Ep. 43: Jamaica Jamaica! Musician Judy Mowatt; Art w/ National Gallery of Jamaica & Suzie Wong Presents; Environmentalist Donna Blake; Producer iotosh & Comedian Raúl Blaze

We chat with the talented comedian, law grad and educator Raúl Blaze about his comedic expressions and reflections on Jamaica culture. Raúl chats about Jamaican humour and his rising online presence.

His widely viewed online comedic sketches introduce a range of hysterical characters highlighting Jamaican identity and culture. The sketches are juxtaposed alongside posts relating to race, pop culture and politics, as part of a wider social commentary. Starting off as a poet at the age of 15, and then having been a Cultural Ambassador for Jamaica in Japan, now living in Florida, the satirist is gaining widespread popularity from the diaspora and those at home in Jamaica.

Legendary reggae singer Judy Mowatt, a famed soloist and former backing singer for Bob Marley as part of the I-Threes, the most influential female singing group in the history of Jamaica, shares her experiences of being at the forefront of shaping Jamaica’s iconic sounds. Known for her cool yet soulful voice, Judy along with Rita Marley and Marcia Griffiths in the I-Threes, toured with Bob Marley and sang on his hit tracks. Judy’s insight into the rise of the Jamaican music scene and the icons she shared many a stage with is unparalleled. Chatting with Stance, Judy articulates her experiences and her life’s philosophy.

Stance visits the fascinating retrospective exhibition Jamaica Jamaica on Jamaican music currently ongoing at the National Gallery of Jamaica, the largest public art museum in the english speaking Caribbean. The touring exhibition, having recently been in Paris and São Paolo, highlights the stories behind musical genres such as kumina, mento, reggae and dancehall. Combined with an exploration of sound system and street culture, the interactive exhibition presents the essence of Jamaican music. Through an exclusive tour with the exhibition’s curators, Stance explores the multi medium exhibition which encapsulates Jamaica’s music history, presenting the legacy of Jamaican music at home and abroad.

Recognised for its lush, stunning landscapes, we speak to environmentalist Donna Blake, the director of The Nature Conservancy Jamaica to gain insight into the island’s rich biodiversity. Partnering with local organisations and communities, Donna discusses The Nature Conservancy’s role in protecting Jamaica’s ecosystems. Highlighting the attitudes towards climate change in Jamaica, its growing influence on the island, and overall development pressures, Donna sheds light on the work being done to preserve and protect Jamaica’s lands and waters.

Bringing contemporary visual art to the forefront of Jamaica’s creative dialogue, founder, gallerist and art consultant Susanne Fredricks is at the helm of the creative enterprise Suzie Wong Presents. An online platform highlighting the work of visual artists of the Caribbean, Susanne discusses her career, the importance of cultivating artist talent, and the commodification of Jamaica’s creative scene. We chat and walk around the ongoing exhibition ‘Beyond Tropical - the AC Kingston Collection’, the island’s first cumulative exhibition of contemporary Jamaican artists.

Further exploring Jamaica’s music scene, Stance chats with Jamaican artist, record label boss and producer, iotosh. Known for being a part of the Reggae Revival scene, his sound is an eclectic futuristic mix of Hip-Hop, Trap, Roots Reggae, Dancehall and R&B. Through his label, Sound Ting, jointly founded with Kyraxx, iotosh works producing the music of prominent current Jamaican musicians such as Chronixx, Protege, Lila Ike and Sevana. Drawing inspiration from Jamaican music icons including Bob Marley and Dennis Brown, iotosh has been key in producing contemporary Jamaican sounds shaping the music scene right now. He chats about the evolution of the island’s sound and shares some of his top artists making waves in the region.

Cultural Shoutouts:

Music

Film & TV

Books

Coming Out Stories: Personal Experiences of Coming Out from Across the LGBTQ+ by Emma Goswell

Exhibitions

Leave Home Save Lives

Other

Robinhood, Gamestop - Twitch Interview

Music Used in this podcast

Jamaica Jamaica - Gallery Piece:

Koffee - Rapture
Rastafarian Music - Satta Massagana Riddim
Skatalites - Guns of Navarone
Derrick Morgan - Forward March
Lee Scratch Perry - Funky Dub
The Folks Bros & Count Ossie - Oh Carolina . ( Original Version )
Sister Nancy - Bam Bam
Sizzla - Black Woman and Child
Clarks - Vybz Kartel ft Popcaan and Gaza Slim
Beenie Man - Sim Simma
Dawn Penn - You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)

Judy Mowatt Piece:

Silent River Runs Deep - The Gaylettes - 1968 - Merritone
I Like Your World - The Gaylettes - 1968 - Merritone
You Don't Care · Judy Mowatt Only A Woman - Shanachie
Trench Town Rock - Bob Marley & The Wailers - UMG (on behalf of Universal Music Group International)
Rastaman Vibration (1979 Harvard Stadium, Boston) - Bob Marley - Aviator Management GmbH
Exodus (Zimbabwe , 1980) - Bob Marley - Aviator Management GmbH
Concrete Jungle · Judy Mowatt - Shanachie
I Shot The Sheriff (Live At The Roxy, Hollywood, California 1976) - Bob Marley & The Wailers - UMG (on behalf of Tuff Gong);
Slave Queen · Judy Mowatt Black Woman - Shanachie
Strength To Go Through · Judy Mowatt Black Woman ℗ Shanachie
Black Woman - Judy Mowatt - Tuff Gong
Only A Woman - Judy Mowatt - Shanachie
Think - Judy Mowatt - Shanachie
Just a Stranger Here - Judy Mowat - Tuff Gong

iotosh Piece:

Bob Marley - Iron Lion Zion
Chronixx - Here Comes Trouble
Lila Ike - Solitude
Protege - Self Defence
Jah9 ft Chronixx - Note To Self
Koffee - Lockdown
Sevana - If You Only Knew
Royal Blu - Believe

Front Page Image Credit:

Shotta, Cosmo Whyte