( L - R ) Live Wyah - WINSTON SILL , Copeland Forbes - PHOTO COURTESY OF REGGAEPHOTO.COM and Luciano - FILE
BEING AN ARTISTE manager is no easy task. And, based on veteran manager Copeland Forbes' experience this is very true.
Copeland Forbes is the manager of reggae artiste Luciano and upcoming band Live Wyah. But, his resume as an artiste manager boasts other famous names in the reggae arena such as Dennis Brown, Peter Tosh, Marcia Griffiths, Black Uhuru, Sly and Robbie among others.
But, like many in the music business, Copeland's career did not start out in artiste management. For most of his early days in entertainment he was a dancer. It was while dancing that he learnt the role of artiste management.
"It was a transition as our group(the Coasters) was associated with a band called the Mighty Vikings and we used to travel up and down with them. The man in charge of the band was someone named Winston Chinquee who was with the Jamaica Commercial Institute. I learnt a lot about managing an artiste by hanging around him," he said.
He said he was not truly bitten by the management bug until he travelled to the United States with the band. He said he later became more intrigued with artiste management when he went on tour with the Wailers.
But, his true test as a manager came in 1981 when Peter Tosh asked him to be his manager.
"I was his personal assistant when he asked me to manage him. A lot of people asked me how I dealt with him. But, he was a very nice person. If you sat down with him he would make you laugh non-stop," he said.
Copeland says that the once controversial Peter Tosh was not the most difficult artiste he managed. He revealed quite jokingly that Dennis Brown was harder.
SUCCESSFUL ARTISTE
"Dennis used to cause me problems. But, you couldn't be upset with him because he was charming. I remember once we had a show in Jamaica and Dennis was in England on the day of the show and I had to fly their to get him. Even when he was to sign with A&M Records I had to come get him in Jamaica for the signing," he said.
Despite, the different characters, Copeland said that key to being a successful artiste manager, is to also be a friend, financial adviser and father. He said it can be time consuming and cause many sleepless nights.
Nevertheless, he said the profession can be very rewarding both financially and otherwise.
He said, that his career is not one that can be learnt from a text book as it is mainly based on job training. Nevertheless, he said he still reads books that will help him become a better manager.
"It is a process. Some people think you can become a good manager by going to school. But, the best training you will get is being an artiste manager so you experience the rocky road and the smooth road," he said.
He points out that these days artiste management is not just collecting money at stage shows. He said it involves dealing with royalties, getting songs on movie sound tracks, having clothing lines and a host of other commercial ventures. All these he said ensure that an artiste reaps the reward of his hardwork.
But, no matter what, Copeland admits that artiste management is no 9 to 5 job and and is not for someone with a faint heart. However, all this hardwork can have its rewards.
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