The Editor, Sir:

Ian Boyne's recent column, 'Dancehall's betrayal of reggae', is, for the most part, a well-constructed opinion on the evolution of Jamaica's indigenous music. However, I do have a concern about his approach.

Like Mr Boyne, I am of the opinion that the heights of the reggae era must have been our glory days. Unfortunately, I was born shortly after the death of Bob Marley, and cannot speak from first-hand experience. In fact, dancehall was just taking root when I entered this world, and I am a proud member of the dancehall generation.

Boyne says that reggae had "a message ... for it came from the bowels of the working-class experience with oppression, injustice, dehumani-sation and exclusion."

Correct me if I am wrong, but dancehall music also comes directly out of the ghettos of Jamaica, where working-class people - some of whom have been systematically marginalised or 'excluded' from the job market - battle against oppression, injustice and dehumanisation. Nowhere in Boyne's column was this relevant point acknowledged.

Oppression

Times have changed. Oppression has manifested itself differently, and social factors are not the same as they were in the times of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jacob Miller and others. It should then follow that there had to be an adjustment in the approach against oppression. Yes, I am often disappointed when the music encourages young Jamaicans to mistrust and kill each other, but this is how our society was conditioned by the 'divide-and-conquer' strategy of the European colonialists. Maybe Europe has been successful in pitting Ian Boyne and others against the working class of Jamaica.

There must be more constructive ways to address the ruthless violence and degradation of women in the music. Calling dancehall a betrayal of reggae is something I would expect of Willie Lynch.

What I have resolved in my mind is that we have a prominent journalist who sidelined his own objectivity for the sake of pushing his agenda. Let us remember that reggae suffered a similar persecution in its time.

I am, etc.,

GAVIN HUTCHINSON

Gavin876@gmail.com

Washington Boulevard,

Kingston 20