Trevor\nPretty reasoned that Caribbean music has been performing well in the European\nand Asian markets and pointed to reggae sensation Chronixx who toured Japan for\na month. He also mentioned Konshens, a dancehall artist who performed in\nseveral European countries in 50 days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hailing\nfrom Barbados, the Pretty Boy CEO sought to highlight the talent signed to his label\ndifferently. Instead of auditioning at record companies, he staged the Pretty\nBoy Experience \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a four-day cultural trip to Barbados in June, 2019. Industry executives and media professionals were\ninvited to experience the label\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s music firsthand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over a dozen radio producers, DJs, music journalists, A&Rs (artists and repertoire) and music scouts from the UK, the US and the Bahamas signed up. The Caribbean Export played an integral role in bringing four of the executives into the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan\nBean, a British DJ and consultant with Black Butter Records, said he believed\nthe potential for Caribbean artists in the UK hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been fully explored.\nHowever, he said the expansion and evolution of the digital age opened new\nopportunities for the music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said Caribbean sound was already being consumed in mainstream genres such as pop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\nhave seen in the last few years that big pop stars like Justin Bieber are\nborrowing tempos, riddims and instruments from the Caribbean\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6. Sonically people\nmight not realize that the record they like has origins in soca, reggae or\ndancehall. So I feel like everyone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ears are prime for [Caribbean music] but\nit just needs the right infrastructure for people to start shining light on the\nwealth of talent in the region,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he outlined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For him, the Pretty Boy Experience confirmed that there was so much diversity in the regional product, ranging from old school reggae to modern soca to contemporary R&B. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You have varying genres and styles that don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to fall into pigeon holes and categories, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a melting pot much like the Caribbean.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan\nBean expressed \u00e2\u20ac\u0153thanks and humbleness\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to Caribbean Export for bringing him to\nthe island. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am going to spread the word through my platforms about all the\ngood things going on here,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he promised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trevor Pretty explained the purpose behind staging the Pretty Boy Experience: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The idea is that if [industry executives] come to the Caribbean, they would understand the culture by tasting the food, enjoying the music and seeing the sights. There is a big Afrobeats movement happening in the UK and lots of people have been going back to Ghana, Nigeria and other parts of Africa, and that is making the music even bigger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153So we\nfigured that if we can have a Caribbean movement, they should come to the\nCaribbean to experience the culture, because people just think about Jamaica\nwhen they think Caribbean.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nusual audition process before a successful signing includes countless meetings,\nperformances and artist showcases. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It does not happen overnight, so bringing\nthe industry executives here for the weekend, they have said to me they learnt\nso much more about the artists in this four to five-day period than by having\nmeetings in their office.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While\non island, the visiting group experienced Caribbean culture, attended rehearsals\nand listening parties featuring Shiloh from St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Blvckhaze\nfrom Curacao; Arii Lopez who grew up in Jamaica; Sherika Sherrard, who was born\nand raised in the UK to her Guyanese mum, and Briel Monroe, who is of Barbadian\ndescent but grew up in the US. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another music executive was Jennifer Goicocehea, Director of A&R at Epic Records, who spends most of her time between Atlanta and L.A. <\/p>\n\n\n
![\"Pretty](\"http:\/\/www.cedev.local\/ceda2017\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/carib-export-110-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nShe\nsaid the Pretty Boy Experience gave her the incredible opportunity to see the\nartists in their space. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I feel like this helped me to see the vision,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said\nthe music executive responsible for signing Hood Celebrity, a Jamaican\ncurrently taking the US market by storm with her popular tune, Walking Trophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jennifer was really impressed with how developed the Pretty Boy artists were. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I was pleasantly surprised to see people had actually rehearsed, when you came into their space they were writing and actively grooming their talent.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She believes there is a demand for Caribbean music in the US. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A super big dancehall artist hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t come out in a while, so I think our appetite is open, we just need the acts.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adding that Caribbean music \u00e2\u20ac\u0153brings fun\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, she believed the music should be exported to the US market in its authentic form. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I definitely think the talent was on a level that could service our market but of course with anything, you need to work on visuals, develop the content and what their actual story is. I think in the States what we appreciate is the story,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jennifer\npraised Caribbean Export for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bringing the opportunities to people who wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t\nnormally get it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also blown away by the talent was Allyson Francis, Services Specialist at Caribbean Export; she explained why the agency assisted the Pretty Boy Experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153At\nCaribbean Export we are committed to supporting the development of the\nCaribbean cultural and creative industries and with the level of interest from\nthe music executives and media persons subsequent to the performances we are\nreally encouraged,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the Services Specialist at Caribbean Export expressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since\nthe showcases Pretty Boy Worldwide has been presented with a number of offers for\ntheir artists as well as music distribution deals in Europe and Asia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also at the showcase was Henrie Kwushure, a presenter at Reprezent Radio in South London; she described the Pretty Boy Experience as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153amazing and completely different\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Although\nthere is strong Caribbean heritage in London, one can never truly experience\nthe lifestyle until you come here\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6, you get to see people in their authentic\nspaces, in London you just hear stories about it\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Henrie observed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Insisting there was definitely a market for Caribbean music in the UK, she pointed out it was heavily dominated and influenced by Jamaican dancehall. The radio presenter complained that some Caribbean artists in London even spoke Jamaican patios although they were from other islands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That needs to change\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6, if you are from a different island you represent it to the fullest so someone who is not from the Caribbean don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see you as a homogenous Caribbean person\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There is a very strong Jamaican influence in London but there could be more singularity from the different islands so we know what is what\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and that should also come forth in the music. Dancehall is prominent but I feel there should be some more soca\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Henrie Kwushure suggested, adding it was a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153big thing\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in England to highlight where you are from especially if you were black.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Music is a key element in the creative industry and the Caribbean Export Development Agency has been instrumental in providing technical assistance, business development support and access to finance to music industry professionals who are seeking to export their talent and services. (SP\/Caribbean Export)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n