Sam Clayton (left), the only living member of the group Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelations of Rastafari, collects the Lifetime Achievement Award from Culture Minister Olivia Grange. -photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
The first staging of the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JARIA) Honour Awards was more than a historic event. It was a lesson in history. This was evident in the biographies of the awardees in the five categories: artistes, engineers and producers, sound system operators, musicians and the JARIA Life Award. Through the aid of videotapes, their life stories spoke of success.
Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports Olivia Grange told the audience at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Sunday that the event was "a small, but giant step for the music industry".
The works of the recipients span decades and some were presented posthumously. Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelations of Rastafari was presented with the first JARIA Lifetime Achievement Award. Sam Clayton, the only surviving member of the group, collected the award. "Music is therapy for post-colonial traumatic disorder," he remarked.
Other recipients were Lennie Hibbert, "one of the best Jamaican music teachers", and keyboardist Ansell Colins, for their contributions as musicians. King Tubby Hifi and Jah Love Music were the sound system-operator recipients, Leslie Kong and Sonia Pottinger were given the Producer Award and Sid Bucknor and Sylvan Morris were acknowledged for their contributions to the industry as engineers.
But the surprise of the evening was Pam Hall, one of the recipients in the artiste category. Dennis Brown, The Crown Prince of Reggae, was the other recipient (posthumously). Brown's award was collected by his son, Daniel Brown.
Performances
Quality performances from artistes, musicians and dancers interlaced the presentation of awards. Michael Holgate, Neila Ebanks and Michael Harris' combined effort titled To The World, was engaging. This hybrid dance/ drama utilised vocals and movement to highlight songs such as Millie Small's My Boy Lollipop.
Dean Fraser's All Stars were absolutely marvellous, not only in their presentation, but in backing the various performers, as well. However, it was the Raganutts - Lloyd Lovindeer, Professor Nuts and General Trees - who ignited the audience with their creative use of language in the segment called "humour in the music".
Lovindeer's Bun Bow Cloth, his jab at the Broadcasting Commission, was hilarious. And Professor Nuts explained that after the sound system euphoria, it was time to "take the rhythm low and elaborate". Then he demonstrated how it was done in Tan-so-Back, while Trees told his story in Whey Eye Noh See Heart Noh Leap.
LUST and Freddie McGregor brought the curtains down. McGregor, member of the JARIA Committee, had the attentive audience on their feet dancing to his hit songs Push Come to Shove and I Was Born a Winner.
Other performers of the evening included Pam Hall, Keisha Patterson, Leba Hibbert and 'Gramps' Morgan. A.J. Brown and Kerie-Ann 'Kiki' Lewis hosted the programme. A video roll call of musical stalwarts who died in 2008 was also presented.
Pam Hall gives her acceptance speech at the Jamaica Reggae Industry Awards at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, on Sunday night. Looking on are hosts AJ Brown and Kerie-Ann 'Kiki' Lewis.