Caribbean Cultural Conference – A Review

• 

  Music University in Brooklyn – Sheron Hamilton-Pearson

  The Caribbean Cultural Conference 2010 convened by the Caribbean American Cultural Caucus Inc. under the chairmanship of Junior Forbes met on Friday and Saturday June 18 and 19 for two full days of Music University. Although almost 100 attendees were present on the first day, too many in the music and affiliated industries failed to avail themselves of this wonderful FREE event held at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn. Panelists included such luminaries as Carlette DeLeon, Noah Jolles, Simone Harris, Dr. Verna Green, Patrice Barnes, Michelle Arthurton, Matt Laszuk, Ed Robinson, Pat McKay, Heather Cunningham, Esq. and Stan Smith and featured executives from SoundExchange, ASCAP, 360ARTISTS, The Orchard, Tunecore, A2iM, and IRIS. TuneCore, IRIS, The Orchard, A2IM, Ma$tamind Productions, E2 Recordings, Headline Entertainment, 360ARTISTS, and Hot Trackz Entertainment.

  The first panel dealt with marketing and music in the digital age and the excellent soundbites and advice proffered could be utilized by everyone in business, not just those in the music industry. The discussions about branding and the importance of creating a credible brand certainly resonated with those entrepreneurs in the room. The presentation was ably brought to life by the cool calm and collected Kam-Au-Amen, University of the West Indies lecturer, who gave priceless pointers on building a credible brand – “a brand is not a logo but a promise of value”. He highlighted the woeful lack of symbiosis between those in the reggae industry and some unlikely partners, the surf crowd, fashionistas and alcoholic beverages were some of the mentioned potential collaborations. This was the first in arguably a stellar line up of professionals in the industry who shared their time, talent and advice with a rapt audience.

  An in-depth interview with Carlette DeLeon at the conclusion of the first session, saw her expounding on the difficulties she faces as a woman in a predominantly male-driven industry. Her most pressing issue; how to maintain her even-keeled personality without being seen as a pushover, since the opposite hard-nosed aggressive model of some women in the industry, is not an option for her. When asked what she is doing to change the perception of what it is to be a woman in the Caribbean music industry, she paused for reflection and said that it wasn’t her place to tell others what to do; but hoped they would find a positive example in the way she lives her principled life. A measure of the importance this conference held for her is evidenced by the fact that she flew to New York from her home in Jamaica for the sole purpose of being one of the panelists! She currently manages a crop of up and coming stars, including fresh-faced, all-round performer, Romaine Virgo, former Digicel Rising Stars winner. She cautioned newcomers to the industry to select professionals to manage their careers as opposed to friends who could easily get lost in the morass of shady dealing and exploitation.

  “The Production Booth”, had the musicians in the room sitting on the edge of their seats and their questions became more personal and germane to their individual needs. Moderated by Ed Robinson with Panelists Pat McKay – Program Director Sirius , XM NY, Sean Stewart – Producer, DJ and Artist, Sean Noel – Artist Musician, Producer and owner of Mastermind Productions and Anastas “Nasty” Hackert – Producer and world-renowned drummer. On Saturday June 19, the plenary session on artist management, saw panel moderator Michelle Arthurton, posing the question….”are manager’s really glorified booking agents?” The final session for the day saw the licensing and publication rights companies giving their presentations in “Let Your Music Make Money for You” which delved into the minefield of royalties and publishing rights. Moderated by Michelle Arthurton with, Sam Taylor, Scott Sellwood, Donald Harper and Neeta Ragoowansi providing much needed information on protection of one’s rights and also how to register with those companies who collect and distribute royalties.

  The aim of The Caribbean Cultural Conference and their annual event is to bring together entertainment industry stakeholders to explore and examine the obstacles confronting the advancement of the Caribbean entertainment industry. They certainly carried through that mission on June 18th and 19th in Brooklyn. Everyone affiliated, even if only on the outskirts should not hesitate to attend the event in 2011 as this group brings cutting edge information and access to the movers and shakers in the Caribbean music industry.

  For more information about the Caribbean American Cultural Caucus contact Junior Forbes:646-395-0288

INTERVIEW WITH ED ROBINSON WITH U SMILE MAGAZINE 7/19/10

Interview With International Reggae Singer Ed Robinson

19 JULY 2010 VIEW COMMENTS

Ed Robinson is a Jamaican born international reggae superstar who has been entertaining us with his silky voice for many years with hits like Knockin On Heaven’s Door.  Ed recently received a VIP-Recognition Award from Vibes Radio in Detroit, MI and the Music Ambassador of The Year-Linkage Award for his contribution to the reggae music industry.

