BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – CANADA’s Music Industry Icon Ivan Berry, who is a native of St. Kitts and claims to be co-creator of the St. Kitts Music Festival, said that the annual event has lost its true concept.
“I created the St. Kitts Music Festival with Minister Dwyer Astaphan. He and I wanted to do something really special for St. Kitts, and I think the concept of the festival today has lost the original concept of the festival,” he told SKNVibes on a recent visit to the island.
Berry formally began his career in the music industry in 1982 when he started the BeatFactory brand with his partner Rupert Gayle. He signed the first Canadian Rap artiste unto an international record deal (Michie Mee) and was said to have signed more Hip-Hop and R&B artistes to record and publishing deals than any other music manager in Canada.
His efforts have also resulted in more international releases for Canadian Hip-Hop and R&B artistes and more Hip-Hop and R&B record sales worldwide than any other Canadian artiste’s manager.
Through his current management/publishing company, Tanjola, with partner Daniel Mekinda, Berry currently counts Pop superstar singer/songwriter Shiloh, International superstar singer/songwriter Massari, world-class superstar songwriter Rupert Gayle, world-class songwriter/producer/remixer Alex ‘South Rakkas’ Greggs, vibrant R&B songwriter Dru (In Essence), Pop songwriter Haydain Neale (Jacksoul), Pop/Rock singer/songwriter Alonzo, Pop/Rock songwriter/producer Justin Forsley, Caribbean diva singer/songwriter Shazelle and pioneering Hip-Hop group Dream Warriors, among his roster of artistes.
Berry said that the festival was really to entertain but, more importantly, to educate the regional people, not just Kittitians and Nevisians, about global culture, global food, global music and also those that would come from England, Canada and America to attend the event.
“It was to educate them about our local music, culture and food etc. In the very early days we had American acts like Chaka Khan and Kool and the Gang, but we also had bands like Hugh Masakela. So really, the concept was to bring African acts, American Soul, R/B acts, South American acts, Cuban acts and really make this festival a cultural experience,” he said.
Berry said that the right type of music could either educate negatively or positively. “I grew an entire career out of managing Hip-Hop acts, but it was a time when Hip-Hop was an educational art form…it was poetry. When you talk about groups like KRS-1, Dela Soul and Gangsterr, these were top American groups back then; they were the voice of the people, the voice of the ghettos, and it worked well.
“Now it’s just like everyone running around being a gangster rapper etc., and they live in nice areas, and they’re selling a fad to the Suburban cities of North America. And unfortunately, that fad, to me, is entering the Caribbean in a very big way and affecting the Caribbean negatively; violence, drugs, racism and all that. So, to me, the Music Fest has got to get back to how it was first,” Berry said.
Due to the dramatic downturn in the economy, Berry feels that it would be a losing battle if the festival continues in its direction, and it should go back to how it was intended to be from the start.
“What’s going to happen is that you don’t have the budget to bring the billboard chart toppers… those same Hip-Hop acts charge a significant amount of money because they are billboard chart toppers in America. And a much cheaper genre is the old school kinda authentic genres of music that is very cultural and educational, and they are the cheaper genres.
“But now you’ve (festival) branded yourself as the billboard chart toppers (festival), and when you bring inferior acts in that are still not culturally driven and are not in the billboard top 10, then you have a weak festival and the people that travel around the region to come to see the billboard chart toppers will say it’s a sh.. festival. Whereas, if you keep it really cool and cultural, and it’s not about who’s onstage but about the experience, because the festival was suppose to sell an experience, not sell the performers,” he said.
He mentioned that for Trinidad’s Carnival, people do not care about who they are going to see, they are going for the experience.
However, he said that the festival has done well under the direction of both ministers, Astaphan and Ricky Skerrit.
“They have done well. Thirteen to 14 years is not something to shun, but in order to sustain like St. Lucia has done and Jamaica, it’s got to be about the experience and not be about ‘I’m not going if this guy is not onstage’.
“It’s just a three-day concert and people are buying tickets for who they want to see. And if an artiste doesn’t show up the people are not going and would try sell their ticket…and all this tells me is that it’s just a three-day concert and not a festival.
A festival is about an experience and not who’s onstage. It’s about people coming together and enjoying food, company, music, from all over the world, not just American billboard topping artistes. And the festival has totally lost that,” Berry said.
Berry was also Head of A&R and International for Sony BMG Canada from 2000-2004, and was responsible for the development, recording and international marketing of Sony BMG Canada’s domestic roster, including artistes such as Keshia Chanté, Wyclef, Shawn Desman, Sloan, Rascalz, Treble Charger, Gino Vannelli, In Essence, The Guess Who, Ryan Malcolm (Canadian Idol), Kalan Porter (Canadian Idol).
The community-at-large has recognised Berry for his many achievements. In 2000 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Urban Music Association of Canada (UMAC), and in 2004 he received the Bob Marley Day Award for his continued success and for his on-going role in the community and the projection of a positive image for youth.
In 2005 he was honoured with the Music, Arts & Entertainment Award from the St. Kitts Canadian Association.
This year’s St. Kitts Music Festival will be held at Warner Park on June 24 -26.
