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Hundreds turned out for the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum held in Frankfurt from 26 to 28 September 2019 at the Union Halle.

The conference held on the 26th of September welcomed over 200 participants as a series of panels discussed trade between CARIFORUM and the EU under the theme ‘Building Strategic Partnerships in a Dynamic Global Economy’. In a panel led by Damie Sinanan, Manager – Competitiveness and Export Promotion at Caribbean Export, Sinanan unveiled the results of a study commissioned by the Agency which highlighted rum and sauces as the two most successful exports from the Caribbean since the signing of the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in 2008.

“The CARIFORUM-EU EPA was signed in 2008 and we wanted to understand from companies the challenges and the successes they have experienced within the framework of the agreement” said Sinanan. Over a period of 6 months, the Agency interviewed and surveyed CARIFORUM based firms about their experiences exporting to Europe.

“The Dominican Republic followed by Trinidad and Tobago are the largest exporters of products and services to Europe. The Dominican Republic is the largest rum exporter in CARIFORUM with almost 7 times the value of rum exports of Jamaica. And exports of sauces and seasonings to the EU increased by 59% between 2014 and 2018” informed Sinanan.

The report presented also showed that EU imports of rum and related products from CARIFORUM increased by almost 31% (in value) from 2014 to 2018. Further, in 2018 The Dominican Republic exported almost 70 million euros in rum products to the EU, a 32% increase from 2014.

The encouraging news was well received by the audience of CARIFORUM firms and European business support organisations who are keen to form strategic relations with CARIFORUM to further trade. Three Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed between Caribbean Export, GIZ and BVMW as a symbol of the commitment to further trade and investment.

The following two-days of the event saw over 70 industry buyers and investors conduct some 150 business to business meetings with the sixty-three (63) carefully selected exhibitors from the Caribbean’s food, cosmetics and cultural industries who presented their products at the Union Halle. The fair recorded over 600 visitors who came to discover what the Caribbean has to offer.

“We were in Carifesta in Barbados and now we are here in Frankfurt. There are a lot more companies ready for the European market and so, yes it’s really, really, nice. We hope that there is opportunity to do something ” said Erica Ramsay (Manager) Spa Vivent Vertiebs GmbH.

Anthony Bradshaw, Officer in Charge at Caribbean Export, expressed his satisfaction with the event. “The CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum was designed as a platform with a view to strengthening business networks and promoting closer trade and investment relations between the Caribbean and, in this case, Europe. We are very pleased with the response to the fair, just as we have been in the past.”

“It’s been really great. I’ve met a lot of people who have been interested in our products and I will go to the Netherlands to have follow-up meetings as a result of what has happened here” Ruben Kranenburg – Sales and Operations Manager, Suriname Alcoholic Beverages.

The highlight was the consumers’ day on 28 September, which saw visitors enjoy Caribbean products, as well as Caribbean culture. In addition to rum tastings, cooking demonstrations and courses, more than eleven music performances were also put on by renowned artists.

Visitors were particularly impressed by the film Bazodee, featuring international soca artist Machel Montano, while Montano’s mother tantalised taste buds with a special vegan chocolate. Berlin’s most popular Caribbean chef – Troy Lopez from RosaCaleta – served up a surprise with a new German-Caribbean fusion dish, making Swabian Spätzle out of breadfruit flour, and combining it with chicken marinated in Superblend’s Chicken Marinade.

• Revenue in the rum segment for 2019 amounts to nearly £1 million
• In the last three years, exports of rum from Caribbean companies to the European Union have grown by nearly 27%
• The 4^th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum will be the meeting place, from 26 to 28 September, for some of the sector’s most representative brands and professionals

Caribbean rum is one of the preferred drinks of the British, a fact reflected in the market, which is expected to grow in the UK by 8.8% in coming years. Revenue in the rum segment for 2019 amounts to nearly £1 million. This increase in sales is accompanied by a diversification of the industry, which is offering more and more varieties that address a growing demand and a diverse consumer audience.

