The Editor, Sir:
Well, it seems that the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica has finally buckled under the pressure from various quarters to permanently close the Rampin' Shop and erase all traces of 'daggerin' from the airwaves. This comes amid outcries from parents, PTA groups, school administrators and church folk, to name a few.
Not surprisingly, some of these groups believe that all this singing about 'rampin' and daggerin' is further adding to the moral and social decay (political and economic too?) that is facing the country. Typical. Nevertheless, the Broadcasting Commission has a job to do, and it must act in the interest of the people. But has it?
Difficult task
I decided to go to the website of the Broadcasting Commission and look at its statement on these 'daggerin' songs. I gave a little chuckle as I read the document which made it clear that programme managers "should take immediate steps to prevent the transmission of any recorded material relating to daggerin' ... " This, I imagine, would mean any song with the word dagger' (henceforth D), songs inviting people to 'tek di D', songs signalling that it's 'D time', and so on and so forth. Needless to say, this is by no means an easy task. But is seems the Broadcasting Commission has a plan for that too.
Further on in this same document, page three to be exact, the commission talks about plans of "establishing islandwide citizen-based media monitors to assist ... ." Are these media monitors a kind of 'anti-dagger squad' or just plain old 'informers?' Whatever the case, it is clear that the commission is seeking to expand its sight.
Refusing to keep silent
If history has taught us anything, it is that censorship is not usually effective. The 'revolutionary spirit' brought on by the writings of the philosophes during the time of the French Revolution could not be squashed, and King Louis' government fell. The movers and shakers of the civil-rights movement refused to keep silent and the institution of racial segregation came tumbling down as well. Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is seen as a masterpiece today, but back in the 14th century it was tantamount to any old deejay telling the 'massive, and 'crew' to 'dagga dat'. They wanted to shut him up too, but he kept on writing and so, it became clear to others that English (not just French and Latin) was actually good enough to write poetry.
Our own history of censoring dancehall music has been eclectic. Anyone remembers how to do that 'devil dance' Dutty Wine? Today we have daggerin, tomorrow it may be 'jooky-jam'. Artistes will continue to sing and commissions will continue to censor. They don't always see eye to eye, but they both have their parts to play.
I am, etc.,
CLIVE FORRESTER
clive.forrester@gmail.com