No joy this Christmas - Hurricane Melissa drowns Patrick Roberts’ holiday spirit

Even as the towering Christmas tree at St William Grant Park burst into light, casting a festive glow over downtown Kingston last Tuesday night, veteran dancehall producer Patrick Roberts admitted that his Christmas cheer was dimmed.

Roberts said his thoughts have been consumed by the suffering of Jamaicans in western parishes whose lives were upended by Hurricane Melissa, leaving many without homes and the means to celebrate the season.

"This holiday will not be about me," Roberts said. "I will be giving back as usual, back, but my focus is on the people in western Jamaica who have lost so much."

"Many of them don't even have a roof over their heads, far less the chance to enjoy the holiday. It's hard to feel excited when so many Jamaicans are hurting," he said.

Hurricane Melissa left a deep and lasting scar on Jamaica when it made landfall on October 28, as an extraordinarily powerful Category 5 storm, one of the strongest ever to hit the island. At least 45 people lost their lives and many more remain missing in the wake of the storm's destructive path across western and southern parishes.

The storm caused catastrophic flooding, landslides and wind damage, with tens of thousands of homes damaged or destroyed and roughly 90,000 families directly impacted, particularly in communities across Hanover, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Trelawny and St James.

Roberts, the founder of the legendary Shocking Vibes label, has long been associated with shaping the sound of dancehall, helping to launch and elevate the careers of artistes such as Beenie Man, Little Kirk, Tanto Metro and Devonte, Frisco Kid, and Silver Cat.

"Every Christmas Day I used to celebrate at the studio. I personally would cook for the artistes dem," said Roberts, the long-standing councillor for the Molynes Gardens Division in the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation.

"It was more like a family setting at Shocking Vibes. Right around the year we would participate in entertainment events, but on Christmas we don't usually accept any bookings. We would just have a feast at the studio," he said.

Beyond the music, he said Christmas has always been reserved for togetherness, often away from the spotlight. With a smile, Roberts reflected on his own childhood in Craig Town, St Andrew, where Christmas was simple but deeply joyful. He recalled helping his family prepare sorrel and Christmas dinner, and eagerly taking part in gift exchanges at Holy Trinity High School.

"That is something unforgettable and mi use to get all type of things," he said of the pixie exchanges. "It depended on the what the other student could afford."

Roberts said some of his fondest memories are rooted in the simple joys of Christmas where the sound of carols and a strong sense of community made the season feel truly special.

"I enjoyed just hearing the Christmas carols and so on, and everything was just nice in Craig Town," Roberts said.