Play Me Sweet & Nice
It’s been hot, and nothing paints American resistance like the heat. Olivia Bregani’s letters to the editor get better and better, and remind us that going “back to normal” should not be an option. I’ve also read a lot recently from some revolutionary voices about the danger of being sated by the Biden / Harris ticket, that voting them in will not automatically equate some tectonic shift, and to be as wary of liberalism as we are of the current fascist state. I’ve maybe mentioned this before but as important as having Obama in office was, especially compared to the blithering idiot in office now, he was still president of America; and America has been a heartless bulldozer rolling over a sea of bones from its inception. Some may have misread my recent writing to think that I am against veterans, or have no empathy or respect for those people who have fought for this country. I felt that it was pretty clear that my anger has been solidly focused on those who would send human beings to die, bamboozling the public into thinking there was some noble cause, when really it’s all a game of oil, influence, and power. I’m not generalizing occupying forces, but rather, bemoaning the fact that we’ve been cowed into doing the bidding of dishonest and manipulative plutocrats, and shaming those who would step out of line. If you really want to respect soldiers and individual officers of the law, it’s paramount that we make their institutions more transparent, and allow them to use their own hearts and minds, rather than hammering them into weapons of the state. Another misconception that has been thrown at those who speak up is that their youth is problematic; that we should listen to our elders, who have gained much more wisdom over their years. I definitely agree that our elders have things to teach, but to discount the experience of other people doesn’t sound very wise to me, especially since everyone interfaces with the world in a unique way, amounting to a wealth of valuable information worth considering.
Marcia Griffiths has a smooth voice that goes where it wants, padding around the house, room to room, wafting like nag champa out the windows, and back in with the breeze. She was recording and performing with Bob Andy in Jamaica for a few years before releasing this album in 1974, and this was a year before she joined the I-Threes with Judy Mowatt and Rita Marley. This particular reissue is amazing because of the sheer volume of bonus tracks, filling out an already great lp into a seemingly endless summer afternoon, with plenty left to get you into the evening. It will make you forget the last time you were wearing shoes. And gosh, if I don’t love that feeling of drying off in the sun, only to let yourself bake enough to get all wet again; it’s a perfect circle, and one we can apply to our own mental health as we move through these times. Make sure you don’t just lay out all day, you know? Take a minute and cool off when you need to; Marcia Griffiths will be there to soothe your burns. This album was part of a revisiting of reggae for me. At a certain point in your life, you hear Bob Marley, and it just clicks; it’s one of the easiest things you’ll ever do. From there I admit I only ever really got to Jimmy Cliff and Toots and the Maytals before I skipped (or skanked?) off to ska (don’t laugh, it was the 90s). Some years later though, I heard the great Micah Blue Smaldone, folk singer and ex- Pinkerton Thug, sing the Congos’ classic “Fisherman”, and after the set, got a list of his recommendations. I’ve been on the tear since, slowly acquainting myself with some massive records and still, relatively, at the beginning of my education in this regard. Knowing what you don’t know, and especially knowing that you don’t know can be illuminating.
It’s early on Saturday morning, and last night I made a Canadian sugar pie; it’s cooling in the fridge and we won’t know how it came out until we unveil it this evening at a distanced outdoor hang with some friends. I’m thinking about the “Pro-America / Pro Police” rally that is going to be happening this morning in town, what it means, and what the people that are attending it think it means. I guess with any subject there is a continuum of understanding, just like my own with reggae; you can always find someone who has more information than you do. No matter how deep you go, chances are someone has gone deeper. When I talk about America and wanting change, and the police and wanting change, I’m highlighting the problems with institutions; institutions that have been built over the years by people who are not seeing beyond their own needs. Yes, in some cases, I’m sure there is an evil mustachioed klan sympathizer trying to preserve the “master race”; and also there are certainly right wing strategists figuring out new ways to pit working white folks against Black folks. But, honestly, a lot of it is likely people that don’t see the problems; they’ve sort of inherited their parents’ set of priorities and ideals, because why not, that worked for their families, and maybe they don’t know anyone that is being adversely affected by the inequitable design of every nook and cranny of American infrastructure. It was suggested to me that I just listen to these different opinions and accept them as part of some melting pot of ideas, but an opinion is whether you think that the White Album is too long or not; if your opinion is that everything is fine here, and that people standing up to say that it most certainly is not should “love it or leave it”, then I don’t know how to tell you this, but that is not an opinion; that is an incorrect reading of some very obvious information. And if you want to get right down to it, America is beautiful; it’s rich and despite its legacy of violence against its own citizens, full of love and compassion. The government is not the people, even though that is literally what it purports to be. America is Indigenous and Queer and Black and Latinx and Trans and differently abled. America can be white too, but in the same way that masculinity can be toxic, so can whiteness, and what we’re seeing now is a plague of toxic whiteness. Taking pride in pushing others down, ignoring their insights and perspectives, all so this country can be “great again” is the definition of bigotry and hate. If you read that and think that I have it all wrong, you don’t hate, you just want to respect the flag / country / police, then I’d simply ask you to consider what kind of respect has been shown to all of these groups of human beings who have been othered by the people you align yourself with. You don’t think of yourself as a racist, but the rhetoric used by folks standing with you is; Trump’s slogan of “America First” was a motto of the ku klux klan, and it doesn’t get more clearly defined than that. Sometimes I want to get out there more and talk to people, but I don’t want to be patronizing, and I’m about out of patience. I’d like to just stay home and bake and listen to reggae, but I’m pretty sure that isn’t going to do much good. We’ll see how this pie comes out, and I will try to be braver; so until next time, stay cool and smash racism.
Marcia Griffiths - Play Me Sweet and Nice
Saturday August 22nd 2020, 7pm
Just put it on at your house using a stereo or the internet or whatever you want.
Eric Gagne
Nova Arts