Music more than just entertainment at political campaigns

‘Mek mi start da one ya…’

This is how the Most Honourable Andrew Holness kicked off his official journey as prime minister of Jamaica, at his swearing-in ceremony back in 2016.

‘My dream, my dream, my dream, my dream, my dream,

Tell you my dream is fi live my dream…’

The PM used Nesbeth’s hit single, My Dream , as the theme song to commemorate his momentous affair.

Music, especially popular music, has always been a key part of major events, and it’s no different for political gatherings. Speeches aside, many supporters have traditionally gone to political rallies, conferences, meetings, etc., to enjoy the entertainment and party-like atmosphere.

But there is more to music’s purpose than just building a vibe and allowing supporters to be in a ‘feel-good’ mood at these political events.

Christopher Charles, professor of political and social psychology, Department of Government, The University of the West Indies (UWI), noted that music is also used to “send messages”.

Professor Charles, who did a study that was published in 2006, titled The Psychology of Music and Electioneering in the 2002 Jamaican Election (Social and Economic Studies), shared with eProbe that he had interviewed the selector for the People’s National Party (PNP) as well as a group of PNP supporters, and found that music had indeed played its role in helping to drive home the party’s political message.

A communication device

“Since the songs match what the party leaders were saying, it was important to see if the people who attended the meetings got that message. So when I asked them, ‘When you hear this song, what comes to mind, or what is the message being conveyed?’ They will tell you, and it matched what the leader was saying and what the selector said. So the song becomes a communication device to reinforce the leader’s message,” Charles explained.

The professor said that since the dawn of human civilisation, music has been an important tool, and in terms of politics, “songs communicate messages, they communicate people’s feelings and they connect with people, and political parties the world over use it all the time. You find that they play a lot of music before and sometimes during and after the main speakers speak.”

Charles, who confessed his love for attending mass meetings of both major political parties because “they are very exciting”, explained that in Jamaica, “we have a leader centric system, in terms of the political party and political culture, so I normally study the party leaders. Before the party leader comes up, he or she is introduced, and then a song is played, which frames how the party wants the leader to be seen”.

So, for example, in the past, the PNP would play My Leader Born Ya (written and performed by Neville ‘Struggle’ Martin) for leader Michael Manley; and Young, Gifted and Black (Bob Andy and Marcia Griffiths) was played for president P.J. Patterson.

Charles, in explaining the message behind My Leader Born Ya , within the context of the political arena, stated that “Mr Edward Seaga was Jamaican, but was born in the US, while his Jamaican parents were travelling. And even though he renounced his American citizenship when he was entering politics, the PNP still framed him as a foreigner, and they used the music to do that.” Seaga was the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

In the past, entertainers were not very comfortable with the use of their songs at political meetings. Today, they have mixed views on the subject.

Recording artiste Nesbeth, whose My Dream single was used by both major political parties during the last general election, said he was grateful for any platform that his music is highlighted, “because when I make my music, it’s for everybody to hear”.

Nesbeth, who declared that he was neither PNP nor JLP, but “for the Jamaican people”, also said that his music would not have been used if it were not popular at the time or had a powerful message that would resonate with the masses, which to him was always a good sign.

And for a man who hails from “humble beginnings”, Nesbeth, who also performed live at Holness’ swearing-in ceremony, records the moment as “one of the most memorable for me, to share the stage with the prime minister of the country”.

Action (recorded by Nadine Sutherland and Terror Fabulous) was also another popular song utilised a lot during election campaigns. The song was used more recently when Ann-Marie Vaz of the JLP campaigned for the East Portland seat. The self-styled ‘Action Ann’, 53, created history in becoming the first female member of parliament for the constituency in 75 years of universal adult suffrage.

Not a pleasant feeling

For Sutherland, however, it was not a pleasant feeling when she first heard her song making the rounds on the political campaign trail.

“I was stunned,” said the singer, revealing to eProbe what many may not have known, that she was, in fact, a victim of political violence, and had been scarred psychologically.

“I’m a woman who bears that psychological scar,” Sutherland said, recalling having to run for her life down a gully, “when political gunman come fi kill wi (she and her family)”.

The political climate, she said, has somewhat changed, however, “but I responded based on my trauma as a child. If anybody lived through the 1980s election, our concept of elections is gun and violence. And so when it happened, I felt like I was reliving my youth. Mi swear sey a dead mi a guh dead.”

Even to this day, Sutherland said that people still think she is a supporter of the JLP, but “I am non-political, non-partisan.”

The singer said that nowadays, however, whenever her song is used on the political campaign trail, she doesn’t feel as threatened.

“ Action was used again by Action Ann, it was her theme song, and I don’t feel like how I used to, because it’s a different political climate. Now, people see it as just popular songs being used. We have grown so much, so nobody is going to align you to a political party because of that. It’s not like back in the day when some people were so heavily vested in the orange or green, even though some are still of that mindset,” Sutherland said.

No permission was sought

Another entertainer, Ja Flexx (formerly Flexx of dancehall group TOK), shared that they usually hear about their songs being used after the fact, and although no permission was sought, they understand that it’s just the way things are.

“They (politicians) have been doing this kinda thing for years, long before my time. It’s a known fact to everyone that music is the most powerful way of bringing people together, so I guess they use it when it suits them, using popular songs to help bring across their point to the masses,” he said.

TOK songs like Chi Chi Man , Solid As A Rock , and Footprints have been used on the political campaign trail.

Despite no permission being sought from the artistes for the use of their songs for political campaigns, Lydia Rose, general manager for Jamaica Association of Composers Authors and Publishers (JACAP), revealed that “the two main political parties usually apply for a blanket licence yearly. The yearly licence fee is $144,000 per our tariff.”

The general secretaries of the JLP and PNP did not respond to queries from eProbe regarding the use of music at their parties’ events.

POLITICAL PLAYLISTS

Here are some of the major songs that were on the playlists for the 2019 party conferences of the JLP and PNP:

JLP

1. Greetings (Half Pint)

2. Driver (Buju Banton)

3. Clean Like A Whistle (Chronixx)

4. Toast (Koffee)

5. You Make Me Stronger (Kevin Downswell)

6. Do Sum’n (Konshens)

7. Bro God (Daddy 1)

8. Can’t Even Walk (The Grace Thrillers)

PNP

1. Thank You Jah (Vybz Kartel)

2. Young, Gifted and Black (Bob Andy and Marcia Griffiths)

3. Promised Land (Dennis Brown and Aswad)

4. Daddy Oh (Judith Gayle)

5. A Mill Fi Share (Shane-O)

6. Solid As A Rock (Sizzla)

7. Winning Right Now (Assassin)

8. Stay So (Busy Signal)

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