The Spice spectacle is a case of lost bearings, poor scripting and a collision of performances.

I do not believe it is a matter of dancehall music having no place in such a setting. However, I think arrangement of the programme schedule is at fault, in part. Had her performance been better positioned, there would more than likely have been less of an outrage, as there, arguably, was the dance equivalent of her performance.

Certainly, the gospel performance before her had more pull, and for obvious reasons. The heads present would be more inclined to accept Christian vibrations rather than a brief secular romp.

At this point, I still can’t see how she complemented the line-up. A general, broad spectrum of entertainment was not particularly welcomed. Even the dance equivalent was polished and toned down for the occasion. Yes, it was a Jamaican celebration of Jamaican athletes, but there was a certain tone to the evening that Spice conflicted — almost like a bad attempt at harmonising. I got a flashback of that Happy Feet singing moment.

What was her message to those being honoured? I’m still not sure. Therefore, I’m watching her being brought up in discussion about versatility and repurposing your act to fit the occasion. But even then, the question I am asking is, positioning aside, why book such an act in the first place?

It can’t be that her repertoire was overlooked. She sings nothing else but hyper-sexual lyrics that narrate the politics of having a vagina and using it to an end. I only know of one song she does that remotely deviates: that song where she questions gender roles and women’s place and power dynamics in the dancehall space. Perhaps she should have diverted into that when she went a capella. It would have been a great response to the rejection.

Not too long ago, Beenie Man, who does the male equivalent at times, performed at a black tie event for a leading commercial bank and he was well received. To be fair, however, he was able stave off much of what Spice received with his general feel-good, party camaraderie lyrics. The absence of the latter is perhaps what effected the class panic to the point of cutting her off.

Classist undertones were at work, yes, but people should have control over what they enjoy when, and what message their assumed persona is willing to intercept. In this case, the playwright felt his or her show was going in a direction that did not suit the vision. It was handled badly, but it was clear.

Simply put, Spice just could not meet that ‘representation’ of the selves present. Hopefully she learned something from that experience.

yohan.s.r.lee@live.com