Jamaican musical influences have pervaded the international recording scene for the past three decades, and have left an indelible imprint upon the sounds of everyone from The Rolling Stones to Ben Harper.  Artists such as No Doubt and Heavy D come to Jamaica and team up with Jamaican producers to capture the essence of the reggae vibe on their records. Starting on August 20th, a new initiative called Jamaica Signature Beats (JSB) will upgrade the infrastructure of the Jamaican recording industry and create an environment that will make it easier for more musicians to come to the island to attain that inspirational sound.

This new project is an endeavor sparked by the Jamaica Cluster Competitiveness Project (JCCP), which is a project that is dedicated to generating greater prosperity in Jamaica by developing its competitive advantages.

Jamaica Signature Beats is focused on building more collaborative business opportunities for the Jamaican Entertainment Industry and is supported by the island’s most talented producers, studios and musicians.

They are determined to capitalise on the historical precedence of the influence of reggae, ska, dub and dancehall that have invaded pop music ever since Bob Marley capitalised upon the success of his predecessors and internationalised a sound that was borne out of the Kingston sound systems.

With more studios per person than any city in the United States, barring Nashville, Jamaica offers performers access to a range of recording locations from the urban street experience to that of a secluded beach.

The Jamaica Signature Beats initiative offers artists not only locations to record but also the tools to do so including:

Access to the interactive website, www.JamaicaSignatureBeats.com with detailed information about JSB’s exclusive network of studios and music/video producers and access to state-of-the-art infrastructure to produce music of the highest quality.

“Today some of the biggest music artists are incorporating the energy of Jamaican music,” says David Shields, Deputy Director of Tourism - Marketing for the Jamaica Tourist Board.

“The Jamaica Signature Beats initiative will heighten Jamaican influence in music by bringing the international artists to Jamaica to work one-on-one with Jamaica’s most talented producers who can help create the authentic Jamaican sound that is now widely popular.”

——-