To spread the word about these new trends and call attention to brands that are still not as popular on the continent, the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum—organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency in conjunction with the European Union and the German Development Agency (GIZ)—from 26 to 28 September, in Frankfurt, will bring together some of the sector’s leading producers, mixologists and other Caribbean professionals.

To talk about rum is to talk about the Caribbean: the place where this drink was discovered and where, in the 17th century, sugar cane plantations covered the land. But times have changed a great deal for this spirit, which today is available in surprising variants. Thus, as Damie Sinanan, Manager of Competitiveness and Export Promotion at Caribbean Export, explains, “rum production in the past decade has become diversified to embrace a wide variety of flavors, like apple, pineapple, mango and passion fruit.” Flavors that perhaps still are not as widespread among consumers but which are gradually penetrating the market on the European continent. But, “thanks to these new trends and to growing demand, we are hoping to see more and more variants of Caribbean rum in the European market,” says Sinanan.

Exports from the 15 CARIFORUM countries to Europe have grown by 26.86% in the last three years. Despite the fact that the U.S. is the main consumer of rum, European countries like Spain and Germany have great weight in this market.

But, what do we really know about this drink? We learned some interesting things about rum:

1. Not all rums are sweet:

Rum in its natural state does not contain sugar: its sweetness comes from the process of ageing it in barrels—which are typically made of American oak. Some rum producers add sugar to the distilled rum to sweeten the product and make it smoother. Nonetheless, the Caribbean authentic rum-producing countries, like Barbados, Jamaica or Martinique for example, do not add sweeteners, as they have regulations that prohibit the addition of sugar and other preservatives.

2. Not all rums are dark:

There are different types of rum: golden, dark, white, spiced, aromatized. Aged rum tends to be dark and, in fact, is the most popular variety in Europe, but there are also aged rums that are white in color. Aged white rum is obtained by placing distilled rum in an oak barrel with charcoal filtration, which eliminates the dark color but maintains its flavor. The most popular white rums are Bacardi—with Cuban roots but produced in Puerto Rico—and Cane Spirit Rothschild and Brinley Gold Shipwreck, produced in St. Kitts and Nevis.  You’ll find quite a few white rums produced across the Caribbean including Mount Gay in Barbados and Wray & Nephew in Jamaica to name a few.

3. Classic and trendy combinations:

In UK, rum is typically consumed in mixed drinks. But experts recommend drinking premium rums straight, on the rocks or combined with just mineral water. Only that way can their complex aromas and flavors be appreciated. Another basic way is in classic cocktails, like the Manhattan or the Old Fashioned. In addition, as the experts from Caribbean Export explain, “a growing trend is to pair rum with different types of food, like chocolate or marshmallows”.

Combinations and nuances that can be discovered within the framework of the fourth CARIFORUM-EU event, as one of the sector’s leading experts will be on hand: Ian Burrell, a mixologist known internationally as the Global Rum Ambassador, who has received seven nominations and one award at the Spirited Awards, which are presented at the Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans. There will also be rum tastings, which will bring the authentic taste of the Caribbean to Frankfurt, and at which, as the producers indicate, people will be able to try some of these new varieties that are increasingly pointing to aromatized and fruit-flavored rums.

4. Not everything sold as rum actually is:

Precisely because of rum’s growing popularity, counterfeits have increased. For example, and because sugar cane is not grown in Europe, it is obviously impossible to produce an authentic Caribbean rum there. Instead of sugar cane, these imitations use beets or potatoes. To tell if a rum is authentically Caribbean, you should look for the Authentic Caribbean Rum seal.

5. A drink with history:

Although rum has always been associated with pirates, so plentiful in the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th centuries, in reality the people who consumed the most of this drink at first were the local people. Names of pirates like Captain Morgan popularized rum, but brandy, port and Spanish wine were also among the favorite drinks of the corsairs of the era.

