THE EDITOR, Sir:JIMMY CLIFF, reggae ambassador, created history in the wee hours of Sunday, January 16, where before his massive hometown crowd, he demonstrated that as one of the founding fathers of reggae,
he was fit, relevant and simply awesome.
After over 40 years of performing Jimmy still has the rebel in him. With an all too familiar voice, perfectly-preserved, seemingly frozen in time, he warned us as long as the 1960s, that we should treat the 'youths' right, failing which, we were bound to face serious problems. How prophetic!
His lyrics at this memorable, explosive, homecoming performance, were in the people's language, echoing piercingly the challenges of the Jamaican youth. Their befitting messenger continues to represent them well, reminding them that Babylon (society) has failed them and that with time little has changed.
However, his message has never suffered from the imbalance of preaching destruction only. Jimmy's repertoire never lacked the tenderness of reaching out to his partner and confessing to her that his love is deeper than the ocean. Interwined with this love song, he left us challenged by the many rivers we have to cross in life, which he made us see as crossable despite the hardships we all as a former colonised people have faced.
He became current in his anti-war rendition of the unnecessary loss of innocent lives war takes in its toll. He sang of the atrocities of the Vietnam conflict in the 1960s which he tailored Sunday morning into an anti-war song for the peoples of Iraq and the Congo.
This true son of the soil then went global when he voiced his concern for the way in which we were destroying the planet. A prayer was offered for the Asian tsunami victims. However, he was quick to return home, to recount the losses his countrymen recently suffered at the hands of Hurricane Ivan.
Jimmy's major achievement is that he has managed to remain relevant. No surprise it is that he is revered in Africa, Brazil and all over Europe.
This world famous actor, writer and singer, a Jamaican who lived through poverty, experienced the hardships of a poor black youth growing up in the 50s and 60s, has truly made us proud.
His life and lyrics represent a living testament to our youth. He challenged them that though they may feel trapped at times, they could resist falling over the Cliff (sic) reminding them that regarding obstacles faced, the harder they come, the harder the fall.
I am, etc.,
BERT S. SAMUELS
Attorney-at-law
Kingston
