Barbados urged to revive spouge legacy

Heritage minister Trevor Prescod has called for a national revival of spouge, saying Barbadians must reclaim and build on the unique music genre created by icon Jackie Opel.

Speaking at the launch of This One’s For Jackie at the Jackie Opel Amphitheatre in Bridgetown on the 89th anniversary of his birth, Prescod expressed disappointment that the native rhythm had not been fully developed over the past 50 years.

He described Opel as a revolutionary figure who gave Barbadians a sense of pride and identity.

“Jackie was able to put a marriage, an amalgam, a fusion between reggae and soca,” Prescod said.

“He ended up with a unique rhythm that became an integral part of the society itself. It is troubling that the music of that type – the only type that Barbados has produced in the 20th century – could not continue to be developed by our musicians.”

The minister remembered Opel’s electric stage presence, noting how he regularly outshone international acts. He recalled seeing Opel perform alongside soul singer Percy Sledge at the Globe Theatre.

“The performance was electrifying,” Prescod recalled. “People from the back seats tried to get up on the stage just to touch this man. He gave Bajans a sense of pride… that we were equally as capable as any black man anywhere in the world.”

Prescod also highlighted Opel’s international impact. In the 1960s, Opel lived in Jamaica, where he worked with early reggae legends such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and the Skatalites.

Prescod, who managed inventory at record-pressing plant West Indies Records Limited (WIRL), shared memories of Opel’s final days. Opel died in a car crash on Bay Street in 1970 while in the middle of preparing new recordings.

“There are so many things that happened around that man’s life that I can only see him as extraordinary,” Prescod added.

The tribute event was hosted by the Barbados Postal Service. Marketing officer and emcee Paula Harper-Grant explained that the initiative was created to bring life back to the Jackie Opel Amphitheatre at the General Post Office.

Harper-Grant admitted that she had once forgotten the space existed. That realisation made her wonder whether the public had forgotten both the venue and the man behind it.

She noted that Opel did not have to push musical boundaries or create a new sound for Barbados, but chose to do so.

“We believe that Jackie deserves to be remembered, and we believe this space deserves to live,” Harper-Grant said.

“We want another generation of Barbadians to walk into this amphitheatre, see that name, and ask who Jackie Opel was—and we want to be able to tell them.”

The event featured live spoken-word and musical performances. It was supported by the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Financial Literacy Bureau and the Department of Archives. (RR)