WHAT THEY HID IN BOB MARLEY’S ONE LOVE MOVIE – a Review

Recently, I had the opportunity to watch the “One Love” movie, which I found both enjoyable and thought-provoking for its core message. However, as an artist myself, I couldn’t help but notice several aspects that I would have approached differently. My main critique lies in the production and execution, which at times felt overly artificial, missing the raw and authentic essence of the Jamaican setting. The film earns two stars from me for its bold attempt to confront racism and its impact on Bob Marley’s evolution and philosophical transformation. This transformation propelled him from the shadows of Jamaica to become a beacon of change and awareness. Yet, the narrative falls short in linking his growth directly to his Rastafarian beliefs, leaving viewers unfamiliar with the culture without a clear understanding of his journey.

The depiction of Rastafari in the movie was particularly lacking, offering little in terms of justice or clarity to the movement. Additionally, the film avoids discussing Bob Marley’s challenges with Western norms of fidelity, which are deeply intertwined with his Rastafarian lifestyle and the reason behind his many children with different partners. This omission was another missed opportunity for enlightenment.

Casting decisions that favoured foreign actors to capture the quintessence of Jamaican identity were disappointing, though understandable from a production standpoint. Despite this, the limited roles given to Jamaican actors stood out as the most genuine and memorable performances in the film.

Despite these criticisms, the essence of the movie’s message remains vital. It serves as a reminder that Reggae music is more than a genre; it’s a form of consciousness and a tool for fighting for freedom and equality worldwide. Bob was here in his short life for a reason and I think this movie tried to explain why Bob was born, fathered by a white man and mothered by a black woman. What more powerful imagery of someone destined to be a healer and not a divider, a prophet living amongst us, and humans being flawed and shortsighted were too busy caught in the rapture and not seeing the miracle that lived amongst us.

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THE ISLANDS FROM SPACE

Visual surprise is natural in the Caribbean; it comes with the landscape, and faced with its beauty, the sigh of History dissolves.
Derek Walcott.

10 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR JAMAICA

January 1, the day when the entire world makes resolutions . Really cannot blame them. After looking back at the previous year it is a natural human want to improve on where you have fallen short. Sad thing is – resolutions always stay where they were conceived, either in the euphoria of the mind over a glass of champagne , with friends having careless banter, or in response to other people’s resolution just to make you feel as part of the in crowd. Our mind is never at a place of deep thought when we make our  resolutions neither are they achievable and so they usually fail or fall short . Where there is no grit, it won’t stick.

Resolutions are a personal commitment to self. It is paying good diligence to your time on this journey called Life and it gives you good discipline when it is used properly.  As we roll out a new year I begin to wonder about my homeland and trying to figure out what resolutions can be made for my country. After all my country is a living entity of 3 million people in a beautiful place called the Caribbean. But whiter Jamaica? Where do we go in 2014? The number 2014 defies our understanding of how the world has come of age and how fast it is moving.

Jamaica, like most places cannot boast of 2013 as a year of forward movement for its people, its economy and its cultural lifestyle. Yes there have been strides but as the athlete will tell you strides are like elegant footsteps on the way to accomplishing a goal. We cannot meet the goal if we don’t push and enlighten ourselves. We cannot meet our goals if we don’t accelerate with energy , power and form. In other words, if we are intent that our warm ups are good enough to take us to the finish line , then we must not be surprised when everyone has passed us and we are a distant last. This intent has been with us since we got our independence. There is this unspoken truth that because we live on  an island we must slow down, live on our own pace.  Living on an island means one thing here in Jamaica and that is to take life for granted.

Jamaica is not an island unto itself. We are part of the world and the world is and has changed. If we could only educate ourselves to that fact. If I were stranded in Jamaica a book I would certainly have is “How to build a country, not an Island.”  Our knowledge in Jamaica is a little island in a great ocean of knowledge and progress. We must change our mentality. We must change our perceived perception. Strides are good. But strides are like our beating heart. It reminds us that we are still alive. Lets move Jamaica, lets jump, lets sprint, lets throw as far as we can. Our island is a sea of ignorance. Being an island does not make us any less than other progressive nations. England is an island. England never allowed its size to be its reality. Neither should we Jamaica. We are better than an island. So here are my resolutions for Jamaica. We cannot quit on these either. We cannot afford to do nothing.

