CONTENTS
Click on link below to jump to corresponding section:
- Reggae Festivals: 1 Month's Worth
- Caribbean History Tidbit: Snow in the Caribbean?
- News Flash: Reggae Festival Guide Hit the Streets in the U.S.
- Band Promotion: Prepare for the Master (CD Mastering)
- Fun & Games: What's Patois for "livin' on the edge"?
- In Jah's Name We Pray: Eye on Evil: Genocide in Syria
- Reggae Biz Marketing: 5 Deadly Small Business Marketing Mistakes
Wednesday-Sunday, June 8-12, 2005
International Arts Festival
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
www.internationalartsfestival.com
Hotline: 504-367-1313
Saturday-Sunday, June 11-12, 2005
Harmony Festival 2005
Sonoma County Fairgrounds
Santa Rosa, California, U.S.
www.harmonyfestival.com
Hotline: 707-861-2035
Friday-Saturday, June 10-11, 2005
Jamaican Reggae Festival
Kandel, Germany
www.jamaicanreggaefestival.com
Hotline: +49(0)175 63 25 199
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Miller Lite Sunsplash
Kiener Plaza Park
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
www.jamaicanreggaefestival.com
Hotline: 314-703-1819
Friday-Sunday, June 10-12, 2005
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 2005
Bonnaroo Festival Site
Manchester, Tennessee, U.S.
www.bonnaroo.com
email
Hotline: none
Friday-Saturday, June 17-18, 2005
5th Reggae Meeting
Island at Prichovice near Prestice
Near Pilsen, Czech Republic
http://meeting.jahmusic.net
Hotline: +420 / 777 108 142
Friday-Sunday, June 17-19, 2005
12th Annual Sierra Nevada World Music Festival
Angel's Camp, California, U.S.
www.snwmf.com
Hotline: 916-777-5550
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Stayner Caribbean Jerk Festival
5968 27/28 Sideroad
Stayner, Ontario, Canada
www.staynerjerkfestival.com
Hotline: 416-298-3568 or 705-428-0591
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Santa Barbara Caribbean Festival
Oak Park
Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
www.caribbean.santabarbara.com
Hotline: 805-687-4701
Saturday, June 18, 2005
San Diego County Fair Reggae Festival
Del Mar County Fairgrounds
San Diego, California, U.S.
www.sdfair.com
Hotline: 858-792-4227
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Reggae In The Desert
Clark County Amphitheater
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
www.reggaeinthedesert.com
Hotline: 702-455-8200
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Summer Splash 2005
Seanote in Hull Ma
Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.
www.disndatmusic.com
Hotline: 617-436-1632
Saturday-Sunday, June 18-19, 2005
2. Weedbeat Festival
Speicher
Bei Hildesheim, Germany
Hotline: 00491714203666
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Montalvo Performing Arts Series
Villa Montalvo
Saratoga, California, U.S.
www.villamontalvo.org
Hotline: 408-961-5858
Friday, June 24, 2005
Sun-Vibrations Reggae Festival
Les Babacools, Sorgente, Runtingz, Rasfaan, MSF Soundsystem
Germany
http://www.sun-vibrations.de
Hotline: +49 (0)5923-96050
Friday-Saturday, June 24-25, 2005
Soca Caribbean Style
Reggae Lounge/Soca Village
Houston, Texas, U.S.
www.reggaewarehouse.mu
Hotline: 281-914-2616
Friday-Sunday, June 24-26, 2005
Adirondack Music Festival 100 Acre Jam
Riverside Park
Lyonsdale, New York, U.S.
www.adirondackmusicfestival.com
Hotline: 315-348-4100
Friday-Saturday, June 24-25, 2005
Island Festival-Kalamazoo
Arcadia Creek Festival Place
Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.
www.islandfestkalamazoo.com
Hotline: 269-385-1276
Friday-Saturday, June 24-25, 2005
Vermont Roots Reggae Festival
Northeast Kingdome
West Glover, Vermont, U.S.
www.vermontreggae.org
Hotline: 802-324-7711
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Jefferson State Festival
Riverside Park
Grants Pass, Oregon, U.S.
www.stateofjefferson.org
Hotline: 541-908-2696
Saturday, June 26, 2005
Reggae Summer Jam
Sailinn
Tempe, Arizona, U.S.
Hotline: 602-750-9416
Thursday-Monday, June-July 30-4, 2005
Houston Caribfest
Tom Bass Park
Houston, Texas, U.S.
www.houstoncaribfest.com
Hotline: 866-227-8395
Friday-Sunday, July 1-3, 2005
Kulturfestival Integration
Zurich / Helvetiaplatz
Switzerland
www.africa-integration.ch
Hotline: 713-726-0365
Friday-Monday, July 1-4, 2005
13th Annual African/Caribbean Int'l Festival of Life
Washington Park
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
www.martinsinterculture.com
Hotline: 312-427-0266
Monday, July 4, 2005
Festival listings are believed to be correct. Are you a reggae festival promoter? Post your festival at
World One Fest
Cerrito Vista Park
El Cerrito, California, U.S.
www.worldoneradio.org
Hotline: none
Please contact the promoter directly for more information.
www.ReggaeFestivalGuide.com/post_festival.html
Snow in the Caribbean?
On Christopher Columbus' voyages through the Caribbean, one of the first islands he observed was that which is now called Nevis. The top of the great volcanic cone when ringed with clouds can give one the impression of a snow-capped mountain. Whether or not Columbus intended the name literally or figuratively is not known, but he named the island "Las Nieves" based upon the Spanish word "nieves" for snow. If this sounds too fanciful for an explanation, then you need only to travel to Nevis yourself to find out! History courtesy of The Caribbean Cove Restaurant & Catering San Francisco Bay Area.
