The House King Jammy and Producers of Reggae and Dancehall Built: Intellectual Property

King Jammy Sound System/Photo Source: Unknown

Earlier this week, we introduced the new album by King Jammy and Dennis Brown featuring the young legends, King Jammy Presents Dennis Brown: The Tracks of Life. We listened to the entire album. And it is well done. A collector’s item, so we encourage the purchase of the vinyl edition to add to your library and the digital copy for everyday play.

In our review of King Jammy Presents Dennis Brown: The Tracks of Life, we mentioned the secondary social and economic role King Jammy played in peoples’ lives. From the sound technician to the cook and their children, King Jammy’s productions and engineering talent influenced the lives of many.

Bob Marley and The Wailers/Photo Source: The Jamaica Gleaner

And the same cascading effect of intellectual property is considered for many engineers, musicians, song writers, producers, and performers as King Tubby, Bobby Digital, Dennis Brown, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Sly &Robbie, Judy Mowatt, Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Lee Scratch Perry, Delroy Wilson, Augustus Pablo, John Holt, Big Youth, U Roy, Sister Nancy, Tapper Zukie, Louie Culture, Errol "Flabba" Holt, Gregory Isaac, Dennis Brown, and Dennis Alcopone. Because their formation and productivity necessitated the collaborative efforts and talent of others as truck drivers, hairdressers, the jeweler, the tailors and dressmakers, cooks, graphic artists, security forces, and men to lift the sound boxes.

Lee Scratch Perry, Black Ark Studios/Photo Source: Unknown

To some extent, the creative landscape of Jamaica is the center of social justice and reform, education, health and well being, financial and industrial development. However, during the foundation stage of reggae and dancehall, the engagement of minor stakeholders was a jointed rather than a of permanent appointment of skills and labour. Today it is different. Reggae and dancehall are established entities in Jamaica and internationally. Money is made everyday.

Dennis Alcapone/Photo Source: Unknown

Therefore, as with many reviews and reports concerning reggae and dancehall productions, it is problematic to reflect on the piece in isolation. Art is a product of society. As such, it reflects an iconography, iconology, and ethnography of a place. And the creators and the subject matter are the human investment. The lived experience. This is what humanizes the piece. What finalizes the connection between the creator and the observer. While we fix our gaze on the impact of this process, the aesthetic and emotional form, rarely do we reflect on the financial and cultural return of investment to the primary and generational investors, especially their descendants.

Sister Nancy/Photo Source: Billboard

In many contexts, art is at its finest when conflict is present. And even more so, we often connect with narratives of social upheaval and destitute spaces as poverty and marginalization. As well, we alleviate the angst when we can detect creative resolutions and restitutive spaces of justice. Yet, rarely do we follow up to see if this is true. Even when the subject matter reflects reality.

And even without the angst, when was the last time we verified if our consumption and inspiration of an art form influenced the social and economic well being of the place, person, and space of the creator and the subject matter?

Jamaica is the leader of cultural creativity and exportation. From the creation of Rastafarian influenced by Marcus Garvey,Mortimo St George "Kumi" Planno, and the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, to the development of reggae, dancehall, and dance which embodies the lived experienced of each production and its evolution.

Tapper Zukie/Photo Source: Unknown

While considered a developing country from the perspective of monetary funds, its cultural knowledge and sui generis makes it one of the wealthiest countries through the exportation of knowledge. Albeit, much is appropriated. And the level of return of investment to the motherland of artistic and cultural oasis is beneath respectability. Arguably, many who have benefited from the culture do provide recognition in the form of writing books, presenting festivals, and a brief hail up about the stock of knowledge gained. All is well except, more is required to sustain life than a brief pleasantry and/or disjointed tokens of appreciation through financial donations.

As for the artists and creatives of Jamaica, there is a vulnerable awareness to their true power concerning the auditing, valuation, ownership, protection, development, and licensing of their intellectual property. They are immensely wealthy. But few are aware. While there are many variables overshadowing this reality, default business practices based mainly on the cultural conditioning of attitudes and beliefs, of one love, respect, and giving a man an opportunity to prove himself honourable are part of the causation.

U Roy/ Photo Source: Alchetron

In reference to the art historical productions, through the lack of knowledge, barriers to access of information, and an unduly adherence to cultural beliefs the patent and industrial design rights for the sound boxes and amplifiers, the copyright, moral rights, performance rights, and related rights for music, dance, hairstyles, and recipes , the trademark for names, expressions, designs, and colours, and the trade secrets for research and development and cultural knowledge is either underexploited by the key primary creator or appropriated. And like other facets of positive and negative generational patterns and mindsets, lineage determines wealth.

Therefore, it is imperative for the present generation to view art and business as one industry. Park contrived conditioning that hinders social and economic justice, which is partly achieved through travel, transparent cultural interaction, reflection, and access to information. And most pointedly address internalized prejudices and marginalized attitudes that foster division and hostility. To know the value of intellectual property and to exercise this civil right means it is for the good of all. It is an inclusive space free of competition. Abundantly creative.

While we argue the greats are gone, take a moment to observe their legendary behaviour. Although disjointed in terms of finances, they helped each other by being exceptionally hardworking and supportive of each other and their extended families. Children went to school, thrived in professions as doctors and lawyers, and maintained the well being of women and elders in the community. A lack of knowledge concerning the value of their productions and ownership of their intellectual property was the only vice. But, today is different.

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