MUSIC-JAMAICA: Reggae Struggles on US Airwaves

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Howard Campbell

KINGSTON, Aug 11 1998 (IPS) - The best chance anyone in the United States has of hearing the latest reggae hit is to buy a CD at the nearest That’s because U.S. listeners are not likely to hear much reggae on their local radio stations, a situation that is disturbing the music industry here.

The U.S. market is where the money is and, while reggae enjoys a cult following in America, programmers at leading stations are unwilling to present extended reggae playlists on mainstream radio, say industry spokesmen.

This in turn has hurt reggae acts looking to break through in the United States as potential fans are ignorant of their work. Worse still, apart from community stations with a diehard following, and some ethnic hip-hop stations offering dancehall selections, reggae on U.S. airwaves is all but obsolete.

Because reggae has failed to produce a consistent flow of hit records, radio states in America have not been receptive, admit Jamaican reggae experts.

“I continue to find that reggae has never been fairly treated by mainstream radio in Americas; it’s always been viewed as a novelty item,” says Roger Steffens, the noted reggae archivist. “It only seems to succeed when the music is not marketed as reggae as was the case with Ini Kamoze’s ‘Hotstepper’ and Shaggy’s ‘O’Carolina’. They were sold as pop hits.”

Having a hit is the key to sustained airplay. That’s the principal reason Los Angeles station KROQ gave for changing the format of its relatively popular Positive Vibration programme in order for it to be syndicated.

The show is hosted by Wayne Jobson, a Jamaican who saw the need to expand its base via syndication. But there was a snag. “Some of the stations across the States were not prepared to play a Burning Spear, for example,” Jobson explained, “they will play Bob Marley but they also want to hear No Doubt and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.”

The latter two represent the growing wave of white American ska bands, the closest thing to reggae on mainstream radio. Bands like ‘No Doubt’ and ‘311’ will form the core of Jobson’s new programme which has been re-named Reggae Revolution.

Following hot on the heels of ska in the good books of American radio is dancehall music which, merged with hip-hop, has found its way onto ethnic charts and African-American radio. Thanks to hits by Bounty Killer, Beenie Man and Capleton, dancehall has carved out a niche market for itself. Its moderate growth has also made it easier for its promoters to make a case for improved airplay.

Bobby Konders, a third generation Polish-American, is one of the pro-reggae lobbyists. The disc jockey hosts the weekly ‘On Da Reggae Tip’ programme on the highly-rated Hot 97 radio station in New York. The two-hour programme plays the hottest beats in the dancehall and is credited with making songs like Beenie Man’s breakthrough ‘Whom Am I’ a minor hit on the urban charts.

During his two-hour slot Konders and sidekick Jabba offer a variety of Jamaican music though he admits there is a bias toward dancehall which is more likely to attract the ears of American teenagers. Konders’ main goal is to push reggae, especially dancehall, into the big time on American radio.

“It’s catching on in New York because there’s a large West Indian community but that’s different from mainstream America,” Konders ssays. “For a while Shabba Ranks broke through so did Super Cat and Cobra; right now it’s Beenie Man, I’m sure if others like Sizzla and Bounty get the same shot they’d be just as popular.”

For dancehall to gain a foothold on urban radio stateside, Konders says a follow-up to Beenie Man’s monster hit is crucial. That’s where the upcoming Bounty Killer album, ‘New Millenium,’ could have a say.

“When his last album (My Xperience) came out he was hot and that helps here, I don’t know what’s been happening for him now,” Konders points out. “He’s worked with a lot of hip-hop acts on the new album so if one of those records are accepted it should be successful.”

But what of traditional reggae.What chance does it have in these times of computerised beats and party groups? Not much, says Roger Steffens.

“Roots reggae hasn’t got a chance because the U.S. market has become so filled with niche radio stations and none of those niches is reggae,” Steffens declares. “The vast majority of reggae programming has been doomed to weekly community shows at often inconvenient hours.”

Whatever the genre, inadequate marketing is reggae’s achilles heel. Steffens points to the influx of American ska bands as one area where Jamaicans have missed a glorious opportunity to tap into American radio in a big way.

“Ska is the driving force behind young people these days and I haven’t seen any Jamaican acts moving to reclaim that music,” Steffens concludes. “Reggae still has no idea how to promote itself after 25 years of trying to break into the American market.”