Time for an analysis by Messian Dread of yet another "fruit" of the "Gospel Reggae Industry".

It sounds quite sensational, but in fact it's not really the "booing" itself that turns out to be the most relevant information in both the article and my analysis of the topic.

You could say, that since the artists themselves have microphones connected to sound systems often with thousands of watts, it is actually rather unfair to expect an audience to come with full sentences in a discussion about the quality of the things performed on stage to express critique.

And so, it's not the fact that Christafari is booed off stage in Jamaica that made me write this analysis. But still, I thought that the contents of the article itself simply compelled me to do what every Christian should do, and that is to judge the teachings of those that claim we should listen to to them.

In part 2, you can read the article. My analysis of the situation are follows in parts 3 and 4.

PART 2

Booing at gospel concerts

Many Christians believe that gospel music these days, namely that of the reggae persuasion, is a tad too radical.

They argue that it is just a stone's throw away from what takes place in the 'world'.

Those who advocate this brand of gospel believes otherwise. They say it is all in praise of God.

However, in the same way the rhythms from dancehall music are being transferred into use for gospel, so is slang and even behaviour at events.

While at secular events 'Pull Up!' may be shouted out, at a gospel show you might hear 'Good God Man!'.

At a secular event when there are performances that are considered to be not so exciting, then the result is booing and bottle throwing.

While there have not been any cases of bottles being thrown at gospel events recently, there have been a few cases of artistes being booed.

At this year's 'Fun In The Son' held in Ocho Rios, St Ann, Christafari, a Christian singer with dreadlocks was booed by a several patrons.

The booing subsided when he called on-stage Prodigal Son. Other than the fact that he was not popular, the audience was not pleased with the length of time he used to talk in between songs.

Gospel deejay Mr. Gallimore, from the Main Street gospel camp controlled by Danny Brownie, is also among the victims of this negative reaction. This took place at a concert in May Pen, Clarendon.

The deejay said he was booed because he deejayed on the 'Street Sweeper', which was a popular secular rhythm.

He said the crowd was not ready for that brand of gospel at the time, but they are now since he has had no other problems, regardless of the rhythm he has chosen to 'ride'.

While he understood why the audience reacted negatively, he still thought that it was inappropriate in the Christian arena.

His viewpoint was bolstered by the singing evangelist Sandra Brooks. "How dare anybody boo. It's far from appropriate. We fashion the world too much, everything dem do we follow," she emphasised. She added that as long as the individual is saying 'Jesus Christ' no one has the right to treat anyone with such disrespect.

According to Mr. Gallimore, it just takes one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch, because if one person begins to boo it will start a chain reaction.

Mr. Gallimore believes that some of the persons that boo at gospel concerts come expecting to be entertained and if they are not pleased with a performance, regardless of the profoundness of the message, they will react in that manner.

Another gospel deejay, Papa San, says he does not condone booing and advises patrons who attend gospel shows must be prepared to hear the gospel and nothing else.

Although he has never witnessed the occurrence himself, he said has heard of a few cases where acts have been booed. In one instance, he said he heard that in the '80s a gospel band was also stoned with cane joints.

The artistes that The Sunday Gleaner spoke with all say that christians are not necessarily the culprits for the booing as both saved and unsaved rub shoulders at most gospel events.

"Not everybody is saved at these events but we don't know who is doing it and this gives Christians a bad name... but the wheat and tares shall grow together until the day of harvest," reasoned Papa San.

Lt. Stitchie says he, too, has heard of booing instances but has not had first-hand experience with the scenario.

According to him, when an audience gets rowdy and boos an act, it is the responsibility of the next act or emcee to address the crowd's unacceptable behaviour.

This, he says, must be done with a spirit of meekness and mildness.

The side- effects of being booed can either make one stronger or weaker. Sandra Brooks believes that if an individual is not firmly rooted in their faith, it can make them backslide.

However, she encouraged those who have been burnt by the sweltering effects of a boo, "Don't take it as a defeat, take it as a test that will take you to a higher level of maturity."

Mr. Gallimore, who falls in the bracket of those booed says his ordeal worked out for his own good and made him stronger both as a person and as an artiste.

Tyrone Reid

Stitchie

PART 3

A very interesting article that was dropped into my in-box today. No, it's not just that Christafari is booed off the stage, even though I think it's quite interesting in itself. What is way more interesting is the incredible mind-set that is uncovered by this Jamaican article.

If you let me, I would like comment on what I think is the most striking in the entire article. Because when you read deeper (not even so very deep), the illogical, self-centered egotistical and even blasphemic nature of this whole "Gospel Industry" is displayed for what it is.

