Great future for reggae music
‘There is renewed interest in reggae music. Look at the marketplace. The majors are coming back into the space, but we must be smart and not lose track again.
IF ANYBODY had asked Freddie McGregor four years ago if there was hope for reggae music, his answer would have been iffy. But today, the veteran singer is excited that there is a great resurgence of interest in reggae music, and is confident that the future of the genre is in good hands.
“We went through a phase that wasn’t so nice,” the singer reflected,
“but thankfully, we are no longer bashing people through the music, and it is back to a sense of stability.”
According to the I’ll Stay With You singer, the fact that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added reggae to its list of cultural institutions worthy of protection and preservation should not be taken lightly. “This has resounded across the world, and has had a positive impact on the way in which the genre is viewed globally,” McGregor told
The Gleaner.
He noted that major record companies, which were in abundance during the period of the early ’90s, when many artistes had signed lucrative record deals, had all pulled out and had adopted a look-and-see approach. However, the elder statesman of reggae is now seeing a turnaround. “There is renewed interest in reggae music. Look at the marketplace. The majors are coming back into the space, but we must be smart and not lose track again,” he said, hinting that a major label is about to be launched in Jamaica soon.
HOPE
“We need to work hard and embrace the opportunities as they come. There is hope, but we mustn’t go back to where we are coming from. We need to stick to greatness,” the reggae ambassador advised. McGregor, who has been touring quite a lot, stated that reggae is alive and well internationally, and pointed out that he sees other reggae artistes on the road Koffee GLADSTONE TAYLOR/ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR frequently, as they go about their business of taking the music to the four corners of Earth.
“Recently, Cocoa Tea and I bucked up at the Austin Reggae Festival and we hold a reasoning about how well the music is doing, especially outside of Jamaica. We see each other, and other artistes, a lot on the road, and it is clear that the music is moving. We are all playing our part by doing what we need to do,” he said.
YOUNG GENERATION
McGregor was also fulsome in his praise of the younger generation of artistes, referred to by many as the ‘reggae revivalists’, who are keeping the flame burning. In fact, he was so excited about the success of rising reggae singer Koffee, it was as if she were one of his own children.
“Of course, we have to give the young ones the props they deserve for keeping the standards high. Chronixx, Protoje, Iba Mahr and the others are doing a fantastic job. Look at Koffee. I am really proud of Koffee and what she is accomplishing. It shows what can happen when we take the time to build each other. Coco Tea introduced her on stage, and the rest is history, ”he said, alluding to the fact that after being on the music circuit for less than one year, the teenage sensation was picked up by Columbia Records UK, which recently released her début EP, Rapture.