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Crossroads of Barbados' creative sector
Barbados’ creative sector is at the crossroads of its development both in terms
of its prospects for growth and sustainability. With a music industry which is
largely driven by the Crop Over festival there remains little or no other
outlets for talent to create, perform or fully exploit their abilities beyond
the soca/calypso genres.
Significant financial resources are used at the national level to promote and
market the artistes who participate in the island’s Crop Over festival whilst
not recognizing the significant contribution which artistes in non-traditional
genres can make to the creative economy.
In recent times we have seen the signings of three Barbadian artistes in non
traditional genres of music, Rihanna, Shontelle and Livvy Franc clearly
revealing that Barbados talent has the potential to penetrate the global music
market. We have also seen the rise of acts such as Philip 7 and Jaicko
gravitating towards the pop/alternative genres with tremendous support from the
public.
Our cultural leaders and policy makers must embrace this new breed of artistes
that are seeking an outlet for their talent in order to recognize their true
potential beyond our shores.
As we witness the emergence of this new breed of Bajan superstars we must be
mindful that significant attention is being drawn to our island not only as a
tourist destination but also as a pool from which new talent is emerging with
the potential to compete globally. We must therefore act responsibly to ensure
that the remainder of our talent and those providing management services are
equipped with the necessary tools to take advantage of these range of
opportunities which may present themselves.
Provided by: Santia Bradshaw, CEO
Pyramid Entertainment Management Inc., Barbados |
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