We allready know, that the "Gospel Industry" is, due to it's very nature, allways imitating what is perceived as "the world". "The world" has "Rastafari", so we have "Christafari". The CRC reported how this is called "the imitator method" by the school that taught Christafari's front man Mark Mohr how to develop "Christafarianism". Because, after all, the world has "Rastafarianism".

It's my "educated guess" as they say, that Christafari was actually booed off-stage because of the obvious imitation that it is. An imitation that even says that "the original" is doomed for hell just for being that original! So yes, if someone imitates you just to tell you that you go to hell because you are not an imitation, I think one has a valid reason to express critique, even when it is in the form of the imitation of the sound of a cow and not in a sentence in an article or book.

I am saying this, because it seems like the main comment is, that the "boo-ers" are "not saved", meaning, they are not converted to become a consumer for the Christian Industry.

"Not everybody is saved at these events but we don't know who is doing it and this gives Christians a bad name... but the wheat and tares shall grow together until the day of harvest," reasoned Papa San.

But wait a minute..

Gospel deejay Mr. Gallimore, from the Main Street gospel camp controlled by Danny Brownie, is also among the victims of this negative reaction. This took place at a concert in May Pen, Clarendon.

The deejay said he was booed because he deejayed on the 'Street Sweeper', which was a popular secular rhythm.

So these were actually "christians" who basically think that you shouldn't make use of a riddim when it is not created "under the annointing of the gospel reggae super stars", if you let me put it down a little bit sarcastically.

Yes, that makes sense. We have seen that discussion many times on the christafari message boards. Not, that it is really about Christianity or Spirituality, by the way. I remember the discussion we had on the Marlin Awards, and how one winner told us personally, right here on this website, that the Marlin Awards doesn't even look to the spiritual contents of what is often called "ministry".

No, it's just that you have to mention the words "Jesus Christ" a couple of thousand times in your lyrics. That makes you a "Gospel Reggae Artist". And when you do, even though your spirituality doesn't matter, you are supposed to be treated almost as JAH Himself.

Just listen to what the so-called "evangelist" Sandra Brooks had to say about it (emph. mine):

"How dare anybody boo. It's far from appropriate. We fashion the world too much, everything dem do we follow," she emphasised. She added that as long as the individual is saying 'Jesus Christ' no one has the right to treat anyone with such disrespect.

Now, am I the only one to see a pattern here? These so-called "ministers of the gospel" expect to be treated as oracles, as shamen, as mediators, as leaders, as... gods.

PART 4

When these people actually believe that they are ministers and sent to speak to the church like teachers, then the Bible says something completely different.

Paulus the apostle told the Corinthians: "Let one or two speak, and let the rest judge".

So it is obvious. Mrs Brooks says that they "fashion the world too much", and I would agree with her. But not in the way she means it! I would say, that these so-called Gospel Reggae Ministers should immidiatly stop equating themselves with the Most High, stop patterning themselves after the so-called "secular stars" who expect worship from their audience.

For that, I contend, is the real issue at stake, here.

Mark Mohr claims to be the "pioneer and trailblazer of the gospel reggae genre". And these are not my words. Therefore, he is the culprit behind this whole blasphemic theatre that only divides Rastas and Christians and especially those who are both.

He allways tells us to "look at my fruits, the efforts of my labor". Here we have his fruits, next to the Jamaicans who are (again, not my words) "dead or in jail".

At the cost, over the backs of ordinary people, Jamaican people especially, these so-called "ministers" claim an authority that only YESUS KRISTOS has. They expect to be worshipped which only JAH should receive, or as one of them put it on a Dubroom message board: "it is nice to receive honour on earth".

Yes, we do indeed look to the fruits. And what do we see? Fussing and fighting, people divided. While the ministers gather themselves in expensive clothing on expensive locations to worship each other, they expect us -mortal humans- to worship them for the "stars" that they (claim they) are.

Is that "Christianity"?

It is time, truly and really time, for all Christians who know themselves to be actively incolved in the production of Reggae Music, to come to their senses. None of us should seperate ourselves from the so-called "secular world" when it comes to our jobs in music. We should simply stand, in this work, side by side with the others who are struggling to promote Reggae Music as a whole, so that especially Jamaicans can benefit from it because when we all promote Reggae, the music will be in need for more and more artists.

And we all know, how important it is that artists from Jamaica -among many other places- get heard so that they can make a living for themselves.

Let our spirituality, our Christian faith, not be used as merchandize in no gospel industry for it is no "holy industry". We see the fruits and we discuss it right here because the press reports on it.

Let our spirituality and Christianity simply be the drive for what we do as long as we are in this world.

Thanks for reading. I would love to read anyone's comments.

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