The Caribbean’s unmistakable stamp on global music was front and centre at a dynamic
CARIFESTA XV panel that brought together producers, writers, and performers for a spirited conversation on the region’s cultural power.
Held at the Island Inn Hotel, The Business of Music featured Grammy Award- winning songwriter and producer Rico Love and Jamaican hit-maker Stephen Di Genius McGregor. The session was part of the festival’s Knowledge Sharing Platform, offering the audience rare insights into songwriting, production, and artiste development.
Reflecting on the early struggles of Caribbean artistes to break through internationally, Rico Love recalled the challenge of finding his authentic voice.
“Most of that region looked like them and talked like them and spoke like them – it felt real to say, ‘Oh, I could sing this’,” he said, noting how sounds rooted in the Caribbean resonated more naturally than sounds of American singers such as Little Richard or Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland.
For McGregor, the lesson was clear: cultural authenticity is an advantage, not a barrier.
“Some things are just going to sound better if you bring your background into it – reggae, Caribbean rhythms – that’s our strength. Instead of running from it, lean into it,” he told the crowd.
The conversation also sparked applause when audience member Ronnie De Announcer Clarke highlighted a Barbadian link to 1990s pop. He reminded the panel that Herbie Crichlow, a Bajan songwriter, co-wrote Backstreet Boys classics like Quit Playing Games With My Heart and Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely, alongside Max Martin and Dennis Pop in Sweden.
When the discussion turned to overlooked songs,
Rico Love shared a candid reflection.
“I just did a Teyana Taylor album and the songs I loved most weren’t the ones that blew up. Same with a track I wrote for Brandy called No Such Thing As Too Late – to me it was one of the best things I’ve ever done but most people never heard it.”
The panel wrapped up with a powerful reminder of how deeply Caribbean and black creativity has fuelled global genres.
“When you think about the early Rolling Stones, they were studying Muddy Waters. They didn’t have the soul, but when they tried, it sounded new and fresh. The real rock and roll was Muddy Waters – but the world only caught on when white bands echoed it. That’s why they had Muddy Waters open their first big tour. They worshipped him,” Rico Love said.
From personal stories to industry truths, the exchange captured CARIFESTA’s mission: to showcase the region’s immense talent while challenging artistes to embrace their roots as the foundation for global success. (NS)
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