"Artiste Who are Not Members Will Not be Allowed to Perform in Europe" - Says JARIA

According to an article published by the Jamaica Observer, very soon local artistes who are not members of Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JARIA) will not be allowed to legally perform in Europe.This was revealed by chairman of JARIA, Michael 'Ibo' Cooper as he delivered the keynote address at the launch of Abijah's single Where Is The Love and video.

This new move has come as a result of an alliance forged between the local body and the Reggae music fraternity in France.

Cooper's revelation came following a recent visit to France by a JARIA.

He disclosed that a partnership has been established between JARIA and the reggae fraternity of France. The music stakeholders in that country have invited JARIA to act as regulatory body for reggae artistes on future tours in France.

Explaining the regulatory role JARIA will be playing, Ibo stated that its French counterpart is going to put system in place to prevent artistes and musicians who are not members JARIA from performing in Europe.

"They are agents for all of the European promoters and they are going to see to it, that no European promoter employs a Jamaican artiste without being a JARIA member, Ibo Cooper said.

"They say, they want us now to be like the quality controller for the artistes coming (to Europe) because them have a lot of trouble with the Jamaican artistes so dem want somebody to advise them as to which artiste to carry. And they have choosen our organisation," announced the former keyboardist of Third World.

"The French came here for Reggae Month and they saw what we were doing and invited and paid for our delegation to go there. The key to it is, that apart from our own Reggae Month, they are going to put on two days of their festival in sync with us during Reggae Month," Cooper related.

"For those who don't know, our main signature event, is Reggae Month (celebration) every February. And for the last three years we have been putting it on with the help of the Edna Manley College at which I am a lecturer and we have our Wednesday nights event and believe me we have to be turning away people every year. Every artiste want to perform. We reach the stage now we might have to leave Edna Manley because the thing start to block the road."

But before getting to the meat of the matter, the veteran musician bemoaned the lack of interest from his own students as well as members of the wider music fraternity who want a 'buss' even they would plea with him to be included on the month long celebration in order to get exposure and promotion.

Stressing the point he asked "Would you believe that they have not joined JARIA"?

"Yet," he added,

"our delegation went to Europe to find that these French people have joined JARIA and in a few weeks time, we are going to have probably, a bigger JARIA membership of Europeans than Jamaicans. Believe it or not. I want you to understand how the people them love weh we a do and we nah respect weh we a do," Cooper noted.