Culture Box
Listening to Jamaican singer Mavado trumpet how special he is on one of his more popular tracks, if you can bear to, prompts a question, “what is so special about him?”
We are asking and so are so many others, particularly young children who sometimes pause to think about what they are listening to. Yes, they are not all rocking to the lyrics and adding fire to a tin of insecticide when performers the likes of Mavado are on the air.
When a nine-year-old can ask what is so special about Mavado and an honest answer is hard to find, it is obvious that nothing really is. The local ban, which was enforced on him last year, sits on a list of career lows triggered largely by his propensity towards graphic, violent lyrics.
If by ‘special’ he had referred to some quality of his that sets him apart then by right he is allowed to say as much; heck we are all special. But Mavado was not exactly thinking along the lines of personal attributes, since according to his lyrics, he is special because “mi strap wid mi .45 special bwoy ah pree mi”.
Granted Mavado refers to his “strap” in the context of him being “marked fi death” among other things, but he is basically special because he is armed. As if the gun culture which he constantly promotes in his music is not an offensive and weary subject.
His popularity here and in the region is by no measure a clear indicator of his quality as a singer, and the loaded lyrical content of his music further supports this. Simply, singers the likes of Mavado appeal to a certain kind of audience.
But what is it that is so special about Mavado and so many other singers who appeal to the masses here? Why is it that Mavado is easily favoured and homegrown talent Timeka Marshall is struggling to gain acceptance from a support base that ought to embrace her?
Timeka has temporarily relocated to Jamaica, diversifying as an artiste and building a promising career in a business that can be brutal. She has obvious work to do and from all appearances, is doing just that, releasing two recent tracks that are unarguably her best work to date.
No one expects her to grab instant fame and emerge a big regional name after a few months in Jamaica, and she is also not likely to remain the sweet “Separate” singer we first saw. Her image has vamped out a bit and her music is more adult as expected.
Still, Timeka is the target of vicious attacks and smear campaigns that seek to tear down the strides she has made. The Guyanese public, it would appear, would rather she shifts focus and sing about more appealing things, perhaps about what makes her special.
Maybe a collaboration with Mavado would significantly boost her career and increase her standing here given his popularity. It is unfortunate that she is not accepted for what she has accomplished so far and her obvious potential. (thescene@stabroeknews.com)
