Over a hundred practitioners from the music and entertainment industry gathered on Twitter last Thursday (January 6) to discuss ‘The Artiste and the Publicist’. 

What was clear from the discussion was that, “Jamaica needed a more organised and structured space to facilitate the growth of the business of music.”

Structure, strategy, sustainability and relationships were just some of the keywords which were consistently expressed throughout the 90-minute event, co-hosted by Debbie Bissoon and Carole Beckford. 

Among the list of guests were folks who worked for a range of Jamaican artistes, from the newcomers to the experienced.

What was clear though was knowing the “identity of the artiste and how a publicist can work in that team to carry that brand a message.”

A summary of the basic tips shared, include: 

• Artistes should focus on the art and let the work manifest. 
• Publicists are to know the lay of the business so their advice is based in knowledge and experience, which in turn resonates with the musician.
• Media training is also key. 
• Music alone won’t sell the artiste.

Abigail Rowe, who has done work with Koffee, made the point that “a story is important to tell and when that story changes, the message should also change.”

Dr Deborah Hickling Gordon, professor at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, has offered to collaborate for workshops and seminars aimed at refreshing the industry on the business of music.

Bissoon, who has worked with Tarrus Riley and a suite of other entertainment players, made this tweet sparking conversation on January 3, “Dear artists, random posts on social media may not be enough for you. You need a strategy. Hire a publicist.”

The Twitter Space discussion was held three days later as a prompt from Beckford.

Both have worked together on several projects to include the Jamaica Film Festival in 2015 and the Cricket West Indies awards in 2018.

Both have committed to host further sessions.