Entertainment

The Caribbean connection

Crucial Bankie. - Winston Sill

ON SUNDAY NIGHT, Crucial Bankie from St. Kitts launched his fourth and latest album, Shakedown. Music knows no boundaries and, as Jamaica Federation of Musicians President Desmond Young pointed out at Sunday's event, music has made the Caribbean link long before the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME) - and dates back to even the failed federation's attempt, for that mater.

Lord Creator, the man of the 'Evening News' and 'Foreign Press', was one of the early persons to make the Caribbean link, coming in from Trinidad. And, more recently, Natural Black from Guyana has stamped his name firmly on the Jamaican music scene. In addition, the First Born group, also from Guyana, has done well in performing here, as well as putting out an album that has a collaboration with the late Dennis Brown.

Waistlines dance

It is natural that soca should be a strong part of the Caribbean connection, as it is the music of the Caribbean which has had waistlines moving in Jamaica. With the advent of carnival in Jamaica, it has got stronger, so we have Oscar B from Trinidad and Jumo from Guyana among a strong Caribbean front-line for Byron Lee and the Dragonaires.

And deejays such as Beenie Man and Admiral Bailey have made the calypso moves, Bailey in tandem with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires (Soca Butterfly and Soca Tatty) and Beenie Man by himself.

Laying a foundation

The Caribbean Music Expo has made the attempt to cement ­ or at least lay the foundation ­ of a musical link among Caribbean people that goes further than the occasional collaboration. I remember the turn-out of Caribbean talent for their workshop series last year, and I was most impressed.

What has not happened much, though, is a musical fusion, which would result in a 'new' music. I really enjoyed the calypso song 'Ragga Ragga', which chronicled the effect of deejay music on a calypso man in a fete and on the bus ("a pure deejay play de whole damn way"), but although it included some deejay style lyrics, it was done over a straight calypso beat.

What would happen if zouk musicians sat down with some dancehall producers? What would be the result of Niyabinhi style drummers collaborating with steelpan players? It may sound ludicrous, but many a good new thing has been born out of strange combinations.

It is good that music has long gone where politicians are only now just getting to, without great fanfare and without state intervention.