News : A 'Black well' of J'can music - Island Outpost boss looks back at early years

[Roots Archives]

Reggae's emergence on the world stage came from his blueprint and nothing can erase the fact that the first three pop/rhythm and blues records produced in Jamaica were born in his camp.

In fact, it would be impossible to pay Island Outpost's **Chris Blackwell** royalties for helping to establish the global appeal that complements reggae's name.

Since his hands turned the music into gold, freedom fighters in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia), South Africa and Namibia have adopted the lyrics as a means of empowerment, yet Blackwell, a multimillionaire who has touched the lives of so many, is still as humble as the days he scouted talents at what he terms "music shows".

Reminiscing on those days, Blackwell told The Sunday Gleaner that then the artistes with noticeable potential were promoted by a frustrated singer named Horace Forbes.

"There was a singer on one of the shows one evening who sang like Brook Benton. His name was Wilfred Edwards. I decided I definitely wanted to record him if he wrote his own songs," Blackwell said.

*The rest is history*

Around the same time, Blackwell had made his production debut with Laurel Aitken, whose double-sided single Boogie in My Bones/ Little Sheila went to number one on the charts.

"My second record was by Owen Gray, Please Let Me Go, and that went to number two in the charts," Blackwell said.

Of course success was in his veins, equipping him with the ammunition to produce song number three by Wilfred Edwards, tagged Your Eyes Are Dreaming, which also went to the top of the charts.

*The year was 1960*

Chris Blackwell's career has been defined by a unique ability to discover exceptional talent and market it to the world. His philosophy, from discovering a new Island Outpost property to the signing of a new hit music act or film project, has never wavered.

It is a philosophy which made Island Records the leading independent music label on the world stage and kept it there for 40 years.

Today, he still believes the early artistes were his only influence on Jamaican music, as he acknowledges the contribution of legends such as Sir Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid, King Edwards, Prince Buster and Leslie Kong, who started recording local artistes, while the music took off both here and in England.

His contribution, he said, was "in 1962 I went to England and started Island Records. I mainly released the records made by the above-named sound system guys, other than Prince Buster. I then promoted these records in England personally, taking them around to all the stores that catered to the Jamaican population there. I also got key shops in the centre of London to carry the music and it started to catch with the English kids".

*The golden age*

He feels that Jamaican music has progressed since the beginning, but in his opinion it will be hard to recreate the magic of the golden age of Jamaican tunes, which he names as 1962 and 1982.

During that era, Blackwell's commitment, dedication and unique style of doing business gave recognition to the music, which has since become a worldwide anthem.

He has no regrets and would not do it differently if he had to do it over again.

To date his biggest achievement as a producer was to help to plot a course for the King of Reggae, Robert Nesta Marley to be able to reach a mass audience.

It is no surprise that his mantra is to aim to do things well.

His reward has been spine-tingling, as he made history years ago when he became the only non-musician to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

*'Residential Tourism'*

Outside of music, Blackwell says he is most keen now on promoting 'Residential Tourism' in Jamaica, encouraging visitors to put down roots in this incredible country.

With the structural shift in the industry towards residential resort development, Island Outpost is uniquely positioned to create exclusive international communities at its spectacular locations, with a focus on health and fitness underpinned by cutting edge technology and comprehensive management/rental programme.

The roll-out of this new stage of the Island Outpost evolution is at Goldeneye, the birthplace of the James Bond character in Ian Fleming's novels and the heartbeat of jetset Jamaica, with the development of villas, cottages, suites and a saltwater spa set on a private island around a lagoon, scheduled for screening in winter '007, of course.

Born in England, Chris Blackwell spent his early childhood days at Terra Nova in St. Andrew which was his family home and on a plantation in St. Mary where they farmed banana and coconuts.

And for those who may think of him as an outsider who has exploited the music, this is his response.

"I don't think I am an outsider in Jamaica more than I am anywhere else. I have always felt at home in Jamaica and with Jamaican people as I grew up here from I was six months old," Blackwell said.

"As for exploiting Jamaican music! Yes, I think I have done my best to do so. As you can see from above, I was around from the beginning of ska and produced or represented a great deal of the recordings made in the early '60s. Exploitation is only negative if the business relationship is unfair at the time. I don't believe that to be the case in my dealings with the artistes or producers with whom I worked."

The maestro paid tribute to Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert, who he said is really the artiste that gave rocksteady its name, and Jimmy Cliff who he said was hugely important in establishing the music internationally.

Janet Silvera

*source : [jamaica-gleaner.com](http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com)*