NOTwithstanding the inclement weather, organisers of the recently concluded Jamaica Music Conference are giving the event the “thumbs up”.

“I think the Jamaica Music Conference was a tremendous success. We’re really stamping that we’re here stay,” Kwasi Bonsu, confab convenor and founder, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“Despite the rains, we managed to pull a crowd, and those who came left were exposed to crucial content reflecting the modern music industry. Many key players in Jamaica’s music industry were also present.”

Now in its fifth year, the three-day confab was held at various Corporate Area venues and in Portmore, St Catherine, under the theme ‘Reclaiming Our Identity: The rising impact of Jamaica’s music, content and culture’.

It closed on Sunaday.

The sessions included: Jamaica Music Conference and Jamaica Reggae Industry Association symposium at JAMPRO headquarters on Trafalgar Road in St Andrew; a sound system summit at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts; panel discussions at the University of Technology, Jamaica; the Jamaica Music Conference Showcase at Jamnesia; a beach day with panels at Boardwalk Beach in St Catherine; and performances at Skyline’s Kingston Dub Club.

The convenor believes the event lived up to its tenets of creating an environment for industry players to network; creating a platform for education; and creating a pipeline for stars of tomorrow.

“There were several highlights… I think the passing of the torch from Reggae Sunsplash’s co-founder Ronnie Burke to Rebel Salute’s founder Tony Rebel was a highlight; the one-on-one with Protoje; the ‘Effective Touring Panel’ with Chronixx’s manager “Daddy Barnes”, as well as music insiders Copeland Forbes and Robert Livingston holding court were also good… Kelissa’s performance and Chronixx’s cameo appearance at Jamnesia added to the excitement,” said Bonsu.

He was also in planning mode for next year’s staging.

“Every year we want to increase the presentation value, so we intend to step up the presentation. We also intend to increase the local participation from local artistes and stakeholders. And we want more representation from Africa, as reggae in big in Africa,” he added.