Accept Responsibility

Written by Chin

Friday, 22 January 2010 20:34

I got into a heated argument with Tony Matterhorn this week. No….. we are not at war but sometimes I feel that he doesn’t take a stand to address positive issues but he is always ready to talk about fuckery.

Things are getting out of hand in Jamaica as far as the dancehall is concern. Matterhorn is hands down one of the most influential voices in dancehall but yet he still doesn’t use his gift to lead and/or create positive situations. He either chooses to support the foolishness or ignore the situation if it doesn’t relate to him.

Currently the dancehall in Jamaica is getting a huge beating from the authorities. Many annual events have been cancelled due to permits not being granted and time restraints (Noise Abatement Act). Sound systems are even being penalized for playing at high levels. Years ago none of this shit was a problem but all of a sudden everything that relates to dancehall is being swamped with issues.

I was trying to explain to Matterhorn and his loud mouth followers that what is needed in our industry is representation; someone who can defend our rights and come to some form of compromise with the government. Of course, Tony Matterhorn doesn’t see it my way. He seems to think that the music industry has the power in Jamaica and they can override the government’s wishes by threatening to go on strike - meaning no dances, no clubs and no entertainment for six months. Matterhorn feels if this happens it will hurt the economy and the government will have to come to term with dancehall. Don’t get me wrong he made some great points during the conversation but I just can’t agree with his approach.

Organization and discipline is needed to achieve anything of value. An organization needs to be formed in Jamaica in which elected persons can sit with the law makers and come to a give and take. I agree with some of the complaints that persons of influence have when it comes to today’s dancehall and its activities. For instance, there has been quite a few occasion in which persons were caught on video having sex in the dancehall. In addition teenage girls are being admitted into nightclub which is against the law. But this has nothing to do with sound systems playing too loud or the other bullshit restrictions that the industry is facing

I am not saying that Tony Matterhorn should become the spokesman for the sound system industry in Jamaica. But his influence is definitely needed to endorse a movement of this caliber. Like it or not most of the selectors in Jamaica follow in Tony Matterhorn’s footsteps. If an organization is formed and he is a part of it then other popular selectors will fall in and then, only then will a force be formed to preserve the dancehall culture.

Tony needs to start thinking about preserving the industry that has made him so wealthy. He is extremely intelligent and need to start taking the crisis seriously. Not many of us have been privileged to achieve the level of importance that he has attained.

Comments

123

0 #26 Dance hall fan 2010-01-31 18:58

The content being expressed in the dance hall has everything to do with what\'s happening here it is very distasteful. HOW CAN YOU DISAGREE WITH THAT WTF ARE YOU SMOKING??? !!!!
Check out this link and tell me is this the Jamaica you want to present to the world? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty3fGNl_ZWo.

Quote

0 #25 MONEY M@RC 2010-01-28 20:38

:evil: EVERYBODY & DEM GRANDMOTHER HAVE A SONG PON DI RADIO THINKING THAT THIS WILL BRING SUCCESS OVERNIGHT BUT EVERY YEAR IS A \'FOREIGNER\' GET GRAMMY IN A DI REGGAE CATEGORY. WHAT ARTISTES NEED 2 DO IS GO BACK 2 BASICS, BUSS DEM SONG IN A DI DANCEHALL FIRST & MEK RADIO \'RUN DEM DUNG\'. SHABBA WIN 2 GRAMMY \"WITHOUT\" THE SUPPORT OF JAMAICAN RADIO & IS STILL MORE REVERED THAN ARTISTES GETTING MULTIPLE SPINS BY DISC JOCKEYS LIKE ZJ LIQUID DAILY. WHY GO 2 A DANCE WHEN YOU CAN HEAR ANY & EVERYTHING ON THE RADIO FROM 2-6pm??? WHY ISSUE PERMITS IF RADIO ALREADY HAVE DI TING LOCK??? MAYBE THAT\'S WHY YUH HAVE MORE \"RADIO PERSONALITIES\" PLAYING AT THE HYPEST PARTIES THAN ACTUALL SOUND SELECTORS BUT THEN AGAIN, THIS COULD ALL BE A FIGMENT OF MY WILD & CRAZY IMAGINATION...

