By Howard Campbell—
AS a high-profile music business lawyer in the 1990s, Lloyd Stanbury was not afraid to let his views be known on the shortcomings of the Jamaican industry.
Stanbury still has a lot to say, and he expresses his grouses and solutions in Reggae Roadblocks, his first book which he launched at the recent Rototom Sunsplash Festival in Spain.
Now in his late 50s, Stanbury points out the long standing problems he believes still affect the Jamaican reggae industry.
“I decided to write this book to capture and present my perspective of the challenges to local and international business development as far as Jamaican reggae is concerned. The book is a reflection of my experiences as an industry practitioner for over 30 years,” said Stanbury.
“It is my hope that Reggae Roadblocks will serve as a guide for private and public sector industry stakeholders in our collective efforts to build a better industry.”
Stanbury has managed or represented a number of dancehall/reggae acts including Steely and Clevie. The relationship between artistes and managers, he notes, remains one of reggae’s biggest problems.
“In my opinion, the weakest area of the industry is music business management. The formal and informal opportunities for education and information dissemination are grossly inadequate, and where they exist are mostly not relevant to the digitised online globalised context of the business of music, as impacted by new technologies,” he said.
He does see progress in some areas, particularly as it relates to copyright and publishing. The establishment of collection agencies in Jamaica, such as the Jamaica Association of Composers Authors and Publishers (JACAP) and Jamaica Music Society (JAMMS), is evidence serious steps are being taken to improve what have long been sore spots.
Reggae Roadblocks also has cultural and economic components, which Stanbury stressed must never be overlooked.
“There are several themes captured in the various chapters of the book, ranging from the role of Rastafari in Jamaican music development and promotion, to the role of Government and the professional responsibilities of creative practitioners and music managers,” said Stanbury. “Reggae Roadblocks examines our collective failure as a nation to capitalise on the economic potential of reggae music by looking at what has been, what is, and what could be.”
A Jamaican launch for Reggae Roadblocks is in the works.
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