Phil Watkis making international moves
Reggae artiste Phil Watkis said that despite many not knowing his name locally, he has been making appearances on huge shows abroad.
“You see, many artistes are competing for the little fame in Jamaica, but there is the world to conquer, and once you are making real music they will reward your efforts. Many people don’t know my name. However, I’m performing at festivals internationally that some of the big names are not yet exposed to,” he said. “I’ve performed at Roots Homecoming Festival in Gambia, Aarhus Reggae Festival in Denmark, Landjuweel Festival in [the] Netherlands, Grace Jerk Festival in Florida, and Unifest in Florida, just to name a few,” he said. The entertainer urged his colleagues to focus on building a brand for themselves. “The time you spend attending parties and paying to play songs in one small circle, put that time into developing your brand outside of Jamaica ... I know reggae artistes who are unknown [in Jamaica]. However, their fa bases are huge internationally,” he said. Watkis said that real fans of reggae pay more attention to who is making good music than brand names. While he considers himself a reggae artiste, Watkis revealed that he dabbles in other genres from time to time. “Reggae, I must say, is like the Black Plague; get out its path if you don’t want to be infected,” he said. “But doing other genres fulfils my purpose as a musician. Every genre has a great impact, and I love to leave remarkable impressions on people’s life.”