http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auXZnsb6aZ8

Last night, the Jamaican Reggae Industry Association hosted its 2013 Honour Awards in Emancipation Park. It was a surprisingly subdued affair with less than a full turnout. Usually the events in the Park are jam-packed, with people throwing chairs in the air with glee. Last night, people stayed seated and barely moved, perhaps because there were only quickly curtailed musical performances. Lovindeer put on a good show and for a minute it seemed like up-and-coming artist Chronixx was going to take the stage, but someone announced that he was feeling ill and would not be on hand to accept his award for Emerging Artist of the Year.

The most interesting moment of the night, for me, occurred when legendary Mello FM Radio DJ Barry G took the stage to accept an award for Outstanding Contribution in the media category. As he told it, Barry took to the airwaves as a 17-year-old in 1975. He was mentored by the old-school announcers who insisted on proper diction. Barry G then launched into a sermon about how standards have declined over the years, both in the quality and propriety of music (he singled out dancehall as the problem) and of the radio DJs. It is ok to speak patois, he said, but proper diction is better. It was a passionate speech and the audience seemed supportive of his message.

The debate surrounding patois versus “proper” English never fails to rage here. It raises questions of culture, education and class. Should children be allowed to speak patois in school? Is it a dialect, language or creole? Does its use hold people back from advancing in life? Barry G certainly seems to have opinions about this, and he seems to have never shied away from controversial topics in the past. He is also a major advocate of healthy living after suffering a stroke in 2007.

A good reminder for us all. Enjoy your Sunday and this video from Jimmy Cliff, who was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award last night.