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. (Thomas Jefferson)

1. We resolve to ……BE ON TIME

Jamaica Time is a tourism cliché used to attract guest to our island. It is meant for our guests to slow down., not for us to use it as part of our lifestyle and culture. TIME is money Jamaica. We lose it, we can never get it back. Stop this nonsense . Get up and be on time.

 2. We resolve to ……BE CLEAN  

Every corner of our cities, roads, towns, beaches are full of human garbage. If we don’t keep our island clean, then we have not left the plantation and our parents and ancestors have not taught us anything. Its called pride Jamaica. We keep our homes clean but outside our doors it’s a garbage war zone.  Cleanliness is an attitude made powerful by action. If you don’t believe cleanliness can move your country a zillion miles forward, ask the Swiss. 

3. We resolve to ……RESPECT- ITS NOT A WORD..ITS AN ACTION.    

 A lack of respect usually means the person has no respect for himself either. Self respect leads to self-discipline. Respect our laws, each other, our visitors, our creativity and our culture. When we do, that is Real Power.  A country without respect and discipline is a country afloat with no wind to direct its sail. 

4. We resolve to ……BE LIBERATED BY EDUCATION

We promote sex in everything we do , degrading it to the lowest common human activity, in the things we wear and say, liberalism in how we drive, in how and where we live our lives, in how we do whatever we want when we want is not the sign of a liberated and civilized country. Let us instead be liberated by our education, not by our indiscipline. 

5. We resolve to…….PRACTICE CUSTOMER SERVICE                                         

Jamaica has a new word in its vocabulary..its NO, usually said with a stern face of robotic mechanism and eyes looking away staring at the floor as if you the customer is there, at the feet of the messenger.  Imagine the power of the word YES in everything we do and the power of the word NO accompanied with a positive alternative. Jamaica would be welcoming its 3 millionth visitor for 2013 and creating a society of doers , not followers.

6. We resolve to ……HAVE COURAGE                                      

Time and time again those that display courage reap the spoils and the citizens pack the streets and squares and jump in exhilaration at someone elses success. This is usually followed by the comments..‘yea mon, me feel good  she or he a mek Jamaica proud…” What does that mean..“make Jamaica proud”? Does it mean you are proud of YOURSELF as a Jamaican citizen basking in the collective euphoria or are you proud of Jamaica competing in the world of progressive nations? I think I know the answer. Courage is not overrated.It is the root to all things becoming right,  it makes all justice served equally, politicians & church leaders becoming accountable, it is the virtue that makes all other virtues possible. It is the wind beneath our wings. YES we CAN…TOGETHER!

7. We resolve to……BE DIFFERENT                           

Einstein quote is “education is what remains after you have forgotten what you’ve learned in school..” In Jamaica’s case we can also add “after what you have been taught by your elders”. Going to school does not mean you are educated. The “village” educates you, not the school. So think positively and progressively. Think out of the box.  Jamaicans like to follow fashion and believe that if it  comes from foreign it must be good or better than what they were doing. When you follow you are floating on a river going nowhere. Everyman is a good teacher because he is an expert of what he does So learn and think for yourself. Life is your education. Remember the saying…if you judge a fish by how he can climb a tree, he will think he is useless.

8. We resolve to ……DON’T BLAME THE SYSTEM                                      

It amazes me that we blame the system for our failure, for avarice, for selfishness, for decadence, for greed and we love these qualities in ourselves. And those  qualities of manners, kindness, honesty we admire them and convince ourselves those  qualities are the mark of the ‘Big Man” as if there are 2 kinds of people in Jamaica- the ‘big man’ and ‘the poor man.” Nonsense. That type of thinking is based on our emotions and is an illusion, a vulgar conception to soothe ourselves and give credence to our illusion. We create the system of which we complain. Fix it and succeed. Live with it and die. 

