Media Stalwarts Remember The Late Carey Robinson

The late multi-skilled media personality, author and storyteller Carey Robinson, is being remembered as a passionate believer in the Jamaican culture, and an icon who journalists should emulate.

The “Voice of Hill an’ Gully Ride,” as he was affectionately called, fell silent on Friday (January 28), at the age of 97. Throughout his very colourful decades in media, he served as a broadcaster, producer, narrator, head of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), and General Manager of the now defunct Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC).

“His body of work will long be remembered by Jamaicans at home and abroad,” states Chief Executive Officer of the JIS Donna-Marie Rowe, noting that Robinson contributed to the “foundation on which the JIS is built, and for years he captured the hearts of Jamaicans,” the CEO says in her remembrance of the veteran journalist.

CEO at Nationwide News Network (NNN), Cliff Hughes shares that he was a “close observer” of the late media professional, and admired his story-telling work as well as the research and broadcasting aspects of Mr. Robinson.

“I learned so much, not only in terms of the content of the programmes that he produced and narrated, but there was a particular style that I found rather engaging, a very deliberate, but laid-back style of narration which made him virtually unique. It separated him from others and we have lost another of our first-class and foremost a teacher and historian. His work will live on for a very long time,” Mr. Hughes says, while speaking with JIS News.

Adding that Mr. Robinson reinforced through his work the importance of history, and of “telling our own story,” he shares that Mr. Robinson blazed a trail and left a legacy that has taught us that it is important to go into the “hills and valley, and gullies of this country, to hear the stories of the Jamaican people in their own words. That is very important, because from that we learn so much, and Carey did his part in documenting that,” he adds.

Veteran broadcaster and university lecturer Fae Ellington, says Mr. Robinson was a gentleman, very soft spoken, and full of “knowledge and information,” and it was evident in the work that he produced. He has left indubitable marks in the communities that he visited for his television programmes.

“He put a stamp on how to get into communities in Jamaica and speak with people who have real stories. No make up nuh really put on di stories dem. That really thrilled me, and for me, it was a very important part of Jamaican life that he kept active, and alive,” she says.

Describing the research work of Mr. Robinson as “very solid and seminal,” the veteran broadcaster adds that it has brought the Jamaican culture to mainstream focus, and “I want to thank God for putting me in a space where I benefitted from his work and his knowledge,” she tells JIS News.

Videographer at the JIS, Cleon Ewers, who worked with Mr. Robinson beginning in 2004, remembers him as a humble person. “I worked with Mr. Robinson as cameraman on Hill an’ Gully Ride for 12 years. He was a gentle and genuine person, who wanted to know about the person who was telling the story,” he shares.

He notes that although Mr. Robinson was a historian and would be aware of the history of many of the places they visited, he never tried to show off his knowledge and was always interested in hearing the stories of people who lived or worked in the particular areas.

“That’s why he was always behind the cameras; shots of him were very minimal to none on camera. It’s the person who is telling the story who is most important and not him,” Mr. Ewers says.

On those trips around the country, Mr. Robinson would entertain him with stories about his time as a student at Calabar, including being part of the school’s first winning Manning Cup team.

“They used to call him ‘Judge Dread’. He was the last man and everybody feared him; nobody could get the ball past him,” Mr. Ewers relates, telling JIS News that they remained close over the years and he would call and visit Mr. Robinson regularly. He says he last spoke to Mr. Robinson about three weeks ago. “I will miss him. He was a wonderful human being and like a grandfather to me,” he shares.

Former President of the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) and Managing Editor of The News Ben Brodie, tells JIS News that he met Mr. Robinson in 1964, at the JBC and the late broadcaster “stood out” as an outstanding professional, telling stories in ways that people at all walks of life could understand. “He was a master at transmitting information.

“Young journalists cam learn how interviews are to be conducted without forcing yourself on the person being interviewed. He had the craft of conversations and getting people to speak,” he says, adding that the Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC), and other trainers of media professionals should use his work as examples to follow as “you are not going to get anything better than that, this is the standard,” he said of Mr. Robinson.

Another former PAJ President, Franklyn McKnight, says he took interest in the devotion that Mr. Robinson gave to his work, with “tremendous energy. This is a man who loved Jamaica, and you could see it in ‘Hill an’ Gully Ride.’ These are not high-profile places, and high profile people, but they are the soul of Jamaica, and he featured them. He made the efforts to do it, and I really admired his work,” he reasons, while urging journalists to be “careful and devoted in what we are doing.”

For acclaimed storyteller and lecturer, Dr. Amina Blackwood-Meeks, the passing of Mr. Robinson has left her speechless, as they did many productions together, and he has assisted her with the real story of Tacky, and the revolution in St. Mary.

“We used to have some wonderful chats, and I remember him fondly and with great respect for our personal relationships, and because of his contribution to documenting the culture and heritage that I so value, and which has impacted my work,” she shares with JIS News.

Dr. Blackwood-Meeks says while the books that Mr. Robinson has written will always be around, the work that he did in television, “please hug it up, do whatever we need to digitise and deposit what need to be deposited in safe places, because we can’t afford to lose any more of the documentation of who we are,” she states.

Among the books that Mr. Robinson authored are: ‘The Fighting Maroons of Jamaica’, ‘the Iron Thorn’ and ‘Memoirs of a Jamaican Media Man.’ In 2008, he was conferred with the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) and the Silver Musgrave Medal. His media work included stints at the Gleaner and Radio Jamaica. Also, he served overseas at Jamaican embassies in Washington DC in the United States (US) and Mexico City, and is an alumnus of Calabar High School and Howard University in the US.