Rude Citizenship: Jamaican Popular Music, Copyright, and the Reverberations of Colonial Power

Jamaican creative practices and legal personhood are based on a culture of collaboration, which is resistant to conventional copyright practices. This resistance goes beyond cultural concerns, as many working-class and poor people are cut off from the full benefits of citizenship. Music makers organize performance and commerce in ways that defy state ordinances and intellectual property law, providing poor Jamaicans with avenues for self-expression and self-definition that are closed off to them in the wider society.

Format: Hardback
Length: 246 pages
Publication date: 29 March 2022
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press

In this captivating exploration of the Jamaican music scene, Larisa Kingston Mann, a DJ, media law expert, and ethnographer, delves deep into the cultural tapestry that underpins Jamaican creative practices and legal personhood. Through her insightful lens, she reveals how a culture of collaboration thrives at the heart of Jamaican artistic endeavors, transcending boundaries and genres.

Street dances, recording sessions, and global genres like the riddim showcase the interplay of originality, where notions of creativity encompass a reliance on shared knowledge and authorship as an interactive practice. Musicians, music producers, and audiences, often resistant to conventional copyright practices, challenge the established norms in pursuit of artistic expression.

However, this resistance extends beyond cultural concerns. Mann highlights how many working-class and poor individuals, marginalized by race, class, and geography, are excluded from the full benefits of citizenship. Consequently, Jamaican music spaces become vital platforms for social commentary and political action, offering a voice to those often overlooked by the state.

Musicians, driven by a desire to challenge the status quo, organize performances and commerce in ways that defy state ordinances and intellectual property law. They provide impoverished Jamaicans with avenues for self-expression and self-definition, offering alternatives to the limited opportunities available in the wider society.

In this context, the relationship between creators and copyright becomes a revealing lens through which we can understand how individuals navigate and play outside the boundaries of their marginalization. It sheds light on the ways in which people harness their creativity, adapt to the constraints they face, and forge new paths of expression amidst the complexities of coloniality.

As we delve into the world of Jamaican music, we witness the profound impact of collaboration, resistance, and the pursuit of artistic freedom. It is a testament to the resilience and creativity of the Jamaican people, who have used music as a means to express their identity, challenge societal norms, and advocate for change. Through their musical endeavors, they continue to shape the cultural landscape of their nation and inspire artists around the world.

Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781469667232