Since its beginnings, rum has had different names—from demon water to Barbados water—but the origin of the word “rum” is linked to the English word “Rumbullion.” This describes a sugar cane drink that was very popular in the Barbados of the 17th century and means “great tumult.”

6. For all pocketbooks:

Like other spirit drinks, rum is available at a wide range of prices. The majority cost between €15 and €50, but astronomical prices have been paid on occasion. For example, 24 bottles of Barbados rum from 1780 fetched €297,000 at an auction at Christie’s.

For more information about the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum, visit: http://www.cedev.local/businessforum/

About the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export)
The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) is a regional organization of the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) dedicated to the development of exports and the promotion of trade and investment. It is currently implementing the Regional Private Sector Development Program (RPSDP) financed by the European Union within the framework of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF). Caribbean Export’s mission is to enhance the competitiveness of Caribbean countries by delivering quality services for export development and promotion of trade and investment by implementing strategic programs and partnerships.

Press Contact:
Apple Tree Communications
Natalia Amores: na@homeatc.com
Adriana Navarro: an@homeatc.com
Tel.: 91 319 05 15

Former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice Sir Dennis Byron has underscored the importance of remunerating creators for their Intellectual Property.

The eminent jurist made the point while delivering the keynote address at the Association of Caribbean Copyright Societies (ACCS) inaugural symposium at the Hyatt regency Hotel in Port of Spain last week.

He said “at the core of many business models, creative entrepreneurs seek to turn their Intellectual Property into cash flow, they innovate, they create, they take risks and the Intellectual Property System was designed to reward such entrepreneurs who take such investment risks to innovate.”

Sir Dennis also highlighted that despite its immense contribution to the economies of various countries, the creative sector remains somewhat invisible on the radar of economists and does not feature significantly in the creation of policy. The retired CCJ president observed that a regional approach had given way to development on a national level and that the region should look to the development of economies of scale through the pooling of resources and minimizing the waste from replication.

In his welcoming remarks, president of the ACCS Mr. John Arnold outlined the reality of the market for both local and regional copyright owners and the organisations acting on behalf of their membership. He noted that they “continue to face challenges with high levels of resistance to copyright licensing including from regional governments and major music users including cable operators. To illustrate how we are affected, whilst the revenue for broadcast (including cable) for most copyright organisations is at least 50%, in the region it is less than 20%.”
He explained that “in turning to the legal system to enforce our rights, we are forced to deal with lengthy, expensive procedures,” and illustrated how these factors negatively impacted the amount of royalties that these organisations can distribute to their members, which in turn affects the way they are perceived.

The symposium which was held in collaboration with the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business (ALJGSB) and the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) attracted representatives from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Also, in attendance were members of international copyright organisations, the legal fraternity and business community.

Some business cases were presented to illustrate how regional businesses are able to use IP to create a commercial advantage. In presenting her case study, Ms Melissa Clarke, Commercial Counsel & Legal Manager, of Angostura Limited provided practical examples of Angostura’s system of handling their Intellectual Property and advised those present that even the most minor violation/ infringement of an organisation’s Intellectual Property, should be taken seriously and acted upon expeditiously. She advised the audience to “treat each infringement like it’s a threat to your company’s bottom line, because in fact it is.”

Release prepared by the Association of Caribbean Copyright Societies (ACCS)

For Further Information, feel free to contact
Erica K. Smith
c/o COSCAP
11, 8TH Avenue Belleville
St. Michael
E: erica@coscap.org
T: 4351777
www.accscaribbean.com

Eight teams of Caribbean animators and gaming practitioners pitched their animation concepts to international content buyers on the final day of the Animation and Gaming Accelerator training. The E-IDCOT Tobago Project with their Tobago Trekkers game won the top prize of $10,000 USD provided by the Caribbean Development Bank via the Cultural Industries Innovative Fund (CIIF). Caribbean animation content has now been positioned to secure 200 hours of Caribbean content to be shown on US networks.

