“THE STATUS OF THE REGGAE MUSIC BUSINESS IN THE USA” UP FOR DISCUSSION AT THE SIERRA NEVADA WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL JUNE 20-22!

 Lloyd Stanbury—

REGGAE’S plummeting sales in the United States will be the focus of a panel discussion at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, scheduled for June 20-22 at Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville, California.

Dubbed ‘The Status of the Reggae Music Business in the USA’, it is the brainchild of entertainment lawyer Lloyd Stanbury. He, tour/artist manager Copeland Forbes, attorney/concert promoter David Baram, Texas reggae disc jockey Sister Irie and Sierra Nevada World Music Festival founder Warren Smith, are the panellists.

Stanbury told the Jamaica Observer that he got the idea for the forum after attending last year’s show. He plans to outline plans for an improved reggae industry in his book, Reggae Roadblocks — Who Is Responsible, expected to be out this year.

“I am examining the issues surrounding the challenges faced in developing a global reggae music industry. My main questions focus on whether the roadblocks that I see are presented by the Babylon system, or whether they are self-imposed by the cultural practices and un-professionalism of the Jamaican reggae artists,” Stanbury said.

He hopes the discussion will generate information which can be fed into the Jamaican community, “So we can better prepare ourselves for interaction with our American partners and colleagues in the music industry”.

The discussion is slated for June 20 and, among other issues, examines the decline in reggae music sales and live dates in the US.

First held in 1994, the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival has consistently showcased different forms of Jamaican music, mainly roots-reggae.

This year, the event will see performances from Barrington Levy, Rebelution, Bitty McLean, Raging Fyah, The Tamlins and Horace Andy.