Jamaican musicians have acted as Griots for over 50 years. That trend gathered steam during the black conscious era of the 1970’s, but seems lost to the current generation of reggae artists.
Singer V Merchant, who is based in Toronto, insists that the musician still has a role to play in educating the masses. He does so on “We Will Rise”, his latest single which features Sizzla.
It revisits the April 11-13, 1963 Coral Gardens incident in rural St. James parish, Jamaica in which eight persons were killed. Known as Bad Friday, it was triggered by discrimination against Rastafarians in the country that gained independence from Great Britain less than a year before.
“I’m of the opinion that artists are oral teachers of the untold stories of life’s situations and the common man’s experience that’s often undocumented,” said V Merchant.
A video for “We Will Rise” enhances his recollection of the Coral Gardens tragedy which resulted in the deaths of three Rastafarians and two police officers. Not much is heard of the incident in Jamaican schools or media.
V Merchant is from Trelawny parish which borders St. James. He heard about Coral Gardens from Rasta elders in that region who were victimized by police in the aftermath of that saga.
For his next song, V Merchant plans to take on another hot topic.
“My upcoming single titled ‘High Grade’ speaks on the controversial legalization of recreational and medicinal marijuana and the injustice Rastas went through to smoke it or have it in their possession,” he said.
Written By Howard Campbell