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Publication date : Saturday, August 30th 2008 - 9 383 views JAVAA: Jamaica Social Club
In Jamaica, many artists of the 1960s and 70s fell on hard times once their careers were on the wane and they no longer received royalties from their past successes. Founded in 2003, the association JAVAA (Jamaican Association of Vintage Artists & Affiliates) aims to meet the social and professional needs of veteran artists.
JAVAA was born out of unease. The unease felt by the friends of Scotty, a famous deejay who died in poverty in 2003. "The artists were embarrassed, they had to ask for money all over the place to give Scotty a decent burial", says Ras Mandito, JAVAA's public relations officer. In the wake of that, a few people led by Michael Barnett, Keith Brown and the deejay Trinity set the association in motion. In practical terms, JAVAA negotiates advantageous rates for its members on medical check-ups, discounts on medication, and life insurance. But above all, it nurtures a solidarity that is tending to disappear, particularly towards elders, in a country that focuses on its youth. "Institutional Jamaica does not seem to be interested in making efforts for people over 25", explains Ras Mandito, himself a singer and the lead role in the 1978 stage play Johnny Reggae.
Vintage music
 Five years after its creation, JAVAA has nearly two hundred members, among them Winston "Merritone" Black, Bob Andy, Ken Boothe, Earl Morgan, Boris Gardner, Pablo Moses, Ken Bob, Luciano... The singer from Manchester is among the youngest. A real exception: "In general, the richest, most successful artists do not join JAVAA, even though we have good relations with most of them" Ras Mandito continues. When the association was founded, you had to show 15 years of career to join. Today the age criterion has gone and the youngest member is... 10 years old. "Signs, like the Rising Stars competition (a young talent contest, editor's note), show that young people appreciate vintage music, and we have a few members who are not yet 20. But generally speaking, it is today's "hype" music that excites the young." Even if a few of them have started coming to the concerts organised by JAVAA.
Apart from membership fees (850 JAM$ a month, roughly 8 euros), these events are the only way of raising funds. Nothing grandiose, of course. Most often, JAVAA's artists take to the stage to cover classics by their late contemporaries. Last February it was a tribute to Dennis Brown; in May, the Motown Plus concert was dedicated to American soul artists. One concert every two months fills the coffers without really encouraging spending: keeping the association running costs roughly 1,400 euros a month. "There are no other sources of income than concerts, Ras Mandito explains. Recently, we have begun approaching things as a booking agency, which is showing encouraging signs".
 Jamaica Hall of Fame
If means remain limited, ideas are not lacking. An album has been released, " Javaa Jammin' " (issued in Jamaica by Stage Records), featuring Luciano, Fab Five Band, Bunny Brown, Dwight Pickney and Charmaine Liomnius among others.
JAVAA aims to set up a museum on its premises, which would become a sort of mega complex also housing an amphitheatre, a recording studio, a restaurant and a gym, and which would also become a tourist attraction.
On 11 July 2008, JAVAA launched the Jamaica Hall of Fame: figures from mento to reggae whose portraits are temporarily displayed on a wall of the Half-way-Tree Transport Centre. Most were honoured posthumously: Oswald Williams aka Count Ossie, master percussionist and founder of Mysic Revelation of Rastafari; Lord Flea (Norman Thomas), pioneer of mento and calypso; Sister Mary Ignatus Davies, founder of the famous Alpha Boy School; the legendary producers Clement "Coxsone" Dodd and Arthur "Duke" Reid; Louise Bennett-Coverly (poet, broadcaster and singer); and the producer Vere Johns, who set up the Opportunity Hour talent contest. Also honoured were the original Wailers (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Junior Braithwaite, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Green), Don Drummond, Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook and Jerome "Jah Jerry" Hinds of the Skatalites. At the unveiling, only the guitarist Ernest Ranglin and Dr Olive Lewin (founder of the Jamaica Folk Singers) were present to receive the distinction in their lifetime. Derrick Morgan was busy touring Europe.
Precarious ground
 What underlies JAVAA's work is also the creation of a genuine rights management system in Jamaica. "We would like creators to be paid before they die. We tried to obtain the government's authorisation to intercede to that end on behalf of our artists, but we are still waiting for the meeting with government representatives." For JAVAA is still moving forward on precarious ground and the obstacles are many. "Some of our members can barely scrape together the monthly fee. A few years ago, we launched an "Adopt an artist" scheme aimed at institutional Jamaica, but it met with little success." Despite a lack of sponsors and support, Ras Mandito wants to believe in better days. Joining the association has enabled some artists to regain exposure by getting booked for concerts in Jamaica or the United States: Dwight Pickney, Bunny Brown, The Jays, Boris Gardiner, Merlene Webber, Ken Bob and Otis Gayle have all been able to give their careers a second wind. Five years after its creation, JAVAA becomes a little more indispensable every day. "We are recognised as the most organised and most representative association within the Jamaican entertainment industry", says Ras Mandito. And he concludes: "Javaa... as timeless as the music !"
Report written by Sébastien Jobart
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