Two spelling systems are used for the Jamaican language below. The first, ‘Chaka-Chaka,’ is based on English spelling, which is notoriously irregular. The second, ‘Prapa-Prapa,’ is the consistent, specialist system designed by the Jamaican linguist Frederic Cassidy. It has been updated by the Jamaican Language Unit at the University of the West Indies, Mona. After the two Jamaican versions, there’s an English translation.
CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING
Dis ya Friday, August 26, VP Records a go join up wid Institute of Caribbean Studies a University of the West Indies (UWI) fi big up di book Miss Pat: My Reggae Music Journey. VP did put it out last year. Sake a COVID, dem never get fi promote it to dat. Mrs Patricia Chin – Miss Pat – a di P inna VP Records. She an her husband Vincent Chin start up dem music business small-small. A sell old jukebox record! Inna 1958, dem set up Randy’s Record Mart inna one lickle space dem did rent inna one grocery shop a di corner a East Street an Tower Street.
Inna 1961, Miss Pat an Vincent move di half a shop go North Parade, weh dem get one next lickle space fi rent inna Charlie Moo restaurant. Nuff more customer pass chroo deh so. Business pick up. Den dem buss out big-time. Miss Pat father lend dem money fi buy Mr Moo building. Dat a when Randy’s Record Mart tek life. Lickle after dat, Miss Pat an Vincent buy di building side a di shop, an set up fi dem owna recording studio. An dem just gwaan an gwaan so till today, VP Records a di biggest independent reggae label inna di whole world. What a story!
‘PORTRAITS OF JAMAICA’
Miss Pat book pretty-pretty cyaan done. A Maria Papaefstathiou, one graphic artist from Greece, design it. By di way, ‘graphic’ come from Greek an ‘design’ from Latin. If English can tek, Jamaican can tek too. Maria website show di different-different art weh she do. Michael ‘Freestylee’ Thompson did see Maria poster dem pon di Internet an aks her fi join up wid im fi start up di International Reggae Poster Contest inna 2011. A so she fall inna love wid Jamaica.
Maria draw nuff-nuff poster bout fi wi culture. From 2015, she start design VP calendar dem. Fi 2022, VP big up ooman inna reggae. Maria draw ten a di poster dem fi di calendar: Spice, Rita Marley, Tanya Stephens, Queen Ifrica, JC Lodge, Jah9, Carlene Davis, Judy Mowatt, Shensea an Nadine Sutherland. Dem powerful! Miss Pat invite Maria fi put on one show a fi her poster dem same time she a promote fi her book. Maria call di show ‘Portraits of Jamaica.’ Pon top a dat, Mr Tafane Buchsaecab a go blow im saxophone. Di public invited (two next Latin word), 6 o’clock, an it free. Di venue a UWI HQ, cross di road from Mona Campus big gate pon Hermitage Rd. It a go sweet.
PRAPA-PRAPA SPELLING
Dis ya Fraide, Aagos 26, VP Records a go jain op wid Institute of Caribbean Studies a University of the West Indies (UWI) fi big op di buk Miss Pat: My Reggae Music Journey. VP did put it out laas ier. Siek a KUOVID, dem neva get fi promuot it tu dat. Mrs Patricia Chin – Miss Pat – a di P ina VP Records. Shii an ar ozban Vincent Chin staat op dem myuuzik bizniz smaal-smaal. A sel uol juukbaks rekaad! Ina 1958, dem set op Randy’s Record Mart ina wan likl spies dem did rent ina wan gruosri shap a di kaana a East Street an Tower Street.
Ina 1961, Miss Pat an Vincent muuv di aaf a shap go North Parade, we dem get wan neks likl spies fi rent ina Charlie Moo restarant. Nof muor kostama paas chruu de so. Bizniz pik op. Den dem bos out big-taim. Miss Pat faada len dem moni fi bai Mr Moo bildin. Dat a wen Randy’s Record Mart tek laif. Likl aafta dat, Miss Pat an Vincent bai di bildin said a di shap, an set op fi dem uona rekaadin styuudyo. An dem jos gwaan an gwaan so til tide, VP Records a di bigis indipendant rege liebl ina di uol worl. Wat a stuori!
‘PORTRAITS OF JAMAICA’
Miss Pat buk priti-priti kyaahn don. A Maria Papaefstathiou, wan grafik aatis fram Griis, dizain it. Bai di wie, ‘grafik’ kom fram Griik an ‘dizain’ fram Latin. If Ingglish kyan tek, Jamiekan kyan tek tu. Maria websait shuo di difran-difran aat we shi du. Michael ‘Freestylee’ Thompson did si Maria puosta dem pan di Intanet an aks ar fi jain op wid im fi staat op di International Reggae Poster Contest ina 2011. A so shi faal ina lov wid Jamieka.
