The Barbados-based Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) says it is cooperating with the European Union (EU) and the Jamaica-based Headline Entertainment in supporting Caribbean artistes gain greater exposure to international music executives.
It said the second Caribbean Rhythm Showcase to be held in September will provide at least 25 acts from the Caribbean to perform live to an audience including music scouts.
“We are looking for artistes from all genres to perform at this showcase. From zouk, soca, calypso, reggae rap, dancehall, and pop, we want to support our artistes,” said Allyson Francis, Services Specialist at Caribbean Export.
“Music is a critical industry for us in the region, and we are committed to supporting the development of our practitioners with our Business of Music courses to leverage digital platforms and to give them the exposure needed to be discovered,” she added.
The organizers said the Caribbean Rhythm Showcase aims to unearth and display more of the region’s talent and they are inviting new and emerging artistes to register and submit a performance video for assessment, for a chance to participate in a dynamic event that will also include follow-up meetings with interested music executives.
The organizers said unlike previous editions which were held online, this year’s staging will be in person in Kingston, Jamaica, and aims to give artistes the opportunity to showcase, gain exposure and create opportunities to collaborate with other regional musicians and generate international interest.
The live showcase on September 17, will also allow selected artistes to participate in a number of activities designed to provide them with career development including workshops, and tours in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture, Entertainment, Gender, and Sport.
“This year is different; it allows us to bring the talent together in one space (so) it’s not just us seeing a video but interacting with live talent, seeing the way they operate and understanding things about them,” said Jerome Hamilton, the managing director of Headline Entertainment.
“The same applies to the buyers, which includes producers, distributors, publishers, company executives and artiste representatives assembled from around the world, (so) no longer will it be about if – or will – the respective persons log on. The buyers will be present and will be here actively looking to interact and find talent and with everything up-close-and-personal continuously over a couple of days, we expect to reach solid results,” he added.
Artistes are encouraged to visit the website for details and are required to submit two original songs.
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