The pitch sessions were held on the final day of the Animation and Gaming Accelerator training at the Government Plaza Complex on Friday 16th August 2019, hosted by Animae Caribe in collaboration with the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the University of Trinidad and Tobago, CARICOM, CARIFESTA, FilmTT and the Global Services Promotion Programme.

The panel of judges that included industry content buyers, investors and producers saw eight pitches which were scored on their strength of concept, experience and the game or series ability to succeed on the international platform.

The winning animation pitched was Tobago Trekkers delivered by the three-person team of the Eco-Industrial Development Company of Tobago (E-IDCOT) Ltd. The team which included Oshun Oya Trim, Terrence Murray and Carlton Lindow showed how their Tobago Trekkers concept had the scalability to develop into other areas such as merchandising and tourism.

Speaking about his experience judge Stephen Hodge – Managing Director of Toon Googles, a premier on-demand entertainment destination for children shared “I’ve been delightfully enlightened by the quality of animation and concepts and projects that I’ve seen out here. And I definitely feel that quite a few of these have quite a bit of potential in the global market, so I’m excited to see how this further develops”

As part of the implementation of the 11th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP) Caribbean Export has been supporting the export services and the creative industry. Animation has been identified for its huge potential for both the talent within the region in terms of content creation and the outsourcing of animation services to international production studios.

“We have seen that the region has the talent and the skills to develop a buoyant animation industry and so for us it’s about providing the opportunities or the platforms for this talent to be seen” informed Allyson Francis – Services Specialist at Caribbean Export. “What has been encouraging to see is how each concept that was pitched included some level of cultural reference to the Caribbean be it folklore, mythical creatures for example”.

Kim Wright content buyer for Sesame Street Workshop and also a judge expressed that “It’s been great. I’ve met some very talented animators here and it’s a very rewarding experience being of Jamaican descent, and to see the wealth of talented yet young animators in general from across the Caribbean is always refreshing and rewarding experience for me, especially students. I find that really great to meet students and to let them know that these opportunities exist to pitch to companies like Sesame Street Workshop and have their work seen internationally”.

Following the pitch sessions Ty Richardson, serial entrepreneur and investor announced that discussions had started to secure 200 hours of Caribbean content on US based Beacon TV. Working with Camille Selvon Abrahams – Founder and Creative Director for Animae Caribe Festival, Richardson would be able to source Caribbean content to be aired on the US television network.

“We definitely have some exciting stuff. I’m excited to distribute, I’m excited to present. The story lines ranged from far and wide, I love the direction some of these kids are going in and I love the fact we can even do a pilot channel with pilot, after pilot, after pilot. We don’t have to have fully developed series or content and it gives everybody an opportunity to see their stuff on a screen and enjoy that moment in the sunlight”.

The Agency supported seven animators from Grenada, Saint Lucia, Barbados and Guyana and will continue to support the animation industry at the upcoming 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum scheduled for September 26-28th September in Germany.

More than twenty-five (25) emerging and established Caribbean animators and gaming practitioners have been selected for an accelerator training programme scheduled from 12th – 15th August 2019 in Trinidad. Teams from Jamaica, Barbados, Tobago, Guyana, St. Lucia, Grenada and Trinidad have been selected for this intensive training opportunity that will enhance their technical capacity in the area of 360 design development, allowing them to design an animated series and a game based on a single concept. In collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank, Caribbean Export Development Agency, the University of Trinidad and Tobago, CARICOM, CARIFESTA, FilmTT and the Global Services Promotion Programme, the training is presented by Animae Caribe as a critical element of their continued work towards developing the animation industry and network throughout the Caribbean.

