Jamaicans put on alert for ‘Garrison Christmas’ album

Sean 'Contractor' Edwards of the Ocho Rios-based Contractor Music Group says he is looking forward to serving up a 'gangster Christmas' this December, with a brand new album featuring some of Jamaica's male dancehall acts.

The project, titled Jamaica Garrison Christmas, is slated to be released just in time for the festive season but Contractor says it won't be Christmas-flavoured.

"What inspired the album is that when you go into the garrisons you will see a love for hardcore dancehall music at all times no matter what. That hasn't wavered even in the pandemic. Come Christmas, you won't be hearing anyone in the 'garrisons' listening to Jingle Bells and Silent Night, they will be listening to the Teejays, the Popcaans, The Vybz Kartel etc., and so I thought why not give them something they will enjoy and appreciate for the upcoming season, especially with the likelihood that we will still be inside," Contractor said.

Jamaica's entertainment sector has been shut down since March after Jamaica recorded its first few cases of the novel coronavirus. It then reopened under strict guidelines on July 21, but Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie said that there were rampant breaches, resulting in further measures being imposed on the sector.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has waved the possibility of merriment during the Christmas season before the eyes of Jamaicans, telling nationals that his Government may relax curfew measures in December if the virus appears to be under control. As of Sunday, Jamaica had recorded 9,542 cases of COVID-19, including 221 deaths. Some 4,242 of the cases are classified as active. Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie, the country's chief medical officer, said that there has been a trending down in the number of new positive cases in the country over the past month.

Despite this, Contractor feels that "We won't be having much parties or social gatherings this season" and argued that people can "look forward to enjoying some authentic, hardcore dancehall music".

"Music has really been comforting people throughout these COVID times and if we exclude the garrisons and all we hear this season is Christmas music from these artistes they don't even listen to, then dat nah go nice," he said.

Contractor says so far he, Jahvillani, Squash, Chronic Law, Shatta Wale and a Nigerian artiste called Raybekah have all voiced songs for the project.

"I have a lot of expectations for this album. It's an album for the garrisons and so it will have the artistes regular people want to hear from with the kind of content they want to hear. It will be hardcore dancehall music packaged for Christmas to remind people of what Christmas in Jamaica really is like. It will be an uplifting vibes because it will be one the people will connect with," he said.