9. We resolve to ……SELL OUR BRAND                                    

Don’t be fooled . People visit our island because of YOU, US , nothing else. No beach, no sun, no mountain, no hotel, no music can replace or supersede the Jamaican, that smiling, friendly, confident, talented and beautifully speaking island man. So sell US. Sell YOU. This is what Brand Jamaica is – it’s not the THINGS made in the country..its YOU, its US. 

10. We resolve to…..PURSUE OUR OWN PATH      

“We run t’ings, t’ings noh run we “ is a common Jamaican phrase we use daily in our dialect and sometimes we need to stop and think on what we are saying. What we are saying is we decide our own path so Jamaica  let’s do just that. Jamaica was at her wealthiest when we were rooted in the soil. We were feeders of  the world once upon a time but we have turned our backs on our natural resources. We have rivers , brilliant sunshine , mountains, perfect soil and still we import things that can be grown here. We have wasted our resources on importing oil instead of focusing on expanding and developing  our solar energy resources.  A national policy of solar panel on every house in Jamaica would set world standards. That is where our leaders need to fight for its citizens. We need to run tings Jamaica. We have our own path. We are not producing . We are busy selling made in China and India cheap items when there should be a national policy of agriculture first, development of natural resources, national policies on river engineering for energy production, wind energy. We are destroying our own identity. Lets resolve to be Jamaican. Let us be leaders in the Caribbean again. Lets fall in love with Jamaica once again.  

Let’s start again Jamaica. it’s a new year but this time with feelings and resolve.

 

COLORS OF ENGLISH – by K.Brooks

Many lands once belonged to England
Now; as far as post-Imperial
State of language stands
English belongs to many lands

Colors of English; the colors of English
Occur also in Spanish and French
Mixed in a bit with Dutch and such
Time transmitted scents of colonial stench

Not born in England
But into English born
With English raised
Break bread as English
Spoon-fed on English
Tune head to English
Grow to be keen on English
Learn to love the Queen’s English
Taught to echo foreign English of radio
First English teacher for me
News-reader on BBC

Listen to “pure” English
Read more and more English
Study sure English
Tweak tongue to speak “unbroken” English
Write tight English, but not white English
Get bright in English to fight the English

Ruled in English; schooled by English
Ridiculed for not sounding English
And, not being English, one got angry at English
Temporarily hated English, berated the British
Swearing at intellectual colonization, for its
Mishearing of pronunciation variation as deviation

And when the deconstructed
Empire spoke back
It spoke in black, brown, red, also yellow
Including tints that might be between
History highlighted, colors of English
Colors of English; the colors of English
Enunciate in skin-tones of
English-knowing tongues
Conjure faces of relating races
Carry echoes from varied places
Resonate within sundry spaces
Orate, live, English of colors
…
Excerpted from COLORS OF ENGLISH ©KBrooks 2013

K.Broox is a childhood friend , schoolmate now poet who is popular in North America speakeasy clubs and poetry festivals. His recent work My Best Friend Is White, Broox is introduced as “an internationally seasoned dub poet with decades of performance experience in North America, Europe and the Caribbean”. The experience showed as he stepped to the microphone, heralded by Allen as someone who brings “incisive, intellectual discourse to everything he touches”.Broox is also the Winner of the 2005 City of Hamilton Arts Award for Literature.

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Friend-White-Klyde-Broox/dp/1894692136

 

THE VOICE-A SHOW IN ER

Never has TheVoice generated so much interest in the Caribbean diaspora as the present season with Jamaican born and bred #Tessanne Chin showcasing her talents and by extension raising the hopes of every Caribbean talent. She is motivating a region beyond words cannot explain. She not only represents herself but every wanna be singer /performer hoping to get that one chance. The interest is heightened even more as there seems to be another clash of the titans , this time not on the tracks but in the vocal arena. Team Tessanne and Team USA is heading for a showdown.

