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Elorm Beenie is a Journalist and Artiste Repertoire who blogs for the Reggae/Dancehall industry in Ghana plus a member of the BASS Awards Committee.This is what he has to say on the nominations of the VGMA.
There is no single award platform in the world that has not been criticized. It would savour some and would be unsavory other side as well. In every award scheme, if not all, some nominations are done with infused ‘controversy’ in it to keep talk up or to promote the event with the little brouhaha accompanying it. But when some nominations are done eerily like the “Reggae/Dancehall” category for the VGMA 2014 (Vodafone Ghana Music Awards) which more concerns me, then I find the Selecting Committee of the VGMAs to be unparallel.
Yes, good songs were picked – I agree. The Reggae/Dancehall genre is recognized on the awards’ scheme as it was done in the previous years - no qualms about that at all. But my reason for spending time punching the keyboard writing this one is about CLASSIFICATION or CATEGORIZATION of the songs for that category. Makes me assume there was NO person on that Board who has knowledge about components of what qualifies a song to be a Reggae/Dancehall song. Since the 1950s through the 1970s, the genre (Reggae/Dancehall) has undergone a thesis of varied changes and transformations where Dancehall especially has metamorphosed into genres like Hip, RnB, Soul and Jazz etc, but nonetheless, Dancehall still maintained the ‘internal signature’ in such ‘metamorphosed genres’.
Not to keep you reading plenty I would jump straight to the point. I respect every artiste and every song nominated for that category – Reggae/Dancehall – in VGMA 2014. I am NOT standing against anyone from winning what they are due but I my reason for all this squawk is the WRONG CATEGORIZATION of song(s) in that category. Even a day old baby with a resounding ear would agree with me that “Hot Cake” song by Pope Skinny featuring Shatta Wale is a HIPLIFE song by all standards so having that song in the category of “Reggae/Dancehall Song of the Year” is very weird to me. Perhaps the use of Patois or Creole by Reggae/Dancehall artistes on other genre songs is becoming confusing to some people here in Ghana that's hwy certain classifications are done that way. That song a good joint and it has gained and is still gaining a lot of airplay across the lengths and breaths of Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia etc but I beg to differ that the song is NOT a Dancehall song NOR would it pass for a Reggae song. It best fits the “Hiplife Song of the Year” – unless the Board Members would want to say that they are “trying to favour Pope Skinny to aid their ticket sales” or because they will be having him perform the song on the awards night that is why they put it there – still would sound funny to me anyway.
Stonebwoy Burniton has had a very successful year in 2013 with multiple hits, big stages, features/exposures etc but it amazes me why Stonebwoy had just one nomination. BIG JOKE!!!! Stonewboy for God’s sake was the BIGGEST THING in Ghana from January 2013 to April 2013 with his flawless song “Pull Up” before big entry for Shatta Wale came through from May 2013 till it heightened for Shatta Wale in July 2013 when the whole country sang along with most of Shatta Wale’s released singles. Point I am trying to put across is that Stonebwoy deserves to also be nominated in the category of “Artiste of the Year” as well as the other acts who were also nominated for that same category. His song “Pull Up” is a big CLEAN HIT that should have made it to “Vodafone Song of the Year” as well as the “Record of the Year”.
Still on the “Reggae/Dancehall song of the Year” can somebody explain to me why “Give It To Dem” (Kwenaamu) too by Stonebwoy didn’t make it to that category? Or are they trying to say they can’t pick two big hits from the same artiste to be in that category? SMH….Another hardworking Reggae artiste and versatile lyricist, Chidifari, who had his breakthrough last year with his “Ghana” song, was sidelined too. That song had massive airplay all over Ghana and I was been looking forward to seeing it in that category too but it was cut off. Then also is Shasha Marely’s collabo big hit with Bunny Rugs (of Third World reggae group, Jamaica) – that song is a really classic joint that has had great reviews across the Caribbean, radio shows in the UK (including plays on BBC 1Xtra) etc so it amazes me that song didn’t make it in that category. Then I hear Samini’s song “Body Flame” too was disqualified because they said it was an “explicit” song. And please, before you continue reading from here I would be glad if any of you don’t read bias meanings into my further comments on the “Body Flame” song because of that side of me which works with the HighGradeFamily. I am making my comments based on the INTEREST OF THE INDUSTRY, and NOT individuals. Thing is I would be glad what criteria they used to disqualify that song as an “explicit” material because if anyone listened to the song from A-Z there were NO words OPENLY talking about sex such as “pussy” or “dick” or “fuck” or “punani” or “pumpum” whatsoever that connotes OPENLY EXPLICIT studio material so why would that song be disqualified, on what grounds? I stand to be corrected. Then