Della Manley offers song to promote conservation

Saturday, November 21, 2009 9:55 AM

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Environment

BY PETRE WILLIAMS-RAYNOR, Environment editor williamsp@jamaicaobserver.com

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

SINGER/SONGWRITER DELLA Manley has offered her song Take Good Care of Me, which champions environmental preservation, to be used as part of any public awareness campaign about conservation.

Della Manley performs her song Take Good Care of Me at the opening of the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust's Green Expo 2009 earlier this month. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

The song, which was released last year, urges in its chorus: "Take good care of me, I am river, I am sea, I am the air you breathe, I am beneath, I am above, everything you love, take good care of me".

"The song to me sounds like something that children could relate to. In fact, that was kind of a thought when I was producing it. But I think if it got more airplay or (if it was used) in association with environmental awareness or if people liked it just as song for what it is, then that would be wonderful," said Manley, who has released two albums - Ashes on the Window Sill (1998) and Barbican Square (2006).

Already, Take Good Care of Me has been used as the theme song for the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust's Green Expo 2009, which was held between June 5 and 7. Green Expo, which was staged following a four-year hiatus, focused on a variety of environmental issues, including climate change and energy conservation, even as it provided Jamaicans with a range of options on how to be more environment-friendly.

The song is also used in the documentary Jamaica For Sale. The 92-minute video documentary, co-produced by Esther Figueroa of Vagabond Media, looks at the impact of coastal developments on the environment through the experiences of Jamaicans and other Caribbean personalities.

Manley, who is currently working on a third album for which she already has a half a dozen songs, has urged other artistes to follow in her footsteps. She said that there was no disputing that such songs were not particularly lucrative, but said they were well worth the effort to give back something positive to society.

"Definitely (they should do songs like these) - especially the ones who already have a large audience or an appeal to young people. Everybody is affected by music. A good message creeps into your consciousness and becomes a part of you," Manley said. "This is our country. This is what we have and if we don't look after it then we are going to be in some dire straights. Why not try to promote something that is beneficial to the land and to people's minds and future?"

Meanwhile, if Panos Caribbean has its way, other entertainers will get involved. The regional non-governmental organisation that focuses on issues to do with the environment, HIV/AIDS and children, has begun a series of workshops that target local entertainers for climate change education, with a view to getting them to produce music about the phenomenon.

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