Dear Editor,
Once again, courtesy of Sting, Jamaica's dancehall entertainment community has managed to grab ignominious headlines with another farcical show delivery replete with the bottle-throwing that has characteristically marred the event over the years leading it to have been redubbed "Fling".
Following last years' edition I had commented on the show's promoter Isaiah Laing's commitment and for sticking with his vision over the 30 years of the show's presentation and providing an outlet for the legions of fans to enjoy the offerings of their favourite dancehall artistes. At that time I posed the question of the show's continued relevance after so many years, given its tendency to descend into bottle-throwing and associated controversies.
It is no secret that the promoters have successfully managed to maintain the interest of its target audience each year by billing the event around clashes between artistes on its roster. This strategy has been an integral element of Jamaica's dancehall culture going back to the late 1950s when sound systems, the likes of Tommy Wong's Tom the Great Sebastian, Duke Reid's Trojan Sounds, Clement Dodd's Sir Coxsone's Downbeat, and Vincent Edwards' King Edwards The Giant met regularly at places like Chocomo Lawn and Forresters Hall for sound system clashes.
History has documented that oftentimes these clashes descended into physical confrontations as one sound system flailed the other with rare discs with the resulting dismissal causing huge fights and destruction of equipment. Violence, therefore, has been a companion of his type of entertainment and it would seem that the patrons at these events anticipate its delivery.
Sting seems only to be living up to such expectations as, on the lead-up to this year's rendition, we saw the legendary Ninja Man declaring his withdrawal from the bill due to threats made. The pandemonium which followed Friday night/Saturday morning's delivery was simply par for the course. It is laudable of the police to have pulled the plug on the show when they did as it would have been anybody's guess as to what mayhem may have resulted.
We have to grow up as a nation and, in the process, we must set and demand better standards as a people. The images of Jamaicans fleeing for cover at a stage show demean what we offer as entertainment. Such fare will find no market beyond Jamaican shores and is certainly an insult to the work and memories of Robert Nesta Marley, John Holt, Dennis Brown and the legions of others who have paved the way for Jamaican music and entertainment.
Equally, this farce plays into the violence culture for which we have become known worldwide, and I daresay that this does none of us any good, least of all the young and impressionable in our population.
Ministry of Culture, it is time to take stock and to set at least some minimum standard for entertainment. To the police commissioner, I say, anticipate and enforce earlier. And to Isaiah Laing...wheel and come again.
Richard Hugh Blackford
Coral Spring, Florida
USA
Sting Fling, sadly true to form
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Once again, courtesy of Sting, Jamaica's dancehall entertainment community has managed to grab ignominious headlines with another farcical show delivery replete with the bottle-throwing that has characteristically marred the event over the years leading it to have been redubbed "Fling".
Following last years' edition I had commented on the show's promoter Isaiah Laing's commitment and for sticking with his vision over the 30 years of the show's presentation and providing an outlet for the legions of fans to enjoy the offerings of their favourite dancehall artistes. At that time I posed the question of the show's continued relevance after so many years, given its tendency to descend into bottle-throwing and associated controversies.
It is no secret that the promoters have successfully managed to maintain the interest of its target audience each year by billing the event around clashes between artistes on its roster. This strategy has been an integral element of Jamaica's dancehall culture going back to the late 1950s when sound systems, the likes of Tommy Wong's Tom the Great Sebastian, Duke Reid's Trojan Sounds, Clement Dodd's Sir Coxsone's Downbeat, and Vincent Edwards' King Edwards The Giant met regularly at places like Chocomo Lawn and Forresters Hall for sound system clashes.
History has documented that oftentimes these clashes descended into physical confrontations as one sound system flailed the other with rare discs with the resulting dismissal causing huge fights and destruction of equipment. Violence, therefore, has been a companion of his type of entertainment and it would seem that the patrons at these events anticipate its delivery.
Sting seems only to be living up to such expectations as, on the lead-up to this year's rendition, we saw the legendary Ninja Man declaring his withdrawal from the bill due to threats made. The pandemonium which followed Friday night/Saturday morning's delivery was simply par for the course. It is laudable of the police to have pulled the plug on the show when they did as it would have been anybody's guess as to what mayhem may have resulted.
We have to grow up as a nation and, in the process, we must set and demand better standards as a people. The images of Jamaicans fleeing for cover at a stage show demean what we offer as entertainment. Such fare will find no market beyond Jamaican shores and is certainly an insult to the work and memories of Robert Nesta Marley, John Holt, Dennis Brown and the legions of others who have paved the way for Jamaican music and entertainment.
Equally, this farce plays into the violence culture for which we have become known worldwide, and I daresay that this does none of us any good, least of all the young and impressionable in our population.
Ministry of Culture, it is time to take stock and to set at least some minimum standard for entertainment. To the police commissioner, I say, anticipate and enforce earlier. And to Isaiah Laing...wheel and come again.
Richard Hugh Blackford
Coral Spring, Florida
USA
Sting Fling, sadly true to form
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