Artistic schizophrenia
Dear Editor,
I refer to the letter by Yannick Pessoa in the February 7 edition of the Jamaica Observer entitled ‘In defiance of doublespeak’ regarding dancehall artiste Spices’s contentious Oh No School Tour.
Pessoa has hit the proverbial nail squarely on its head and admirably exposed the hypocrisy and moral schizophrenia of the entertainment industry.
Artistes alternately flaunt (for profit) and deny the powerful influence of their lives and lyrics on young impressionable minds.
The following statement, attributed to the 18th century Scottish patriot Andrew Fletcher, is unequivocal: “Let me write the songs of a nation and I care not who writes its laws.”
It is remarkable that this was said centuries before the advent of the Internet and social media, which provides instantaneous and pervasive access to the world, work, and worldviews of artistes.
Dr Doreen Brady-West
drbradywest@gmail.com
