Krista Henry, Staff Reporter
Bob Marley's international appeal is obvious and lasting. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer
Save the music, pleads the National Library of Jamaica, as entertainers are reluctant to deposit their works for historical collection.
Jamaica's music industry proves difficult to deal with as they shy away from their legal obligations to give a copy of their work to the National Library.
The Legal Deposit law was passed in Jamaica in 2002 and implemented on October 11, 2004. It is the means by which a national collection is gathered as a record of the nation's published heritage and development. This includes all areas of entertainment, covering paper, record, tape or any other thing published by a national publisher. The act is active in countries throughout the world, but the response from the music industry locally has not been good.
According to Valerie Francis, Acquisitions Librarian at the National Library, by law every publisher, whether it be print or otherwise should deposit two copies to the library. It is enforceable by law, whether it be paper, record or tape. If an entertainer fails to comply he/she can be fined $50,000.
LOW NUMBERS
Since the law was passed the library has received 331 books, 121 pamphlets, 37 CDs, three DVDs, four cassettes, six 45s and two videos. Francis says, "The numbers are really low. Look at the amount of CDs made in Jamaica over the past two years. One copy of each should be deposited to the library. We have sent out letters, a jingle on radio, flyers and have spoken to persons; the responses were poor." At this time the library would prefer the entertainers to give freely before being forced to comply.
Fear of piracy and misconceptions are two of the reasons Valerie Francis cites why musicians are not stepping up to the plate. "Some people think they're gonna give for free, but the Act makes provisions for them to be compensated, that is 'a sum equivalent to the production of each document'. We have pointed this out to them. I believe they have reservations about piracy, that persons will come and download print offs. What we try to explain to them is that we operate within corporate law; the material must only be used for educational purposes. No segment of sound clips provided must be duplicated," Francis said.
However another reason may be that entertainers don't see themselves as having anything to do with a library. The customary image of libraries is one of stacks of books, thus when an entertainer may see a letter addressed from the National Library they my think it is not applicable to them. Still others, despite the Library's efforts, are not aware of the aim of legal deposit. Since July of this year the National Library has been targeting music associations to bring about public awareness, however only the Recording Industry Association of Jamaica (RIAJam) has responded.
Francis says "our aim is for Jamaica to see this as a contribution to build a national collection that all generations can be proud of. People come to the library and expect to find info, but if someone doesn't asset us in getting these things, then what? We depend on the contribution of others. In 50 years time, a hundred years worth of material will all be in a central location".
UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK
Jamaican music has been under constant attack from those who wish to claim it as their own. There is no clear way of protecting it from piracy and safeguarding it as part of our recorded history, so that it does not die out after a generation passes. Francis says "a book can be written about music by just listening to it - to the lyrics, the commentary. So if a person has research to do on the artiste the information would be available, their music. In the music we get as much as or even more information than the printed industry".
Desmond Young, the Jamaica Federation of Musicians' (JFM) president, said he had in fact received a letter and attended a seminar on legal deposits. He intends to make an active contribution, as he says "anything that enhances the protection for songwriters is very good. JFM is definitely interested and we will encourage our members to participate".
With the discouraging lack of response from the music industry there is naturally scepticism about some entities, but optimism that they will come to understand their cause.
DONATIONS HAVE BEGUN
The Recording Industry Association of Jamaica (RIAJam) has already begun donating to legal deposits. According to Wayne Wright, assistant administrator of the RIAJam , they have donated 10 CDs and about 20 vinyl records. Wright claims they originally thought legal deposits focussed on literature alone. "Jamaican music is a huge and very important part of our culture and it is imperative that we keep records of its beginnings and its growth over the years. Too many times we have held our heads in sorrow saying 'If only I had ...' How many of us wish we had taken the opportunity to interview, talk to or taken a photo with persons such as Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Peter Tosh, Garnet Silk, Sir Coxsone Dodd, Culture and The Honourable Louise Bennett-Coverley? The members of the RIAJam believe that it is very important for us to preserve our musical heritage so future generations can access information on the works that have gone before them.
National Library has designated October 9-13, deeming it Legal Deposit Week in the hope that entertainers will come together to preserve Jamaican music.
