During his recent state visit to Jamaica, the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, speaking at a joint session of the Jamaican Parliament, exclaimed that if cultural wealth became the metric for measuring the strength of nations, Jamaica would be a superpower. indisputably global. . His observation is only natural given Jamaica’s thriving cultural groups, festivals, food, icons like Marcus Garvey and Bob Marley, dance forms and, above all, music.
For a country of less than three million people to have at least half a dozen major music genres, including reggae, dancehall, ska, dub, rocksteady and ento, is no mean feat. These genres have crossed Jamaican shores and influenced music scenes in the North and Latin American world and throughout countries in Africa and Europe. However, what is not known is that Jamaican music is making waves in India and is rapidly gaining new converts.
India is a music loving country with various forms of classical music as well as the Hindi film industry, Bollywood, regional and country music ruling the country. Western classical music, pop, rock, jazz, hip-hop, rap and EDM also have their enthusiasts, especially in dozens of ever-expanding Indian cities and towns.
Until a few decades ago, it was difficult for Indian music enthusiasts to travel to Jamaica to explore and learn from the Jamaican music scene due to the great distance. Registrations were hard to come by. The language barrier also prevented Jamaican music from reaching the Indian masses. All this is changing fast.
THE SUN IN GOA
International icons such as Shaggy, The Wailers, UB40 and Julian Marley have toured India in recent years. If you happen to visit the Indian state of Goa in January, you might mistake it for Ocho Rios or Montego Bay. Sunsplash is South Asia’s largest annual reggae festival on the shores of Goa, attracting thousands of music lovers from India and abroad. Launched in 2016, the festival boasts reggae acts such as Johnny Osbourne, Cali P, Skarra Mucci, Mad Professor, General Levy, Zion Train, Manudigital and Brother Culture. Sunsplash is also home to India’s first handmade reggae sound system, ‘10,000 Lions’.
You would be wrong if you thought that the performers at this festival were all international reggae artists. Sunsplash is leading a wave of reggae bands and performers of Indian origin. One such popular group is the New Delhi-based ‘Reggae Rajahs’, who helped set up Goa Sunsplash itself. They are the first Jamaican style sound system from India and have received a nomination for ‘Best International Best’ at the British Reggae Industry Awards.
India also hosted its first dancehall camp, ‘INDIES VIBEZ UP’, in early 2019, conducted by Dancehall India, with an aim to spread dancehall culture across India. The SkaVengers is another notable Indian band that mixes ska, dub and other musical genres. Just last year, cricketer Chris Gayle’s single ‘Jamaica to India’ topped the charts in India, garnering 55 million views to date.
The reasons for the growing popularity in India of Jamaican music in general and reggae in particular are easy to understand. If Rastafari is the message, reggae is the vehicle for carrying that message. The contribution of Indian culture to the development of Rastafari through the Indian community, which landed in Jamaica more than 175 years ago, is well known. It is only natural that Indians feel an affinity with reggae and the philosophy it espouses. Popular lyrics and accommodation of social and environmental themes also appeal to the younger generation in India. Additionally, increased Indian travel to Jamaica, easy internet access to music and Jamaica’s greater visibility on the global stage have also played their part.
POTENTiAL
However, reggae and dancehall have entered India from the upper echelons of society through the efforts of a handful of artists. Although there is potential, they have not yet become the music of the masses. The same can be said about the popularity of Indian music in Jamaica. Realizing this, the Indian High Commission in Jamaica and the Jamaican diplomatic mission in India are encouraging the curation of musical performances in Jamaica and India by mixing performers from both countries. It can result in the cross-pollination of skills, ideas and themes that will ultimately enrich our overall music scene. To that end, music shows are being planned later this year bringing the crème de la crème of classical, Bollywood, country and contemporary musicians from India to Kingston. Indian artists will collaborate closely with Jamaican artists for the performances. Not only will they return better musicians, but they will also lend their expertise to young Jamaican artists. To me, that’s powerful.
After more than 175 years of Indian presence in Jamaica, it is safe to say that the combination of all things Indian and Jamaican works wonders. Be it the planting of Indian mangoes and moringa on Jamaican soil or the inclusion of Jamaican cricketers in the IPL, India and Jamaica have benefited from successful exchanges. Collaboration in the art of music should not be any different.
Prathit Misra is second secretary at the Indian High Commission in Jamaica. The views expressed are personal. Any comments or feedback can be sent to [email protected].
