CEM Newsletter

Newsletter Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Newsletter Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Janine McMahon

VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN ELITE MAGAZINE, INC

How the Caribbean Pivots and Thrives

C

aribbean people are not only resilient, but they are creative, innovative and they thrive under unique circumstances. The pandemic has exposed our weaknesses on both a micro and macro level but “our mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow� as per our recent forum speaker, Jay Upscale.

The Caribbean entertainment industry has been hard hit, as the core of the business is

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dependent on social gatherings.

As a result of strict social distancing measures and uncertainty as to when things will revert to a level of normalcy, the CEM team thought it was necessary to convene industry experts to discuss the economic and emotional impact of the pandemic on the industry and brainstorm ways to combat the negative effects.

Twelve speakers were invited to participate in a forum

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Newsletter Wednesday, June 3, 2020

discussion to share ways in which Covid-19 has impacted different levels of the entertainment industry and how we can pivot and thrive during and following the pandemic. Speakers included: Ewan Simpson, Chairman of JaRIA | Dr. Terrence Martin, Award Winning Researcher & Assistant Professor of Finance at the University of Utah | Drikesha Aska, MD Instructor of Pathophysiology, Clinical Medicine & Anatomy | Kerra Denel, CEO Kerra Denel Inc. & Curator of CWPL | Kevin Crown, International DJ, MC & Host | Bobby Konders, International DJ & Producer | Odessa Chambers, Producer, Host & Brand Developer | Kerwin Du Bois, International Soca Artiste & Producer | Jay Upscale, CEO Jay Upscale Marketing & Promotions | Melissa Brown, CEO Lux Lifestyle Events | Denise Dixon, Marketing

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Consultant & CEO of DOME and Ambassador Jonel Powell, Chairman of St. Kitts Music Festival.

The forum was moderated

by CEM’s Vice President of Operations, Janine McMahon and Editor-inChief, Andrene Nicole.

Speakers were asked to respond to questions regarding the economic and emotional effects of the pandemic on the industry as it relates to their specialty. We engaged in robust conversation and the finance professional, Dr. Terrance Martin gave viewers and speakers valuable financial advice.

Expect a part two to this important conversation, which will be held in the near future.

Speaker, Kerwin Du Bois expressed concerns with the fact that the reality faced by the industry is that events may be canceled for the remainder of the year. He talked about being in a position where he invested in real estate and other business ventures, but the bulk of his income depended on his performances and appearances. He shared, while he is currently adhering to

social distancing rules, he decided to work on a project that he brainstormed for some time, but did not have time to execute due to his hectic schedule. The pandemic gave him the opportunity to launch his long envisioned project, S.P.U.T, which means “Sing, Produce, Unleash, Talent”. This program was launched May 4th 2020, with a mission to search for hidden talent using the IG live platform; giving individuals the opportunity to showcase their skills and allowing viewers to provide feedback. During the forum Du Bois shared, “I am unable to give back monetarily, but I can give back by providing opportunities for others.”

Recently, one of Du Bois participants, by the name of Madman, performed a catchy rendition which went viral and has been played by a number of DJs in the Soca community since his appearance on SPUT. It is a testament that right time, right place and opportunity goes a long way. Du Bois shared, in addition to IG live opportunities to showcase talent, he works with aspiring artistes on a one on one basis through the

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Newsletter Wednesday, June 3, 2020

zoom platform engaging in song writing and other projects.

Kerra Denel, curator of Caribbean Woman’s Power Lunch and another speaker at the forum, recently hosted two installments of CWPL; virtual editions.

Both events were held via the zoom platform and hosted approximately 1,130 women and six dynamic speakers including, Rochelle Wilson, Vernique Henfield, Anissa Adams, Seneca Williams, Marsha Flemmings and Rochelle Gapere.

The speakers touched on areas of self-care, managing finances, using Instagram to leverage and improve business visibility, building legacy, the importance of knowing and understanding your purpose and happiness.

It seems impossible to create unique experiences in a digital space, but

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Denel has been masterfully successful on each occasion. Denel’s platform was created with a vision to connect, highlight and inspire women, with a strong emphasis on women in the Caribbean diaspora. The goal of CWPL is to create a strong network of women with similar ideals, values and interests, with the desire to share strengths, pool resources and support each other in all aspects of life and business.

“Success begets Success” is the mantra at the core of this event.

details, which enhanced the overall experience.

Women connected in such a powerful way through the chat room, where contact information and words of encouragement were shared. The patrons were invited to share “ah ha moments” and some shared stories that brought the entire zoom audience to tears.

Following the lunches were virtual after parties, with music provided by Lips International and Lady Drea, who ended each event on a high note.

Soca queens, Destra Garcia and Alison Hinds were surprise guests at the virtual lunches and shared empowering words with the patrons.

Performances by pannist, Danielle George and pianist, Johanna D Piano Girl were added

Denel is also the CEO of Kerra Denel Ent and founder of Kerra Loves the Kids. When asked how she keeps her brands relevant when the core of her businesses require social interaction, Denel replied, “It’s not about brand relevancy or

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Newsletter Wednesday, June 3, 2020

visibility, but rather helping and supporting people in this time of need. Due to the pandemic we are dealing with uncertain times and I need my patrons just as much as they need me, to continue to provide these opportunities to connect and network.

Hosting these lunches keeps me active, keeps me sane and I do not view it as work or an event but rather, a family gathering.” We commend Denel on her efforts and support her in her quest to “build community, one experience at a time”.

Speaker Jay Upscale, CEO of Jay Upscale Marketing and Promotions shared the impact on his business, as it appears all events for

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the remainder of the year face possible cancellation.