0 #24 Silverhawk sound 2010-01-27 13:17

The rapid deterioration of the music and its culture hasn\'t helped the cause with the authorities. This is what happens when there are no rules and organizations but that\'s what people love about \'Dancehall\' no rules.
Having no rules and regulations leads to long term problems and we are seeing them manifest now in lack of quality of music, cultural problems and more.
We need to take a handle of the situation before it is a lost cause.

0 #23 JA-Rock 2010-01-27 02:03

Why does it have to be either/or?

Why can\'t BOTH points of view be explored.

I see the short-term wisdom in Matterhorn\'s approach (although getting industry people to forfeit their bread and butter for 6 months... good luck with that).

And I see the long-term intelligence of Chin\'s suggestion. But with collaboration with government, the body will probably after a few years become yet another inefficient organization that is only out to preserve itself.

I like the ideas, but I think that respected veterans who both love the music and love the way young people express themselves should be the stewards. E.g., Freddie Mc, Tony Rebel, Beres Hammond, etc.

Hear this... Jamaicans must make Jamaica a paradise for Jamaicans.

0 #22 bobby 2010-01-27 00:43

CHIN, YOU HIT THE REAL QUESTION WITH THAT ONE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT MEETS WITH THE SO-CALLED DONS,( MORE LIKE IGNORANT THUGS WITH LITTLE OR NO EDUCATION) WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO CHANNEL THIS MATTER THRU THE DONS SO WE CAN MEET WITH HEAD OF GOVERNMENT ?! SOUNDS LIKE A JOKE BUT ITS NOT WHEN THE DONS TALK THE GOVERNMENT,PEOP LE IN THE AREA LISTEN. REMEMBER THE DONS AND THE GOVERNMENT OR HANDS IN HANDS BEOFRE WE WHERE BORN, THAT WAS OPTION (1) OPTION (2) JAMAICAN, ARTIST BIG AND SMALL MUSICIAN SOUND OWNER BIG AND SMALL REALLY NEED TO UNITE AND FIGHT FOR ONE COMMON COS WHICH IS TO SAVE OUR MUSIC WE NEED TO PROTEST EVEN IF ITS 1 HUNDRED OR TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE STANDING IN FRONT OF PARLYMENT WE HAVE TO START SOME WHERE, COS THE MUSIC RUN THE COUNTRY NOT TOURISM.

0 #21 romeo 2010-01-26 08:44

dem man deh a like most artiste a jus fi dem self.go with the hype so they will stay in the spotlight

0 #20 Jill 2010-01-26 08:44

Dancehall has turned into a porno. Try keeping your dances at SHADES. LOL.

As for Matterhorn, I can\'t see him starting that type of positive movement.
I feel it\'s just the phase that the music is in and we have to wait it out and hope the culture isn\'t lost in the process.

0 #19 UKCLASHFAN 2010-01-24 09:00

I half see your point...but remember that a lot of gangstas do a lot of politicians/police dirty work..but then when it becomes a LIABILITY to them they go in and clean shit up...e.g. election time...remember Chin the music always get a fight...it is not so long ago they had a campaign against roots music that encouraged Rasta...they have always fought reggae..Dancehall might not be that different..this is why I personally believe that they will not talk to Tony Matterhorn and any of the selectors and anything be done!!

0 #18 Irish and Chin 2010-01-24 08:33

Point taken...The problem is the tend to follow their own. I can talk only i am blue.. most of them will just yes me to death. And nothing else

0 #17 bobby 2010-01-24 01:21

CHIN, I\'M NOT SAYING ONLY WEE-POW, ALONE CAN SAVE DANCE HALL I MENTION MANY INFLUENTIAL. ELDERS, AND I STILL THINK IF WE CAN ARRANGE A MEETING WITH THE ELDERS AND THE UPCOMING WE CAN REACH A BALANCE, A CONCLUSION,OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT NEED TO BE DONE AND WHO WOULD LIKE TO LEAD FOR THIS MEETING WE SHOULD NOT THINK THIS IMPOSSIBLE ITS NOT IF ONLY ONE PERSON STAND UP THATS ALL IT WOULD TAKE. CHIN I STATE BEFORE YOU ALSO PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLL IN THIS IF ITS GOING TO HAPPEN. LINK JACK SCORPIO, SKY JUICE HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM AND SEE WHERE YOU CAN GET FROM THIS I KNOW ITS NOT AN EASY ROAD BUT IF YOU START THIS YOU WILL HAVE ALL THE SUPPORT FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

Refresh comments list