Throwback Thursdays: DJ Autograph on Chalice’s “Sayonara”

Words by DJ Autograph—

As I’ve mentioned before, I sometimes get flashbacks of music videos that were shown on our local television station, JBC, when I was growing up in Jamaica.

While trying to find the proper spelling of goodbye in Japanese recently, the melody for Chalice’s “Sayonara” popped into my head. It took a few moments to remember who sang the song, but thanks to Google I was able to quickly figure it out.

This video and song (from Chalice’s 1986 LP, Crossfire) are amazing to me in so many ways. The song itself reminds me of “Down Under” by Men At Work, but with a Jamaican twist. And the video provides you with an accurate visual representation as to what Jamaica looked like in the 80s.

Together, they tell the story of a female visitor from Japan who wants to experience all Jamaica has to offer; her “tour guide,” played by Chalice’s lead singer Wayne Armond, meanwhile attempts to figure out what this woman really wants since he “doesn’t speak a word of Japanese.” It’s fascinating to see how landmarks such as the famous Boston Jerk Centre, New Kingston and Hellshire Beach looked back in the 80s. My favorite part of this video is Wayne riding his bike down Hope Road, through New Kingston and through Half Way Tree, and seeing that places such as the National Commercial Bank (NCB) are still in the same location they’ve been in for over 25 years.

This is one of my favorite songs from this era, and this video definitely has a lot do with it. I’m sure you’ll figure out why once you watch for yourself.