Zachary Harding Considers Massive Investment In Dancehall
Dancehall music could get a massive capital injection, coupled with a blueprint for a proper business structure, based on a revelation by Investment Management expert and music producer Zachary Harding, who was also Dancehall superstar Sean Paul’s first-ever manager.
Harding, who is also a trained drummer, trumpeter, steel pan player and vocalist, revealed on a recent edition of Television Jamaica’s The Entertainment Report, that he is on the verge of making massive investments in the development of quality authentic Dancehall music, to put the genre—which experts say is the world’s most-sampled music—back in its rightful place on the global stage.
Like Usain Bolt, who presented his own strategic masterplan for the genre last year, Harding, who serves as Executive Chairman of Delta Capital Partners (DeltaCap) and Group Chief Executive Officer of SSL Growth Equity Ltd, believes that: “Dancehall is untapped”.
“I am considering right now, making some investments in Dancehall to get back to producing quality songs and then marketing to the world,” Harding told veteran entertainment journalist Anthony Miller.
“It will look like pooling together acclaimed and accredited producers, genuine producers, musicians, songwriters and then also the deejays and the singers that can deliver, and having a very clear strategy, not just getting up and seh ‘yow, wi goin studio today and voice some chune’. No, think through. Ok Where are our markets? Is the market now in Africa, Eastern Europe, South America, right? Then we have to think through what’s the type of content that they want to hear?” Harding stated.
For Harding, who co-operated Billboard-charting 2Hard Records with his brother Jeremy Harding, a business approach has to be taken towards the music which is at a turning point and has to get back on track, and be showcased to the world.
Jeremy and Zachary produced Sean Paul’s Baby Girl, in 1996 on the Fearless riddim and were also producers of the legendary Playground riddim in 1997, which featured massive hits such as Infiltrate, Beenie Man’s Who Am I (Sim Simma), Hands in the Air (Nike Air) by Mr Vegas, Pet and Pamper by Mad Cobra, Strong Performer by Spragga Benz and Work Dem by Merciless.
Harding has the music and business credentials to engineer the revitalization of Dancehall. His extensive skills set spans Business & Corporate Strategy, Marketing, Leadership and Investment Management, and apart from playing and producing music, and managing artists, he was a Dancehall music selector at Syndicate Sound System.
In the corporate world, among other things, he served as Jamaica’s Deputy Director of Tourism, President of the world-class private investment firm Phoenix Group; CEO of Appliance Traders Ltd, and was also Special Advisor to the Minister of Tourism from 2007 to 2008 and a Conversion Development Manager at Red Stripe.
In September last year, he was declared the 2021 Brokerage CEO of the Year by the Global Banking & Finance Awards Committee and accepted into the Forbes Business Council, the foremost growth and networking organization for successful business owners and leaders worldwide.
Harding has not ruled out Dancehall artists collaborating with artists from other genres, which he says, if done ought to be undertaken strategically and from a business point of view.
“If Afrobeats is one of the top genres, now – and I mean we’ve had collaborations between Dancehall artists and Afrobeats artists. We need to look into that some more, and think it through strategically as a business. It’s not just about fun and flossing and braffing and buying a new vehicle and drinking Hennessey; that will not last,” he added.
Harding’s sentiments are along the wavelength as sprint kingpin, now Dancehall investor Usain Bolt.
In September last year, Bolt had shared his own idea of a strategic master plan for the genre, which he surmised that once meticulously implemented, would guarantee boundless economic fortunes for Jamaica’s musicians.
Among his suggested strategies, which he shared on his Instagram page were: collaborative international tours featuring 10 or more Jamaican Dancehall artists at some of the world’s biggest arenas; the creation of a suitable/workable structure for the Dancehall/Reggae industry and the positive promotion/marketing of the two genres globally by all stakeholders.
The globe-trotting Clockwork producer had also said based on his experience Dancehall and Reggae are ‘well-loved” and the music remained in high demand globally.
Bolt, who is among the 10 wealthiest persons in Jamaica, was the 45th richest athlete in the world prior to his retirement from sprinting.
If he and Harding come together as a unit, they could be Dancehall’s tour de force, as based on their international connections and global reputations, could very well be the men to take charge and marshal Dancehall to victory.
The Country Yutes producer, in his post, had also taken aim at Reggae and Dancehall detractors, declaring that, among other things, Dancehall and Reggae are gigantic genres which are underestimated and taken for granted.
“When their hype expire them start to push the narrative that nothing not going on in dancehall/ reggae music. If everyone keeps pushing that narrative about the music then what we expect the world to say,” he added.
The three-time Olympic champion had also rubbished any notion that Dancehall and Reggae were on the decline, contending that what the music needed was proper structure. The Trelawny native had also pointed to the number of persons from other countries and genres who have been sampling Dancehall tracks, the majority of which are decades old, as evidence that the genre is unstoppable.
“I feel the music has never been sampled so much in all its years as it is being done now by so many other genres. (Now capitalize & secure your bag to, not bash it),” the world’s fastest man had said.
“We have so many artists representing the brand international and flying the Jamaican brand. (Just like our Athletes. Jamaican Athletes & Artists are the two greatest promoters of brand Jamaica. Let nobody tell you anything different),” he continued.
Noting that despite Dancehall’s supposedly low streaming/sales numbers, the genre was having a massive impact globally, Bolt contended that the genre could be even said to be “overachieving with its impact”.
“The research says the genre of dancehall music is only 6% of the market. Yes ppl only 6%. But still Look at the impact the music is having on the world. Hear me out. Instead of a few artist a try sell out clubs why not 10 dancehall act tour together and lock down arenas like O2, MSG & Staples Center etc. What’s better 100% of 10$ or 10% of 1 million?” he argued.
Added Bolt: “(FYI- Nothing is wrong with healthy competition & being the baddest artist/ lyricist/ Dancer etc. It’s this competitive juice that brings out the best in all facet of life.) But just know that there is Power in Unity people. Stop talking about it and do it. ‘Say-less, Do More’. PS (Unnu don’t have to listen to me. Just know I’m out here in this world & seeing how people respond happily when they hear our music. Them love it and want more me a tell Unnu.”
Another music stakeholder who had raised a solid point, about the way forward for Jamaican music was Full Hundred artist Mr Lexx, albeit the fact that he had suggested that DJ Khaled be at the helm.
Last year, Lexx had recommended that Khaled establish an arm of his We The Best label in Jamaica, by renting an entire floor on Usain Bolt’s high-rise office building in Kingston, and operate from there in order to show his appreciation for the Jamaican culture, which he had credited for his rise to international stardom.
Lexx had said that Khaled could co-opt some of Dancehall A-listers such as Popcaan, Dexta Daps, Alkaline and Teejay and assemble the best Dancehall producers such as Dave Kelly to produce tracks, or otherwise his bid to get Dancehall hits under his belt will remain an elusive dream.
Contending that Khaled would not be short of Jamaican music executives to run his operations either, Mr. Lexx had said that instead of working with only a chosen few, he could appoint Bounty Killer to be president, similar to the Jay-Z/Def Jam scenario, as the Coppershot artist has a knack for identifying new talent.