INBusiness THE ARTS
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S A YOUNG woman in Canada, Ebonnie Rowe was a spirited activist working with at-risk minority children and young adults in mentorship and empowerment programs. Wanting to provide opportunities for young women that she met who were musically talented, Ebonnie founded the “Honey Jam Showcase” in 1995.
Honey Jam is an all-female showcase that gives its artists the chance to develop and showcase their talents, learn about the music business, and make connections. The girls attend workshops with vocal coaches and industry professionals, and give back to the community by taking part in charity events and drives. Honey Jam counts among its alumni international recording artist Nelly Furtado, who was discovered at the annual show in Toronto in 1997. “When I started Honey Jam, I was working full-time as a legal assistant,” Ebonnie recalls. “I planned, produced and financed the show myself. And that was back in the days before social media! My phone number was on every flyer, I returned every phone call myself, sometimes up to a hundred calls, and usually in the evenings after a long day of work!” Ebonnie also designed all advertisements, mailed out all correspondence, personally met with everyone involved with Honey Jam and ran the auditions for the show herself. “I was literally a one-woman team,” she says. As the success of Honey Jam grew, Ebonnie dreamed of bringing the show to Barbados. “My parents are Barbadian, I went to school here when I was young, and I knew that Barbados had so much talent to offer.” However it wasn’t until 2010 that she finally felt able to put the wheels in motion. “I didn’t have many Honey Jam Founder Ebonie Rowe contacts. I was an event coordinator, but no one really knew me as a concert organizer, and in a small island you must have those connections to secure sponsorship,” Ebonnie explains. Having organized Auntie Olga’s Fun Run for a few years and making a few contacts, Ebonnie began to look for her audience. When she attended “Iron Sharpen Iron”, a spoINBusiness • November 2013 • Page 6
FROM SOCIAL ACTIVIST TO
TALENT PROMOTER