The Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC) is reporting “strides” in its efforts to offer local service companies a full range of export development and promotional services similar to those available to manufacturers.
Chief executive officer Dr Leroy McClean said since taking over responsibility for export services from Invest Barbados, the BIDC had been providing a full range of export and development services in areas such as the film industry and would soon be looking at what it could do for animation, a billion-dollar industry worldwide.
The BIDC recently facilitated the participation of a delegation of Barbadian musicians and music providers in the International Music Conference and Tradeshow MIDEM, one of Europe’s largest music expos.
Calypsonian Stedson Red Plastic Bag Wiltshire and music producer Andrew Denny, who were participants, expressed amazement at the range of money-making opportunities available to musicians, saying they were only made aware at MIDEM.
Wiltshire told a media briefing at BIDC the experience exposed him to the many opportunities open to artistes.
“It can only help us as artistes in Barbados to make sure that we reap the rewards from our work and that we take our rightful place in the world of music,” the reigning calypso king said.
He added: “We have to stop thinking about making music just for Crop Over. That is really scratching the surface of what is really out there.”
He was particularly impressed with the money-making avenues for musicians in the area of digital music.
Like Wiltshire, Denny said the digital transformation of the industry had moved at such a rapid pace that “if you are not aware of it you can be focusing your energy in the wrong areas trying to maximize your profits”.
The Barbados delegation to MIDEM?also included international recording artiste Rupert Rupee Clarke, Fabian Worrell of FM Music, Adam Elias of Slam 101.1 and Stewart Mottley representing saxophonist Arturo Tappin.
It was led by BIDC director of Export Development and Promotion Sonja Trotman and senior business development officer Modou Diagne. (GC)
