Veteran music industry leader Norman Barrow believes that creativity, not competition, should be encouraged on the local music scene in order for the Barbadian brand to better penetrate overseas markets.
Barrow shared these views during a recent signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between his company, A&B Music Supplies, and the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus, said that sticking to the “traditional” ways of making and marketing music will not help local artists reach a global audience.
He said: “I am hoping that the opportunities provided for aspiring creatives will produce a different way of thinking, which will encourage them to realise that competing for a prize is not the way for us to get our music into the mainstream of international recognition.
“We must work together to make sure our music has global appeal. Machel Montano recently said: ‘We must improve the quality of our music, our writing, our marketing, and the quality of our message.'”
He explained, “I have always held the view that one of the main reasons that reggae music was able to become a recognised genre in the world of music, is because the Jamaican artistes never competed, and their writings were never guided by a set of rules. They were free to produce music that appealed to the world.”
He emphasized the need for a shift in focus, stating that while he respects past efforts, it is time to create music that can be marketed globally, which he described as essential for Barbados’ future.
The MOU establishes a partnership aimed at supporting students in the Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts by providing scholarships and other resources. It also includes the establishment of the Norman Barrow Digital Archives; this new archive is aimed at storing music Barrow has produced over the years across the region, and giving easy access to students who are seeking to further their research into varying genres.
