The clarion call for local music to be given its rightful place on radio, television and live shows is a song whose refrain is very well known.
We hear it over and again; we know what its message is. But have we ‘got’ that message? Will we ever act on it? Will our local music industry ever be the giant we suspect it can be? Or will our local artistes forever be forced to struggle to ‘make it’ overseas?
Though the music industry in Trinidad and Tobago is miles ahead of ours, Trinidadian Mr Famous beleaguers the point in his song “Play More Local”, which is an entry in this year’s Soca competition in that country.
In an extension of the tone of last year’s co-winning “Fantastic Friday” by Super Blue, the song offers social commentary, which has been surfacing more and more in Soca music.
Mr Famous’ message is familiar, repetitive even, but significant: “Play More Local!” He sings: “Bring back Shadow// Bring back Sparrow// You better play more Kitchener//And play more Arrow.”
Mr Famous is concerned for the youths as he sees their minds being eroded; creativity being replaced by repetitive nonsense about wining, rum and different sex positions. He is perplexed by the mediocrity and desperation that goes along with it. He calls out the artistes he believes are the main culprits: “Uncle Demon, Nephew Demon, Kartel and Popcaan//What really going on?”
Reminiscent of Byron Lee’s “Ragga Ragga”, Mr Famous sings: “Cuz dey don’t know what they singin//Say dey don’t know what they doin//Say they don’t know what they singin//De youths dem don’t know what they doin’”
He urges a return of the class acts: “…Bring back Explainer//Stalin, David Rudder…”
Incidentally, Mr Famous is billed to perform in Guyana at the Hotel Tower on February 22. “Play More Local”, which has been tearing up the airwaves both here and in T&T will no doubt feature hugely in his performance.
The show is the night before our Republic anniversary and it is billed to go right through until Mashramani day at 6 am. Advertisements for the show predict that revellers will be “palancing” through the night. Mr Famous’s catchy song is sure to be danced to and sung along with. Will anyone notice the incongruity of it?
It can be argued, of course, that in a small region like Caricom, regional is not that far from local; point taken. However, our Guyanese musicians do not have the legal protection, the financial backing nor the earning power of our brothers and sisters in T&T (Sparrow, Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, Super Blue, et al); Barbados (Gabby, Mighty Gryner [dare I mention Rihanna?], Allison Hinds et al); and Jamaica (Beres Hammond, Beenie Man, Sean Paul, Shaggy et al), to name a few.
Mr Famous’ message is perhaps more pertinent to Guyana than to his home country. And while we really did not need him to repeat what we already know, we should embrace it and run with it – the message, that is.
Not only do we need to play more local songs on our airwaves and offer our musicians publicity, which is the least we can give them at this point; but we need to harness the creativity that is being eroded by migration on the one hand and apathy on the other. We need that revitalisation of our culture of music.
At least one organisation I know of, the Guyana Music Network, is trying to implement a system of helping local artistes to not only be heard but to be sensible in an industry that can hardly compete.
Play more local! Create more local! Support more local! Re-energise the local music industry!
