In praise of the candidates’ dubplates - A case for recognising Jamaican Patois as our first language

Here I am in my straight-fitted jeans and mesh ‘merina’, with everybody asking, “weh mi get mi Clarks”. I am an arms length away from one of six 10-foot black speakers and my heart is syncopated with the bass reverberating out of these boxes. I am leaned against the zinc fence with the graffiti signalling the community’s allegiance to one of the two dominant political parties. It is a community with a name ending in ‘Lane’ or ‘Pen’, you know, any one of the communities that provides authenticity to the dancehall experience.

The reality is the speakers are my smartphone, and I am on my deck in Toronto, missing home. However, the 2020 election dubplates soothe my homesickness, as I feel immersed in a political sound clash! Plates being dropped by artistes like Chris Martin, Shenseea, I-Octane and Spice have me flashing my lighter and shouting “pull up selector!”

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While I am enraptured in the excitement and passion of the Jamaican electorate preparing for the polls, living vicariously through my family and friends who are in the country, I must commend our political leaders for this change in pace.

They have found a way to engage Jamaicans and involve the dancehall community in the democratic process. It is made even more significant because dancehall culture is synonymous with distrust of politicians and the ‘Babylon system’. For the most part, these tunes have focused on endorsing the subject, as opposed to spewing vitriol at their opponent – a departure from the negative campaigns that have forced many citizens to distance themselves from the entire process.

This is another effect of living in ‘Covidian’ times. Rallies are a haven for the COVID-19 virus, so there is a greater reliance on social media to galvanise support. I have witnessed these dubs being shared on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, allowing positive interactions between politically opposed Jamaicans. A welcome change in a country with a political history like ours.

I would love to see this expanded to the other areas of our creative community. Where are our dancers and actors? How about some videos with some eye-popping fashion? Yes, this has the potential to be one of the highlights we look to every four years.

All in all, I am happy for the direction we are headed in, and especially for the inclusion of this arm of our culture.

While I endorse our politicians for enlisting dancehall artistes in the electoral process, I cannot help but call them out for a lack of political backbone. For years, dancehall music, jargons and moves have been used within the political campaign. Clearly our politicians recognise the power, relevance, and effect of the language of dancehall.

Well the language of dancehall is Jamaican Patois. Where is the political backbone to recognise the uniqueness and currency of this tongue? Will any of the political figures currently being endorsed over a dancehall beat champion the integration of our language into the formal school system? Is there one among them willing to recognise Jamaican Patois as our first language? You may say I am a dreamer, but it would be awesome to see our politicians invest more energy in elevating our language, not just to build a vibe during election time, but generally.

I would be beyond gleeful to see our political parties release a manifesto in Jamaican Patois. But until then, I will continue to enjoy these dubplates. Please note, if Lady Saw … well, Sis Marion, drops one, I would book my flight home to vote for whichever candidate she endorses!