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Today We Start The Tivoli Stories – the reality of the Jamaican Civil War

First let us give you a little history lesson from Jamaica.  this is the story that breaks the seal on the book. you see Tivoli is the heart of Jamaica for many reasons.  most of them stem from the money links developed through the kingston stronghold and their community leaders – like the man Jim Brown.

Listen to Tivoli Stories Part One

[Play]

Duration: 35:35

Copyright 12/24/2009

Produced and Mixed By RE Ausetkmt / Mama ASID at Realities Studios – Detroit, MI

• Kingston 14 – Dub Syndicate feat. Gregory Isaacs
• Trenchtown Rock – Bob Marley and the Wailers
• We Tired a Di Gunplay – Anthony Red Rose
• Peace – Chevelle Franklin
• Kingston State of Mind / Mama ASID Remix – Cherrine Anderson (unreleased)

• Ghetto Life – Jah Cure
• Youth Are So Cold – Richie Spice
• More Justice – Junior Gong Marley

What They Say about Jim Brown Now

it was a rough time in Jamaica – the first Jamaica civil war was raging within the island. most of the action seemed to center around the garrison communities of western Kingston.

Tivoli Gardens was the first large scale government housing scheme built in Western Kingston.  it was built in of all places Back o’Wall – a notorious dump and slum.

This is Tivoli Gardens 2009

The political triad of Edward Seaga, Portia Simpson and Omar Davies produced their own fortress with the building of Tivoli Gardens between 1962 – 1972. this move ensured that their political clout would be longstanding.

Tivoli Gardens Shootings 2008

“Notice they are screaming Where is Bruce, We Want Justice”

somehow I don’t think this is the Bruce they want, but this is what they got anyway.. yes that’s Bruce Golding Jamaicas’ Prime Minister giving this woman a lap dance. notice those kids in Orange – that’s PNP Colors. Bruce is in Green which is JLP Colors. everybody except the adults are Flashing Gang Affiliations.

Life and Debt in Jamaica; We present The Entire Nine Part Documentary in sequence. Watch it All Here On One Player.

with this new fortress came responsibility and the need for internal security – this brought about the beginnings of the Don structure.  Community leaders who were the powerful voices of the politics of western Kingston; were called “Dons” – after the Italian godfathers.  these are figures gleaned from the Italian mafia tales that all Jamaicans seem to love and respect, even today.

Take an Inside Look at Gangs and Warfare in Jamaica

it’s a funny thing that Jamaicans have such powerful respect for anyone who claims a title, regardless of if they are good or bad – it’s just title worship. this idol worship as we call it, has caused most of the hardship in Jamaica.

these days this Don worship extends to the second generation of Tivoli strongmen and women.  you see in Jamaica, the gun knows no sex and women are as strong as some men in certain garrison communities. hence the respect for women in Jamaican politics like Portia “Lady. P” Simpson and Olivia “Babsy” Grange – two of Jamaica’s Iron Ladies.  FYI – both are still in politics today.

When the first Jamaican civil war heated up in the 80’s; after the Election of Edward Seaga as JLP Prime Minister. we began to see the influx of guns, and the violence become linked more closely to political figures. This was by way of this Community Garrison Leadership scheme introduced by the triad.

A few of the most powerful of the community leaders were Jim Brown, Claudie Mossop and Bucky Marshall. these men commanded as much respect as the politicians. without them the politicians had no power, and no control over their constituent areas or garrisons.  this was the key – the politicians supplied guns and money to the Dons; who supplied the politicians with community control, gunslingers and votes.

this is from the Jamaica Gleaner’s History Section :

“A lot of this took place in the 1960s in West Kingston (when the Jamaica Labour Party formed the Government) but when the PNP (People’s National Party) came to power (in 1972) they reinforced it by building their own garrisons.”

EARLY DON’S GAME

The early don’s game was largely community-based. He peddled small quantities of ganja and his weapon of choice was usually the ratchet knife; some had guns. They were the heavies Alton Ellis sang about in Dancecrasher and the community enforcers Desmond Dekker appealed to in 007 (Shantytown).

In the 1970s, as political tribalism grew, so did the role of the area leader. Men like Claudius ‘Claudie’ Massop (JLP) and Aston ‘Bucky’ Marshall (PNP) came to national prominence and played a major part in peace initiatives such as the One Love Peace Concert in April 1978. It was during this period of national unrest, says Dr. Hutton, that the modern don began taking shape.

“They were still under the patronage of the politicians, but they began to travel more to the United States and started to access their own source of arms,” said Dr. Hutton. “The drug trade started to open up and some of these guys became extremely wealthy and independent of the parties.”

GOVERNMENT TIES

By the 1980s and 1990s, the don’s network transcended drugs. Many got involved in the music business as producers or show promoters; others got security and construction contracts, allegedly through Government ties. They also benefit from the extortion racket, raking in millions of dollars for the ‘protection’ of businessmen in some of Jamaica’s thriving commercial districts.

This Don structure is still thriving and carrying forth in 2009 – the same as it was in the early 70’s when it first came about.  Little did anyone believe in the 70’s that this would form the basis of Jamaicas’ economy and economic woes in 2009.  Edward Seaga put the programs in place that helped enforce this culture of guns and violence as politics.  his very election in the 70’s and again in the 80’s helped push this Don culture into legitimate businesses in Jamaica.

in the 80’s and the 90’s The Music business in Jamaica became inundated with the drug dons cash infused projects. their money was controlling tours, record releases and even what IS played on the radio today in Jamaica.  just recently we saw one of Jamaicas’ most well known dread-locked singers Buju Banton taken down as a part of a drug sting in the USA.  why ?  well lets look back – Edward Seaga owned one of the first Don Financed Record Companies – West Indies Records; which was later purchased by Bunny Lee of the Dragoneers fame.

there is a culture in Jamaica that is steeped in power and an undercurrent that traces deeply into it’s roots and blood; the desire to be In Control. yes control is a powerful thing and in Jamaica the power of control shifts on a moment to moment basis. it could be due to a fluctuation in the black market; the cost of cocaine; or even the cost of bail for a don in jail. all these are crucial factors in determining who is actually in a power position.

When Bob Marley brought the leaders of the two political parties in Jamaica onstage to shake hands in a show of unity to the people of the island – it was more a way to bring their dons on stage without causing a mass casualty. this show of hands on stage, shaking and standing behind their respective politicians made Jamaicans feel safe; if only for the moment that it happened. it was after this that Bob Marley made his way off the island for a period of time, knowing that this act would possibly sign his death warrant.

No Man, Not Even Bob dared to put these men together in one place – but he did it. afterward, the effects on the community were breathtaking.  Jamaicans began to relocate out of the garrison, off the island and even to go as far as making their new homes in faraway places like England and America – because this was obviously the start of something big. yes a massive expansion of the Tivoli Policy – the creation of the Spanglers and the Shower Posse’. the internationalization of the Jamaican Garrison Armies.

In a Few weeks we’ll bring you the next episode and we hope that you’ll join us when we explore the path from Garrison to Stage in Tivoli Stories.

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