Sonia Pottinger honoured
Veteran Jamaican music producer, Sonia Pottinger, was recently awarded for her contribution to the music business by Florida Memorial College, during National Women’s History Month which was celebrated in March.
Florida Memorial College is one of the oldest academic centres in Florida. Founded in 1879, it is a private coeducational, baccalaureate degree-granting institution with a historically Black heritage.
The citation presented to Pottinger by the college hailed her accomplishments in the male- dominated reggae music arena.
“Sonia has challenged the existing order. With good business acumen, an ear for good music and an eye for talent she was able to make a success story of her sojourn in this male dominated field. In the end, she stood head and shoulders above her male compatriots,” the citation said.
Many music collectors should know Pottinger’s first hit – a song called Every Night with Joe White. While that gave her a start in the music business it was not until the late seventies that she was recognised as one of the top producers in the island.
She soon started her own labels – Gayfeet and High Note – which she ran out of her Tip Top Record Shop on Orange Street in Kingston. In the evenings after she closed her record shop she would audition singers and groups.
She has produced some of Reggae’s greatest foundation artistes and groups. Ken Boothe, Judy Mowatt, Errol Dunkley, the Paragons, the Melodians, the Gaylads and Culture are just a few of the entertainers that she has helped to launch.
Pottinger was also cited as ‘a true pioneer of the Jamaican music business. She has received several awards including the Reggaesoca Music Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
She has also produced Festival songs for the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s Festival Song contest. She has recently established her business in Florida and England. She commutes between Jamaica and Florida. She was recently in the island to do a promotion interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on her role as a pioneer in the evolution of Reggae. The documentary will be aired later this spring.
