[A History of Jah Freedom Recording - Jah Freedom Recording, conceived in the summer of 1996, is the long time dream of Steve Weinstein. After travelling to Jamaica many times, and falling in love with Jamaica and Reggae Music, Steve decided to somehow get involved in the reggae music business. His close friend and extremely talented recording engineer, Paul 'Sly' Francis suggested that without musical skills, the best way to get involved was to build a Dubplate Studio. Steve took the challenge and with lots of determination, limited resources, and some connections in Philadelphia's Jamaican Reggae community, began Jah Freedom Recording. Jah Freedom has been built around a 62 year old Presto Record Cutting Lathe. Piece by piece, dubplate by dubplate. Artiste by artiste, and sound by sound, Jah Freedom Recording has come to be. In the summer of 1999 Steve began putting together a music production facility. With the remnants of Travellers Studio in West Philadelphia, and the expertise of Paul Sly Francis, Jah Freedom Productions was built. The biggest challenge over the years has been finding talented reggae artistes, musicians, and engineers in the Philly area. The dream has always been to move to Jamaica and make Jah Freedom Western Jamaica's premier recording facility. The dream is becoming reality. Jah Freedom is moving to Negril in the first quarter of 2003. We will offer Jamaica's top reggae musicians, Jamaica's most beautiful scenery, and Jamaica's best location for levelvibes: Negril's West End. Jah Freedom will be a place where Reggae Music's veterans, upcoming local and international talent, and Reggae, Jazz, Rock, and R & B artistes can come to Negril, enjoy Jamaica, and record their music. ] Interview by Lukas Lomesh Kolibal, www.JahMusic.net Hi Steve, I have few questions for the interview, as we spoke about in your studio.. Promises are good to realise ;-) 1) Can you introduce us to yourself and your work? I am Steve Weinstein, Managing Director of Jah Freedom Recording Company, Limited. A production recording studio, record producing company, and a dubplate recording studio. The studios are located on the West End of Negril, accross from Home Sweet Home Hotel in Jamaica's Western Parish, Westmoreland. We are in the business of recording reggae music, finding and producing new talent, and recording dubplate specials for soundsystems from all over the world. Our corporate mission statement is: To provide the highest quality recording services available on the Western Side of Jamaica. Every day we try to maintain the highest quality of recording standards, give people the best value for their money and provide them with whatever they need with regard to artistes and recording services. 2) How you started to be interested in reggae? In 1988 I attended the Reggae Sunsplash in Montego Bay...I went there with a band called Roots Explosion from Negril. We all had a great time and I learned a lot from the band members and their drummer/engineer about music and especially about dancehall and reggae music. I maintained the link with the engineer/drummer, Paul 'Sly' Francis. He and I began to keep in touch and began our friendship and our alliance..Over the years, Sly provided me with a regular supply of reggae shows on tape and when he came to visit me in Philadelphia in 1995 he suggested that if I wanted to get involved in the reggae music business I needed to purchase a dubplate machine, learn to use it, and eventually carry it to Jamaica. 3) So itīs simple logic, move from USA to Jamaica set up the studio? The logic is simple but the move was anything but simple...The amount of things I gave up, (a nice home in the suburbs of Philadelphia, 2 cars, a motorcycle, 2 dogs, my furnishings, memorabilia, and my friends) sold, gave away, got rid of and had to leave behind...The huge expense of organizing, crating, boxing, shipping and moving. The government requirements, and costs, for a foreigner incorporating and starting a limited company in Jamaica, were all very overwealming. The tremendous investment, along with all of the sacrifices and to do this. When I look back I can hardly believe I am here, doing this business. I am still hoping in my heart that this will become a huge success and I will be able to one day (soon) buy back some of the things that I gave up to do all of this. 4) Yeah, itīs easier way how to make dubplates, but how is the real situation? The real situation is this...Working with Jamaican artistes and sound systems is not always easy. They are very lackadaisical when it comes to showing up on time, keeping their word about time and living up to what they have agreed. It is always a challenge trying to get people to be at the studio at an appointed time, getting them to work and pay for the work they want and to persuade the artistes to record songs with Jah Freedom Recording Company for release. Jamaican reggae artistes are a very challenging group of people to deal with. However, at the end of the day, when the music has been recorded, the clients are satisfied with what they bought, the artistes are overwealmed with the quality of the studio and the skills of my engineer, and the bills can be paid out of the fruits of my labours, I feel very satisfied that I made this huge move. The dubplate business is the part of my business that built my entire studio and the part that gave me so many connections in the reggae music business. I have recorded almost every major reggae recording artiste in the business over the years, and I am proud to say that I have worked very hard to achieve this goal so far. I am certain that these past relationships will bring forth hit music for Jah Freedom Recording Company at some time in the near future. 5) I guess, itīs not so easy in country, where is the big and ruff competition.. The reggae music business is centered in Kingston, Jamaica's capital city. I took the challenge to open my studio all the way on the western side of Jamaica. Up until now the options for people and bands looking to record on the western side of the island were very limited. The studios in the west were underequipped, poorly maintained, and not run as businesses. Music that was recorded here was rarely given serious attention, and even more rarely made it to the international reggae music market. Jah Freedom Recording Company's plan intends to change that. We have equipped the studios with top professional gear that was placed into service either brand new, or fully funcionally serviced to original factory specifications just prior to being shipped here. We have made arrangements with factory trained technicians and the island's to electronics tecnicians for a comprehensive maintenance schedle that will enable our studios to be funtional at all times. There are many recording studios in Jamaica but none in Negril, except Jah Freedom Recording. Negril's relaxing energy, the inspiring tropical surroundings, the easy Jamaica attitude and the 'no problem' vibe we give our clients all will lead to our success in the west. Competition on the island is tough...People here don't trust a new studio operated by a foreigner initially...They would rather go accross the island to get their work done in an establishd studio...I believe we can compete. Our quality is right up there with the top studios in Jamaica. Our engineer is one of the top musicians/engineers on the western side of the island. We have all of the ingredients to compete in the marketplace. Acceptance will come with time and as hit tunes are released from Jah Freedom Recording. 