Tanya Ellis, Gleaner Writer

Lloyd Merchant has sent his children to school from the money he earns at the Rae Town street dance. - Photos by Tanya Ellis

Despite the prospect of the weekly Rae Town street dance being cut down to a twice-a-month event, residents and visitors alike are very optimistic that there will be no interference with their weekly Sunday evening party.

The authorities clarified their intentions. "We have no intention to lock music down in total," said Supt Asson Thompson of the Area Four police, "but we feel it is time for them to be regulated, in keeping with the Noise Abatement Act; and the stringing of boxes across the streets is one of our major concerns. Added to that, we continue to get complaints about the volume of the music and the time that these dances go over."

Public Defender Earl Witter, who will be appealing to the commissioner of police on the street dance proprietor's behalf, insists that he is not aware of any complaints from the residents. In fact, he told The Sunday Gleaner that "The institution that is the Rae Town dance has become so cosmopolitan in its scope that it has been completely embraced by the community as a major breadwinner and the economic lifeblood of the people of Rae Town."

Despite this, Superintendent Thompson says, "We have made an assessment of street dances in general in the Kingston area, not only in Rae Town, but also Early Tuesdays in Harbour View which was banned for eight weeks, and only just resumed last week.

"It is not just noise abatement. There are instances where we have had to ban dances because people are extracting illegal electricity, while others have been shut down for gun salutes. Others are kept in areas that have experienced increased crime rate, so for fear of a reprisal, which could take the form of a drive-by-shooting, we have closed them down as well," he said.

The weekly session has been running for over 27 years and is now considered to be a fixture in the musical culture of Kingston. It has set the pace for many other events of that nature and is attended by people from all across the island, regardless of social class. Regulars also say that the party attracts people who visit the island specifically to attend the event.

More diverse crowd

Nathaniel Stylish moves are all part of the sights at the Rae Town street dance. - Stewart/Freelance Photographer

In its earlier years the dance was largely attended by people who live in the community, but over time, and after facing many threats of closure, the Rae Town street dance remained unmoved as it attracted a more diverse group.

"What has happened with the Rae Town situation," says reggae and culture lecturer Dr Donna Hope, "is that it presents an opportunity for the community to benefit economically. So just like wine, as time passes it became less threatening and more acceptable by different groups." She says it is still debatable whether or not the event would have survived all these years if it had not experience an influx of patrons from the uptown party scene back in the '80s.

"This flow of migrants has been consistent," says Lloyd Merchant, who has been a jerk chicken seller at the party from the beginning. "Rae Town street dance is not exclusive to people in this community. Over the years word of mouth has carried many from a variety of backgrounds and communities to this session, and this has helped tremendously to put money in our pockets. This is how I sent my kids to school," he told The Sunday Gleaner.

Disheartened

Glenford Bennett (right) with two potential customers. Bennett has been selling at the street dance for six years.

He was disheartened by the rumour of a closure.

"It is also fair to say that a lot of the patrons here are from outside of this community, says shopkeeper Donald. "After so many years the locals tend to stay in, although they never complain about the noise; they accept that this is Rae Town street dance, we know that this is a part of our culture."

Even though he is not originally from the Rae Town community, Glenford Bennett, a vendor of Rastafarian merchandise, told The Sunday Gleaner that a move to stop the street dance would greatly affect the income of the community.

"I have been selling at these events for the past six years and every night I make a profit. This is my contribution to the community and this is how I benefit from the event. This would literally be boxing the food out of our mouths, and for that people are ready to demonstrate against such a politically induced move. If they lock down this street dance they would also have to lock Passa Passa and they cannot do that. It would be interesting to see the final outcome, because the people in Rae Town know their rights," he said.

Give residents a break

A Rae Town regular dances with a much younger partner last Sunday night.

Superintendent Thompson told The Sunday Gleaner that, "We intend to give Rae Town a permit every other week, this is to give the residents in the community a break. I am going right across the division and regulating, and we want persons to know that if they want to appeal this is done at the level of the commissioner of police, as is set out in the Noise Abatement Act."

Norma Wright, promoter of the oldest street dance in Jamaica, is saddened by the prospect of a twice-monthly limit on the event. "I have left it in the hands of the public defender and hope that all will be sorted out soon," she said.

In the meantime, Wright was denied a permit to hold the event today.

Witter told The Sunday Gleaner that "If the Rae Town street dance is compromised, many a single parent will struggle to send their children to school, like many others who have planned their finances around the event."

- Staff Reporter Teino Evans contributed to this story.