The Sixth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

152 Pacific Reggae Roots Beyond the Reef Reggae is everywhere in the Pacific, from Honiara to Honolulu, Papeete to Port Moresby. In a region covering a third of the world’s surface — with vast distances between population centres and profound historical, political and linguistic differences — few other contemporary cultural imports (except maybe spiced ham in a can and various brands of Christianity) have achieved the near ubiquity of reggae. For APT6, Pacific Reggae: Roots Beyond the Reef offers a snapshot of the grassroots dynamism marking reggae’s fairly recent indigenisation in the region, with an emphasis on the Melanesian islands of the western Pacific. In the Pacific, reggae booms from backyards, bars and cars, embellished by distinctively Pacific elements like tight vocal harmonies sung in local language, or maybe pidgin, and clattering log drums or cha-lang-a-lang ukulele. It’s a neighbourhood sound and part of the fabric of island life — almost traditional to many, while dismissed as an inappropriate foreign import by certain guardians of tradition. 1 Now, more than ever, reggae artists — veterans and young hopefuls alike — are appearing on TV and online, offering contemporary Pacific music to a global audience. Videos are often simply documents of performances; at times, they take on the high production values of international cinema or advertising, but frequently they represent artists in their chosen milieu — at home in their family village, shantytown or recording studio. Current affairs, community politics, traditional words of wisdom, advice for changing times; all are rendered as a ‘performance’ for a reggae video. Even in light-hearted or romantic songs, a connection to ‘roots’ is evident, with everyday people or places momentarily transformed into pop iconography. And it is in these slices of contemporary island life — beyond, but not excluding, the tourist imagery of palm-fringed beaches and smiling faces — where a web of affinities between the Caribbean and Pacific becomes apparent. They make reggae a shared form of expression and pleasure, and a way of dealing with postcolonial realities without abandoning the deeper rhythms of local life. According to Emmanuel Narakobi, editor of rokrokmusic.com : On a cultural level Papua New Guinea could identify with Jamaica because both are developing nations. So the song content in terms of talking about struggle and hardships were identifiable with the PNG market. 2 As Solomon Islands reggae luminary Sharzy (Sammy Saeni) says, ‘We feel reggae music belongs to us, black people’. 3 This sense of the appropriateness of Jamaican culture to Pacific conditions and sensibilities runs through Pacific Reggae’s broad sampling of local artists. The occasional complaint of ‘imitation’ or ‘Jafaikin’ accents hardly registers when it comes to the local adaptation of reggae. It simply fits , and reggae’s musical appeal, coupled with its framework for social commentary and spiritual yearning, has tied it to the Pacific world, just as US rhythm and blues and soul once functioned for Jamaican audiences. David Nalo, from Vanuatu band 26 Roots, notes: . . . reggae rhythms are similar to kastom (traditional) rhythms and other similarities include . . . colonialism, the idea of independence, similar environments (bush, living off the land). We have our own culture, reggae is parallel to it. 4 Since 1979, when Bob Marley and the Wailers toured Australia, New Zealand and Hawai‘i, the Jamaican avatar’s famous approach to roots reggae, black history and identity has prospered in the Pacific, and was reinforced by visits by the late South African reggae star, Lucky Dube. Whatever international music trends wash over the region — hip-hop, techno, R & B — a familiar second and fourth ‘skank’ beat of guitar or keyboard, a steady bassline, inclusion of Jamaican patois and Rastafarian terms (which might hail Jah, confront injustice, or delight in the joys of love) signify an abiding respect for the early innovations of Jamaican musicians. In Pacific Reggae, you can hear and see the legacy of Uncle Bob and roots reggae. The young lions of JVDK (Justice et Vérité des Droits Kanak) from Kanaky/New Caledonia defend ‘Rastakanaky’ 5 , the fusion of indigenous Kanak cultural and political rights with notions of Rastafarian redemption from their particular colonial ‘Babylon’, which they chant down in pure Marley fashion. 26 Roots — who debuted at Fest’Napuan, the foremost live event in Melanesia, in 2008 — like many local bands, use a ‘one drop’ drum pattern (stressing the third beat of the bar) made famous by the Wailers’ drummer, Carlton Barrett, and incorporate traditional ni-Vanuatu tam tam log drums. Hawaiian Paula Fuga performs Bob’s ‘Stir it up’ with fellow Hawaiian Jack Johnson at the annual Kokua Festival. In her recordings, Paula combines reggae with powerful R & B vocal stylings and Hawaiian language and instrumentation (including nose flute), to further the native Kanaka Maoli agenda of cultural and political self-determination. That reggae roots are ever present doesn’t mean they’re unchanging. Also from Vanuatu, XX Squad, led by Marcel Meltherorong aka Mars Melto, have employed ni-Vanuatu percussion and bamboo flute, as well as ska, rock and folk arrangements to augment their repertoire. Sunshiners (Vanuatu/France) have made a name for themselves on the European tour circuit by covering ‘70s and ‘80s English pop standards with a mixture of reggae and indigenous string band music — tea chest bass and ukulele feature prominently. In their pitch to fans in Europe, they describe Vanuatu as a ‘tropical paradise whose very name invites you to dream. U2 is not known, nor is The Cure. Bob Marley is the only one who has left his imprint’. 6