Blake Shelton  put the contest in perspective by this comments…..’  You are a world Class Vocalist… I wish people would focus more on that than about you and where you come from..”.  Sadly America sees everything in a category . They can’t help it . Its in their DNA. So lets move on. All the contestants are excellent vocalist. They all have immense talent and vocal ability and so they are entertaining but the one thing that will separate the winner from the losers is song choice.

The American people have shown the propensity to like Adam’s 3 artiste. He is the only judge with all 3 of his protege in the lineup but Adam has this uncanny talent to mess things up by making wrong song selections and that could be to his detriment.  Making sure the song fits  TheVoice of the performer allowing him/her to soar  is the mentor’s responsibility  and to a certain extent the performer’s reality. Adam’s age and experience, just like the other judges , have only taken the vocalists at this stage to the place they can take them. They need more. This is where the veterans and icons  can help.

The show needs to bring in older established performers to work with each contestant and coach to take the contestants to another level and expand their vocal abilities. The judges are becoming redundant and repetitive in their comments. Producers/Directors loose the comments of these judges. Its corny and bland . Get them to perform with their candidates. The show is stagnant and without Tessanne Chin Caribbean connection it would have lost a lot of interest, certainly from the diaspora. The show is becoming a marathon where it should be a sprint to the finish. Over processed group singing, tacky arrangements, boring song selections and dull boring dance numbers all equal to a production on resuscitation and at the crossroads – either the production team is tired and want to go home or they are out of ideas. I would think its the latter. The producers and directors are the only ones that can save it. The creative room is dull. Change the room. Go outside. See color. Let some fresh air in. Think out of the box.

The Voice is not a singing contest, It’s who has TheVoice that moves you, touches you and takes you to a place of unimaginable feeling of beauty inside. TheVoice therefore is the vocal Olympics..who can go higher, farther and stronger that they have ever imagined.

THE BEST HOTEL IN JAMAICA. PERIOD.

 

 

Today I begin a feature called the 7 wonders of Jamaica. This is wonder # 1.

There are no secrets that time does not reveal. At some point the secret will come out. This one certainly did. One of the most beautiful unspoiled places in Jamaica is the parish called Portland, home to the famous Blue Mountain. Nestled among the green, tropical forestry is a place called Geejam, a privately owned luxury boutique Hotel.

Players, this is no ordinary Hotel. When you are #1 on Trip Advisor 18 Hotels in Port Antonio, the winner of the Travelers Choice Award for 2012 and the winner of  the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence for 2013 this is no mean feat considering the Hotel opened in 2008.

The hotel was built by music veteran and hotelier Jon Baker along with Hong-Kong based Beaver Music label owner Steve Beaver in 2008. It is managed by Island Outpost.

This place can be described in one word WOW. There is no stress at this Hotel …NONE. Tucked on 6 acres of well-ness and healthy living , the Hotel is for many people therapeutic but for the average traveller a piece of paradise found.  Described as luxury and luxury it is , the Hotel offers  three deluxe cabins, an exclusive suite and an independent bedroom villa. All the rooms comes with a mini-bar, home theatre with digital surround-sound system and wireless internet connectivity. Yes this Hotel does not charge for internet. They are after all a modern progressive Hotel that understands that the internet is a necessity, not an added amenity. Sandwood private villa, Ska, Rock Steady and Mento deluxe cabins, Drum and Bass suites are the names of the accommodation. The names are different, the management is different, the staff exceptional , you get the picture. We are talking about excellence here. Not some over advertised, over commercialized and glamorized Hotel that you see all over the net and media. Excellence does not need advertising. It advertises itself.

The Geejam houses one restaurant that serves custom-made local and international cuisine. Named Bushbar, the restaurant features a Teppanyaki grill, available for made-to-order Hibachi-style stir-fry dishes including meat, fish and vegetables. There is also a complete bar available in the restaurant. Sorry , no slam bam thank you ma’am burger joint on a beach where your stomach begs for food as you conquer the lines ahead of you . Here , you the guest are royalty experiencing a class act.

