Greetings Your Majesty,

Congratulations on your coronation. As a lowly subject, may I offer some suggestions?

* Don’t believe that you and your ministers have all the answers; otherwise, you’ll become arrogant and contemptuous of the people, precipitating a cultural backlash. That’s precisely what occurred in this election.

* Always listen to the voice of the people and make their needs the central focus.

* Your Manifesto is ambivalent on the value of Reggae Music; even your economic policies don’t seem to target its promotion and marketing as a main plank of future economic policy. It’s unfortunate since there’s empirical data showing that Reggae Music is Jamaica’s greatest export, contributing significantly to our GDP and employment creation through multi-layered linkages to all sectors of the economy. So, I proffer to you my New Year wishes which will only accrue to the benefit of the Jamaican economy and the success of your reign. Pay close attention to the creative industries, especially Reggae Music.

* Establish a national record company for Jamaican Music.

“A nuh political act,

A nuh di coke and di crack,

A Reggae put Jamaica pon top

No assumption, this is concrete fact,

a Reggae put Jamaica straight up pon di worl’ map.

Stop a lickle, think a lickle, put on yuh thinking cap,

Which event inna Jamaica like Rebel Salute or Reggae Sunsplash?

Who establish ova di world like Bob, di dreadlocks?

Bear these things in mind, try nuh figgat,

When a good dance a keep, try nuh mek it stop, ’cause yuh mus remember is di foundation dat.”

— Tony Rebel

While the last update of the Noise Abatement Act has served to bring some regulation of the entertainment sector, experience over the recent past has demonstrated an urgent need for further revision and updating of the act. The law needs to be tightened up as it relates to the playing of music in residential areas from Mondays through Thursdays, but there is a need to introduce exemption periods for major holidays. The stringent, and in some cases, unreasonable enforcement of the night noise act by the police has proven the inherent conflict of interest. Serious consideration should be given to making local parish councils/KSAC the appropriate authorities for issuing permits.

The cultural industries currently pay perversely high tariffs on all its input costs. Parliament needs to pass an Entertainment Encouragement Act. The act would be to provide incentives for the advancement and commercial growth of the Jamaican cultural industries. The music industry should pay GCT at the same rates as the Tourism and Attractions Sectors; the waiver of import duties for tools of trade should be expanded to include not just musical instruments, but equipment for recording studios and live events such as, reinforced sound, stage lighting and band gear.

In collaboration with the local authorities and the entertainment sector the Government should formally establish Entertainment Zones in every parish beginning with Kingston and St Andrew, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, Trelawny and St Ann as priority areas.

Although local authorities use the issuing of licenses for events to earn income for their operations, very subjective criteria are applied; there are no uniform standards, classifications or codes used. The disparity of fees charged from parish to parish adversely impact this sector. The Government should bring more uniformity and transparency in the determination of fees for the use of venues under the Places of Amusement Act and the cost of advertising paraphernalia erected in public spaces under the Town and Country Planning Act.

The Government should establish two modern, sophisticated Entertainment Parks consisting in the main of enclosed concert halls and theatres for the performing arts, one located at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre and one located on the North Coast, with all the appropriate production infrastructure, including acoustics and technical equipment to stage world class indoor musical events.

The Government should pass new legislation under the Public Broadcasting Act to ensure that all radio stations register with collection agencies, such as JACAP and JAMMS, to enforce Copyright Compliancy as a condition of their licenses to ensure the artiste’s legal right to attribution on the radio. The practice of radio stations keeping libraries and playlists should be mandatory, to eliminate payola practices in all media.

Our touring artistes are, in most instances, the first point of contact with Jamaica. It’s logical, therefore, for us to identify Acts within the fraternity, and give them the official status of ‘Roving Ambassadors’, promoting Jamaica, its heritage and culture.

Happy New Year.

che.campbell@gmail.com