First, it was the Lit Fest in Anguilla in May this year when writers from the United States and the Caribbean were on the island for the event. Now it is the Song Writing Camp at the Anguilla Great House, from July 12 to 19, which included local musicians.
At the head of the camp were two top record label executives, working with the song writers to write and produce tunes for some of the world’s most significant pop artistes. The main camp leader was Ivan Berry, a Kittitian by birth, known as a music industry icon inToronto,Canada. He has been conducting a series of song-writing camps throughout theCaribbeanand is pairing international writing and producing teams with regional song and production artistes. Throughout his career he has served as an entrepreneur, artist manager, record label owner, talent executive and music publisher, enabling artistes to sell millions of records world-wide. He is a Canadian Urban Music Award Winner.
The other song-writing camp leader was Los Angeles-based Max Gousse, Senior Vice President/A&R of Island Def Jam Music Group and Grammy Award-winning record label executive and producer.Gousse, who was born inBrooklyn,New York, works with artistes in several genres.
They have been running the song-writing camp in association with Davon Carty, Chairman of the Anguilla Carnival Committee and executive of Anguilla Music Production Publishing, as well as with British Dependency Band, a musical band inAnguilla.
Mr. Carty welcomed the two music industry executives and their song writers (a total of nine persons) toAnguilla. He was pleased that he and a number of local musicians were involved in the song-writing camp.
“We brought in some Caribbean song writers from Trinidad and St. Vincent and others fromCanada,Los AngelesandNew York,” Mr.Berry, the camp leader, told The Anguillian. “However, on this trip we have met some ofAnguilla’s great song writers who, on our return, will be included in the next camp; and we are working out arrangements to publish some of the songs we have heard.”
Asked about his involvement in the music industry, Berry replied: “Originally I am from St. Kitts and I moved to Canada about 35 years ago. I served there as a music executive for many years working with various major labels, song writers and recording artistes and so on. It dawned on me that theCaribbeanis prevalent with poets, lyricists, producers, artistes. I think the best example is what Max Gousse and Island Def Jam have created out ofBarbadosin Rihanna; whatJamaicahas created out of Bob Marley and Shaggy; and whatTrinidadhas exported out of Nicki Minaj etc.
“We feel that there are lots more artistes, producers and song writers in theCaribbean. Max, as a senior executive of one of the more successful record labels today, has offered his time to help C2W Music. This is a music publishing trading company on the Jamaican Stock Exchange that we have set up to develop song writers throughout the Caribbean. The reality is that we in the Caribbean have always exported culture but have never reallyreceived the benefits of that export whether it is Caribana in Toronto, Germany and Italy or somereggae fest in Japan or elsewhere…It is critical because we are not in the sugar, banana or orange industries anymore, but we have always been very successful in exporting culture and the world have accepted that culture.
“We call that export and acceptance tourism where foreigners come to theCaribbeanand they do the limbo, get drunk and anything is cool. But they are here because of our talented musicians and, of course, our beautiful countries and islands. We feel that there is a popular version to [the belief] that the stereotypes of theCaribbean, musically, are only good for reggae, soca and calypso. We also love country, rock-n-roll, folk music, pop music, gospel and other genres; and we believe that there are super talented artistes and song writers throughout theCaribbeanwho are doing well at that.
“They are creating their art and are on a global plateau, but have not received the opportunity to shine globally. Our attempt is to collaborate extremely successful song writers globally with Caribbean song writers and we are writing for export, for internationally successful artistes like the Rihannas, the Beyonces, Justin Biebers and whoever…
“We have done song-writing camps inBarbados, Trinidad, St. Vincent, Nevis and otherCaribbeanIslands. We are now here inAnguillaand, along with what we are doing, we have also connected with Davon Carty and some of his local song writers and producers whom we feel are also world class but have not had the opportunity to shine on a global level. We are here to collaborate, write and produce songs for the world.”
Max Gousse, the other camp leader, said the visiting song writers were at the camp inAnguillato write for two specific artistes: JLS (Jack the Lad Swing) and OllyMurs, two huge British artistes. He stated that in addition to the song writers fromCanadaand theUnited Stateswere 18-year-old Candy Gloster and Mark Cyrus from St. Vincent, Shizelle fromTrinidad. Those fromAnguillawho have been closely associated with the camp, apart from Davon Carty, were Joyah of British Dependency and song writer, Chad Kent.
“The idea is to integrate theCaribbeanin pop culture by the export of the songs, written at the camp, to globally successful, multi-platinum artistes,” Gousse added.
