A pirate is usually expected to be a person who has swords, a big hat and a fast ship, but there is many a treasure to be found on land that a person who is willing to break the rules can get with minimum effort.
THE STAR was approached by one such modern-day pirate at a gas station in Montego Bay, St. James, recently. He did not have a weapon and he was not carrying a stash of gold, but he had many a silver disc."A music me deal wid," Michael said, flashing a smile and a zip up CD display case. There were no covers, just the names in black marker, from Sizzla to Beres Hammond to Luther Vandross.
The 'real thing', case and all, was in the totebag he carried over his shoulder.
At $500 each, Michael offers reggae, dancehall, soul and hip-hop, with mixes of music that simply cannot be had on a legal, official CD. He sad that he has been working at his 'business' for about two years and he is making a decent living.
"It not so steady, but most day me sell at least a five," he said. He can recall a very good day on which he sold 12 discs in a short space of time.
Local support
In the tourist town, it is mostly locals who support his trade in pirated CDs, as the foreigners are harder to get to.
"Me spen still," Michael said, pointing out that any time he buys originals and then burns them on his computer. He also designs and prints labels the same way, then hits the streets to sell his pirated goods.
He did not see anything wrong with what he was doing, even when it was pointed out that the persons who make the music need to earn from their product.
"Dem mek it a farin an' stage show. A likkle man like me, dat no hurt dem. Plus, I put some tracks together that them don't make," Michael said.
Operating without a store or a fixed location, Michael says no one has ever bothered him and "me even sell to police too".
Although he says he has also sold CDs of events like the annual 'Death Before Dishonour' sound system clash, the product that he would really like to get his hands on, though, is hard to get at.
"If I could get a run off all Sumfest Dancehall Night now, I woulda nice!" Michael said.
