Prominent record producer calls for adaptation of dancehall music for international audience

By Shaun Cain 

Prominent Jamaican record producer, Akiem 'Quanboss' Bingham, has argued that the dancehall needs to adapt its output to suit a wider international audience. In an interview on the Star Gazing with Shaun Cain Show on YouTube, the Quanboss', Chief Executive Officer of Quantanium Records, has urged Jamaican artistes and producers to modify the language and lyrics, expeditiously.

Akiem 'Quanboss' Bingham

The Quanboss, who founded Quantanium Records in Spanish Town, St  Catherine, Jamaica more than 10 years ago, has produced records for Govana, Vitch, Chronic Law, Nvasion, Siva Hotbox, Nervz, Laa Lee, Navaz,  Charly Black and Jahmiel.

The Quanboss is the genius behind Jahmiel's breakout songs, "Gain the World" and "Great Man", Laa Lee's "Quack Quack" and Govana's "Bake Bean" and "Dozen". 

He has told the show's host, Shaun Cain, that the music will become more appealing and accessible if a greater number of people outside of Jamaica can understand the language in which the songs are recorded.

He was responding to a question prompted by the recent furore among dancehall acts, who believe that they are being overlooked for Grammy nominations/awards (Best Reggae Album).

Language barrier

The Quanboss contends that language barrier could be a major issue for potential consumers that do not speak Jamaican. He has proposed that the artistes use more English on the records that are being marketed internationally. He has pointed out, "although our language is a significant part of our heritage, we have to decide if we are going to export a standard product (dancehall music) to a market that cannot access it, or adapt it to suit their needs." In terms of the lyrics, the Quanboss maintains that, just as there are clean versions and uncensored options, a similar strategy could be pursued for the export market. According to him, this makes commercial and cultural sense, as the needs of the main constituents of the music are being satisfied simultaneously.

Limited lyrical themes

The Quanboss, whose latest releases include "Chappa Fi True", a collaboration between Navaz and Nervz and Jahmiel's "Unbroken", has observed that the recurring themes that seem to define dancehall music are too narrow and predictable. He says he thinks this myopia is restricting the ability of the genre to fly freely, break through new frontiers and gain more fans. "To me, I think it's the content. A lot of us don't study the songs [album's] that get Grammy and go number one. If we did, we would ensure the issues addressed are broader," the Quantanium Records CEO argued.

You can watch the Quanboss' full interview by clicking the image below.

Click the image above to watch the Quanboss' full interview on the Star Gazing with Shaun Cain Show.  

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Shaun Cain is a journalist, author, voiceover talent and the producer/presenter of the Star Gazing with Shaun Cain Interview Show on the Star Gazing with Shaun Cain YouTube channel. Check out the content on the channel today. 

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Dancehall artiste, Siva Hotbox, calls for a return of righteousness to Jamaican music.

By Shaun Cain 

Dancehall artiste, Siva Hotbox, is calling on Jamaican artistes and musicians to clean up the country's musical heritage.  He wants Reggae and Dancehall music to return to its original purpose of being a vehicle to disseminate righteous across the globe.

                                                                                      Siva Hotbox 

Siva Hotbox, who was born in St. Andrew in the late 1990's, is this week's guest on the Star Gazing with Shaun Cain Show on YouTube.  He laments that there is too much negativity in the music and it is not helpful to the country and humanity as a whole. "Reggae music in Jamaica now is not moving like the root [origins of the genre], it is moving like the stem.  Our music needs  be more conscious, so it can motivate the people to improve themselves and be more respectful and generous towards each other," he argues.

In reflecting on his own journey, the entertainer considers himself to be someone that has climbed very slowly from the abyss of poverty on a tattered string of hope that threatened to yank him back several times. The artiste says life was so difficult for him as a child, he sometimes wonders how he and his family survived.  However, he says he thanks God every day for those mercies.

The March Pen Road, Spanish Town artiste told the Star Gazing with Shaun Show that he has since managed to reframe his childhood experience, which has made him mentally, spiritually and physically tough.

         Siva Hotbox on the Star gazing with Shaun Cain Show.  Click the image above to watch the full show. 

His educational journey started at the Excelsior High School in Kingston. After the family moved to Spanish Town, he had to make the daily commute to and from Mountain View Avenue.  The distance was just too much for him, so his mother asked for him to be transferred to the Spanish Town High School.  

 

After finishing school, he did odd jobs, but, aside from the wages, they did not bring him much satisfaction.  That was when his enterprising skills took over and he started his first entrepreneurial pursuit.  He began selling clothes on the streets of the old capital.  He quickly learned to apply the business concepts of costs, revenue, value added and profit.   According to the “Game Haad” entertainer, he did very well in business. He is planning on commencing a new business venture very soon.  

 

But while he walked the streets hustling, he kept humming, singing and toasting.  He even toasted for some of his customers and they loved it, and sometimes they even bought more of his products than they had originally planned.

 

The “Ransom” artiste remembers that one day a friend told him that he knew a very good local producer that might be able to help him launch his career.  Siva Hotbox was puzzled as to who the producer was.  When he learned that it was Akiem ‘Quan Boss’ Bingham of Quantanium Records, he instantly became excited.  He told himself that he had to write an impressive song to bolster his chances of working with the Quan Boss.  

 

That meeting turned out to be the gateway to the hit song, “Piece A Dutt”, which simply means that most challenges, if approached carefully and thoughtfully, can be as easy as a piece of cake to solve.  Since that productive start, he is still associated with the Quantanium label. He has contributed to the recently released “Ghetto Superstars” medley featuring Vitch, Nervz, Navaz and Jayeleah.

 

With a catalogue that includes popular tracks such as 50 Bars, Life Liva, Line Affi Jerk and Ransom, Siva Hotbox is on the verge of a breakthrough.  His next release is expected to be his highly anticipated collaboration with fellow St. Catherine artiste, the “Great Man”, Jahmiel, who also records on the exemplary Quantanium label.  

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Shaun Cain is a journalist, author of the Reggae Larger than Life Fun and Games Book, voiceover talent and producer/presenter of the Star Gazing with Shaun Cain Interview Show on the Star Gazing with Shaun Cain YouTube channel. 

Check out the channel today.  Please remember to subscribe, like, share and leave a comment.

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