- Barbara EllingtonLate reggae icon Bob Marley with his wife, Rita. and their children. At right, the juke box of yesteryear displayed at the museum.
Barbara Ellington, Features Co-ordinator
IT IS located just a few yards from the entry to the cinema and across from the Internet cafe at Ocho Rios' latest tourist attraction.
In the Island Village Shopping Complex is the Reggae Xplosion museum described in the brochure as "an interactive celebration of Reggae music, artwork, film, photography and most of all, the musicians and international stars who continue to spread Reggae throughout the world."
The much criticised fee of US$5 has been reduced to J$200 to gain entry to the facility which was relatively empty when The Sunday Gleaner visited last week. Loud reggae rhythms blaring from speakers strategically positioned in the two- storey complex, immediately assault the ears.
It is obvious that much thought went into conceptualising this museum so that this vital aspect of our culture can be preserved for future generations. Credit must go to Chris Blackwell and his team.
One of the first exhibits is a bar as it was at the height of the ska era. Old 45-rpm records are suspended from the ceiling, a lantern, old liquor and beer bottles and a juke box recreate the 1960s.
Close by, visitors can take a trip down memory lane by reading several hand bills and posters from the 60s and 70s. These were used to advertise the dances and sessions of the era. Among the oldest is one dated 1964.
The musical heritage of Jamaica is captured through the offerings of the lyrics, rhythms and musicians who dominated each era. Hence the huge collages proclaiming ska and mento, rock steady, dub masters and DJs, international artistes, roots rock reggae and dancehall greats. The tour guide on the day of The Sunday Gleaner's visit was friendly and courteous but lacking in many of the interesting anecdotes and historic facts about the musicians. It is also difficult to hear what is being said over the continuous pounding of drum and bass from DVDs and speakers in the room. At each exhibit, individual earphones are provided in case the visitor wants to listen to tracks from the musicians being featured. Also, printed information accompany the pictures and posters. This includes the dates and number of weeks that the artistes ruled the charts.
Ska and Mento
My Boy Lollipop and Rudie Don't Fear, are among the featured songs in this exhibit with pictures of Max Romeo, Ernie Ranglin, Laurel Aitken and others, adorning the walls. In the centre of the room, is a stage for dancing that vibrates to the beat of the song being played. The floor has painted footprints for "students" to follow as the guide demonstrates popular dance steps such as "tati" and "butterfly".
Dancehall
A vital element of the dancehall exhibit is the fashion favoured by female DJs and dancehall patrons. Pictured in the exhibit are Beenie Man, Bounti Killer and others of the ilk.
Roots rock reggae
With the advent of CDs, the younger music-buying public will be unfamiliar with long playing (LP), album covers. There's an ample selection of these featuring the work of Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Garnet Silk, Black Uhuru and others.
International
Although his name is first on everyone's lips when the word Jamaica is spoken abroad, Bob Marley is not the only international singer to spread the gospel of reggae overseas. Reggae Xplosion features several reggae ambassadors including: Third World , Chaka Demus & Pliers, Freddie McGregor, Jimmy Cliff, Sly & Robbie, Yellow Man, Luciano, and British groups like Steel Pulse and Aswad. The section of the exhibit devoted to Rastafari music features Burning Spear and others.
Rock Steady
This display pays tribute to Pablo Moses, Tappa Zuki, Inner Circle, Jimmy Cliff, Jacob Miller, Maxi Priest, Toots & The Maytals, Althea & Donna, John Holt, Jackie Edwards, Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson and Leroy Sibbles. And there are more. Attempts have been made to preserve the quality of the pictures and other memorabilia but one hopes that as time goes by, more of the personal effects that characterised these musicians will be added. Things like a harmonica, a jacket, a guitar, a favourite pipe, an item of furniture etc., would make interesting topics of conversation. It is not enough to showcase just the photographs and songs. This is a very impressive collection and schools would do well to plan excursions to Reggae Xplosion so that primary and junior high school students can learn more about the early musical pioneers.
Bob Marley
There are many pictures depicting scenes from Bob Marley's life on the upper floor which is mostly dedicated to his work. The museum is designed to allow the viewer to stand along the upstairs "balcony" and view proceedings downstairs at a night club-like setting. The red, green and gold panels of wood along one wall, provide the "pages" for signatures of current musicians who visit the museum.
Of interest to music history students is the exhibit of Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Black Heart Studio and a 60s model 16-track record mixer. Compared to state-of-the-art, hi-tech studios of today, it seems primitive but listening to the hits produced there, tells a whole other story.
A close examination of the "Tribute to DJs and Dub Masters" remind us that Channel One is where it all began with greats like King Tubby, I-Roy, Glen Brown, Dilinger and Tony Tough, one realises the range and depth of talent that has been produced by Jamaica over a relatively short period of time. And it was all sold at mobile record shops like the one exhibited at the museum.
The tour ends when one follows more painted footprints to "Reggae Yard" the gift shop where guests may purchase Reggae Xplosion merchandise, books, CDS and DVDs.
There are over 30 shops at Island Village and as the tour guide said, things are really busy on Wednesdays when the cruise ships are in port. A quick tour of the rest of the complex reveals that the shops attracting large crowds are the games room for children upstairs, Island Grill's fast food, the Internet Jungle and the movie theatre where patrons purchased tickets in advance of show times.
The Devon House ice cream outlet does a bustling business on Sundays and Margueritaville is the venue of choice on Friday nights. The grounds are spotless and following the downpour that marooned us in the plaza for a long time, efficient cleaning crews immediately mopped up the water that had collected close to the entry.
