Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

The death of a respected teacher in July 2008 transformed Sachiyo Morimoto's interest in dancehall music - a taste acquired in the 1990s - from transient entertainment into critical investigation. Four months later, the Japanese owner of the Mighty Mules Internet bookstore had launched LT1, Gender and Sexuality in Jamaica, contacting the Jamaican contributors via the Internet.

And now she's in Jamaica for yet another visit, spreading the word about Gender and Sexuality in Jamaica and also meeting the contributors directly.

Encouraged to write

When she was strictly a dancehall fan, watching videos of Stone Love dances and concerts such as Ghetto Splash and Sting, Morimoto still wondered about men's sexual boasts and anti-gay stance.

Then, the academic who had seen her at a conference and encouraged her to write died and, two days later, she started working on the book, framing the questions which she posed to a group of Japanese respondents, three Jamaican men, entertainer Ce'Cile and UWI Professor Barry Chevannes, who also contributes 'Paternity Leave and a New Man'.

LT1, Gender and Sexuality in Jamaica was published at the end of November 2008.

The other contributors are Professor Carolyn Cooper and Drs Donna Hope, Iman Tafari-Ama and Sonja Stanley-Niaah of the UWI and Owen 'Blakka' Ellis, comedian and commentator.

"They are all my favourite writers and artistes," Morimoto said.

She set out to get a balance of approaches to gender and sexuality, noting "if they were all academics, my readers would get the impression the book is too heavy".

Variety of chapters

Among the chapters in the book - which is in English and Japanese - are ''Chi Chi Man Fi Get Sladi': Exploring Homophobia as Alternative Discourses of Masculinity in Dancehall Culture' (Hope); 'Rastafari, Politics and Gender Relations in Jamaica: A Womanist Critique' (Tafari-Ama); 'Bogle a De Order Fi Di Day': Dance and Identity in Jamaican Dancehall (Stanley-Niaah); ''Sweet and Sour Sauce'' Sexual Politics in Jamaican Dancehall Culture' (Cooper) and 'EnGENDERING Dialogue: Random Thoughts on Gender and Culture' (Ellis).

Morimoto points out while stereotypes about Jamaicans are changing, persons who visit Jamaica often go to the beaches and the dances; "they don't have an opportunity to know about ordinary Jamaicans".

"I like dancehall culture, but I want people to look at Jamaica from different viewpoints," she said.

She readily acknowledged that she wanted to lean towards discussion of Jamaican men and now she wishes the main subjects of Gender and Sexuality in Jamaica to read about themselves.

Next book

It is not Mighty Mules' first foray into topics about Jamaica since it was founded in 2002. And it will not be the last.

As Morimoto puts it, "I don't want to do the things that others do. I want to do the things big companies don't do."

As for the next Mighty Mules book, it will be "something I haven't worked at before".