Jamaican Reggae & Dancehall Artistes Pricing Themselves Out Of Work
As a booking agent, I have been noticing a trend that I think needs to be addressed.
A lot of, if not most, Jamaican reggae and dancehall artistes seem to be pricing themselves out of the market.
I do bookings for a few events in Europe. Because I know that most reggae/dancehall acts look to that region for work. I always try to seek out Jamaican talent (both established and emerging) to try to get them on my shows. Sadly, their requirements have gotten so out of hand that I find myself hiring mostly entertainers from Africa and the United Kingdom.
Reggae and Dancehall music are now being produced all over the world. Therefore, the industry is more competitive. Investors, promoters etc. are no longer just looking to Jamaica for these genres. Granted, Jamaica is still considered the home/leader in the reggae/dancehall field, but artistes must realise that if their fee and entourage is too demanding that promoters will look elsewhere.
Expecting a promoter to hire and pay you 2,000 euro and up, plus fly you, your manager and someone else, when you have no hit and therefore cannot pull a crowd, is ridiculous.
I hope I have not offended anyone with this article, but I am currently in the process of booking for two upcoming events in that territory and the requests I am getting are so far gone that I had to write this.
By Maria Jackson – Email me at [email protected]
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