Back in 1994 when Carlton McLeod and his brother Raymond started Stingray Records in London, there was a lot of competition among reggae labels in the United Kingdom. A lot has changed since, with many of the companies that kept the music alive in that country either closing shop or seen better days.

Stingray is still in business. In July the label’s latest album, Reggae Wow 2018, will be released by VP Records subsidiary, VPAL Music.

The compilation contains songs by mainly singers: Tarrus Riley, Freddie McGregor, JC Lodge, Richie Stephens, Marcia Griffiths and Luciano. There are also tracks from Capleton, Gyptian and Morgan Heritage.

Carlton McLeod, known as Dillie, is Stingray’s main producer and audio engineer. A former sound system man, he got into the music business in the 1980s when the vocalists dominated reggae.

“Stingray record label works with a lot of singers. I do think the reggae vocalist is still popular in the UK among dancehall fans, but I just find that the generation of today is more in favour of dancehall music,” he told Jamaica Observer.

Over the years the singer has provided Stingray’s biggest hit songs. They include McGregor’s Key To The City, Cold Hearted Fools by Dennis Brown, Can’t Go Round This by Stevie Face, and Luciano’s God & King.

Typical of British labels, many of the songs that do well for Stingray are not hits in Jamaica. McLeod said their biggest markets are the UK, Europe and the United States, where roots-reggae and lovers rock still have a strong following.

A number of British reggae labels have left the music business, or reduced or modified operations in the last 20 years. They include Island Records, Greensleeves, Trojan, Jet Star and Fashion.

McLeod scoffs at talk that this is due to a declining reggae market, or that British youth are more into more trendy genres like grime and house.

“Music is so vibrant in the UK. Pirate and Internet radio stations are popping up every day playing 100 per cent reggae music, (there are) sold-out reggae concerts and reggae tracks used in commercial adverts and TV shows on national television,” he said.

The McLeods, whose parents are Jamaican, opened Stingray Records in west London 24 years ago — more than a decade after labels like Greensleeves and Jet Star benefited from the dancehall explosion in Jamaica. Many of their productions are by home-grown acts like singer Peter Hunningale, but also feature top Jamaican musicians including Sly and Robbie, Firehouse Crew and guitarist Dalton Browne.

Reggae Wow 2018 is Stingray’s first collaboration with VPAL, which has rapidly built a distribution portfolio with leading artistes since it was established by VP Records in 2009. It provides exposure to over 600 online and mobile destinations in 100 territories. In addition, VPAL markets compact disc, DVD and vinyl projects in over 500 outlets in Japan, the UK, US, Australia/New Zealand and the Caribbean.

That suits “Dillie” McLeod just fine. According to him, “My musical aim is to reach out to the world.”