What was the Jamaican born reggae singer-song writer having in mind when he sang “Land of my Birth”? Was Jamaica a first world country when he sang “Land of my Birth”?
Eric Donaldson the Jamaican reggae born artist was born in Kent Village, Jamaica, on June 11, 1947. Jamaica is the third largest island in the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. The island remained a possession of Spain until 1655, when England (later Great Britain) conquered it, renaming it Jamaica.
As at Eric Donaldson’s birth, Jamaica was under the British rule and was under severe blows ranging from the earthquake of 1907 which wrecked about 1,000 lives. Unemployment and poverty was the day’s order. The Jamaica Great Depression of 1930, the Jamaica numerous strikes culminating in a strike that turned into a bloody and messy riot. The growing sense of inequality was paramount pre and post-independence. Crime was at an increase because of inequality. The slowdown in the global economy of 1970 meted a huge blow on Jamaica’s economy etc. It was in this hot socio-political climate that Eric Donaldson was born.
Though born in an unstable weather, he had a stable mind. He had a vision of becoming who he was meant to be and had a vision of making Jamaica a frontier nation.
To achieve this, he took song-writing and singing as his point of departure. At that time, music was a vehicle for addressing people and communicating messages to whatsoever class of people you would like to. You may not be in the circle of the Lords, but your music may be entertaining the Lords. You may not be in the hallowed chamber but the melody of your music brightens the chamber. It not only ends in entertainment, it equally communicates the message which it intends to achieve.
Eric Donaldson launched his music career in 1964 when he recorded some tracks for Studio One in Kingston, which have remained unreleased because Clement Dodd his producer declined to release the material. In 1968 he formed the vocal outfit ‘the West Indians’ with fellow musicians (Leslie Burke and Hector Brooks) having J.J. Johnson as their producer. The merger was successful. He later recorded for Lee Perry a year later; they changed their name to the ‘Kilowatts’ shortly thereafter. But the name-change failed to ignite the group’s career and they eventually split up after such obscure releases as Slot Machine and Real Cool Operator. Eric Donaldson decided to continue to pursue music on his own, which led to him submitting an original composition, “Cherry Oh Baby,” to the Festival Song Competition in 1971. The song took the top spot at the competition, eventually being issued as single and becoming a local hit. It was shortly after his “Cherry Oh Baby” that he wrote and sang ‘LAND OF MY BIRTH’ in 1974.
He was only 27 years of age when he sang ‘LAND OF MY BIRTH’. Just like religions of the world having their creed, ‘LAND OF MY BIRTH‘ more or less was a Creed for Eric Donaldson. It was a self-made creed, a personalized creed. It was a creed that he believed in. It was a proclamation of his nativity home not minding the socio-economic/political turbulence of the time. For Eric Donaldson, It was a social movement for the appraisal of his country just as the Universal Negro Movement Association and African Communities League was a political movement for socio-political and economic independence of afro-blacks by Marcus Garvey in same Jamaica.
It was a testament of and for his country. Nobody writes a better testament for another country. The greatest testament of a nation can only be told or written by her citizens. Once told by others, it becomes mere biography. However, if narrated by her citizen(s), it becomes a testament. ‘LAND OF MY BIRTH‘ was a great call to all Jamaicans to believe strongly in her black, green and gold philosophy. This philosophy is the beauty of Jamaica. In this philosophy lies the creativity, boldness and strength of the people, the treasures of the nation and the splendorous hope of the nation. It was a philosophy that awakened young Jamaicans to success stories.
The spirit of Eric Donaldson in his song was a youthful spirit who saw the beauty that lies hidden in his country and would like it to be explored, the beauty that cannot be found elsewhere. Hence, he invites Mr. and Mrs. Tourist to such wonderland which the world cannot give. He was fully involved in matters of his country. It was love for country expressed.
John F. Kennedy once said; “This world demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease.” Eric Donaldson’s state of mind was not what others conceived him to be but who he conceived himself to be and who he is really. His quality of imagination was never pessimistic but optimistic. Optimism in the sense that not minding the trials of his time, it is a getting-along thing.
Eric Donaldson appreciated the fact that the country was blessed not minding the trials of the time. He called on a general census for counting of blessings. He knew things were not fine but he never denied the goodies that lie hidden in his home country. Appreciation of blessings calls for loyalty and not disloyalty. It calls for heads holding high and staying strong.
For Eric Donaldson, progress is not just measured by how rich one is but how life is perceived and lived. To the above claim, he crowned Jamaica without world acclamation. Jamaica as a country was bleeding yet with the crown on her head. It was the majesty of the wounded and the coronation of the helpless.
With the famous phrase, “man is born free, but he is everywhere in chains,” Rousseau asserts that modern states repress the physical freedom that is our birthright, and do nothing to secure the civil freedom for the sake of which we enter into civil society. Legitimate political authority, he suggests, comes only from a social contract agreed upon by all citizens for their mutual preservation.
For Eric Donaldson, THE LAND OF MY BIRTH is a social contract which should be believed in and lived out. He does not want to believe in the suppression of the freedom of Jamaicans by the trials of the time, rather he echoes “…..our people they are free, no oppression here to see”.
Jamaica for Eric produced the finest of men and finest of earth surfaces. These men and earth surfaces have a lot to offer, they are true, they love and want to be loved. Eric was only showing how great the people and their place were. It was his own message to the world.
This is the spirit needed in young people. It was the youthful spirit of Eric Donaldson through his music that marketed Jamaica to the world. The spirit of believing in one’s country. The spirit to believe in one’s nation come what may. This spirit opens the way for a better tomorrow. This spirit gives the young person the morale to venture and explore the beauty of his home country. This exploration has a lot to bring to the table. This makes the youth to be fully involved in the building of his motherland. This spirit makes the young person to love his country and be ever ready to die for her. This spirit makes the young person a factor in the success story of his country. It makes the young person to take youthful actions, using his potentials, time, and energy backed up by his will and to create the society he wants. The society that gives credence to the contributions of the young people. The society that believes strongly in the young people and would like the young to be part of her history making.
Let us be involved in the matters of our homeland and time.
Let’s believe in the LAND OF OUR BIRTH.
Fr. Emmanuel Tochukwu Onunkwo
YOUTHS SQUARE 