By Ariana Marshall, Ph.D.
Faculty Member, School of STEM, and Caribbean Sustainability Collective Director
What does being a Caribbean disc jockey have to do with sustainability? Everything.
For me, the light bulb of this idea is lit every time I see DJs transform the atmosphere at a musical event or party. People move on DJs’ cues and music choices. People respond to their energy and follow their lead.
Did you know that British actor Idris Elba was once a DJ? How about entertainer Erykah Badu? Both made a conscious decision to become DJs after becoming popular for their other skills. This is a sign that there’s something special about being a DJ.
Millions of views on YouTube doesn’t necessarily mean all of those viewers like the music or support it financially. This is where the DJ plays a key role by channeling music and guiding people toward certain choices. DJs democratize music and every time we move our bodies in time with the music or buy a song, we vote to support that democracy.
Not only is deejaying about reaching many different types of people with many different types of music, it is a way for all of us to learn. We learn about the experiences of the musical artists; we learn about realities we might not know of otherwise; and we also discover similarities with people throughout the world – all through music.
So let’s think about entertainment and sustainability. Let’s think about the environmental impact of entertainment events.
In the Caribbean, where one public event can easily generate two tons of garbage, waste generation has a major environmental impact. Most entertainment events are not charged for cleanup based on the amount of garbage, but rather on the size of the venue.
Events require energy. Nightclubs need air conditioning to dissipate the heat of our dancing bodies. In the Caribbean, where we have many outdoor events, we still find ways to increase the impact of fossil fuels. As popular Caribbean artist Shane “Stiffy” Atkinson says, we are “plug in to all.”
Our energy use includes generators, lighting, audio, DJ equipment and the fuel used in transporting patrons and equipment.
The environmental impact in the Caribbean is exacerbated by how we continuously change venues for events rather than use established entertainment centers. We convert beaches, pastures, plantation houses and industrial sites into entertainment arenas as a means to surprise participants when they arrive.
This surprise element of those venues doesn’t fully account for all the costs and risks associated with a changing climate, including heavy rainfall, changes to water table levels and soil instability.
Then there are the added elements that make parties more fun – foam, confetti, fog machines, dry ice, balloons and plastic giveaways. In the Caribbean, J’ouvert events also include paint, mud, oil, powder and cocoa. Where does all this go when the party is over?
It’s a problem that DJs see often because of the sensitivity of the technology they use. They are in the middle of the mix and can be voices for sustainability.
DJ Cavem is a U.S.-based DJ who considers himself a music educator and an organic gardener. He created an award-winning, eco-hip-hop curriculum, the Produce Section. Cavem is not alone in furthering sustainability education, but he is doing it in his own way from his base in Colorado, a prime location to authenticate this kind of work.
DJs also play an important role in showing us the cultural relevance of sustainability by bringing together people from different backgrounds around their love for music. If they can bring people together with music, surely we can bring people together around living sustainably.
Bringing people together is not always easy, but wherever you find people from diverse cultures living together, you can see the versatility of DJs at work. DJs Private Ryan and Puffy are two Caribbean DJs who are proof of that versatility.
DJ Private Ryan’s Soca Brainwash events take place throughout the U.S., Britain and the Caribbean as a direct result of his popular cross-genre music mixes.
DJ Puffy is one of the world’s most versatile DJs. He used indigenous Caribbean music and techniques — especially “dubplates” (musical endorsements from recording artists) – to win an international deejay versatility competition.
Caribbean DJs Must Be Versatile to Reach Diverse Audiences
Caribbean DJs are ambassadors of cultural diversity by default. Versatility is required to reach diverse audiences. But focus is required to make sure the indigenous character of Caribbean music isn’t lost but rather relates to any genre or any person throughout the world. DJs relay Caribbean culture to diverse audiences, which then allows them to use their experiences to channel solutions to any problem they want to address. Some of them have chosen sustainability and lead in their own way.
Patrick “Salt” Bellamy is a DJ, songwriter and radio show host who has found a way to include some environmental issues in his work.
On air and through social media, Salt airs social problems which the Barbadian public tends not to connect to environmental habits. From roadside litter to using confetti on party cruises, he raises these problems consistently. He most visibly opposes the use of artificial fog and is known to stop the music until it clears up.
Some may call it petty. But it doesn’t really matter what people say because he’s the one that deals with the after-effects of smoke on his voice. Experience is the best lesson.
DJ Walshy Fire has raised the visibility of water issues in Haiti by partnering with companies that give some of their proceeds to rainwater harvesting projects. He majored in journalism at Florida A&M University and was active in both the FAMU Caribbean Student Association and Florida Caribbean Student Association.
Walshy Fire appreciates the diversity of Caribbean culture. When I asked Walshy what sustainability means to him, he said preserving the beauty of our Caribbean environment means everything to him. “We want generations to appreciate what we’ve been able to do,” he said.
Dion “DJ Dion” Paul also was a leader in the FAMU Caribbean Student Association and the Florida Caribbean Student Association. He became a collegiate ambassador for Trinidadian culture and Caribbean music. “Much of what I continue to do is premised on sustaining the authenticity of our people [and] the beauty of our environment, and ensuring its preservation for generations to come,” he said.
Based on what I hear from DJs, I don’t need to speak metaphorically about how the ability of DJs to move crowds is similar to the type of leadership we need to make progress in the movement to change our ecosystems. They have found a way to deal directly with sustainability through what they do.
If we really want to sustain our ecosystems for our present and our future, we need leadership by example and culturally relevant movements based on what people want to listen to.
What people listen to is becoming more visible when it comes to environmental sustainability. Environmental sustainability could be a part of every entertainment event. This fact is evident by the current international event sustainability standards (ISO 20121).
Event organizers who work sustainability into their plan are usually motivated to reduce operational costs, attract eco-conscious patrons and associate their brand with emerging technology. In practice, entertainment events as small as corporate staff parties and as large as the Coachella Music Festival integrate environmental sustainability into the management of the event. A few examples of eco-consciousness can be found from Jamaica to Germany.
Rebel Salute 2017
This reggae event is hosted yearly in Jamaica by reggae artist Tony Rebel as “authentic roots reggae,” wholesome culture and healthy living. Workshops and a vendor’s fair give patrons a chance to experience reggae culture and indigenous art. Aside from the strict no-meat, no-alcohol policy, Recycling Partners for Jamaica set up recycling locations throughout the event in 2017.
Telefónica Corporate Party
Telefónica hosted a party for 4,000 employees of Germany’s largest mobile service provider. The main theme was kinetic energy. The company used the largest energy dance floor ever installed, using 100 modules. For more than three hours, 40 employee teams of 20 people each led by German dancer Christian Polanc put their energy levels to the test on the Sustainable Dance Floor. They danced as hard as they could to generate as much energy as possible.
It may be obvious, but I’ll say it anyway – none of the events would have happened without DJs. But the skills the DJs have go beyond the dance floor. DJs who’ve majored in computer science and information management now have careers in music production and mass media communications. They also exemplify how a foundation in technology and music can promote environmental sustainability.
Being able to weave the relevance of one issue into the next and to get your audience to act is an underrated skill that is needed in environmental sustainability. Being a DJ is the subtlest form of mastering those skills. Their music delivery and skills are a style of teaching, which is the future for culturally relevant education. DJs who understand their role as influencers have the experience to be sustainability leaders who listen and lead by example.
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