again I will want everyone to open their minds and heart as I would say that if the criteria for disqualifying “Body Flame” would be used too, then Shatta Wale’s song “Dancehall King” should also disqualified. Shhh, wait and put that song on replay while you read this part of my comments. I am NOT standing against Shatta Wale or his nomination at all because he has worked very hard last year and has released MULTIPLE HITS that DESERVE AWARD9S). But if anyone CAREFULLY listens to that big hit “Dancehall King” you would realized that some part of it hard a word that says “PUMPUM me love and di gyal dem a me favour” (where the word “pumpum” means “Pussy” or “Vagina” in Jamaican parlance) in the first verse of that song– and there is NO WAY in Jamaica or the Caribbean would that song be nominated for a nationally or internationally reputable award. I am NOT saying it is a bad song – IT IS A GOOD SONG – but it has a profane word in there so that should I think should have been lowered from that category. There are big songs from Shatta Wale that deserves to be there as well because he was all over Ghana and is still a popular face in Ghana now. BUT IF….BUT IF….a CLEAN VERSION of that song was submitted for the Board (without the “pumpum” word in it) which they have reviewed and put it in that category then I have NO cause to criticize it and would eat a humble pie – but if it was the same RAW VERSION which has aired all over is what the Committee has selected then I would say they did the wrong pick for him. I am not against Shatta Wale winning an award or winning that category because he is also one of the huge figures in the Reggae/Dancehall industry that has shot the genre to international prominence – don’t get me wrong because of his tension with Samini, I am just making my analysis – NOT in the interest of any individual!
Other people are vehemently arguing about the inclusion of “Fever” by D2 featuring Shatta Wale also in that category. For me, I will ENDORSE it as a Dancehall song that had routine airplay that deserves to be there because it has elements of Soca and Calypso in it – which mostly is linked to Dancehall so for me, that song “Fever” by D2 ft. Shatta Wale deserves to be there – it qualifies!
Besides, I personally feel MULTIPLE CATEGORIES should be created for the Reggae/Dancehall genre as well. To put a big and internationally known genre as Reggae/Dancehall boxed in one is very unfair! It’s a great disservice to that side of our industry. Reggae/Dancehall is very big in Ghana now for the past 14 months and evidentially, the Hiplife artiste and rappers have now turned themselves byforce into Dancehall artistes – that shows how big the genre has become so I would be glad if multiple categories are created OR if possible they split it into two as in “Reggae Song of the Year” AND “Dancehall Song of the year” so a wider recognition can be given to the genre. I know people would jump at my sleeves and say “even Grammys has one category for Reggae/Dancehall” but it would be nice if there’s multiples of it – at least two categories so the Roots Reggae artistes wouldn’t sound as if they are left out.
Hardworking artistes like Kojo Kombolo, Ras Kuuku, Redfyah, Chidifari who have had a cool year in 2013 would have had entries for their joints in the “Reggae Song of the year” category if it was created. Dancehall has become so big that many others forget that the REAL ROOTS part of it (Reggae) also exists.
Concluding it all, I will openly say that the Ghanaian Roots Reggae artistes are VERY LAZY!!! Yes, they are very lazy!!! You can’t sit in the ghetto with your records and think because you have recorded a material it would turn a big hit overnight – YOU HAVE TO PROMOTE IT WELL SO YOU ARE RECOGNIZED!!!
Apart from Rocky Dawuni, BlakkRasta, Chidifari, Redfyah, Kojo Kombolo, Kwame Partan, Ras Kuuku Prince, who are known faces promoting their joints on radio and online, HARDLY would you see any Roots Reggae artiste in Ghana pushing their songs around yet they are the ones who sit in the ghetto pointing accusing fingers that they are being sidelined. IF YOUR SONG IS GOOD, YOUR PRODUCTION IS GOOD, the Presenters and Jocks would play it!!! Rocky Dawuni lives in the USA but he drops a song today and tonight it gets on the playlists here in Ghana because HE IS NETWORKED!!! You can’t call yourself a Roots Reggae artiste and keep to colonial forms of promo thinking somebody would come to you in the ghetto to push you. No way!!! For the Dancehall guys, they know they have good material with good studio recording so they keep chasing media folks and the online market for breakthrough that is why they are all over the place – so those of you Roots Reggae artistes hating on the Dancehall guys, I am here saying that you should STEP UP YOUR GAME!!!!
Thanks for reading this one. Just my personal thoughts I feel would feed in some things into our industry. I have NO beef with anybody so don’t read meanings into it. I know my comments perhaps would not change the nominations or revert things but at least it is always healthy we share ideas on things. If you disagree with me on anything I’ve put across, you are free to speak your mind as well; I just spoke my mind too. I stand to be corrected anyway. Congrats to all nominated artistes anyway. Peace!
Kind Regards,
Elorm Beenie.
