MUSIC-JAMAICA: Rapper Gores Politicians, Voters

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

KINGSTON, Jun 18 2002 (IPS) - When politicians hit the road with extravagant motorcades and make television appearances and sugar-coated promises you can bet it’s election time in Jamaica. Dub poet Mutabaruka is not buying it

Muta, as he is known, is one of the most vocal critics of politicians in this country, has fired his latest salvo against public officials with the rap-style commentary “Dem Lie.” The song was released in March and although mainstream radio has avoided it, “Dem Lie” is one of the most popular songs here.

Constitutionally, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson is to call elections this year and as Jamaicans wait for him to make the big announcement, members from the governing People’s National Party (PNP) and the main opposition Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) are doing the rounds to rustle up votes.

True to form, the outspoken Muta has been keeping a watch on the proceedings and he is not at all impressed by what he is hearing.

“Listening to the radio stations and hearing them (politicians) talk everything sound so logical and you are trying to figure who right. That mean somebody must telling lie,” Muta, 49, charges.

“Dem Lie” hears the controversial Rastafarian tackling the politicians on issues that have put Jamaica under the international microscope. These include a crime wave that has claimed more than 400 lives since the start of 2001 and the British government’s scolding of its Jamaican counterparts for not doing enough to clamp down on drug couriers traveling to that country.

But Muta saves his biggest jab for the Jamaican electorate, which he says continues to buy the promises of politicians despite decades of negative economic growth since gaining independence from Britain in 1962.

He blames that on ignorance.

“The education system should have further than it reach,” says Muta. “The same old thing, promise to fix road when election time come. Is a case of history repeating itself and the people not learning.”

“Dem Lie” is a joint production between Muta and Jamaican musician/producer Glen Browne, and borrows the beat of the hit song “Because I Got High” by American rapper Afroman.

Jamaica’s conservative mainstream radio stations have not picked “Dem Lie” for their playlists. In contrast, the independent Irie FM, where Mutabaruka hosts the “Cutting Edge” programme, has given the song power-play and helped make it a favourite among Jamaicans.

In New York City, “Dem Lies” has reportedly figured strongly on Caribbean radio stations and has made the New York Reggae Top 20 list.

At home, Muta reckons the record has sold 4,000 copies, strong numbers for an independent distributor here. Though he is unperturbed that radio has not given “Dem Lie” extensive play, Muta has strong words for local disc jockeys whom he says show a bias to risque North American hits while ignoring hard-hitting Jamaican songs.

“Why is it that something that is so near to the people these disc jockeys find it hard to synchronise with?” he asks. “But that they will play something very sexual from a hip-hop tune.”

There is a sense of deja vu surrounding “Dem Lies.” In 1992, there was similar response to “People’s Court”, another Mutabaruka song that charged Jamaican politicians with committing a variety of crimes.

“People’s Court”, also independently distributed, was banned from the airwaves by the censors but according to Muta, it remains his biggest-selling song to date.

Born Alan Hope in St. Catherine parish, Mutabaruka has been raising eyebrows since a sensational appearance at the Reggae Sunsplash festival in 1981. His passionate delivery of songs like “Witeman Country” and “Everytime I Ear De Soun'” was a revelation and set the tone for his debut album, the equally compelling “Check It” which was released in 1983.

Citing Jamaican folklorist Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett as his main influence, Muta eventually hooked up with the U.S.-based Shanachie Records, which distributed seven of his nine studio albums in the United States and Europe where the Afrocentric poet retains a cult following.

Recently, he parted ways with Shanachie, which he says was concentrating on the more commercial smooth jazz market. The independent company Heartbeat Records, also based in the United States, plans to release a new album, “Life Squared”, this month.