Gwen Stefani is being accused of cultural appropriation according to several international publications including CNN. The singer was seen sporting what appears to be locs and ‘Jamaica colors’ in Sean Paul’s latest collaboration music video “Light My Fire” that also features dancehall princess Shenseea.
On social media several comments sliced through the former No Doubt member reminding her of earlier claims that she appropriated other cultures to further her music career by copying Japanese street style, wearing a bindi in music videos, and styling her hair in Bantu knots.
However, some fans came to her defense, with one user pointing out that Sean Paul, who appeared with Stefani in the video, is himself Jamaican, adding that he “even praised Gwen for embracing the culture for years.”
Speaking exclusively with World Music Views Savannah Baker, the designer and stylist for the music video says ‘what Gwen is wearing is not a locs’.
She said before making the final decision she consulted not only with Gwen, but with several Jamaicans.
“Before doing the whole thing about the “locs”, I had a long conversation about cultural appropriation with her,” she recalls.
Shenseea, Gwen Stefani, Sean Paul
“I spoke with various Jamaicans before (to ask) can she have some Jamaican colors in?’ and we all said ‘Jamaica loves her and she always represented it from the get go.’ Stay away from Rasta (culture) and be more Jamaica. It’s a big up to Jamaica, more positive.”
Savannah said ultimately she went for the “Punk look” for Gwen, and “not a strictly Jamaica roots.”
The London-born Jamaican designer who has styled Rihanna says, “regarding the ‘locs’, it isn’t ‘locs’, its fishtail braids and thats a very white side of hair braids,” she told World Music Views.
Fishtail Braid
Fishtail braid or herring-bone braid, got it’s name because the pattern of the hair resembles a fish skeleton, prominently featured on runways beginning in 2009.
“Its absolutely not locs and people are just jumping on it and I think cultural appropriation is good to be aware of but also goes too far and people get obsessed with it and make a deal out of everything but it’s not locs. It’s fishtail braids.”
Baker says the hairstylist who gave Gwen her fishtail braids is a black Jamaican and she has worked with Gwen for many years.
“Her hairstylist has worked with her for many years, we discussed it, she felt comfortable doing it and she is Jamaican its not like she is a white hairstylist doing it, so she (Gwen) had myself as a Jamaican, her hairstylist as a Jamaican, she had my team which was largely Jamaican, she had Sean and Sean’s team is largely Jamaican and everyone felt ok with it.”
Gwen Stefani, Sean Paul
“People like to chat and hate and what not rather than see the positivity of the video and it really pushing Jamaica and the vibes,” Savannah told World Music Views on Friday (July 15).
Jamaica’s History Of Cultural Appropriation
It is not at all far fetched that persons are up in arms about cultural appropriation when it comes to dreadlocks and Jamaica.
The hairstyle started with soldiers in Ethiopia loyal to His Imperial Majesty Emperor Hailie Sellasie I who were said to be in protest of His Majesty’s exile. The hairstyle became a formidable part of the Rastafarian culture and identity which originated in Jamaica.
In the 1960s the persons wearing dreadlocks were oppressed and marginalized. Many were locked up, had their hair trimmed and even killed by the authorities for their alignment with the Rastafarian faith. Bunny Wailer’s Blackheart Man details the struggles of Rastafarians in their native home Jamaica.
As the Rastafarian movement gained more respect with the popularity of Bob Marley and reggae music in the late 80s and 90s, people across the world began to sport a more groomed version of locks outside of the Rastafarian culture.
In 2016 Locs wearing sparked massive controversy and debate in the international fashion world as Marc Jacobs had models on his runway for his Spring 2017 collection in dyed wool dreadlocks. Vogue reported that hairstylist Guido Palau said “it was a homage to club kids; Boy George; and director Lana Wachowski, among a slew of other references”.
Marc Jacobs had models on his runway for his Spring 2017 collection in dyed wool dreadlocks
Jamaica’s extensive contributions to fashion have been appropriated in failed attempts by major corporations.
Louis Vuitton came under fire after selling a pullover sweater inspired by Jamaica’s national flag only the expensive item had the wrong colors.
Sean Paul has always been critical of artist who appropriate the reggae and dancehall culture.In 2016, the Grammy Award-winner grabbedheadlines when he called out Drake and Justin Bieber for cultural appropriation of Dancehall sounds without acknowledging their roots. “It is a sore point when people like Drake or Bieber or other artists come and do Dancehall-orientated music but don’t credit where dancehall came from and they don’t necessarily understand it,” Paul told The Guardian. “A lot of people get upset and sour. I know artists back in Jamaica who don’t like Major Lazer, as they think they do the same thing Drake and Kanye did – they take and take and don’t credit.” In contrast, he told Power 106 that Rihanna was one of the only international artists who has given Dancehall music the treatment that it deserves.
Drake, Director X, Rihanna on the set of Work music video
Mainstream music media has in the past whitewashed Jamaican Dancehall and Reggae’s influence on popular music. Rolling Stone Magazine’s originally stated in a review of Rihanna’s diamond single Work that it is “a tropical house-flavored track featuring Drake,” while a Wall Street Journal article positioned Bieber’s What Do You Mean? as “pioneering the ‘Caribbean, beach-party vibe’ of tropical house in the mainstream”.
Over the years Gwen Stefani has worked with several Jamaicans including Bounty Killer, Lady Saw, Damian Marley and Sly And Robbie. Likewise she has had to defend herself against cultural appropriation claims a few times.
Last year she detailed how she got into reggae music in an interview with DJ Khaled on his First One Podcast. She said after listening to UB40 at age 17 it led her and her brothers to start a Ska band while in school. Her career has since taken a path where reggae music, artists and culture play an integral role.
“We worked with Sly and Robbie and Steelie and Cleevie when we did ‘Underneath It All’ and We did ‘Hey Baby’, went to Jamaica, stayed at Golden Eye and basically waited for two days for someone to work with us, it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, we worked with Lady Saw, we worked with Bounty Killer on those records,” she said.
The music video for Light My Fire by Sean Paul featuring Gwen Stefani and Shenseea is now No. 1 on Reggae iTunes.
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