Global Appeal

As a music journalist, I get a bit of mail activity trying to put me on to underground artists to write about. The truth is, I can’t complain, I love the creative underground, musically and otherwise. I’m not typically one for labels but when you work in music, it pays well to accept and understand the distance between an established artist/e and a budding artist/e. Also the difference between a local artist/e and an international artist/e. The truth is there is a line that separates, but understanding that line is the key to mastering the silly divide.

The truth is with music and creative expression in general, there is bound to be a variety of ways to do it, so it stands to reason that if it is done in a specific way, then the result will also be specific. For example, if one were to start a conversation in a room full of people and the subject of the conversation was exclusive to one quarter of the room, then it makes sense that only one quarter of the room will be involved. Music and art are conversations, and so if you make music or art that is only relevant to people on this island(Jamaica), or people in your immediate area wherever you are, then you will be a local artist/e. The talent here in Jamaica, and creative undergrounds all over the world, always amazes me to no end and I always feel like a lot of these talents deserve exposure. But the truth is, if your message or means of delivery does not come from a fundamentally human place, a timeless place, a place we all share, then only a few people will celebrate your art. This is what industries would refer to global appeal.

I encourage my young creatives to be mindful of appeal and aesthetic and the role it plays in the reception from audiences. We all live in the age of information, we are aware of the change in both visual and sonic landscapes around the world. The question then becomes, what is your story, what is your narrative and why should I pay attention?

It is not true that you must have an eclectic taste in order to see success, but taste is very relevant, because it must be refined so it can be easily identified. Along with this I encourage applying the harsh self criticism inherent to all artists, but do not criticize yourself out of doing it, critique yourself into doing it your best.

Work on your identity, your story, your product and use the one tool we all have, information. There is no real formula of course, but in everything I encourage making wise decisions and I consider some of my above observations as such.

Image: Jik Reuben Photography