AWARD-WINNING independent music company, Reservoir Media, Inc, have joined forces with internationally acclaimed music producer Cordel “Skatta” Burrell and reggae and dancehall publisher, Abood Music.

In the groundbreaking partnership, stakeholders will seek to acquire catalogues across local genres, as well as sign and develop entertainers and songwriters.

The venture aims to propel Jamaica’s newest crop of music talent while furthering the nation’s rich legacy globally.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, an excited Skatta Burrell shared that, in a highly commercialised music market, the new deal will ensure Jamaica’s music reaches new audiences. He said he believes this is achievable, especially given Jamaica’s immense talent pool.

He said wide-scale global success is within the local fraternity’s reach, but opportunities need to be created for up-and-coming talent —something to which Abood Music and Reservoir Media Inc are committed.

“Companies have always been interested in Jamaica’s music; however, for years, there have been gatekeepers who have access to these entities but choose not to open them up to the new generation. We’re trying to break that cycle with this partnership. Dancehall and reggae have an undeniable influence all across the globe and have brought a lot of collaborations. I’ve reaped huge success from dancehall and reggae, and to know that Reservoir and Abood saw that and wanted to partner with me to further solidify the genres’ global impact is a great honour,” he said.

“Dancehall and reggae have the potential to really dominate not just locally but on a global scale, and by bringing resources together, collaborating on multiple projects, and allowing everyone an opportunity to spread their music across the board, we can really elevate the music,” charged Burrell.

Outlining that he tested the waters himself with Abood Music, Skatta shared that he has been enjoying a recent international resurgence through his critically-acclaimed Coolie Dance rhythm. Released back in 2003, the rhythm featured hits such as Elephant Man’s Like A Genie, Vybz Kartel’s Please, and Ce’Cile’s Give It To Me. It earned international popularity through several influential featured samples in global hits by Pitbull, Lil Jon, Whitney Houston, Fatman Scoop, Nina Sky and more.

The rhythm was acquired by Abood Music in 2020 and was published in the United States through Reservoir Music, and in the last year has enjoyed a renaissance of its sampling, including in the Grammy-nominated, gold-selling global hit After Hours by Kehlani. The rhythm also remains a synchronisation staple, with more than 45 major film and television licences.

Skatta explained that having reaped benefits of his own through the partnership, he’s hoping to replicate similar results for other local entertainers.

“Collie Dance rhythm has resurfaced globally in territories, such as Asia, India, and Europe, Turkey to be exact, because I have the number one rhythm in Turkey. It’s enjoying millions of streams and not to mention sales. This partnership has opened a lot of doors for me and has given me a new zeal for music, and I wish to further push my fellow producers, artistes, and other co-workers through this door,” he said.

“The main goal for me is the full advancement of the reggae and dancehall culture,” he added.

Founded by Othman Mukhlis in 2001, Abood Music is a long-established publisher of Jamaican music with a catalogue spanning decades of success and deep relationships across the industry. According to Mukhlis, his respect and adoration for Jamaica runs deep as the country’s talent surpasses its land size. He said the country’s grip on global influence is something to brag about and said the deal will go a long way in ensuring its continued impact.

“For such a small island, Jamaica has always had an extraordinarily large pool of talent. And for such a small territory, Jamaica’s influence on the rest of the world socially and culturally is totally unrivalled. My family and I have been coming to Jamaica numerous times a year for over 35 years, and I can say that it is a very unique and special place,” he shared. “This new joint venture allows me more than ever to reward the talent in Jamaica with the recognition and rewards it richly deserves. My publishing company [Abood Music] and label [Jamdown], and Skatta have long and very successful histories in the music industry so far as finding, developing and creating global success for artistes and producers out of Jamaica. Now, with the backing of Reservoir — a major billion-dollar international company in the industry based out of New York — we can take things to the next level and reconfirm ourselves as the global market leaders in this genre.”

He indicated that the combined expertise within this team covers all bases and will provide artistes and producers in Jamaica with the ultimate vehicle for success.

“For artistes/ producers in Jamaica, we can discover and sign talent at ground zero, build them up in Jamaica and the global dancehall/reggae markets and social media, etc, then take them to the next level globally, whether it be getting them on major labels in major territories and exploiting film and TV and so on,” he said.

Reservoir President and Chief Operating Officer Rell Lafargue, also commenting on the venture, said the company was pleased to partner with the Jamaican producer and Abood Music in ensuring reggae and dancehall continue their global ascension.

Lafargue said Reservoir is looking forward to “supporting the voices of established and developing Jamaican creators alike, as we work to amplify their artistry, expand their global reach, and continue to elevate Jamaican music on the world stage”.

Othman Mukhlis

Rell Lafargue