When new slangs are created in dancehall music, children are the first to catch on to them, thereby influencing the way they speak.
'Slang specialist' Elephant Man said he is aware that he influences children with the many slangs that he has created and made popular.
"Anything weh mi seh de kids dem go wid it. Di kids are one of di first set that hang on to it (slangs). When yuh hear di kids with it, yuh know seh de slang shot," Elephant Man told THE STAR.
Children are often heard using some of the slangs Ele uses, like 'mucho', 'tranquelo', 'shizzle', 'mi linky' and 'caliente'. However, he maintained that the children used these to greet each other.
In addition, he said slang was very popular in garrison areas.
informal cases
As for the use of words like 'two' and 'come', Elephant Man said he encourages children to say 'two', as they cannot count without using it. Nonetheless, he believes nothing is wrong with them replacing 'two' with 'few' in informal cases.
Renigade from the duo RDX said there are three languages in Jamaica: patois, English and dancehall. Words like 'two' and 'come', are usually inappropriate in the dancehall context.
He further stated that children were easily influenced by the dancehall, both positively and negatively.
"Although our music is not necessarily done for kids, it still reaches them. So we (artistes) need to be careful what we say, while maintaining the entertainment value," Renigade told THE STAR.
In the same breath, Renigade said some people went over the top when they refused to use certain words.
"Some people ridiculous with it when dem a seh 'three-day' instead a 'today', but some of it make sense," said Renigade.
Although not yet a father, he said that he tells children around him that it is important to count correctly.
respect
As a dancer and an artiste, Overmars said he is someone who children, especially in his community, respect and try to emulate.
"In my community, you have kids weh look up to we as dancers. When we come up with a slang, they gravitate to it. As dem see me, yuh will hear dem a seh 'Overmars above a dem'," Overmars told THE STAR, indicating that his newest slang was 'above a dem'.
"Inna yuhself, yuh feel good seh de kids a look up to we, but we keep it pon a clean level that dem can use it."
Children's ability to switch from dancehall slangs to standard English, Overmars said, is dependent on their schooling and upbringing.
In the meantime, Elephant Man says another of his songs, Ungrateful Soup, which is also a slang, has been creating waves since its release. The song was recorded on Mr G's Paranoid rhythm and a video for it was shot recently.
"My newest slang on the road is 'ungrateful soup'. When yuh have some friend weh start player hate yuh, tell dem seh dem a drink de soup, the ungrateful soup," Elephant Man said.
Paul and Patrick Gaynor, more popularly known as the dancehall duo, Twin of Twins, were yesterday taken into custody by the Half-Way Tree police on reasonable suspicion of fraud.
The brothers are accused of taking $50,000 from an upcoming artiste, under the guise that they were able to give him the opportunity to travel to the United States of America to perform.
It is alleged, however, that they failed to deliver on their promise and subsequently refused to return the complainant's money. The act is alleged to have taken place earlier this year and was reported to the police in February.
The brothers were arrested yesterday along Half-Way Tree Road and are now in custody awaiting an interview.
The duo are known for their comedic routines featuring witty social commentary and jabs at popular figures in the entertainment and political worlds. Their latest release, Trial and Crosses, has been getting rave reviews from fans.
Health Minister Rudyard Spencer has admitted that there is now a local spread of the influenza A (H1N1) virus following yesterday's confirmation of 19 cases of the flu in the island.
On Monday, the minister had said there was no local spread of the virus following his ministry's confirmation of four more cases, including two cases in Manchester, which forced the Education Ministry to close all schools in that parish.
Yesterday, however, he said there was now local transmission of the virus and urged the public not to panic as the health ministry had the issue under control.
"This development is not unexpected and is in keeping with the pattern of transmission globally," Spencer told parliament yesterday.
"We expect that we will continue to see an increase in the number of confirmed cases, especially in light of the mobility of the Jamaican people within and without our borders," he said.
infected
In responding to questions raised by opposition members after his presentation yesterday, Spencer added that there was no need at this time to ban public gatherings as the numbers of those infected was sparse across the 14 parishes.
