The following article appearedin Reggae Roots International newspaper Midem in Miami -- the Jamaican experience Sept. 8-11, 1997 By Anya McCoy This article originally appeared in Reggae Roots International newspaper. --------------------------- There was a lot of expectation in the air last September 30, 1996, when Midem, the French music convention megagiant firm, announced at a press conference in Miami, that Miami had been chosen as the site for the first four Latin America & Carribean Music Market. The annual Midem music market, held in France each February, was known to draw tens of thousands of music industry people from all over the world. Recognizing the rapid growth of the Latin and Caribbean music business, Midem decided it was time for a focused market convention specializing in those genres. Many of the Miami reggae community were present at that initial press conference the year before, and since the Jamaican showcase at the French Midem the previous February had been so successful, they were looking forward to a chance to promote and enjoy the showcase on their own turf. Before Midem came to Miami for the convension this September, it became obvious that Latin music was dominating the musical showcases and seminars. One, unofficially labelled the "reggae seminar" was in actuality "How to distribute Caribbean music". The inclusion of reggae industry on the panel was the only instance in which reggae representatives were on the panels of the dozen or so seminars. Still, the atmosphere and showcasing of reggae was adequate and conducted with style and showmanship. Perhaps next year, the reggae industry delegation will be able to negotiate a stronger presence in the seminars, but for now, the realization must be made that Latin music is a vastly larger market, and Miami is a Latin town, ergo, the preponderance of Latin representation at this first Miami Midem. The event took place in Miami September 8-11, 1997, and was a huge success. Over 4,000 music industry types from all over the world, spending more than $17.5million, according to the Chamber of Commerce. Over 180 vendor booths, set up at the cavernous Miami Beach Convention Center allowed the convention goers to network, pick up all the typical convention goodiess - CDs, brochures, trinkets, etc. It was good to see the Jamaican booths clustered along one wall, a solidarity of reggae consciousness. Coxsone Dodd of Studio One held forth, and King Stitt manned the booth one day -- a legend in a legendary booth, for sure. Donald Manning of the Abyssinians made an appearance one day, hanging out at the Ras/Heartbeat booth, humbly greeting old friends. JamPro, Reggae Report, Reggae Times, Pele Lanier Enterprises, Shang, Heavybeat, Tuff Gong, VP - all put on a great show of reggae consciousness. There was even a reggae travel agent, Ital Travel of San Diego, who handle many reggae tours. There were some shining stars and some clinkers at the musical showcases for reggae. Each night of the three nights dedicated to showcasing musical talent, a reggae showcase took place at a different venue in Miami Beach. The first night, Shaggy emerged, as expected, as the premier showman of pop reggae. His dynamic performance, full of sexy humor, great singing and visuals, had the jammed dancefloor participants smiling, grooving and singing along. He introduced his new protégé, Marsha, and did a duet with her on "Take Another Piece of My Heart", a blues oldie redone for his new CD "Midnight Lover". At the Shaggy press conference the next day at the Convention Center, his articulate manner, and good humor shone through. Questioned afterward about his ability to perhaps be the first ambassador of "crossover" reggae, using the crossover term outside of Latin music, where it was coined, he looked surprised, yet agreed, that yes, perhaps it is possible. He had just finished a story about getting a stadium full of usually-staid Muslims in Dubai up on their feet dancing and singing along, so it is obvious he has the ability of move the reggae vibe to other cultures, perhaps more successfully than a lot of other reggae stars. I did not attend the Studio One showcase Tuesday night, and I heard that sadly, it wa a bit of a flop. Poorly attended, there were no "big" names from Studio One there. I do not mean that as a slam to the artists that did perform, but even they would concede that the superstars from Studio One were not present. The next night's musical showcase was a different matter -- jam packed and rocking with the reggae vibe. Two artists stand out as surprise hits -- MK Shine, who opened with a wild ska version of "Guantamera", the Cuban song, and proceeded to please the crowd with his physicality, good voice and showmanship. He lives in Cancun now, so he explains that is the reason why he does some songs in Spanish, including a "wine" version of "La Bamba". I had heard Mikal Rustel on the radio, but was not prepared for what a great performer he is-- his material and voice could make him a big star. Watch that man, he's bound to go places. Ky-mani (he does not use the Marley surname) is quite different from the youth I saw perform at this same venue about three years ago. Long dreads, cultural clothing, and new material all add up to a great package, a great personality. I loved him performing three years ago, and am happy to see the maturation and development in this man. His band, Chronic, was tight, and Ky-mani moved easily around the stage, climing up on a speaker to sing and gesture to the crowd. Whether singing movingly about his Dad, or slyly chanting about "Sensemilla", Ky-Mani awed the crowd with his voice. Of all the Marley sons, his most closely resenbles Bob's, and only 21, his future is bright. Next year is a fresh chance for more reggae representation at Midem. This year was a good start, and, hopefully, many deals were made, new friendships were established among the reggae industry people, and Midem 98 will be bigger and better. Peace, Anya Visit my webpages: http://extra.newsguy.com/~herblady