The other secret is Geejam also offers a state of the art recording studio equipped with musical instruments. The studio has been used by several top artiste  like Snoop Lion and Amy Whitehouse. Class draws class . Its like magnet. The revelation continues the 24 hour fitness center, the Spa , the wedding service, the cell phones on your arrival for use during your stay, in room dining service, the private car to and from the Hotel, state of the art technology in your room and public areas, surround sound in your room. Yoga, no this is not a dream. It is what they offer – no hidden fees, no pretty copy ad, no misleading brochure , it is what it is.

Geejam is located in Jamaica and it is the biggest secret that is now out to the world. We can dream. So dream of the entire country like Geejam- you would come to Jamaica and never leave. When you go to Geejam you will have a similar experience – you will not want to leave.

A luxury Hotel is supposed to promise you a fantasy and deliver this fantasy to make your dreams come true. This hotel does just that. It is Jamaica’s biggest secret and the secret is – all is not lost in Jamaica. There are still unbelievable places that are un-touched from the curse of over commercialized tourism.  Grace Jones, famous recording artiste sums it up nicely. After recently staying there she wrote in the guest book….”I came, I saw, you conquered me”. Geejam is paradise on Earth. Geejam is paradise lost in San San Port Antonio. Geejam is simply the best little hotel in Jamaica, Period.

Click here for bookings and information.

THINGS YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT JAMAICA

THINGS YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT JAMAICA

Very interesting piece of news from our friends over at JAMBLOGG. This little island small or as we say in jamaica ..”likkle but we tallawah”…translation ….small but BIG in attitude. That’s why they keep flying in to the island despite the crime, the visual poverty they see as they move around the island and the harassment they receive when they go on the streets, despite all of that they still come in numbers that defy reason. Its the culture, nothing else. That culture made by the people, expressed by the people  and exported by the people. That very culture of being a Jamaican is what keeps this country afloat, and the Hotels filled , and the economy moving.  Jamaica is an experience…not an island.

All this broo Ha Ha about drugs

The 2012 London games ended on a spectacular high designed with great planning and dexterity. The London organizers planned the last day with 2 aims in minds- firstly continue the momentum of audience attendance from day 1 and 2 reap the profits on the possible clash of the 2 giants in sprints the USA and Jamaica with the added attraction of Usain Bolt. It all translates to maximizing the profits.

Make no mistake, the organizers knew that their  big ticket draw was Usain Bolt. It was evident and  their assumption worked. From day one the 80,000 seat stadium was packed, one of the first in Olympic history. They also changed the start of the mens 100m, from day 1 to day 2. Meticulous planning was done and from all indications they made a profit from the  track and field programme. There were no controversial empty seats. All seats were taken unlike the aquatic center where they were giving away seats to fill that arena. So much  for who the real star of the games were.  But regardless of who the star was the finger pointing was only directed to one team only- Bolt and his Jamaican compatriots. Ex track star Carl Lewis headed the barrage of accusations of possible  performance enhancing drugs. This is from an athlete who himself tested positive 3 times for drugs and was  covered up by the USOC. So much for his impartiality.

The USA ladies team had a terrific performance on the penultimate day of the games by establishing a world record in the 4x100m  lowering the mark to an astounding 40.82 seconds. A great run one would say especially when you have one of the athletes implicated with a drug baron of athletics. No word, no alarm was made. Everyone turned their eyes the other way pretending that it is not happening and whatever the connection it is only a clean relationship.

Similarly Michael Phelps , the swimming sensation of the games walked away with 19 medals. That is no big news especially in swimming as athletes can enter up to 6, 7 or 8 races and can possibly win them all as is the case of Michael Phelps. But again no word from the powers that be about any possibility of  drugs on Phelps part or his team members.   No outright accusations  made by Lewis, none from Dick Pound. The Bahamas did the unthinkable – they beat the USA in the mens 4 x 400m relay,  an event they have won for the past  20 years. That was the beginning of the falling out of grace for the Caribbean Islands. Before this they had to deal with the USA loss of the blue ribbon events of the games – the Women and Mens 100m and the 200m. Things were not going as planned.  Now on the final day the USA lost the A list of events – the 4 x 100m relay Mens to a world setting record by Usain Bolt and his team members. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back and so the hounds came out barking.