He decided to partner with his longtime friend Chef Shorne, who is a Culinary Artist, to provide affordable gourmet lunches using a curbside pickup method for clients. They were provided kitchen space by Dwayne Winter, owner of Savvy Bistro, located in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY for meal prep and packaging. Jay and Shorne strategically

faced with another crisis situation in the future or business takes a turn for the worse for one reason or another.

used their databases to advertise this venture and successfully provided 150 meals for their clients. Jay stressed the importance for individuals in the industry, to carefully document all transactions so they can better position themselves to receive government subsidies, small business loans and grants, in the event we are

Although things are uncertain for the Reggae industry, one promising incident included Beenie Man and Bounty Killer being invited to the Verzuz platform, where some of the best in entertainment, engage in a friendly “clash”, playing some of best their hits and which usually generates hundreds of thousands of viewers.

With looming uncertainty facing the Caribbean entertainment industry, one hard hit area is the Jamaican reggae industry. We invited Ewan Simpson, Chairman of JaRIA (Jamaica Reggae Industry Association) to speak about the negative economic impact.

Simpson discussed the importance of us all banding together and examined solutions to combat the adverse effects on the industry and thrive following the pandemic.

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The announcement was made on Wednesday, May 20th and the flyer was shared multiple times by excited fans. The battle was a major success and a big win for the Caribbean, as it welcomed over 400k viewers on Instagram live and thousands more on YouTube platforms. This was an unprecedented event, deemed by many as “The best Verzuz battle thus far”, and a proud moment for the Caribbean.

offered other hits such as Slam, Girls Dem Sugar, Dangerously and Deadly Zone.

During the clash, there was an inference of law enforcement attempting to cease the studio session.

The speculation came as a result of Beenie Man addressing an individual who was off camera by saying, “good evening officer” and asking “Can we not do this right now?

We have over 500k people around the world watching; do you want to be that guy?” He then addressed the viewers stating, “The police are here, but we are not stopping,” continuing with “We are not going to let them disturb our thing!”

The DJ’s continued with “Murderer” while Beenie later continued with “Me Dun Know Say None a Dem Nuh like Me”. Every moment; every counter, were nostalgic and overall, the clash was EPIC! There was dissension surrounding the event, as Majah Hype shared some personal thoughts regarding the fact that some people of Caribbean descent, sparingly support their own, but willingly support outside entities.

Hype engaged in an IG live conversation with a friend in the industry, who shared some strong views, and as a result, Hype’s words were misconstrued. This caused

Both artistes convened in studio for the battle and it was plausibly the most seamless and unforgettable Verzuz installment thus far; with zero wifi issues. During the course of the battle, Beenie Man sang one of his top hits, Romie, to which Bounty countered with Wotless Boy, then Beenie countered with Ole Dog, which was one of the most epic moments, to say the least. They both

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Newsletter Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Swizz Beatz, cofounder of Verzuz, to post a comment directed to Hype during the Verzuz event and Hype took to IG live to address the comment. During Hype’s address, Beatz posted a comment, which drove them to engage in a “man to man” discussion.

There was a level of mutual respect between both parties and it was evident that miscommunication was at the root of the misunderstanding. Both men have a genuine love for Dancehall music and acknowledged that this was #ForTheCulture; a big win for the Caribbean!

Following the clash, Beatz took to IG live and engaged in a conversation with dancehall superstar Ding Dong, and hinted to the fact that the next Dancehall battle may be between Ding Dong and Elephant Man. I foresee a number of viral moments if a clash between these two

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high energy entertainers, with groundbreaking hits and matching dance moves, is solidified. I am fully prepared to “Dance de Crazy Hype”, “Fling”, “Bad Man Forward” and “Willy Bounce”!

Music has been the antidote for many during these times. We have seen many of our favorite DJs such as Kevin Crown,

Bobby Konders, Private Ryan, DJ Puffy, Young Chow, Riggo Suave and more, take to IG live and other live platforms to aid in musical therapy for thousands of viewers.

On May 9th, 2020, DJ Private Ryan hosted his

internationally known Soca Brainwash in the virtual space and invited some of the above mentioned DJs to aid him in creating a great virtual experience.

Kevin Crown started a daily morning show, spinning 5 days a week and Bobby Konders has brought his weekly Hot97 show, Fire Sundays to the digital space.

In addition to the DJ contributions, worldrenowned producer, Notnice, released a song titled “We Are,” which was created to uplift, encourage and inspire people worldwide during these trying times. The artistes featured on this song were Nordia Mothersille, Romain Virgo, Jah Cure, Tarrus Riley, Richie Stephens, Tessanne Chin, Julian Marley, Jah Vinci, Etana, Jesse Royal, Sanchez, Richie Spice, Maxi Priest, Khalia and Wayne Marshall. The song includes the lyrics “Sometimes, it feels like, hope has left us with no options…” and later continues with “We are, stronger than any obstacles and we are braver than what we’ve been told… Strong as we are, powerful as we are, we can make it through

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Newsletter Wednesday, June 3, 2020

every single thing.� The power in these words and the opportunity to see the artistes collaborating, offers a sense of hope and encouragement and sends the message that together we can overcome the challenges and rise above adversity in any given situation.

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The 2020 pandemic has been life-altering and we have been living in uncertain times, but the Caribbean has proven to be strategic and resilient.

Recently, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Trinidad have released reports of being Covid-free and both St. Kitts and St. Lucia experienced 100% recovery rate with no casualties. We commend the countries’ government for implementing plans that were proven effective and we hope for continued safety for the people in the islands and Caribbean nationals worldwide.

To everyone who has lost friends and loved ones as a result of Covid-19 or during the pandemic, we extend our deepest condolences. We pray for healing, understanding and comfort at this time. Now more than ever, we need to support each other. Let us emerge from this pandemic stronger, more unified and resilient as ever.

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