South Central Entertainment knows exactly how to get more from less.
As part of a marketing and business strategy, the small outfit made up of managing director Richard Haynes, senior executive Shadia Marshall, production executive Bubbles, and consultants Keon Chase and Corey Garrett, who are responsible for entertainment and media, respectively, decided to “streamline” the various arms of its business.
This meant parting ways with about 20 artistes and some DJs they have worked with in the past and in the words of Red Plastic Bag, it “wukking”.
South Central, which is also responsible for Baje International, just came out of its most successful Crop Over Season so far.
Haynes told the WEEKEND NATION both the artistes and the band did extremely well.
The South Central unit can boast the Party Monarch title, which was won by Mikey, first and second in the People’s Monarch with Rupee and Mr Dale respectively, and joint second in the Tune Of The Crop with Rupee and Mr Dale.
The other established artistes they have worked with are Alison Hinds and BoBo, as well as some emerging talent.
Things were scaled down at South Central’s Studio B Recording Studios, which is run by Kevin “Bubbles” Marshall and Darian Bailey.
They recorded Machel and Patrice Roberts out of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Red Plastic Bag, TC, and Edwin and his mum.
“When we first got into the business, we wanted to work with as many artistes as possible, in particular young artistes, help develop them and so on.
“But the reality of the industry is that there is very little support for the industry in place, compared to the other financial industries and so on.
“So we had to kinda put the cart before the horse and say ‘listen, you know what, we’re going to streamline our strategy and work on artistes who have maximum potential, if they’re the young ones, or the ones who already have a brand and can benefit through South Central by refreshing their brand.
“We went a little more from the goodwill company, to the serious business company.
Because at the end of the day, if the company can’t make money and make strides, then we can’t do anything for anybody,” he explained, adding that it was basically about what made dollars and sense.
In terms of Baje, Haynes said they attracted a record number of non-nationals to the band this year.
The band also attracted global attention because Grammy Award-winning singer Rihanna was among the 1 600 revellers playing mas’ with Baje.
“We didn’t promote it beforehand, because we didn’t want anybody to feel uncomfortable. At the end of the day, what we wanted to achieve, we did. [Rihanna] had a safe, enjoyable day on the road and was able to finally enjoy her festival for the first time.
“When she left, she was going on 16 [and] she has not been able to return to Barbados since for the festival,” Haynes noted.
South Central also secured a contract with festival producer the National Cultural Foundation, which saw the five-member team doing radio, television and print advertisements for Crop Over.
South Central was also responsible for the Red Hot Cohobblopot, which was the slogan for the penultimate event on the Crop Over Calendar back in 2008.
Haynes said South Central was looking to make some further linkages with another major player.
The team is currently pursuing ways to engage the BTA about using Rupee’s I Am A Bajan to help market Barbados.
Besides Crop Over, South Central has worked with the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on the Live Up/Super Sound Check campaign, which saw them interviewing the likes of Sizzla, Junior Kelly, Beenie Man and Wyclef Jean for programmes that were shown around the region.
