Jamaica: Complicity
Written byJanine Mendes-Franco
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“How did we get here? Where have these savages come from? Where is the Jamaica we once knew?”: Kadene Porter at Abeng News Magazine not only has the answers, she has a few solutions.
Written byJanine Mendes-Franco
3 comments
Greetings to all here reading this work. It is good to see others now willing to stand up and to speak out about the problems which have been a cancer with our people for a long time now. I have been writing for a number of years about the message of Reggae and the fact that it is more than the music.
When I named the music in 1962 Trench-Town I was a little youth witnessing the same problems, but Jah has guided me and a few others to do the works that we have done for the people. Bob, Peter, Junior, Joe and others are gone from us but I will carry on the works to healing the nation with a Reggae education, and so just like how I named the music and myself and the Trench-Town brethrens and early sistrens created the sound, to tell the sufferings of the people and why it is still a cancer seeking a cure, I can now tell you that the life we were experiencing during those days and the people we have lost by violence gives me strong reasons to continue the fight to let the world know the truths, and to solve these problems which I know do have a solution.
I have coined a statement from Trench-Town that what we need is “A Reggae education for a healing of the Nations of this earth”. Reggae and the music of Reggae will teach the people how to love each other in the passage of time regardless of the evil forces that are trying to kill its messengers, prophets, writers, and advocates. They can never kill the spiritual forces which Reggae will continue to unleash upon society. Bob Marley, Peter-Tosh, Joe Higgs, and all of us who worked and died to see peace come to Jamaica and the world will in spirit and in truth see its fullfilment .
It has taken over forty six years to date for some people to open their eyes to our message delivered through the works of Bob and Peter. Trench-Town must rise and I Ras Cardo now stand as the vanguard to redefining Jamaica with Reggae. This will and must be made manifest. No man upon creation has the power to stop this mighty works of Jah which came to inspire us since those early days in Trench-Town. When I named the music with my brethrens in 1962 I knew this time would come. The only thing we could not have known was who would be alive to witness it. All praises to Jah I am still here to proclaim and to defend our Trench-Town legacy. Much raspect to you all, Ras cardo Reggae Legend from Trench-Town.
Dear Mr. Ras Cardo Reggae
How awesome that you give all praises to Jah, and that you believe that one day there will be a healing of the nations of this earth. Yes, I believe Jamaica will be especially blessed!
(Revelation 22:1-2) 22 And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of its broad way. And on this side of the river and on that side [there were] trees of life producing twelve crops of fruit, yielding their fruits each month. And the leaves of the trees [were] for the curing of the nations.
Just a question I have regarding the music…you say that you named the music. How did you name the music?
Your post was very interesting to me because I do believe that there will be a healing or curing of the nations, and it’s because of that name, because there are a people who love that name, Jah.
Much Respect,
Leslie
Greetings my sister in Jah army. Thanks for your response and I hope that your day is blessed. In response to your question let me give you truth as I always do. The world has come to know that I came from Trench-town the same place that they now know Bob Marley came from. Well I was there when Bob came in the area and I was one of those who embraced him with our love and also protected him. Trench-Town is the most feared ghetto in Jamaica and even some Jamaicans do not want to have anything to do with it. There was also a lot of good youths living there in the early sixties 1962 when I coined the word, and myself with Junior Braithwaite, Gartie Dennis were the original wailing wailers. We three used to sing around the area before Bob came into Trench-Town. At the same time I went to a catholic High School and began studying latin. While studying latin and conjugating verbs etc., I fell in love with the way the classical language flowed and how many English words came from Latin and Greek. With this fascination and thirst for knowledge I shared all this with the youths in the area. Let me briefly tell you now that Reggae- the word came to me one night on the street corners of West Roads and Third Streets in Trench-Town.
The street word at the time for a promiscuous girl was -STREGGAE- I was learning latin words such as -“Porta, Portae, meaning gate, and Puella, Puellae meaning girl. Note the “ae” ending. I took the “ST” as the abbreviation for street from the word streggae, and you can see what is left of it, “Reggae”. So in essence what I did was to take a negatively stigmatized word and converted it into something positive with the music we were playing that night on the corners of West Roads and Third Street in Trench-Town. This was done in 1962 but I did not make it public until I felt it necessary. During such times I have seen so many lies and prevarications about it from people who were never in Trench-Town with us. I have the truth and I also have all the known legends of this music interviewed by me telling the same truths I have just told you. There is so much in my archives that I have never revealed in public. Some things are indeed sacred and priceless. When I speak about Reggae I do so with the authority and livity of truth as one who came from Trench-Town and have lived it. Reggae is very serious business as it speaks about the sufferings of the people including the Trench-Town people. It is with all humility and truth that I deliver this message to you for all the world to see.
I must also add that I stayed in school but still followed my music which now will lead the world to peace and love. With much Raspect, Ras Cardo Reggae