Dr. Marielle Barrow Maignan, Coordinator of CDB’s Cultural and Creative Industries Innovative Fund (CIIF), shared “ The timing of this training was critical for us as the Accelerator comes just ahead of CARIFESTA XIV which is also being held in Trinidad and Tobago. CARIFESTA is the nexus of Caribbean cultural creativity and we wanted animation and gaming to be involved as we move to support new cultural industries. In addition to providing flights and accommodation for regional participants, we have pledged a prize of USD10,000 from CIIF to enable the winners to produce an Animation Production Bible, Game Production Bible and a 30-60 second trailer. CDB is committed to enhancing the technical and business skills of the Creative Industries (CI) in the Region and Accelerator programmes like this one allow us to equip a larger cadre of professionals with these skills while increasing access to resources.“

The Animation and Gaming Accelerator training has been designed for emerging and established practitioners engaged in animation/game design to bring new projects and ideas into game and animation reality. Ten teams were selected from 49 applications from across the Caribbean. Each team is comprised of three persons inclusive of an animator/illustrator, an experienced writer and a game developer. Directed by international trainers Eric Elder and Tyree Dillihay from Monday August 12th -Thursday 15th, the camp takes place at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, John Donaldson Campus, in Port of Spain. The training will be closed sessions for pre-selected animation and gaming teams from the Caribbean and Trinidad & Tobago.

Caribbean Export Development Agency has supported this Accelerator, by facilitating the opportunity for youth to pitch to international buyers on the final day of the Accelerator. Participants will have the opportunity to pitch to their two trainers and representatives from the Caribbean Development Bank, alongside international animation sector buyers and mentors: Kimberly Wright – Sesame Workshop; Stephen Hodge -Toon Goggles LA; Audrey Kamga – Arte France; Animation Business Consultant – Joan Vogelesang and Dr. Ty Richardson – YoPro Global.

Founder and Creative Director for Animae Caribe Festival, Camille Selvon Abrahams says, “Caribbean animation is attracting tremendous attention. We are on the cusp of some great opportunities and we continue to ready a team of animation professionals. We are thankful that we have been able to work alongside funding agencies who understand the social and economic impact that jobs and careers in animation can make. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

Introducing the Trainers
Trainer – Tyree Dillihay, joins us from SONY PICTURES ANIMATION, makers of Spider-Man: Into The SpiderVerse. Previously he spent 8 years as a director on Fox’s hit animated sitcom, “Bob’s Burgers” with 32 episodes and 2 consecutive Emmy Nominations to his credit. As an Animation Director, some of his past director credits include “Da Jammies” for Netflix, “Allen Gregory” for Fox, and “Good Vibes” for MTV with various other projects ranging from pre-school to Not Safe For Work (also known as “get in here, shut the door, and come look at this!”). Outside of animation, you can find Tyree on Instagram(@sneadsbyree) where he’s built a niche social media following combining his love of cartoons, fashion, sneakers and sports working as a content producer for brands such as NIKE, CONVERSE, RED BULL, REEBOK, and FOOT LOCKER. Tyree graduated from California State University, Northridge with a BA in English and ’til this day, no one cares.

His training sessions will focus on Writing for Animated Series, this short course designed for the Beginner, will see students participate in a 32 hour programme where lectures and directed independent study will cover topics such as Character development & design, basics of design and ideation, ideation to concepts.

Our Game Development trainer is Eric T. Elder, graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia as an Animation Major with a BFA degree. Soon after, he began teaching animation production at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, his illustrious career with the Art Institutes spans over 15 years. When not working in education he has been a professional artist and producer at animation, gaming and media studios. He began his studio career at MTV Animation in New York on the Beavis and Butt-Head feature. He then moved to California where he worked as a key animator at Film Roman on King of the Hill and the Simpsons.

He then assumed his role as Academic Director of Game Art & Design at the Art Institute of California – Los Angeles in Santa Monica. There he founded his special video game production team course, the Game Wizards. The Game Wizards under Elder’s leadership produced over 20 titles mostly in Unreal and had team sizes ranging from 5 to over 100. His Game Art & Design program was the most successful in the entire Ai system with 300+ students and placement rates of 90%-100% at AAA game studios including: Electronic Arts, Activison/Blizzard (Luxoflux, Treyarch, Neversoft, Infinity Ward), THQ (Heavy Iron), Id Software, Sony Santa Monica, Microsoft and Rockstar San Diego.He also created and launched a new degree program in Game Programming. The Game Programming degree he developed has gotten near 100% placement in the game industry for graduates since its inception. In 2009 he achieved the title of Game Industry Development Representative (G.I.D.R.) and expanded his responsibilities for the 12 campuses in the Western Region and the over 45 across the Ai system.

