know what it is saying, but it sounds good and feels good as well and is summen different from the norm. And people are always looking for something different - and that is what we have to present," emphasised Mr. Mojo.
He added: "There is a balance. They may be can't understand it, but they feel it a lot more than other things that they hear on mainstream radio. Let's take for example a man like Elephant Man; I may not understand him or what he is saying sometimes, but the way him ah ride the rhythm and him energy mek yuh affi move."
Jamaican creole may be a problem for the mainstream markets found within the English-speaking countries, but the question arises - what about the markets that are found in non-English speaking countries? This is especially relevant in Europe, a region where the genre has been making significant strides over the past couple of years. According to Klaus Maack, managing director and owner of the German company Contour Music Promotion, which specialises in promoting reggae events, "it nuh matter ah tall". However, he did point out that the overtone of the song is what can prove to be really detrimental to the genre's effort of breaking into the market.
"No, the language is not a barrier. You see, in Germany (where the more 'cultural' songs are popular). the people don't embrace the really hardcore Jamaican dancehall, which deals with a little bit more violence and things like that. But the language is not a problem because they more listen to the rhythm than to the lyrics.
They understand the general meaning of the song, but they don't understand the meaning of each and every word in the song. Let's say for example it is a very rude word which is being used, they might not really understand the real heavy meaning of it, so they just take it as another instrument or so," he noted.
Love it or dislike it, patois is one of the key ingredients that makes the dancehall pot taste the way it does. In essence, 'ah it spice up di pot so dat it taste different from di oddas.' On the other hand, some people do not understand it, so if dancehall music is to make the leap into the mainstream markets, this issue has to be addressed. How?
Well, that one is left up to the industry people to work out amongst themselves.
However, as food for thought - a little compromise never hurt anyone.
