Jimmy Andersen

NEXT STOP KINGSTON is one of several platforms for public participation that I have innovated. I am excited to share it with all Jamaicans.

In short, it is a REGGAE BRIDGE between Jamaica and Denmark particularly between TRENCHTOWN and the alternative Danish community of CHRISTIANIA. The two reasons for this approach are as follows-

1. The evolution of Reggae and the establishment of Christiania resonate with the 2018 UNESCO description of the genre

The focus on these two communities is a deliberate acknowledgement of alternative ideas that challenges the establishment. Naturally there is a lot of interesting history to unpack..

2. Within both communities there are key figures worthy of emulation. If not for anything else, then for valuable consistency. Their examples will always be relevant to current challenges.

In light of the two points above, this letter would like to recognize the role played by Sister Ignatius at the Alpha School For Boys, The Skatalites and various producers such as Duke Reid, Sir Coxsone Dodd, Lee Perry and Scientist. We also bemoan the lost opportunities of people like Owen Grey, Nikky Thomas, Juniour Byles and others.

There are so many to highlight and I am determined not to leave a single one out. No matter who I choose to highlight, the focus is on the business, social, philosophical, entrepreneurial visions that make a way out of no way. In order to cover and present the bulk of topics that thorough research is no doubt bound to discover, another platform of mine, TONE MAGAZINE is being established alongside NEXT STOP KINGSTON… and others.

NEXT STOP KINGSTON acknowledges bridge building forces like CHRIS BLACKWELL, who took an instinctive chance on ERNEST RANGLIN and his band, in much the same way that he later took on THE WAILERS. This led to MILLICENT SMALL s mega hit MY BOY LOLLIPOP. Its music history and its anthropology.

The inscription of Reggae into UNESCO is on point because music and anthropology go hand in hand. In that light, the work of the young EDWARD SEAGA is significant and will be the starting point of not only music stories but also socio-political analysis. Obviously the first international exposure of JIMMY CLIFF alongside BYRON LEE AND THE DRAGONAIRES in the USA is a good place to start.

The world has only felt the tip of the iceberg of what Jamaica can unlock. Due to circumstances, questionable processes and entrenched prejudices, and even downright conspiracies and undermining tactics, much of the treasure goes unnoticed and much of what is noticed is wasted. Something must be done!!

The UNESCO status gives valid grounds for thorough review of everything Reggae. NEXT STOP KINGSTON is a genuine attempt to eliminate the risk of babies being thrown out with the bathwater. In this respect, Christiania, being a platform that allowed Danes to take a closer look at their values. Or lack of same, qualifies as a unique sparring partner for Trench town, which held a mirror up to Jamaica. And the world…for the exact same reasons…freedom, security , expression and opportunity.

On the Danish side of the second point of this letter, I present 7 Danish luminaries, whose work forms the intellectual underpinning for many of my platforms.

They are; OLE RØMER, who first calculated the speed of light, H.C. ØRSTED who discovered electro magnetism (without him , no Hendrix), H.C. ANDERSEN, who told many a moral tale (One story seems to have a mystic reference to Ethiopia ) N.F.S GRUNDTVIG who championed empowerment of the peasants through self education, SØREN KIRKEGÅRD , the father of existentialism and who challenged established perceptions, NIELS BOHR who contributed to splitting the atom, and ironically was a great sportsman (Football) and philanthropist and VIGGO STARCKE who successfully advocated for the implementation of Land Value Taxation, which I in turn advocate to anyone who will listen-especially The Prime Minister of Jamaica and his Minister of Finance .And now a fun fact….. the loudspeaker was invented in Denmark so you can tell that to all Sound Systems across Jamaica.

The above are to Denmark, what NANNY, TACKY, PAUL BOGLE, ALEXANDER BEDWARD, SAM SHARPE and others are to Jamaica. However, while the Danish luminaries represent a harmonious trajectory to progress, The Jamaican story remains a reaction to the slavery and its legacy.

That is not to say that the Danish egalitarian society did not come about without guilt or concessions .Denmark exhibited some of the harshest slavery practices, and the slave market in Copenhagen is just a short bike ride away from Christiania.

The work of people like Grundtvig was pivotal in the struggle against oppressive and exploitative feudalism. Many a Danish peasant woman, had to abandon her own children in order to take care of children of the ruling class. Her kind were stuck on their little farm, generation after generation as it was illegal for them to leave. Everything slave drivers did to Africans, they practiced on poor White people first. Slavery did not benefit the regular Danes. They witnessed its wealth but were efficiently kept from enjoying it. Reggae music is able to tap into the ancient DNA resonance to injustice

Modern generations are coming to terms with that fact. At least I like to believe so. Whether I am right or wrong is an interesting angle for much research, material and content.In any case,this further substantiates the importance of the UNESCO status that Reggae has gained. Truth be told, we are many out here grasping at straws as we struggle to stay afloat. Thanks to people like Hon. BABSY GRANGE in Jamaica and the late ANA IDA THOMSEN from Christiania, people like me have something to hold on to.