In Trinidad, his Game Prototype Design Short Course will allow participants to Learn the fundamentals of design, mechanics, theme and gameplay. Teams will design and build a paper prototype version and then test and pitch the game to the group, followed by a formal pitch panel on Friday. This session is highly inter-active and our objective is that by the end of the week, there is a first version of a playable game that you can then take into digital development along with the skills to create future designs.

For more information on the exciting elements of the Animae Caribe Festival CARIFESTA XIV Edition visit – www.animaecaribe.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram.

Press Contact:
Roxanne Colthrust
Colthrust PR Limited

European imports of spices and herbs from developing countries have grown significantly in recent years, as much as 6.6% annually between 2013 and 2017. The Caribbean is well known for its prepared sauces, condiments and seasonings. The countries in the region have not hesitated to share their spicy goodness with the rest of the world and continue to find opportunities to do so. Chief among these are the makers of pepper sauce, or hot sauce as some people call it, which is made from a variety of peppers including chilli, scotch bonnet, scorpion, habanero and cayenne.

With the global spices market expected to grow by 5.1% between 2017 and 2021, as reported by CBI due to increased demand for spices and herbs, the Caribbean Export Development Agency is supporting producers of pepper sauce and other spices and condiments at its upcoming 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum which will be held from September 26 to 28, 2019 at the Union Halle in Frankfurt, Germany.

Here’s a look at just five producers of prepared spices and condiments companies that will be at the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum.

1. Baron Foods
A leading food manufacturer in the Caribbean, Baron Foods’ has over 150 products which include exotic and gourmet sauces, spices, flavorings, salad dressings and even drink cocktails. With manufacturing plants in Saint Lucia, Grenada and Trinidad, Baron Foods produces three hot sauces including its Classic Pepper Sauce and Blazing Hot Sauce made with ground scotch bonnet peppers. They also manufacture a West Indian Hot Sauce from fresh, wholesome peppers blended with mustard to create its very own individual piquant flavor. Let’s not forget they also have an award winning Banana Ketchup!

2. Viking Traders
Also based in Saint Lucia is Viking Traders – a mature company that was established in 1979. They manufacture a range of over 100 different award-winning food products, including specially blended herbs and spices, flavorful condiments, baking goods, drinks and gift items many of which use recipes that are the original creations of the founder and embody the authentic taste of the Caribbean. Viking Traders produces three hot sauces – Viking Mild Pepper Sauce, Viking Hot Pepper Sauce and Viking Dam Hot Pepper Sauce, all of which won a Scovie Award in the World’s Best Hot Sauce category. The Viking Dam Hot Pepper Sauce also placed first in the Fiery Food Challenge out of 275 competing pepper sauces from the Caribbean and the United States.

3. Winfresh
When it comes to condiments to tantalise your taste-buds the Winfresh brand created in 2009, brings a range of sauces and condiments to do just that. Made from fresh herbs and spices grown by farmers across the Windward Islands – that is Dominica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Winfresh are on a mission to bottle the true taste of the Caribbean. Based in Saint Lucia, they manufacturer a range of wholesome food products including premium juices, sauces, cordials, marinades, and pepper jellies. Winfresh offers a variety of sweet, spicy and hot pepper sauces to create authentic Caribbean meals. These include their Sweet & Spicy Tamarind Sauce, Sweet Ginger Hot Sauce, Hot Jalapeno Pepper Sauce, Sweet Jalapeno Hot Sauce, and Hot Caribbean Pepper Sauce. At Winfresh it’s about putting the Caribbean and its people first – working together to improve lives across the Caribbean.

