BY KESI ASHER, Staff Reporter
( L - R ) Shabba Ranks and Pliers - FILE PHOTOS
MTV TEMPO IS now being aired locally with it's official debut last Friday on Entertainment Systems', Channel 51.
It will continue to phase into the other cable channels periodically, across the island.
As the only channel currently airing MTV Tempo, Entertainment Systems has seen benefits since the Caribbean music channel has been introduced.
"The response has been very good, everybody loves it. People are even coming in to say they are going to bring their friends to subscribe because they love the station. Everybody has been talking about it," said Melisa Blair, customer service representative at Entertainment Systems.
Customers of the cable company are very happy with the addition to their viewing option.
"I like it, now I have a fourth music station to watch. I like the videos they show as well because I get to see some long time music videos. On Sunday I saw Lt. Stichie's Night and Day, and the other day I saw Richie Stephens in his young days," said Kurt, a viewer.
Tempo features music videos from all Caribbean genres. There is a wide representation of dancehall, reggae, soca, reggaeton, and some hip hop from across the Caribbean and America.
"It's a channel that represents the entire Caribbean," said Frederick Morton, senior vice president, General Manager Tempo. Tempo has risen in the Caribbean and Jamaica is the last of the 16 countries to receive the channel.
"It's been going terrifically well in all 16 countries. It's hot, on fire, the Caribbean feeling the tempo. It went up in Trinidad three weeks ago. When it went up in Jamaica, all the subscribers were calling to find out when they were going to get it," said Frederick Morton.
With Caribbean music being the aim of Tempo, the station brings a Caribbean flavour to the MTV network.
"It adds something that wasn't there before, which is a representation of us (Caribbean people)," said Morton who is from the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Croix.
The station even shows old school songs. Some of the not so modern artistes from Jamaica whose music videos have been shown are Shabba, Toots, Born Jamericans and Shakademus and Pliers.
"All the artistes that you will see on there are of top calibre, Buju Banton, Morgan Heritage, to name a few," said Morton. Frederick Morton sees dancehall as a defining element of the Caribbean music, and is convinced that with Tempo, the sky is the limit.
"I think dancehall is a real representation of the strength of Caribbean music. It has proven itself in many ways. From as far back as Shabba and Super Cat to now, Sean Paul and Beenie Man, now with a platform like Tempo, it will go to greater heights," said Morton.
MTV Tempo was launched in Jamaica in October.
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