In contrast to the high profile achievements of Hon Grange, Ana Ida worked in obscurity with great efficiency, integrity, creativity, and resilience. Among other things, she founded The Opera, a cultural venue in Christiania.

On a visit to Miami , as a teenager, she and her friend watched THE HARDER THEY COME. The two girls were so inspired by the movie and the music that they immediately decided to visit Jamaica. Coming out of the movie theatre, they both knew that for them, the message was next stop Kingston.

When they returned to Denmark, Reggae was firmly on their agenda. The Opera qualifies as Christiania’s community stage. There is hardly any Reggae artist in Copenhagen who hasnt graced that stage in their formative phase. That includes Denmark's most famous reggae export, NATASJA SAAD . Half Sudanese and half Danish she built an incredible bridge that has helped several who had many rivers to cross. A foundation in her memory continues to do so. As genocide rages in her country of Sudan, I wonder what she would be busy with today. We miss her.

Through the Jamaican operative, SKY JUICE PROMOTION, her style and Patwa was schooled to perfection. Alongside Ana Ida, names such as LYRICAL D, COCO P, IYAPO and SUPA MIKE played a fundamental role in her progress. No doubt the Jamaican music provided by DJ HYDE PARK contributed to her knowledge of the genre. It all paid off and she gained her absolute legitimacy when she won the IRIE FM BIG BREAK competition in 2006 in Kingston.

Natasja loved Jamaica and Jamaica loved her. Unfortunately she died in a car crash just as she was about to conquer the world. This year in August we lost Ana Ida. Since JACOB MILLER, we have lost a steady string of reggae luminaries. However the message lives on and the bridges continue to be built. NEXT STOP KINGSTON aspires to become one such bridge

The name NEXT STOP is borrowed from NEXT STOP NEVADA and NEXT STOP SOVIET which were Danish Youth Peace Movements from the late 1980s and early 90s.

They were born out of an intense objective to bring about nuclear non proliferation. The former was a radical protest which culminated in getting as close to nuclear testing sites in NEVADA to make their point. The latter looked at the option of cultural exchange behind the iron curtain. Out of that movement came cultural and educational institutions and decades later, even a political party.

Ana Ida was one of those youths. I first met her when I was 25 and stranded in Copenhagen. Supa Mike,(who I portrayed in a recent documentary on Natasha by TV2) quickly took me up to the Opera, explained my situation to Ana Ida, and she organised a gig for me. She agreed to pay me 600Kr for an acoustic set and I was able to retrun to Århus.

30 years later I sat in her booking office explaining the concept of NEXT STOP KINGSTON. When I mentioned that the name was borrowed from the Next Stop movements, she said

“I was there!!! We started that!”

“Whaaaaat???” I replied “ You are my heroes. I look up to you”.

Her assistant Christopher looked on quizzically and I asked him whether he knew about that history. He didnt. I went on to talk about Cafe Rust, named after East German Mathias Rust who landed a propeller plane on the Red Square. It was a real breakthrough moment. Ana Ida and I came to an agreement that we would re establish Reggae at the Opera under the name NEXT STOP KINGSTON. Unfortunately, that was the last meeting we had. I saw her a few times after that at the Sunday Jam. She was pleased with the work we had done with THE RAGGATEERS.

In the booking office on that afternoon everything came full circle.3 months later JIMMY CLIFF, who started it all for so many many people, and was at the very beginning of BOB MARLEY,, as well as the early stages of JIMI HENDRIX in London, died.

The grief is beyond being measured. It feels like the grief for everyone whom I have ever held dear. Including my Mother. I know many grown African men who have cited his song MOTHER DEAREST as a comfort. And so, as we mourn those lost to MELISSA, we join Jamaica from Denmark. We send our heartfelt condolences, and gratitude, to the island of our dreams, hopes and strength. The Island that loved our Natasha so much, it wouldnt let her go.

To ANA IDA, NATASJA and JIMMY CLIFF, NEXT STOP KINGSTON is with you and we remain with you in our endeavour to keep building this REGGAE BRIDGE. To all Jamaicans and Reggae artists, in future, no matter where you perform in Copenhagen,—At LOPPEN, NEMOLAND, DEN GRÅ HALL, PARKEN or ROYAL ARENA….or like me…ON THE STREET….make sure to visit Christiania.

If your time is short make sure to visit THE MOONFISHER and THE OPERA. But if you have time, take in the entire community and let your heart be one of the bricks in this MIGHTY REGGAE BRIDGE. And if you wanna be deep, go to ASSITENS KIRKEGÅRD…there in the company of HC Andersen, Viggo Starcke, Søren Kirkegård, Natasha and Ana Ida lies our beloved bassplayer and and BREDREN…..WELLY…Jamaican via UK. Another bridge.

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