He said the ministry's surveillance system remained robust and had been providing up-to-date information on early detection. He added that the ministry continued to adhere to international guidelines and for testing and treatment of people with flu-like symptoms.
Samples, he said, were being sent to the National Influenza Centre at the University Hospital of the West Indies, as well as to a regional centre in Trinidad and Tobago.
He said the country had more than adequate supplies of drugs to treat the virus, given recent donation of drugs from Mexico.
"The H1N1 virus is a public-health threat of national concern. We are not taking this matter lightly," the minister told parliament.
"We have a team of competent public-health specialists and managers who have a fine reputation nationally and internationally for successfully managing public-health risks," he continued.
"The country and our people are in good hands," he said.
But even as he urged calm, panic remained rife in Manchester, where only a day before, all public schools and some private institutions closed temporarily on the instructions of the Education Ministry.
flu-like symptoms
It was confirmed yesterday that one child who attended a preparatory school in the parish capital, Mandeville, had been infected. Thirteen per cent of the school population later began showing flu-like symptoms.
Since yesterday's announcement, pharmacies in Mandeville have been flooded by customers seeking to purchase gloves and masks to prevent being infected by the virus.
But the announcement has also left some parents concerned, as some are unable to leave their children at home.
One teacher, who had two children attending the same school at which she taught, said she had to take her children with her to the school yesterday because she was afraid to leave them at a day-care centre.
"The ministry closed the schools, but there is no word on day-cares. What will happen now that most students could congregate there?" she questioned.
The ministry says it has issued no directive or advice for day-care facilities to be closed, as no cases have been detected there.
The crime statistics for the month of May, released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force yesterday, show a decline in major crimes like murder, shooting and rape when compared with the corresponding figures for this time last year.
The statistics, which represent the number of crimes committed from May 1 to May 31, show a 23.6 per cent decline in the number of murders committed during the month of May. Last May, 199 persons were murdered, while the figure for this year is 152. The figures for shooting have also trended downwards with 158 for the period last year and 140 this year. This downward trend also applies to the number of rapes, which has decreased, though slightly. During May last year, 64 incidents of rape were recovered. This year, there were 53.
Though these areas have seen a decline, robberies, break-ins, larcenies and incidents of carnal abuse have increased. There were 20 reported cases of carnal abuse last May, but this year, there were 25. And while there were 230 robberies in 2008, there have been 242 in May 2009. The reported cases of larceny moved from 27 last May to 39 in May 2009.
Poor and Boasy, who was accused of stabbing a man nine times, said he will be turning himself in to the police.
When THE STAR contacted the artiste yesterday, he said he would be making no comments about the matter.
"Really and truly, right now mi lawyer seh no questioning, no comments about the matter. Mi a carry miself in," said the artiste, whose real name is Omar Johnson.
However, he was unwilling to state when or where he would turn himself in.
In an article published in yesterday's STAR titled 'Police Want Poor and Boasy', Lindon Clarke accused Poor and Boasy of stabbing him nine times on various sections of his body.
heated argument
The incident was said to have occurred after a heated argument between the two at an event in Aenon Town, Clarendon, last week Friday morning at about 1:00.
Clarke was hospitalised. After being released on Saturday, he reported the matter to the Spaldings police. The police confirmed that a report was made and that an effort was made to arrest Poor and Boasy later.
In the meantime, Magnum Tonic Wine and the Magnum Kings of Queens Dancehall competition have declined to make any comments on the matter. Poor and Boasy was the male winner of the recently concluded competition.
"Magnum has no comments on the issue whatsoever. Poor and Boasy's lawyer will deal with the matter. A statement will be released by his lawyer on Monday," said Robert Morgan of ALYKHAT PR, publicists for Magnum Kings and Queens of the Dancehall.
He further noted that Magnum has made no ruling whatsoever on the matter as to what will happen to Poor and Boasy's relationship with the brand.