6) So, why is your studio special, that it have reason to travel so far and record in Jah Freedom? Our Studio is special mainly due to our beautiful location in Negril, the skilled people that manage and operate the business, the musicians that work here, and the vibes we have to give to our clients. We offer top quality reggae and jazz musicians for project work, we offer a relaxed atmosphere, colorful, tropical surroundings, a great recording facility with a skilled staff. Bands and recording artistes can come to Negril for a recording vacation. We offer reasonable accomodations, authentic gourmet Jamaican food for our clients and all the fun and entertainment that Negil, Jamaica has to offer. Furthermore, we offer three production recording formats, a top quality dubplate voicing and cutting studio, and a wide variety of artistes who will record specials for sound systems and selectors from all over the world. 7) Who already recorded in your studio? Over the years in Philadelphia we had the following list of artistes:Beenie Man, Edi Fitzroy, Sizzla, Leroy Smart, Anthony Malvo, Conroy Smith, Johnny Osbourne, Leroy Gibbons, Phillip Frasier, Devonte, Red Rat, General Degree, Tanto Metro, Pinchers, Sammy Dread, Zebra, Goofy, Hawk Eye, Lady G,.Shinehead, Michael Rose, Lukey D Thriller U, Singing Melody, Tony Curtis, Yellowman, Charlie Chaplin, U Roy, Brigadeer Jerry, Josey Wales, Anthony B, Capleton, Michael Rose, Gregory Issacs, Sugar Minott, Leroy Sibbles, John Holt, Ken Boothe, Ras Shiloh, Bushman, Mikey General, Merciless, Everton Blender, Determine, Wayne Wonder, Mr. Easy, Tony Rebel, Sugar Black, Lebanculeh, Spragga Benz, Frisco Kid, Yasus Afari, Ian Sweetness, Daddy Screw, Barrington Levy, John Holt, Nardo Ranks, Tippa Lee, Tinga Stewart, Future Troubles, High Plains Drifter, Lexxus, Roundhead, General Trees, General B., Ghost, Mad Cobra, Freddie McGreggor, Jah Mason, Delle Ranks, Candyman, Dawn Penn, Nitty Kutchie, Tellibengeh, and Military Man Since moving to Negril, we have had Anthony B., Jack Radics, Selvie Wonder, Demus Family, Luciano, Jigsy King, Peter Broggs, Wayne Marshall, Kid Kurupt, Ninja Man, Sugar Dee, John Holt, Icho Candy, Major Lloyd, Gentleman from Germany, Merciless, Junior Cat, Edi Fitzroy, Mona Lisa, Mr Peck, Conquerer, John Marcus I, Stevie Culture, Lion Tempo, Boom Blast, Trevor Daley, and a large number of upcoming talent looking for a break into the music business. 8) Tell us more about artistīs situation on Jamaica. I seen that everybody chantin.. Many artistes in Jamaica are young people with talent and a message to deliver. Many of them are in a daily struggle to just survive. I see many of them as talented people in need of a break. The biggest challenge for Jah Freedom and the talented local artistes is the lack of adequate financial backing to bear the costs of releasing so many high quality artistes onto the world music market. The cost of recording the music is only a small fraction of the expense required to release music on the world market. The initial plan was to get the production studio booked out to finance limited releases of our own music projects. So far the studios are new and as such, the constant flow of recording bookings has not as yet manifested. We are currently surviving and paying our bills but as far as financing releases onto the world market...It will still be a while before that happens. We are always looking for new sources of finance but really we want the potential profits from the release of a hit song or songs on the road to finance future big production work...when this happens I will begin to feel as though all of this has been worth the effort. 9) What is your vision about the future of this culture and music? The future of the Jamaican culture in my opinion has two distinct sides. The first side is the getting over the suffering that so many people on the island are experiencing. The economy in Jamaica is very depressed and also very reliant on money coming in from tourism. The island imports much more than it exports...This is one of the things that makes the economy so depressed. The next thing is the breakdown of the family on the island...So many people are raised in households that lack a cohesive family unit. The breakdown of the family unit will always cause a nation to suffer. I believe in a cohesive family that stays together and helps support one another. These problems are social problems that one studio cannot fix but our music can help to deliver an uplifting message and contribute to the upliftment of the people on the island and all over the world where the people listen to and heed the message being delivered to them through the talent of the artistes that we release. Our music will attemp to deliver a message of Jah Freedom...The freedom that Jah alone can give us. The music I hope will take a turn for the better and become more universally accepted and more spiritually uplifting and conscious. There is way too much slackness in the music industry...It needs to be overwealmed by the music that had a positive and uplifting message to deliver to the listeners. Reggae music is a powerful music that has universal appeal and as a producer I see new music with the roots of reggae and a positive message that will be successful for Jah Freedom to release on the world market. 10) Can you share with us your top ten records on the end? My favorite reggae music...Buju Banton - Til Shiloh.... Luciano - Messenger...Third World - 96 Degrees in the Shade...Alton Ellis - 25th Silver Jubilee...Bob Marley - Legend... Dennis Brown - Love and Hate...Other Favourite Artistes: John Holt, Everton Blender, Beenie Man, Capleton, Edi fitzroy, Pinchers, King Yellowman, Dean Frazer...and many others and most importantly...The future artistes that have not yet had the opportunity to have been heard on the world stage...