‘We lacking creativity’ - Ky-Mani Marley says Jamaicans need to take time to make good music

Lack of originality is one of the reasons Ky-Mani Marley gave for Jamaicans failing to dominate major international music charts in recent times.

In a recent interview with The Gleaner, the Grammy-nominated artiste said that much of the music being produced on the local scene today lacks creativity.

“My family has always been about building, creating, innovating and that’s why we have been able to stay on the front-line of the charts. We do not follow trends. What I think we (as an industry) lacking is our originality. I feel like nuff a di man dem in the genre come do a song and it hit and a next man come do a song inna da same vein deh without creating his own,” Ky-Mani, son of reggae great Bob Marley, reasoned.

He added: “Where are the Burning Spears, the Bob Marleys, the Peter Toshes, the Bunny Wailers? You name them, the list goes on. We lacking creativity inna di business, and I think once we get back to that, we good. We just need to get back to being original and not worry about finding a hit or trying to pattern something so that you can be in that playlist.

“We need to take time and make the albums original. If me a pick up an album yah now, me wah listen to things that can stimulate my mind and say, ‘A weh him get that from?’ Me nuh wah hear the same old same old,” he continued.

Weak chart presence

Ky-Mani also believes the persons behind some of the biggest international charts are not in tune with reggae music. He said that this is contributing to the less-than-strong Jamaican presence on international music charts.

“I don’t believe that the people who sit and make these lists are in tune. A some man weh probably not even know much about the culture and the music, but him link up with him friend from that group and this record company and that record company,” he said.

“For the last however many years, they (foreigners) are the ones leading the charge where reggae is concerned, and for me, a lot of that is just a fight. Yuh have nuff likkle reggae groups, when yuh go pan the reggae charts, yuh find out is a likkle group from California. Wah happen to our Chronixx? ”