Ed’s passion for music goes way beyond entertaining, he is dedicated to inspiring and educating a new generation of reggae artists in all aspects of the music industry through the Reggae A.M.P.P.S. organization, The Coalition To Preserve Reggae and as owner of E2Recordings, Inc., E2 Studios, E2Onair Radio and Le 2  Music Publishing.

When Ed is not on stage performing or in the studio producing great hits, he is involved in various charities like the Universal Music Benefit for Orphans, which is a global initiative.

USmile Magazine caught up with this busy artist and mogul to talk about his passion for music and his new CD.

USM: You started out as a drummer, why did you change your career to singing?

ER:  The drums are my first love.  I started playing the drums as a bet with my older brother and grew to love them very much.  I played the drums for many different reggae groups and artists like Bob Andy.  I believe there was a part of me that always wanted to sing so when my career as a drummer ended, I decided to launch my singing career.

USM:  Who inspires you as a singer?

ER:  I am inspired by folks like Bob Marley, Dennis Brown and Jacob Miller.  They have had the most influence on me as a singer.  Dennis Brown has been my idol for as long as I can remember.  Dennis helped me launch my singing career by asking me to sing with him on one of his projects.  He also thought me a great deal about the music business.

USM: Tell me about your new CD; what inspired the CD?

ER:  My new CD is called “The Awakening” and it is based on my personal life experiences.  Currently, I am in a really happy place in my personal and professional life, and I wanted to share that with my fans.   The CD is truly a celebration of my life.

USM:  Tell us about some of the songs on the CD?

ER:  The first single on the CD is called Rude Awakening.  It is a song about history repeating it’s self.  Many young men and women dismiss us when we try to caution them about the danger of the streets.  They don’t feel that their lifestyle will catch up with them until it’s too late.

USM:  You have collaborated with some of the biggest artist in the music industry, will you be collaborating with anyone on this CD?

ER:  No.  I haven’t collaborated with anyone on this CD.  I wanted to produce a CD that reflects my heart and soul.  This way I can connect with my fans on a personal and spiritual level.

USM:  When do you plan to release your CD?

ER:  I have already pre-released a few of the singles and I plan to release the full CD this summer.

USM: You are better known in the U.S. and Caribbean than in Europe for your music, do you plan to make yourself more established in Europe?

ER:  I made a decision many years ago to stay away from music videos because I wanted people to respect me for my talent and not my videos.  I believe that decision affected my popularity in Europe.  I probably would have gotten more promotions in Europe if I had released a couple of videos.  I am hoping to change that in the future.

USM:  Why do people consider you one of the great contributors to reggae music?

ER:    I don’t really have an answer to that question.  I think it’s because I have worked with artists from different genres such as, Snoop Dogg. I am very humbled by such an honor.

USM:  Tell us about your involvement in reggae A.M.P.P.S.?

ER:  I am the president of reggae A.M.P.P.S and my goal is to make sure that reggae artists are represented well in the industry and educated on how the music industry works from a business standpoint.

USM:  Tell us about some of the artist that you are currently working with?

ER:  I am working with about twenty to thirty different new artists.    I enjoy helping new artist develop their craft because they are open to different ideas.  Many of the experienced artists try to duplicate the sound that made them successful but I am always trying to come up with new sounds to keep the artist fresh and interesting.

USM:  What do you think about the U.S. Embassy in Kingston stripping dancehall stars such as Beanie Man and other of their visas this past April?

ER:  I think their music may have offended some people but as an artist I believe it is important to express yourselves freely.

USM:  Do you plan on going on tour this summer?

ER:  Definitely, I plan to go on tour this summer to promote my new CD.  I am currently working on putting my show together for the tour.

USM:  How can your fans learn more about your tour?

ER:  Everyone can go to my facebook pageand my  myspace page to learn more about my tour dates.

USM:  What is your take on the direction of reggae music today?

ER:  The music today is a bit different from the core reggae sound that I grew up with.  I actually prefer the core reggae sound of singers like Jacob Miller and Bob Marley.   My goal is to continue to produce the core reggae sounds of Jamaica.

USM:  What else do you want to accomplish in your career?

ER:  I would love to own a Caribbean-TV station that focuses on Caribbean Music and Lifestyle.

By: USmile Magazine
http://www.usmilenow.com/2010/07/interview-with-international-reggae-singer-ed-robinson/#more-1571