KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaican government will be taking a tough stance on lewd and violent music. Best of all, we will put in place the resources needed to effect and enforce the necessary changes, Prime Minister Bruce Golding, has said.
Hon. Bruce Golding
“We are going to find a way to deal with the nastiness that is out there. And if it is some law that needs to be changed, let us prepare the legislation and go to Parliament and change it. If it is some resources that we have to find then, as tough as things are, make us find it, because we cannot afford to allow this assault not only on our music, but on our psyche and our identity as a people, to continue,” Mr. Golding stated.
Jamaica House
The Prime Minister spoke on Sunday night, February 8, at the Reggae Month reception. The event took place at Jamaica House. It was for people in the music industry, including artists, producers, songwriters, music promoters, and sound system operators.
“I want a sit down this week, let us put together a programme, let us put together an enforcement mechanism, let us deal with it, because our music is too valuable, it is too important to us for it to be compromised in this way,” he added.
Artistic Expression
Mr. Golding, however, made it clear that his government was not trying to censor artistic expression.
“We are going to have to confront some challenges, because music in a sense has to be free, artistic expression cannot be controlled, filtered or programmed and, therefore, musicians have to be free to express themselves. Artistic expression is something that comes from deep within. It is something that is so often defined and determined by one’s own particular experience and, therefore, it is something that needs to be encouraged, but, there must be parameters,” he said.
“We must set some parameters, and we must be prepared to ostracize those who step beyond the boundaries of what is descent and uplifting. Freedom of expression must be used to do good, to do right, to uplift, to inspire and to make Jamaica a better place,” he added.
Reggae Month
Shifting focus to the overall goals of Reggae Month (RM), Mr. Golding said that the month was launched to celebrate achievements in music, the artistes who have carried the music and those who have helped to hone it and to bring it to the maturity that it enjoys today.
“We want to celebrate the international recognition that Reggae has earned, and we want to focus on the music itself: what it has done for Jamaica but, perhaps more importantly, what more it can do,” he said.
Mr. Golding also took the opportunity to re-emphasize that, despite the fact that the government has not been able to put more resources and energy into Reggae Month this year, due to financial constrains, the commitment still remained to make it a month when the country can showcase to the world all that is Reggae and Jamaican.
Reggae Month 2009 continues on Tuesday (February 10). It will feature the annual Bob Marley Lecture at the University of the West Indies, Mona.
