Carnival vs dancehall
Industry insiders weigh in on level of support
FOR years there has been concern from dancehall enthusiasts that the corporate and patron support for Carnival events exceed that received held by promoters of dancehall events.
Recently, the debate raged on social media following the inaugural staging of Dancehall Week, which ran from February 13-18. The weeklong schedule of events culminated with a Dancehall Road March.
On Thursday, Dave Goldson, executive director for Dancehall Week, said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer: “Not so. I wouldn’t say they’re [Carnival events] are getting more support. We got considerable support to stage Dancehall Week. The waivers that we got; I don’t think that Carnival got. So, in terms of saying ‘we’re not getting’, is something we’ve never put forward.”
He added: “There is room for improvement. Some mistakes were made, but we see this as something very bright for the future.”
Goldson said the turnout for the road march exceeded his expectations.
“For something just starting out, the turnout was above what we expected. We had about six to seven trucks on the road, and I think we put ourselves on good footing for something new. It’s pretty much something that we can set the scale for.”
According to Goldson, some promoters should think about the business aspect when hosting events.
“It’s all about the business aspect. It needs to be structured. Our sound clashes have descended into vulgarity,” he disclosed.
Dancehall Week, he said, attracted sponsorship from corporate Jamaica.
“We got sponsorships, and we fully understand that we approached a lot of people late. In terms of actual sponsorships from government agencies, it wasn’t forthcoming, but we fully understand. We just have to tweak things and present our proposal earlier,” he said.
DJ Neil of The Edge 105.3 FM has a different perspective as it relates to the support that Carnival events received compared to its dancehall counterparts.
“Carnival has been around for decades. The Jamaican Carnival sets us apart from other celebrations because it includes dancehall music. However, the Dancehall Road March may not have gotten massive support because it is not a normal cultural event for us. It’s new, and I believe, if given the time to grow, it could evolve into something spectacular,” said DJ Neil, who hosts One Mic Saturdayz. Marketing, communications, public relations specialist and author Carole Beckford, who is a former film commissioner at Jampro, chimed in on the debate.
“Dancehall is not a road march event, and it’s also early in the life of that event. Carnival is established. However, both have to be innovative,” said Beckford.
Central Jamaica-based disc jock DJ Brain, who plays soca music among his repertoire weekly, is of the opinion that dancehall events receive less support from patrons in comparison to Carnival.
“I [believe] that Carnival receives more support compared to dancehall events, in the sense that Carnival is more of a traditional event which attracts more patrons both locally and from overseas. There is also the belief that patrons feel safer attending Carnival events. But promoters, I agree, need to get innovative in what they are offering to patrons,” said DJ Brain.
Founding general manager of
Irie FM and media consultant Clyde Mckenzie opines that the promoters of Carnival meet the preconditions for attracting corporate alignment.
“Sponsorship is a function of contacts and organisation. It is abundantly clear that those associated with the Carnival Road March satisfy the preconditions. We must bear in mind that many of those who sponsor Carnival-based events are active participants, so it is sometimes a case of people backing projects which provide them with entertainment opportunities. I am not sure if the relative lack of support which is being claimed is the result of any specific bias towards a particular genre or its adherents. I believe, in time, the Dancehall Road March will [earn greater support],” said Mckenzie.