Dick Pound, the Ex head of the WADA was the first semi official person to come out and cast aspersions on the Jamaican team. Complaint number 1 – WADA cannot get access to the Jamaican athletes in their own country. Hogwash. The Jamaican athletes are all star athletes. Everyone knows where they train and can find them in Jamaica or when they travel. WADA has unrestricted access to these athletes and failure to comply for a test can result in suspension. Mr Pound is milking a cow.

Complaint number 2. Jamaica does not have random drug test. Well does the  USAAA do random drug testing and if they do are all athletes free from drugs? These AAA all suffer from the same thing – complacency and nepotism. These organizations are no better than the other so if you complain about one you have to complain about all. Further WADA as an organization have the power to put pressure on these organizations but does it happen and most times it is who pays out the most money to keep the hounds quiet.

All sports are subject to performance enhancing drugs. Performance equals big money. The Jamaican athletes have undergone more testing than most. With the multi million lab they have in London detecting a masking drug should not be a problem and so far none has been found for Bolt or his team mates. So what is all this talk especially after the Jamaican win in the 4 x 100m today?

Pound has his reasons. Is he on the US payroll , only time will tell. What about Carl Lewis? what can possibly be his vice? His legacy is being destroyed by this new upstart.  Bolt is also reaping in millions of dollars from sponsorship , something he was not able to do. There is the broader picture as well. The Caribbean’s take over  from the US is troubling. The power shift means loss of money. Money shifting to the Caribbean athletes means  less marketability for the US athletes. The US is still the biggest consumer market so it is important that it remains at home in the US. So the real problem is not really with Jamaica but with the Caribbean and their so called failure to implement an effective drug policy. Attacking Jamaica is only because it is more high profile.

Sports is big money business and the USA is determined to be on top of the sports world. They will do everything and employ all the necessary means to cast doubts on the successes of the athletes of the Caribbean. All the broo-ha-ha is nothing but sour grapes The US like all the other AAA are all guilty of possible performance enhancing drugs. Its just a matter of the big dog having the bigger bark. No one is moving however so bark all they want. The dog is already out of the pen.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN.

 

1460 days ago the 30th Olympiad was awarded to London , the city that represents European power. The city that once ruled the world, The sun never sets on the British Empire. Its ironic that one of her former colony is celebrating 50 years of independence from her. Jamaica going back to the place that had her captive for many years on the biggest stage bears a sense of revenge. If London 2012 is anywhere near Beijing then we can say we have finally given our response to years of oppression.

London represents many things to many people but hosting the Olympics is more symbolic especially for the Caribbean islands that have said good bye to her. It is important that when we celebrate we must also remember that we must celebrate not only Jamaica but for the Caribbean. Today, Jamaica like like the rest of the Caribbean will show London and the World who we are. We , like the rest of the Caribbean, will show London that their little daughter has grown up and can compete on any stage without their help or direction. Today Jamaica will look into their hearts and find the Olympic flame, that flame that represents the hopes of a nation, that represents a nation at 50 striving to show the World and London that it has not been easy but we are proud, strong, and we are determined to be who we can be and that is being Jamaican and by extension a powerful Caribbean nation.

And so let the games begin. For the next 2 weeks the world will focus on London, focus on competition, focus on unity, focus on the ideal that we are all but one people, under God, whoever it is we pray to. Let the games begin the outpouring of inspiration, motivation, hope, triumph and yes even failure. Failure is not doing your best. Rather it shows who you are and all that you stand for – and that is excellence. London has called the World to its city but this time not as an aggressor but as host to the biggest table of human emotions , the games of the XXX Olympiad.

