Dear Editor,

This is a letter to Vybz Kartel and Mavado.

I am a musician who played bass in a band both here and abroad for years. I have also promoted tours and produced artistes. I read and write music, play drums, keyboard and guitar, have recordings as a singer and have been in Festival finals on three occasions as a writer. Now having laid the background, been there and done that in the music industry, let me say categorically that music is not a reflection of life; it is a promotion of life and in some cases is done to solicit a response. A reflection is what comes back to you, a promotion is what you spread to the outer world and the world is like a sponge when it comes to evil.

When one creates music, they must realise that what you say in music or what you do on stage has a tremendous effect on the audience.

When you do acupuncture, the doctor plays soothing music to relax the patient. When I used to go to dances back in the 70s, and you go to a soul party you dress as a soul and you act as a soul; if you stepped on someone’s toes at a soul party you simply said sorry, and that was that. When you go to a dance with “bad-man” music playing, stepping on someone’s toes would more than likely cause a fight. That was because not only was the music influencing your state of mind, but also your mode of dress was an influence. If you dress like a rude boy then you have to act the part and if you dress like a soul then you likewise act the part.

Music is so influential that even on the battlefield war troops have songs to excite the troops into battle. In the civil war in America, there was a bugle cry to build rage for attacking the enemy.

Do you ever wonder why certain music is played at certain parts of a movie to get a certain reaction from the audience? Think about that!

There is this absurd notion in Jamaica of the “eat a food” mentality which is an excuse for simply doing anything legal or illegal, moral or immoral and getting away with it because it is blamed on this mentality. The question is, “Are you willing to sell your soul to the devil for vanity?” Bob Marley showed us how music can be uplifting and still make you a success. Now surely you’re not bigger than Bob (not even close)!

Vybz Kartel and Mavado, you are intelligent and talented writers, but I don’t think your music will be played with any regularity, probably not at all after you’re gone. Leave us a legacy that we can be proud of to uplift the minds of the kids coming up, because you do have the power to do this and set the standard for other upcoming rappers.

I was at a prominent Jamaican icon’s concert in Houston, Texas, many years ago and the artiste directed the crowd to follow what he said on stage. The crowd complied even when he uttered a cuss word. The entire audience repeated it in chorus… That’s the power of music.

John Mills

johnmills22@hotmail.com