Charles Town Colonel Calls for Industrialization
of Maroon Culture
Colonel Frank Lumsden of the Charles Town Maroons issued a call for an “industrialization”
of the Maroon culture to counter the threat of “fashionable modernity”. Addressing
the Maroon Musical Heritage Symposium, in Moore Town, Portland on February 29, 2008,
Colonel
Lumsden said that maroons need to adopt an entrepreneurial spirit in order to capitalize
on the current economic opportunities that have surfaced based on a growing market
for products on the maroon way of life.
While lauding the efforts of UNESCO in preserving their musical heritage, Colonel
Lumsden stated that in his view, preservation suggested that the culture is dying
and this in his view was not entirely true. “However”, he stated, “Failure to industrialize may cause the culture to die away as it is threatened ‘fashionable modernity’.”
He urged the maroons to seek training in areas such as media production and entrepreneurship,
so that they can begin to have a say in the quality of production content that is
disseminated about the maroons. “Why are not these young men behind the cameras?” he asked. “We should
be the ones providing it. In this way we can control the intellectual property rights
so that we can provide for these markets. There is a demand for maroon culture and this is
where the money is.” The Colonel said that maroons in
general seem to have a problem with the word money and speak of it as though it
was the purview of other cultures, but “We have to get real”, he stated.
The profits from the material, he said, far outweighed production costs.
He said that some maroons have a problem with the word money and speak of it as
though it was the purview of other cultures. “We have to get real”, he stated.
Lumsden also emphasized the need for Intellectual Property Rights, stating that
the lack of such an important legal protection was proving quite detrimental; as
it created opportunities for exploitation of various kinds. He cited several instances
in which Jamaican maroon culture was showcased in the international media, with
little if any credit accorded to them, and with very little of this being owned
by them. Intellectual property rights, he said, would enable exclusive or partial
rights to any distributed content.
Concerns expressed by some of a resultant commercialization and possible dilution of the maroon way
of life were quickly allayed by Lumsden, who remained resolute that adapting to
current trends did not connote dilution of the culture. “It is
the presentation
of our culture and the need for protection of our intellectual
property that requires immediate attention,” he stated.
To strengthen his resolve, Lumsden drew reference
to the Maroons from Suriname, stating “We need to borrow from these people who have
been able to bend technology to meet their needs, while ensuring that their
special identity is preserved. There
is even a fashion line that is changing the
way people view maroons in Suriname”, he commented. Resolute in his stance, Colonel Lumsden informed the audience of several requests
and initiatives that were in line to commence this “industrialization” process.
He mentioned a proposal by Chief Executive Officer of the
Caribbean Production and Training Centre (CPTC), Mrs. Angella Patterson, to train five individuals in the
use of cameras that would enable them to make videos and short documentaries. He
said that the Caribbean Development Bank is prepared to fund a two week drama workshop,
with minimal contribution by the community.
“I know that what I am talking about here is a very thin line between that which
is culture and that which is entertainment”, he said. “However, I believe that our
culture is strong enough and permanent enough, to not be destroyed by some tweaking
here and there for its survival,” he stated.
The symposium formed part of a larger safeguarding project by UNESCO, who in 2004
declared the musical heritage of the Moore Town Maroons as “Proclamation of Masterpieces
of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”. The project which seeks to safeguard
cultural heritage of the maroons, includes dissemination of information, the construction
of a cultural centre in the Moore Town community, research and an herbal garden.
According to
Project Coordinator, Linnette Wilks, a number of workshops in dance, drums and the preparation of maroon cuisine
among other aspects of the maroon culture heritage have been held within the Moore Town community throughout the past year.
To ensure that the maroon culture is passed on to future generations, much effort
has been made to engage the interest and participation of children within the community.
As such, over
100 children participated in dance workshops and for the first time the senior members
of the community were able to witness children playing Kromanti,
a move away from the established customs to one in which custodians are able to transmit culture by taught methods instead
of acculturation. The children also performed at the symposium.
Other presenters included Mrs. Hazel McLune of the ACIJ/JMB, Field Research Officer,
ACIJ/JMB and Mr. Ken Bilby,
Director of Research at the Centre for Black Music Research at Columbia College, Chicago. Bilby resided in Moore Town for over a year, while carrying out
research for his Masters Degree in 1977. Findings from this research formed the
basis of his book “True Born Maroons” first published in 2005. Three copies of this
publication were presented to Colonel Wallace Sterling.
The symposium was part of a joint project of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica
Memory Bank (ACIJ/JMB). Colonel Wallace Sterling of Moore Town and Colonel Sidney
Peddie of Accompong also participated in the event.