Producer says foreigners want authentic J’can music

Despite all the talk about poor record sales in the Jamaican music industry, producer Leon Smillie believes that there is still a vibrant overseas market for authentic Jamaican music.

"What they [critics] should look at is the quality of the projects that most of our artistes are putting out. Some of the projects that the experts expected to do well failed because most of the songs on these albums and EPs were created to crossover," he reasoned.

"People outside of Jamaica aren't looking to us for hip hop, pop or R&B. When they hear about an album by a Jamaican artiste, they expect to hear reggae or dancehall songs. Some people will argue that there is a place for crossover songs. While this might be true, we must also remember that reggae and dancehall are two very powerful genres of music that are synonymous with Jamaica and Jamaican artistes. People all over the world will always look to Jamaica for authentic dancehall and reggae music," added Smillie.

The Brooklyn, New York-based producer just released a new EP for popular reggae singer Turbulence, titled Be Strong.

"This EP features five authentic reggae songs. All these songs were recorded on live reggae rhythms. I must salute Turbulence. His vocals are excellent, he did a great job. I'm not anticipating any big first-week sales. That's not how reggae music sells, but I am confident that this EP will be a consistent seller and it will be in demand for a long time," said the producer.