All o’ dis talk bout culture driving us mad! At the time of writing, Barbadian born international cultural icon Rihanna is number four on the Forbes list of the highest paid global entertainers while the price of our sugar is depressed and our hotels are closing at alarming rates. This paper posits the idea that Barbados has proven time and time again that its human capital is capable of competing on the world stage. It will focus primarily on our Cultural Industries and the endless opportunities that exist in the Global Music Industry. Part 1 will give a brief overview of Barbados’ policy and legislative framework on the Cultural Industries. Part 2 will examine an innovative macro-business model aimed at strategically positioning Barbados in the global Music Industry. Part 3 will speak to the systems that must be put in place urgently if we are to take advantage of the opportunity. There is an immediate need for a reallocation of national development funding, targeted foreign direct investment for this industry and rapid implementation of policy and programs to correct the implementation deficit affecting the sector.

1. Ian Walcott & Ronnie Morris
THE CENTRAL BANK OF BARBADOS 32nd Annual Review Seminar
On Stability, Innovation and the Competitiveness of Small States
in the Global Economy, July 23rd – 26th, 2012

2.  Part 1 - Overview of Barbados‟ policy and
legislative framework on Cultural Industries.
 Part 2 - Innovative macro-business model
strategically positioning Barbados in the
Global Music Industry.
 Part 3 – Recommendations
◦ Rapid implementation of policy and programs to
correct implementation deficit affecting the sector
◦ Required systems
◦ Reallocation of national development funding,
◦ Targeted foreign direct investment for this industry

3.  Defining Culture
The world‟s
 International Political Economy (IPE) 1st million
selling
◦ Production album was
written by a
◦ Science & Technology Barbadian!
◦ Policy
◦ Policy Critique
◦ Global Insertion (participation in the global
economic system)
 Developing Cultural Industries/Creative
Economy

4. Part 1 - Overview
of Barbados‟
policy and
“The Music
Business is
not affected
by natural
disasters!”
legislative
framework on
Cultural
Industries

5. Did you know that
 “Implicit and explicit the father of hip hop
is Bajan? –
behavior Grandmaster Flash
also invented cross-
of a people fading!
Joseph Saddler, better
 Distinctive profile and known as King
pattern over time and
Grandmaster Flash, is an
American hip hop
through space;
musician and DJ—one of
the pioneers of hip-hop
 Overarching behavioral DJing, cutting, and
mixing. Wikipedia
system embracing Born: January 1, 1958
(age 54), Bridgetown
◦ all human constructs in given Education: Samuel
space affected by events, Gompers High School
Appears in: Wild
ethnicities and spontaneous Style, Hip Hop
reactions, interpretations and Legends, The Chris
manifestations of a peoples‟ Rock Show, 5 Sides of
a Coin, Hip Hop: The
understanding of who they are.” Collection: The
Our legacy
Classics
 Record labels: Elektra
Records, Enjoy
Records, Sugar Hill
Records

6.  1966 – Independence
 1970 - The Elombe Mottley Paper on Culture
 1979 – Edward Kamau Brathwaite, Bajan Culture
Report & Plan, UNESCO/Ministry of
Culture, Barbados
 2004 - Dr. Glenford Howe in Country Cultural
System Profile: Barbados, UNESCO/National
Cultural Foundation
 2004 – Mbola Aguda & Dr. Boamah, Economic
Impact Assessment of Crop Over

7.  2008 – SALISES, UWI Economic
Impact Assessment of Crop
Over, 2005, 2006, 2007
 2010 – Barbados Cultural
Policy
 2012 – The Cultural Industries
Bill
 International Companies Act
 Copyright Act
 Network of double
taxation treaties
 International Business Sector

8.  Cultural Sectors that are in state of
„readiness‟
 Readiness =
◦ Structure within sector,
◦ Organization: recognized negotiating
bodies, unions
◦ Industrial and entrepreneurial structure
(retail & consumption, distribution,
production/manufacturing, vertical
integration)
◦ Ready for export,
◦ Potential to earn foreign exchange
 Music, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Culinary “The
Music
Arts Business
 Fashion? does not
Insertion refers to the openness of an sleep!”
economy. Commercial openness =
coefficient of exports over GNP

9. Part 2 - Innovative
macro-business
model strategically
positioning
Barbados in the
global Music
Industry
The
world‟s
biggest
music star
is Bajan!

10.  Creative industries 2006 value – US$1.4 trillion
 IFPI – Music leading revenue earner within creative
industries
 Total global revenues for CDs, vinyl, cassettes, digital
downloads $34.7 billion - 2011
 Global radio advertising – US$34 billion – 2006
 Live performances (merchandising, ticket sales,
sponsorship – US$23.5 billion (2011)
 Portable music players and devices – US$10 billion
(2006)
 Worldwide Music publishing – US$9.4 billion (2011)
Sources: Int‟l Federation of the Phonographic Industry,
www.ifpi.org , www.grabstats.com

11.  CD Sales – 30 million albums
(base price = US$9.99) – Gross
US$299.7 million
 Digital downloads – 90 million
(standard base price iTunes =
US$1.99) – Gross US$179.1
million
 Tours – 5 world tours – Gross
US$244 million “Another young woman who is
making a killing in music
 Additional revenue sources is Rihanna. The Barbados-born
◦ Merchandising singer earned an estimated $53
million between May 2011 and
◦ Royalties May 2012, putting her in third
 Social media (youtube, fees to tweet) place on the list. Her earnings
◦ Endorsements & Appearance fees this year got a big boost from
an 85-night tour and her 2011
◦ Films hit album Talk That Talk, which
has gone gold in the U.S. and
launched hits like “We Found
Love.” Forbes.com

12.  Major platform of music – Crop Over Festival
◦ BD$80M economic impact
 International Royalty collection –
 Local licensing & copyright –
 Local retail –
 Local events –
 Export of music related services -
 Manufacturing & distribution Barbados has
almost 20
internationally
signed
recording
artistes!

13.  Tourism
 Education
 Events and entertainment Barbados is
home to 7
million-selling
 Venue Management recording
artistes
 Fashion
 Design (graphics, set design)
 Film 1. The
Merrymen
 Digital & Information Technology 2. Joseph Niles
3. Charles D.
 Literary arts Lewis
4. Rupee
5. Rihanna
6. Shontelle
7. Cover Drive

14. 1. Legislative 3. Develop talent
2. Identify talent
framework
5. Product 6. Contract
4. Invest
Development Negotiation
7. Marketing & 8. Revenue 9. Reinvestment &
Distribution Management Growth
Sustainability factors: Strategy, Evaluation, Project Implementation, Investment,
Training & Development, Advocacy, Succession Planning, Transparency

15.  The Creative Economy is about economics
◦ Capture the data and statistics
◦ Specialized research within the Statistical dept
& economic research dept at Central Bank
 Focus on the music first
 Inter-ministerial dialogue on the Creative
Economy
 A specialized oversight agency to
implement & operationalize the Cultural
Industries Bill
 Rapid project development and deployment
of music industry initiatives
 Aggressive investment drive (FDI and local
investment)

16.  Establish a Museum in
Barbados dedicated to the
local music industry
◦ Tourism attraction
◦ Rihanna section
 Similar to museums dedicated to
iconic artists including, Bob
Marley, Elvis Presley, Michael
Jackson, The Beatles, etc
 A section of museum
dedicated to other Barbadian
music icons:
◦ Grandmaster Flash, Irving
Burgie, Merrymen, Charles D.
Lewis, Jackie Opel, Gabby,
Allison Hinds, Joseph Niles,
Jimmy Hayes et. al.

17. Questions and answers