One of the biggest issues is the associated marketing - the reason the R&B and other music forms do so well is the merchandising potential seen by the record company.
Just look at traditional "pop" award ceremonies, where product placement is done by designers sending the latest bling (from diamond encrusted mobile phones to $7000 facepacks) - and this shit sells product...
Roots is not used as much by marketing companies in the UK (outside of advertising Caribbean holidays in the UK) - most marketing is based on the concept of someone who is struggling who suddenly makes it ... and the more extreme the success (from street rapper to gold encrusted pop-sell out), the better for the newspapers, product placement and the scandal loving media...
And yet, when I am out playing nights in clubs the reception from the crowd to a few Studio 1 old skool dubs and tracks is incredible - so much so, that one of the nights I used to do, originally a Soul night, became predominantly reggae and ska over time as each week I would extend the amount I would drop within a set. Part of the problem in the club scene is everyone expects almost every song to be an Anthem of some kind - so to squeeze in a "new" music form can be difficult - but, let me assure you, slow and steady wins the race.
Conversely, I also work with a few Selectors who go the other way - One in particular, running a Dub night, but playing the deepest, darkest, latest found rareities - Great for people who know and love Dub music, but for 50/60% of the people in the bar, it is a unknown, with no familiarity to them, and they are without the "listening" experience to interpret the music.
He has now begun to slip a few commercially well known roots/dub tracks, particularly at the start of the night - including Bob, something which he said he would not play because everyone has "Legend" - and the difference is amazing - more people stay, more people come and ask questions, and the commercial/well known stuff allows people to "get into" the feel before he drops rareities...
Enabling Roots to break back though is about creating a demand within people to hear it ... that responsibility sits with the DJs, with us listening to music with our friends and our enemies .... with us to bug radio stations with requests - I hear many people complaining about the lack of reggae in all its forms on commercial radio stations - but how many of us actually pick up the phone, or send an email requesting it...
Whoa - sorry about that - one big one in the morning, and next thing I am on my soap box...... Time for some juice...
Peace!
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