Source: Jamaica Observer
The Jamaican reggae music industry received a huge body blow with the death of Bob Marley and has not been able to recover since his passing in 1981.
That is the view of Ronnie Burke, director of the now-defunct, popular music festival Reggae Sunsplash.
Burke made his observation while contributing to a panel discussion on the effective packaging of the Jamaican entertainment product for the international marketplace, which formed part of the Jamaica Music Conference that runs until today.
He noted that there is less of a Jamaican presence on the road these days, which he attributed to the fact that there are more persons in the reggae industry from outside of Jamaica who are making greater inroads on the international market.
“We are not alone in the game any more. When I listen to the international reggae charts it is difficult to find a Jamaican in the top 10, and if we are there, the sales figures are dismal at best. We have to work on rebuilding that Jamaican reggae domination.”
For Burke, the work to rebuild our brand and status requires the establishment of greater linkages with the international market.
“We have the talent, what we don’t seem to have are the steps that take them to international recognition. We have to rebuild those contacts. And I think that packaging tours with a big headliner that everyone knows filled in with the up-and-coming, find those booking agents who believed in us once to find those promoters who buy into our reggae packages. We have to be careful that we don’t slip any further,” Burke stated.
Source: Jamaica Observer
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