 

NDTC AT 50…STILL A YOUTH

 

 

 

When you visit the Facebook page of the NDTC you will see this line which states what the company is all about : “The National Dance Theatre Company is a voluntary organization of dancers, singers, musicians, creative technicians and administrators.”   And so it is. 50 years ago professor Rex Nettleford , Eddie Thomas et al created what was at its time probably a forward thinking theater group. Dance then in Jamaica was seen as someone living with HIV now- sad but tolerated. For 50 years the company was the foremost dance theater in the country, becoming the cultural ambassadors of the country. It represented the epitome of ones dance career. To be selected to dance in the NDTC was a recognition that you have attained a certain quality and degree of performance to be included in this celebrated company.

And so the NDTC was celebrated with packed houses over the past 50 years. And so it should. not only was dance the foremost talent on stage but also the very best in singing, musical accompaniment , staging, lighting and yes box office So in theory the NDTC was living its statement of being a voluntary organization of dancers, singers,musicians, creative technicians and administrators  all coming together to create this one whole – the Season of Dance.

The 50th season of dance is a celebration of its own accomplishment and perhaps its tribute to Jamaica 50. Everything else in the country is. The performance saw new works and a bit of the old classics my favorite being Sulkari. The new NDTC with its cadre of young performers did well, technically they made every choreographer happy for the night, no major flaws. They were not surgically sharp in all the performances, one can expect that and you also witnessed different performance levels of the dancers- some felt it while others were just going through the motion. Again you can expect that. Seeing the company 28 years later I drew from my last performance of dancers who were a bit more culturally mature, technically sounder and a more cohesive unit. You  got a different feel from both generations only too evident in  Gerrehbenta where the present dancers danced the piece while the older dancers performed the dance- 2 distinctly different perspective.  Again you can expect that. The singers had few changes- a few of the recognizable faces were there in full force hallowing out their vocals with clarity and vigor. The singers were good to watch and a pleasure to hear. Again you can expect that.

What I did not expect 50 years onward  is the technical difficulties for the music in a signature piece THE CROSSING. Faulty music, apparently from a scratchy CD made the performance null and void to end the first half of the performance. That I did not expect. 50 years and with all the technology in the world to help make performances like the NDTC flawless and we are still using whatever it is they were using. Inexcusable. But again you can expect that especially in a live performance. After all its theater and anything that can go wrong in theater usually does. But it is how you recover that makes a group  like the NDTC a good company rather than a GREAT  company.

Recovery was poor. An inaudible announcement followed by the quick turn on of house lights  indicated to the audience that it was intermission.  Yes there were the usual apologies but  that was not enough. A GREAT company would have recovered from their problems and presented the piece immediately after the intermission , do a quick reshuffling of the programme and give the audience what they promised to deliver. It would have cost them nothing , maybe 30 minutes more.

 The professor and his group has done a fantastic job over the last 50 years but as a cultural giant in the Jamaican society it should be in a better place than where it is now. No real website, very limited season and performances, still not a paying entity, no real or consistent merchandizing, not enough social interaction offering consistent classes for  youths and not yet a significantly dominant cultural force in the Caribbean or to use a favorite word of the region the Caribbean Diaspora where other country’s dance company can aspire to reach.

Is it money, is it the lack of time and diligence or is it the inane self indulged belief that because we are in the Caribbean we are limited by our resources. The legendary oratorical skill for which Nettleford was known, was often characterised in much the same terms as his dancing, namely a careful choreography of ideas which sought to captivate the imagination, as well as one’s sensibilities. This has been the NDTc legacy for the last 50 years. Now for the next 50. What next? Are we still going to see dances that are rooted to the floor, performances affected by poor CD quality, lighting from the 8s and 90s , a website that is but a page and non interactive and no real imagined opportunity to drive revenue to support itself and its talented cast?

The NDTC is 50 but it is still a youth, full of energy but needs a business driven leadership team to take it to the next 50 years milestone. Like Jamaica the NDTC seems to be settled and happy where it is. It seems to be happy with taking baby steps to realize their dreams and will reach its milestone when it does. I think thats a mistake. The NDTC is now bigger than life. It is capable  of making any decision that will become successful because of its ardent and religious following. It will do them well to lead its followers  as the professor wanted the group to lead. Lead the Caribbean and the world. Become a symbol of excellent theatrical management catapulting the  NDTC from being a good company to a GREAT company.