4. Hot Mama’s Belize
If you like it hot and hotter then Hot Mama’s Belize’s Habanero Hot Sauce – Too Hot XXXX is one to try. The company started in 1996 producing habanero pepper jelly and exporting fresh peppers. Initially exporting just a few pounds of peppers, the export pepper business grew to 100,000 pounds significantly enough to add value by actually producing pepper based products such as habanero pepper sauces, gourmet sauces, jellies, and specialty items including honey, fudge, and BBQ sauce. Currently they produce four hot sauces including the Hot Mama’s Habanero Hot Sauce – Mild X, Habanero Hot Sauce – Hot XX, Habanero Hot Sauce – Fiery XXX, and Habanero Hot Sauce – Too Hot XXXX. Hot Mama’s Belize is promoted under the Belizean Pepper Sauce name in the United States of America and believes in a culture of giving back to the local community by working hand-in-hand with the farmers “one bottle at a time.” Look out for their ‘Mangenero’ sauce – a fusion of fresh mangos and habanero peppers.

5. Super Blend
This Barbadian company offers a wide variety of condiments ranging from seasonings to syrups. Quite often when food tastes so good, we expect it to be packed full of all the bad stuff, the excess salt and sugar, but at Super Blend they’ve created products with your health in mind. The brand owned by Jays Enterprises is committed to using less sugar wherever possible and providing salt free alternatives to some of their seasonings. The end result is dried condiments including home-blends of all purpose and chicken seasonings, curry and an exceptional blend of salt free feasoning which is excellent for enhancing the flavor without the added salt. They have blended wet seasonings and pepper sauces depicting traditional Barbadian heritage and The Premium blend is the flagship in this range. Additionally, they have a gourmet range which includes Ginger Pepper Jelly, Spicy Mango Chutney, Zesty Onion Relish and four Caribbean fruit sauces. The marinates, are quick and easy to use and popping with the flavor of herbs and spices to add zest to meals.

Click here to see all the companies in the sauces and condiments sector.

The 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum will be held from 26th-28th of September at the Union Halle, Frankfurt, Germany where over 60 companies from across the Caribbean will be there to showcase their produce and meet with retailers and distributors interested in sourcing products from the Caribbean.

Watch out world, the Caribbean is coming for its own piece of the global music pie!

That’s the intention of Trevor Pretty, CEO of Pretty Boy Worldwide and Pretty Boy Music and Publishing, a Caribbean independent label dedicated to exporting Caribbean artists internationally, while ensuring that 50% of the profits earned are returned to the region.

And unlike many regional counterparts, Pretty Boy Worldwide is not only targeting the United States (US) market. Instead, Trevor is also focused on getting his artists known in the United Kingdom (UK), Europe, Asia and Australia.

“Asia likes anything that has any culture attached to it. More reggae, dancehall and R&B artists do better in Asia. Europe is the same thing. How they consume the music is so different. We studied the markets big time and decided these are the markets we want to go into,” he said.

The Caribbean Export Development Agency ( Caribbean Export) is also committed to prioritising the export of music under the EPA and is hosting the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum in Frankfurt, Germany from September 26- 28, 2019. This event, which is being held in collaboration with the European Union and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) will provide a platform for Caribbean musicians to meet with their European counterparts and explore opportunities to enhance the penetration of Caribbean music into Europe.

Trevor Pretty reasoned that Caribbean music has been performing well in the European and Asian markets and pointed to reggae sensation Chronixx who toured Japan for a month. He also mentioned Konshens, a dancehall artist who performed in several European countries in 50 days.

Hailing from Barbados, the Pretty Boy CEO sought to highlight the talent signed to his label differently. Instead of auditioning at record companies, he staged the Pretty Boy Experience – a four-day cultural trip to Barbados in June, 2019.  Industry executives and media professionals were invited to experience the label’s music firsthand.

