JAMAICA ASSOCIATION OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS (JACAP) HONORS ITS FOUNDERS AT INAUGURAL BANQUET!

BY AALIYAH CUNNINGHAM—
Observer writer—

(From left) Lloyd Stanbury; Lydia Rose; Augustus “Gussie” Clarke; Stephen R L Golding; Olivia “Babsy” Grange; Marquis Laing, sister of recipient Tony Laing; Louis Ayton, son of late Carl Ayton; and Desmond “Desi” Young pose with their Prestigious Founders Awards at the inaugural JACAP Awards Banquet held at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston on Saturday night. (Photos: Norman Thomas) —

Founders of Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers (JACAP) were in the limelight at the inaugural JACAP Awards Banquet last Saturday evening to celebrate its 21st birthday. The ceremony was held at Valencia of the Worthington, Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston.

Augustus “Gussie” Clarke, Steve R L Golding, Olivia “Babsy” Grange, Tony Laing, Lydia Rose, Lloyd Stanbury, Desmond “Desi” Young, and Carl Joseph Ayton received the Prestigious Founders Award for their contribution to JACAP’s development. A plaque, in their honour, is to be mounted at JACAP headquarters on Connolley Avenue in Kingston.

Clarke, who will receive an Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD) from the Jamaican government come October 21, says he is grateful to receive an award for his contribution to the growth of JACAP and highlighted the challenges over the years.

“It’s a fulfilment of a circle and dream coming true, a part of the dream, whereby something that we just have an idea of and tonight is actually a celebration of that, the next journey — my personal journey is to see if we can make Jamaica become the most copyright reliant country in the Caribbean,” said the veteran music producer.

“It wasn’t an easy road when we just started because it was a novel idea and people didn’t feel like we could do it and there was another initiative that was not beneficial to the interest of the creators. But we fight each other and war ’cause you know is something new and different and everybody suspicious of each other; but at the end of the day, it became one unity and one body,” Clarke added.

With over 40 years’ experience in the music business under his belt, Clarke has produced a number of hit songs, starting with Big Youth’s Screaming Target in 1972; The Mighty Diamonds’ Pass the Kutchie, Telephone Love by J C Lodge, Rumours by Gregory Isaacs, and Champion Lover by Deborahe Glasgow and Shabba Ranks.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer he said he is proud to be the recipient.

“Wi making music for the world from Jamaica and in Jamaica we have the best music, so wi jus’ a follow wi forefathers footsteps. Wi jus’ making great music from Jamaica and it’s a global award and I am a global artiste. We are thankful, simple blessings,” he said.

Other winners included Sumfest for the Licenses Award in the category Festivals; Frenchmen in the category Parties; and Palace Amusement in the category Companies. Arif Cooper was awarded Top Local earner in the category Composers; and Dubplate Music Publisher received Top Local Publisher.

CEO of JACAP, Steven Stewart, says it was important to host the banquet as the organisation comes of age. Also, to honour stalwarts and persons who continue to support it.

“Intellectual Property is important and this is what JACAP is about. We are for protecting the creative work, it is important that we celebrated this company because, first of all, it came from a situation where persons were signed to an overseas company and the founders thought it better to go after and protect and preserve and monetise our intellectual property,” he said.

“So this after 21 years is important to show that we have grown from 30 members and our revenue grew and our distribution grew,” he continued.

Started on March 4 1998, JACAP is a non-profit organisation that spearheads the collection and disbursement of monies earned by copyright holders in Jamaica. Their mission statement is “to maximize the potential income from the licensing of copyright works and to provide an efficient royalty collection and timely distribution service to our members and our affiliates.”

In its 21 years of existence, the organisation has distributed in excess of $700 million to copyright holders locally and internationally.