Maria jraa nof-nof puosta bout fi wi kulcha. Fram 2015, shi staat dizain VP kalenda dem. Fi 2022, VP big op uman ina rege. Maria jraa ten a di puosta dem fi di kalenda: Spice, Rita Marley, Tanya Stephens, Queen Ifrica, JC Lodge, Jah9, Carlene Davis, Judy Mowatt, Shensea an Nadine Sutherland. Dem powaful! Miss Pat invait Maria fi put aan wan shuo a fi ar puosta dem siem taim shi a promuot fi ar buk. Maria kaal di shuo “Portraits of Jamaica.” Pan tap a dat, Mr Tafane Buchsaecab a go bluo im saksafuon. Di poblik invaitid (tuu neks Latin word), 6 a’klak, an it frii. Di venyu a UWI HQ, kraas di ruod fram Mona Kyampos big giet pan Hermitage Rd. It a go swiit.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR VP RECORDS
This Friday, August 26, VP Records is collaborating with the Institute of Caribbean Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI) to celebrate the book Miss Pat: My Reggae Music Journey. VP published it last year but because of the COVID pandemic it wasn’t promoted all that much. Mrs Patricia Chin – Miss Pat – is the P in VP Records. She and her husband Vincent Chin started their music business quite small. Selling old jukebox records! In 1958, they set up Randy’s Record Mart in a tiny space they rented in a grocery shop at the corner of East Street and Tower Street.
In 1961, Miss Pat and Vincent moved the half of a shop to North Parade, where they got another small space to rent in Charlie Moo’s restaurant. Lots more customers passed through at that location. Business picked up. Then they had their huge breakthrough. Miss Pat’s father gave them a loan to buy Mr Moo’s building. That’s when Randy’s Record Mart took off. A little after that, Miss Pat and Vincent bought the building next door and set up their own recording studio. And they just kept going and going, until today, VP Records is the biggest independent reggae label in the whole world. What a story!
‘PORTRAITS OF JAMAICA’
Miss Pat’s book is absolutely beautiful. It was designed by Maria Papaefstathiou, a graphic artist from Greece. By the way, ‘graphic’ comes from Greek and ‘design’ from Latin. If English can take, so can Jamaican. Maria’s website shows all the different kinds of art she makes. Michael ‘Freestylee’ Thompson saw Maria’s posters on the Internet and asked her to join him in starting the International Reggae Poster Contest in 2011. And that’s how she fell in love with Jamaica.
Maria has designed lots of posters about our culture. From 2015, she started designing VP’s calendars. For 2022, VP highlighted women in reggae. Maria created ten of the posters for the calendar: Spice, Rita Marley, Tanya Stephens, Queen Ifrica, JC Lodge, Jah9, Carlene Davis, Judy Mowatt, Shensea an Nadine Sutherland. They are powerful! Miss Pat invited Maria to exhibit her posters at the event to promote her book. Maria calls the exhibition ‘Portraits of Jamaica.’ In addition, the saxophonist Mr Tafane Buchsaecab is going to perform. The public is invited (two more Latin words). It’s at 6 o’clock and admission is free. The venue is the UWI HQ, across from the Mona Campus’ main gate on Hermitage Rd. It’s going to be sweet.
Jamaica Woman Tongue 
Haven’t read the book but wondering if the exploitation of artistes—who had to file a class action lawsuit for VP to pay royalties after 25 years of operation is mentioned?
Tell me more!
I found this article: https://www.dancehallmag.com/2022/04/21/news/etanas-copyright-infringement-royalties-lawsuit-against-vp-records-heats-up.html
But I haven’t seen a class action suit.
It was in the late 1990’s/early 2000’s, and there was little press about it as the artistes didn’t want the taxman to be aware of the large payments they finally received. I’m aware as a friend led the efforts to get the artistes what they were owed. The publishing adminstration company Royalty Network was involved. More recently (last 3 years) I have seen clauses buried deep in VP contracts trying to trick naive young artistes into signing away their future works for perpetuity. When called on it, VP who has an inhouse lawyer, claims its a mistake.
I will definitely follow up. Thanks for bringing this troubling issue to my attention!
No worries. Just dislike how the artistes/creataives are constantly exploited. Love, love, love Maria’s work. so sorry Freestylee is no longer in this realm. His incredible work lives on.