A Hopeful Voice

“We need hope.”

This simple comment by a Jamaican, just before singer Tessanne Chin won in the finals of “The Voice” – a talent show on NBC – just about summed it up. Christmas is a week away. Low-paid workers such as security guards and domestic helpers have just received a J$600 (less than US$6) per week increase to the minimum wage. Our pensioners now receive the equivalent of US$15 or so per month from the government (an increase). How do people manage? Crime and insecurity are tapping on our shoulders, reminding us of their presence. We are doing the best we can, but we certainly needed this. This hope. So, thank you, Tessanne. You have brightened our Christmas. You have flipped the switch.

Ms. Chin expresses herself.

Personally, I am not a fan of television talent shows, anywhere in the world. The screaming studio audiences, the self-congratulatory celebrity judges, the manufactured hype and suspense – not my cup of tea. So, I had never watched “The Voice” before, and I am unlikely to watch it ever again. But Tessanne’s achievement was nothing short of stunning. A few things strike me about her win (and without any bias, I can say that she deserved it. She simply has a marvelous voice!)

Kingston fans support Ms. Chin. (Photo: Jermaine Barnaby/Gleaner)

Audience: A few months ago if we asked the average Jamaican “Are you a fan of Tessanne Chin?” the vast majority would reply, “Who?” The 28-year-old Ms. Chin has had a loyal following, mostly among uptown Kingston dwellers – but numerically her audiences have been quite small. Her style of reggae-infused rock music was nowhere near mainstream in the Jamaican music scene, which has been obsessed with the dancehall culture for years. Now, she has sailed into the stratosphere of both local and overseas recognition and acclaim, all in one go.

Hard work: Ms. Chin has paid her dues. She toured for three years as a back-up singer for Jimmy Cliff, and she kept plugging away at the local music scene. She performed at local live music festivals. She has always had a great voice, always kept her performance standards high. She did not succumb to the temptation of stripping off her clothes and indulging in slo-mo “wining” in music videos, in order to garner short-term popularity. There is much more to her than that. She is a “keeper,” as they say.

Going outside her comfort zone: Tessanne launched herself from the comfortable, if slightly dull world of middle-class Kingston into the glitzy but cut-throat world of American network television. This quantum leap (with the support I note below, of course) was courageous. She must have been terrified at times. But I admire her for pushing herself out there. It takes guts.

Support: There is no doubt that Tessanne received enormous support in this effort, and I understand other Jamaican musicians and entities (such as the singer Shaggy) helped to make things happen, behind the scenes. Good for them, and thank you.

Character: I have already mentioned the work ethic, which is never to be under-estimated. You don’t reap success – in any field at all – by doing a little bit here and a bit there. Genius is 90 per cent sweat, or something like that. Tessanne stuck to it. Moreover, her strong but humble character was evident in all her interactions on the show. She was simply herself – and that person turned out to be a very good person. There is no doubt in my mind that this contributed to her win. She was warm, kind and humorous – no airs and graces, no affectations. Just a lovely Jamaican woman. (I loved her comment, on winning a car, “We have the worst roads!”)

A loving Dad: Mr. Chin with Tessanne (left) and Tami. Sweet photo!

Family: And a musical one, at that. The Chins have all been involved in music, and Tessanne’s sister Tami is also a singer. They are a close family, and Tessanne’s husband Michael Cuffe is clearly very supportive. One can never, ever, discount the importance of family in the achievement of young people’s goals. In particular, the father-daughter relationship is so valuable. I remember this with my own father, who always sought to guide me in my career and helped me make key decisions in my life. I can see that the Chin girls have a tremendously nurturing father, too.

“Out of many”: And yes, to me and I trust to many Jamaicans, Tessanne’s heritage as a Chinese Jamaican means something. It does to us, as a “bi-racial” family. I don’t like that word really, but what I am getting at is celebrating diversity. Let us celebrate all our minorities; each one has so much to offer to society. Let us affirm Jamaica’s motto, “Out of many one people” – let’s start believing in it.

The power of (social) media: There was what seemed to me a complicated system of voting, buying Tessanne’s songs on iTunes etc. On Twitter and Facebook, and online in general, many Jamaican individuals and entities simply got it all organized (the Jamaica Gleaner and Ms. Deika Morrison come immediately to mind, but I know there were many others). The power of “sharing” is amazing. You might say that many Jamaicans still don’t have the luxury of home Internet access, etc. But people do have mobile phones. Traditional media helped to keep the momentum going.

The support of Jamaicans abroad: Following on from this was the easy online accessibility of the Jamaican diaspora (as we call it – but they are actually people!) They are just out there, a tap on the keyboard away, and always anxious to communicate with “home.” I have Jamaican tweeps and Facebook friends who may well be living overseas – sometimes I just don’t know where in the world they are! – but they always want to support Jamaica. A radio call-in program that I listen to was flooded with calls today from Jamaicans in the United States, France, Bermuda… all over. The diaspora (you know, I really don’t like that word much either) is always “there” for Jamaica. They want something positive to support. And they did. There were Tessanne support parties all over the United States, I gather, watching the finals and sending in their votes. It is actually very touching, if you think about it.

Another lovely Jamaican, track medalist Usain Bolt, visited Tessanne during the competition. Another person who has achieved so much and is still humble – and just himself.

Meanwhile, back home, crowds gathered in Half Way Tree, in semi-darkness, waiting – and hoping – to celebrate, as they did the wins of Jamaican track athletes during the Olympics last year. They were not disappointed, and they shared the joy. It was sheer emotion.

Crowds gathered in Half Way Tree, Kingston to watch the finals of “The Voice” on a big screen. (Photo: Raymond Simpson/Gleaner)

And hope is a pretty indestructible thing. Thank you, just for that alone, Tessanne. And I am wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas.

Oh, and I want a hairstyle – something like…this… Tessanne Chin sings on “The Voice.”

There is so much online commentary already on Tessanne’s win. I guess we are all saying much the same thing in different ways. Here are a couple of other blogs that I enjoyed today (I am not putting the exact links but you can look them up here): http://thecrooksofthematter.wordpress.com  from broadcast journalist and tweep Emily Crooks; and http://sparkiebaby.wordpress.com – another Jamaican tweep with an inside track on the music business. Enjoy!