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.

Dan Bean, a British DJ and consultant with Black Butter Records, said he believed the potential for Caribbean artists in the UK hasn’t been fully explored. However, he said the expansion and evolution of the digital age opened new opportunities for the music.

He said Caribbean sound was already being consumed in mainstream genres such as pop.

“We have seen in the last few years that big pop stars like Justin Bieber are borrowing tempos, riddims and instruments from the Caribbean…. Sonically people might not realize that the record they like has origins in soca, reggae or dancehall. So I feel like everyone’s ears are prime for [Caribbean music] but it just needs the right infrastructure for people to start shining light on the wealth of talent in the region,” he outlined.

 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. “You have varying genres and styles that don’t need to fall into pigeon holes and categories, it’s a melting pot much like the Caribbean.”

Dan Bean expressed “thanks and humbleness” to Caribbean Export for bringing him to the island. “I am going to spread the word through my platforms about all the good things going on here,” he promised.

Trevor Pretty explained the purpose behind staging the Pretty Boy Experience: “The 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.

“So we figured that if we can have a Caribbean movement, they should come to the Caribbean to experience the culture, because people just think about Jamaica when they think Caribbean.”

The usual audition process before a successful signing includes countless meetings, performances and artist showcases. “It does not happen overnight, so bringing the industry executives here for the weekend, they have said to me they learnt so much more about the artists in this four to five-day period than by having meetings in their office.”

While on island, the visiting group experienced Caribbean culture, attended rehearsals and listening parties featuring Shiloh from St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Blvckhaze from Curacao; Arii Lopez who grew up in Jamaica; Sherika Sherrard, who was born and raised in the UK to her Guyanese mum, and Briel Monroe, who is of Barbadian descent but grew up in the US.

Another music executive was Jennifer Goicocehea, Director of A&R at Epic Records, who spends most of her time between Atlanta and L.A.

She said the Pretty Boy Experience gave her the incredible opportunity to see the artists in their space. “I feel like this helped me to see the vision,” said the music executive responsible for signing Hood Celebrity, a Jamaican currently taking the US market by storm with her popular tune, Walking Trophy.

Jennifer was really impressed with how developed the Pretty Boy artists were. “I was pleasantly surprised to see people had actually rehearsed, when you came into their space they were writing and actively grooming their talent.”

 She believes there is a demand for Caribbean music in the US. “A super big dancehall artist hasn’t come out in a while, so I think our appetite is open, we just need the acts.”

 Adding that Caribbean music “brings fun”, she believed the music should be exported to the US market in its authentic form.  “I 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,” she explained.

Jennifer praised Caribbean Export for “bringing the opportunities to people who wouldn’t normally get it.”

 Also blown away by the talent was Allyson Francis, Services Specialist at Caribbean Export; she explained why the agency assisted the Pretty Boy Experience.

“At Caribbean Export we are committed to supporting the development of the Caribbean cultural and creative industries and with the level of interest from the music executives and media persons subsequent to the performances we are really encouraged,” the Services Specialist at Caribbean Export expressed.

Since the showcases Pretty Boy Worldwide has been presented with a number of offers for their artists as well as music distribution deals in Europe and Asia.

Also at the showcase was Henrie Kwushure, a presenter at Reprezent Radio in South London; she described the Pretty Boy Experience as “amazing and completely different”.

“Although there is strong Caribbean heritage in London, one can never truly experience the lifestyle until you come here…, you get to see people in their authentic spaces, in London you just hear stories about it” Henrie observed.  

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.

“That needs to change…, if you are from a different island you represent it to the fullest so someone who is not from the Caribbean don’t see you as a homogenous Caribbean person…

“There is a very strong Jamaican influence in London but there could be more singularity from the different islands so we know what is what… and that should also come forth in the music. Dancehall is prominent but I feel there should be some more soca…,” Henrie Kwushure suggested, adding it was a “big thing” in England to highlight where you are from especially if you were black.

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)