The Editor, Sir:

It is with some degree of sadness that I noted the passing of the great Byron Lee. I remember dancing to his music as a boy and later as an adult. His music spanned my entire life and, along with the just-departed Alton Ellis, made life a happy place for many Jamaicans who grew up in the last 50 years.

It occurred to me that many of the people who charted the sound-track of our fledgling nation are slowly passing on. The music they made became timeless classics and, even today, it is not unusual to hear them blasting from car stereos and home sets on a daily basis.

The debate over today's dancehall music and the moral arguments that are being posed are necessary. But let us not forget that most of these same questions were asked about the early music, by our parents and their parents. It is true that some of the new music, is way over the top and that radio stations should exercise sound judgement before unleashing them on the airwaves. But not to the point of censorship.

Growing up, I remember some of Marley's music being banned on the radio, and today everything he wrote and sang is revered.

Let us educate our children about the power of musical suggestion, so that they can dance and not necessarily believe everything that they hear. In the end, maybe Marley put it best when he crooned 'time alone, oh time will tell' .

I am, etc.,

SEYMOUR TAYLOR

staylor@sandc.com

Via Go-Jamaica