ENTITY · LAW POLICY
Political and colonial-era radio bans of Jamaican popular songs (1960s-1970s)
Probable
Public record: documented histories record that Jamaican authorities and political parties kept a number of popular songs off the radio for political content, including the 1964 ska record 'Carry Go Bring Come' and, around the 1972 general election, reggae songs such as The Wailers' 'Small Axe' (academic and press accounts, incl. 'Reggae, Rastafari, and the Rhetoric of Social Control'). Starter record pending editorial and legal review.
At a glance
- Type
- law policy
- Confidence
- Probable
- Era
- Open era →
Connections
No published connections yet. Relationships are bounded by type and publication state.
Debate & reception
How people argued about the music — praise, criticism and public debate. See all debate & reception →
debate
Playing the people's music: broadcast respectability or representation?
Two documented positions on colonial-era radio's caution toward Rasta-associated and local popular music: defenders of the policy invoked broadcasting standards and respectability, while critics argued the airwaves failed to represent the actual musical life of the Jamaican people. Neutral framing; no verdict. Sources: Jamaica Gleaner archive; David Katz, Solid Foundation.
Stance: protecting broadcast respectability vs representing the real musical life of the people