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Kartel, Mavado singing against ban

Deejays Mavado and Vybz Kartel, two known rivals in dancehall, may have put their musical differences aside (for the time being) to address a common cause. Both artistes have spoken out against the Broadcasting Commission through the medium they know best – music.

Protest songs

With the release of three new songs, A So Yuh Move by Mavado (Big Ship Productions), Dem Nuh Like We (Big Ship Productions) and A Nuh My Music (Fresh Ear Productions) by Kartel, the deejays are protesting the ban by the Broadcasting Commission on all daggering songs and songs that require bleeping.

The ban, which was implemented a few weeks ago, has been garnering national attention on all levels. While Kartel has been voicing his thoughts on the ban in the media and even attempting to seek a judicial review, Mavado has remained silent until now.

According to Mavado’s manager Julian Jones-Griffith, the song adequately captures the artiste’s thoughts about the Broadcasting Commission, as he says the “Broadcasting Commission cannot stop him (Mavado).”

According to Kartel, the purpose of his anti-ban songs was for the Broadcasting Commission to reconsider some of the hasty decisions that have been made. He said: “What I want is for the people to analyse what I’m saying an’ keep it in rhetoric, then they, the people, will see that they are taking away their civil rights to choose and our civil rights as artistes to express. Their method of censorship is intellectual slavery.”

Unfair

Producer Stephen McGregor, who produced two of the three songs, also believes the ban was hasty and unfair, as many producers will now have to withdraw a number of releases.

He said: “It’s understandable that some songs are extreme for radio – I agree with that – but they can’t just use us as scapegoats as sometimes it’s radio people that take the songs and edit them and they really shouldn’t be playing.”

In Mavado’s song, the singjay implies that the Broadcasting Commission is pointing fingers at the artistes for the ills of society.

He sings: ‘Yow, mi see it inna di THE STAR and mi hear it pon di news, God knows, unnu waan fi stop di music, yuh waan fi stop mi food. All di yute dem poor and dem caan buy a shoes, yuh a collect di tax money and yuh gone pon cruise and yuh plan to ban di beat and nah ban di blues, unnu stay confuse, a so yuh move.’

He continues: ‘Mi a talk, mi a say it, mi a voice da one yah widdout edit, me nuh care caw a dem first a beg it … yuh waan my madda fi clean floor, yuh nuh waan yutes fi fly out pon tour… tell me how yuh feel when yuh see di yutes pan di streets dem a rob and dem a steal, yuh nuh know how it feel when yuh wake in di morning and caan find nuh meal, music is di sheild never give up put yuh shoulders to di wheel.”

Kartel’s points are also firmly cemented in his song A Nuh My Music as he deejays: “Wah do Broadcasting Commission come a use intimidation widdout warning dem a ban song, if something like that affect the nation, people waan know if yuh lifestyle allows yuh to make that decision. How yuh fi reach inna public office widdout any public election… Mr BC don’t question my morals, nuff a unuh mix up inna all kind of despicable scandals… a nuh my music mash up society (a nuh my music) I wasn’t around in 1980 (a politics cause it)… if the music mash up society and yuh really really sure bout that why yuh never have dialogue wid di artiste, seminars, forums, workshops?”

Since the ban, Kartel has re-done three of his songs for radio, Rampin’ Shop, Last Man Standing and Get Wild. Mavado, however, has not re-done any of his songs to suit radio and according to his management, there are no plans of doing so.

Source: JamaicaStar

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