Those 6 words were said in response to a question I asked Mutabaruka
some time ago…
I’d gone to visit him at his house to give him some music (some remixes I’d done at the time and some rare stuff I’d recently gotten my hands on)…
The question I’d asked was…..”what do you think of the current state of Jamaican music”…..
his answer in full was….”dem doing fi dem ting….i just a do i thing”……simple answer, but it spoke volumes to me….
As a musician living in Jamaica who doesn’t make ‘reggae’ music it can get lonely for want of a better word…there’re times when I wonder if I should for example add some dub elements to my stuff…not because it feels right, but because people out here will gravitate to it more…….everytime I start thinking that way…I remember Muta’s words……..
I honestly feel that there’re alot of talented musicians/producers/beatmakers/DJs/vocalists in JA, but most are not ‘doing their thing’….they’re following….talking about what everybody is talking about….making the same kinda riddims everybody’s making…..
this is just my opinion mind you…
I dream of a day when more people start making the music they WANT to……when the riddims become less generic and more experimental….when the players of instruments embrace technology and come up with some out of this world sounds….
……i think that until more musicians start ‘doing their own thing’..and less of what everyone else is doing…Jamaican music will be at a standstill….
Lee Scratch Perry wasn’t doing what everyone else was doing….King Tubby wasn’t either….Jammys….nope…..yes they were influenced by others…..in and outside JA, but at some point..they broke away and started to do their own thing….
yeah…so give thanx muta…….
I just a do I ting….
January 13, 2009 at 7:49 pm
This is an excellent reminder just do a thing yes!!!That is allwe need to do
January 13, 2009 at 10:02 pm
“I just a do I thing” perfectly describes Muta, musically and otherwise.
Good points Sawandi about the lack of innovation recently in mainstream Jamaican music or the fear of stepping outside the box of what is tried and true, successful and profitable. What are the reasons behind this, do you think? In order for there to be innovation in any field, you need people who are unafraid to try new things and unafraid to fail. You also need people whose passion is the art itself and not the financial rewards that success might bring them, if it’s the latter then they will simply copy the formulas that have worked for others. I always think of the Jamaican culture as one that is brimming with creative energy but I agree that I haven’t seen that much TRUE creativity in the dancehall scene in recent years. Popping in a new Strictly the Best CD is a bit like returning to a place you haven’t been to in years — you’re sort of reassured by the familiarity, that not much has changed, but after a while you get bored and remember why you left.
January 13, 2009 at 10:05 pm
I feel the same way. There is no diversity in Jamaica at all, and it’s sad.
January 14, 2009 at 10:11 am
“mesnjah”…haha..long time man…give thanx for checking us out….
i think you summed up the reasons for me why innovation is lacking…i think for alot of people here music has become a hustle so to speak…..people realize jamaican music sells so they use the template and run with it..who am i to knock another man’s ‘hustle’……yes there are some masters out here…quite a few actually….but for every master there’re 50 followers….and yes they’re making ‘good’ music….but it’s safe and sterile to me…..
can’t say what it will take to change…….alll i can do is just ‘i own ting’ y’know…lol
you articulated that thing about the familiarity so well….
Elmo…..diversity dey ya mi boss…it just feel like there’s none when one goes out or turns on the radio…..waan u know say what YOU doing……giving people some ‘different’ sounds in the club is huge….don’t undervalue/underestimate what you doing king…..just continue ‘doing the i thing’…zee me?!?