The Star (Jamaica)

Spiritual desire trumps political power

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Hey, unuh nuh hear wah mi hear? Look here nuh, I’m like an old fridge, so mi cyaan keep anything too long — it will spoil. Therefore, so mi get it, so mi give it. And if unuh have credible contending informatio­n, please to correct me if I’m wrong. So, hear how it go now, peeps. I get to understand that according to certain news sources, the grieving families of both Aretha Franklin and Senator John McCain, the two iconic Americans who passed away recently, disclosed that both deceased persons decreed before their passing, their desire for the sitting president of the United States to be excluded from the official proceeding­s at their funerals. Yeah, spiritual desire trumped political power, and the dead banned the living. That sad, don’t it?

DELIGHTFUL COURSE

Well, look here nuh, I’m the lecturer for a delightful course offered by the School of Arts Management and Humanities at Edna Manley College, titled ‘Ethics, Creativity and the Self’. And some of the issues arising from that scenario came up for humorous discussion, as we examined a range of topics, including the whole idea of the supremacy of creative genius and artistic prowess in determinin­g how people are revered, even after death.

Of course, I was not very moderate in my role as moderator. In fact, I was more of a provocateu­r, so the discussion went all over the place. I think we basically arrived at some kind of consensus on some things though. We more or less agree that the power of creativity often trumps considerat­ions about ethics in deciding how we celebrate and honour entertaine­rs. And how a person lives is more important than how that person dies. Unuh nuh agree?

Well, check this. Last Saturday, September 1, would have been the 80th birthday of my late uncle and Jamaican music legend Alton Ellis. And although he made his transition 10 years ago, there was still a flood of birthday greetings and memorial musings in his honour, especially via the various social media platforms. So, even after death, the love is alive and real. Big plans are also now already afoot for bans of boonoonoon­oos celebratio­ns, as Friday of this week, September 7, will mark the 99th birthday of the Hon Louise Bennett-Coverley, the beloved Jamaican creative icon and cultural pioneer who we affectiona­tely call ‘Miss Lou’. Mi cyaan wait fi dah party deh!

So, what’s the lesson, folks? Live good, work well and leave a legacy of love and respect!

box-mi-back@hotmail.com

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