In my contribution to this column last week I promised that I would forward some recommendations which could be useful, not only in bringing about qualitative improvements, but in achieving greater levels of international success for our music.

My column in the Jamaica Observer of last week Sunday was a direct response to the reactions among many Jamaicans to the selection of the album Beauty in the Silence by American reggae band SOJA as the winner of the Best Reggae Album category at the 64th Grammy Awards. In the article I contended that it was a simple historical fact that white artistes have been big sellers of black music and that reggae is no exception to that trend.

The real question for us is, how do the Jamaican exponents of reggae address that reality?

Screaming and making allegations about racism will not yield much by way of positive outcomes. Instead, if we believe that there are powerful forces working against us then we should ask ourselves how do we use their strength to our own advantage. This is not much dissimilar to the judo [the Japanese martial arts system of unarmed combat] in which one uses the strength of one’s opponent as a weapon against him.

Having groups like SOJA among the ranks of reggae acts can bring benefits all around. White artistes have a potentially larger audience than black acts in the major music markets. When white acts play black music they are expanding the reach of these genres to an audience which would not normally have access to them. SOJA is spreading the gospel of reggae and we should take advantage of the promotional opportunities this creates. This would include recording collaborations and touring. SOJA gives tribute to the Jamaican origin of the music it plays and has been willing to tour with Jamaican acts.

I strongly believe that we are not taking sufficient advantage of the potential synergies between our music and some of its derivative genres such as reggae en Español — reggaeton and Afrobeats. I believe that we could make a far greater impression on the American market with our music if we decided that our approach should not be frontal but through some indirect route. Jamaican acts should be building up their stocks in the African and the South American markets before going directly into the USA. We have seen a number of Jamaican hits exploding in the United States through the years after chalking up their initial success in Europe. This has been true for Millie Small’s My Boy Lollipop as it has been for Cheerleader by OMI.

Collaboration is essential to achieving the objectives of creating music of the highest international standards and maximising the distributive reach of our music. I believe that digital technology has created enormous incentives to eschew collaboration. However incentive is not destiny. It is how we manipulate these technologies which will determine the outcome. Digital technology also provides tremendous opportunities for collaboration.

I posit that trans-generational collaborations can yield huge benefits. I have seen how Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett have joined forces to expand their individual and collective audiences. I have seen the impact of the Cold Heart remix featuring the sizzling hot Dua Lipa. The Elton John classic has been given a new lease on life through the power of the remix. If one needs to get a better appreciation of the impact of the remix one should ask Clifton “Specialist” Dillon about the role it played in the extraordinary international success of Cheerleader. Remixing and covering have been integral to the success of Jamaican music. Bob Marley covered his own music adding features which made songs which he had originally recorded more contemporary. The Marley family in 1999 showed how this can be done when they gathered an impressive list of young American acts including Lauryn Hill, Queen Latifah, Ben Harper, Tracy Chapman and Erykah Badu to cover some of the songs of the reggae icon. This was an effective way of sharing his music with a younger audience.

Dancehall was built largely on the use of rhythm tracks which had been used in previously released recordings. Trap songs can benefit from collaborations and remixes. We can have combinations with Beres and Skillibeng or Freddy and Laa Lee. If we unite we can beat the odds.

While many of us have been busy berating the poor quality of the current musical output I have noticed with bemusement that for the past eight years Rayven Amani has staged an annual contest called Jamaica’a Best School Band (JBSB). If there is ever an opportunity to create musicianship in Jamaica it is the JBSB yet it has not received a meaningful embrace from the music industry, the public nor the private sector. This needs to change.

Alpha Boys’ Band which won the competition in 2019 appeared as the opening act on the closing night of Reggae Sumfest that year. These bands are not only a source of pride and identity for students but can be a source of income both current and future for the members of these aggregation. The finals of the JBSB takes place today [Sunday] at the Vera Moody Concert Hall at the School of Music at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. We should go out and support it, and in doing so support the next generation of Jamaican musicians.

Clyde McKenzie is a director of Magnificent Ideas, a content development and media consultancy c company. He is an executive producer of the Grammy Award-winning album Art and Life ( Beenie Man) and is the founding General Manager of reggae radio IRIE FM.