Now in it's 11th year, The Annual Reggae Festival Guide has 'the' calendar for the hottest reggae festivals in the U.S and Internationally. We all know that reggae is more than just the music. It is part of our life philosophy and belief system, and we can experience it everywhere on the planet every day. This issue looks at reggae and celebrations of life around the world. Our center-spread feature is by photojournalist Richard Brackett. He treks to remote cultures and participates in the ceremonies of villages and tribes. His photos and story will transport you. Bi-linguist DJ and graphic artist Mike Clark edutains us about reggae en Espanol and also the reggaeton craze so popular with the youth. 2005 marks Bob Marley's 60th birthday so Roger Steffens shares a small portion of his knowledge, his photo archive and he reminds us of just how widespread this phenomenon is. We hope this year's issue gives you plenty of information to find the music that guides and enlightens us. Special thanks to all who helped make this happen. Explore, embrace, enjoy! Kaati/Publisher ~ For more information, please visit www.reggaefestivalguide.com.
Prepare for the Master (CD Mastering)
By Richard Dolmat of Digital Sound Magic
Many artists are still confused as to what goes on during a mastering session. This article will try to shed some light on the last step before fame and riches (well, at least the last step before duplication), and help you with preparing your music before sending to a mastering studio.
Mastering is the last stage of production, right before the master CD is sent for duplication. It is extremely important for your product and can dramatically improve the quality and consistency of your recordings. Since many musicians have home studios, it is more important than ever to get your final CD mastered properly. It will bring your home-recordings closer to a "radio ready" professional level.
Some of the work done at the mastering stage include:
· Equalization and harmonic balancing for consistent sound throughout your entire album.
· Adjusting micro/macro-dynamics (volume changes) of your songs for consistency and loudness.
· Checking inter-channel phase and polarity for mono compatibility.
· Final CD layout with proper song spaces, segues, fades and crossfades snapped to CD frame boundaries.
· Sample and bit rate conversion with dither to Red Book CD Standard.
It's amazing how a good mastering job can bring out the width, depth and dimension of a song. You'll hear sounds that used to be buried in the mix, the vocals will shine through, the reverb and effects will be heard, and the whole CD will be more enjoyable over a varying range of playback systems. At Digital Sound Magic Studios, we have a one-free song policy. Send us a song (usually through www.yousendit.com) and we master it for free. No catch, no obligation.
But don't assume all the work lies on our shoulders! You have to do some legwork too by giving us the best source audio and as much information as possible. This will make the final mastering process run more smoothly and ensure that you get the absolute best master.
Here is a list of things for you to check before you send out your songs for mastering:
· If your final product is an audio CD, most mastering engineers prefer to receive 44.1 kHz (24bit) data files on CD-ROM (wav, aiff). This gives us the best source material to work with.
· Include all ISRC codes along with your songs, we need these before we burn the final master disc.
· DO NOT add any processing to your main mix bus (ie: compression etc). Keep it natural and clean.
· Do not clip your files, keep your peaks somewhere around -6dB and you'll be safe. It's nearly impossible to remove distortion.
· Leave space before and after your music (ie: 2-3 sec at head and tail of each song)
· If you have one, include the UPC number of the disc.
· Make sure ALL your song names are in full. No abbreviations please! We need full names to add as CD-TEXT (which some CD players use to show your band name and song name).
· Include your CD album title.
· Give us a track list of the order you would like your songs to appear on the final CD.
· Include your FULL contact information (Band Name, Album Name, Contact Person, address, tel, fax, web, email etc). We use this information to print onto your duplication master disc.
· Send along a few of your favorite songs as reference. Rip a couple of songs from your favorite CD and add these in with your original files. This can do wonders in helping the mastering engineer understand the 'sound' you are striving for. It's always easier to 'hear' an example than it is for you to explain it!
The absolute bottom-line in mastering is COMMUNICATION. Speak up if you have a concern. It's important that you get what you are paying for, and at Digital Sound Magic, we don't mind taking a little longer for a better product.
Article by Richard Dolmat of Digital Sound Magic. Richard Dolmat is owner, engineer and producer for the Vancouver based recording and mastering studio Digital Sound Magic. Visit his site at: www.digitalsoundmagic.com.
"CREATION STEPPER"
Greetings brethren and sistren! This is the latest update on the crisis in the Dafur region in the Sudan. The people that live there are victims of genocide. The Syrian government is currently using them as human guinea pigs by testing out the effect of nuclear weapons on the population. Please send some powerful prayers out to this part of the world to help them overcome this atrocity. For more information, please visit www.iabolish.com. --Nya of Wordsound
For contributions to this section of the E-Guide, "In Jah's Name We Pray", please email festivalsreggaefestivalguide.com.
By Rick Weaver
Here are some marketing mistakes that take a heavy toll on small businesses. They have been very harmful to businesses at any stage, but especially harmful for new businesses.
1. Not having a marketing plan.
Studies show that having a marketing plan equates to a 24 to 30% improvement in sales over those without a marketing plan. Writing a comprehensive marketing plan takes time, thought, and rethought, they help a business owner to focus on new products and services. A marketing plan will help someone to determine if the product or service will take too much time, energy, or resources to make it a proper addition to the existing array of products and services.
2. Executing "Hit or Miss" marketing techniques.
Many entrepreneurs and small business owners buy advertising without exploring whether or not the venue is appropriate for them, or if it will appear in a place or manner that potential customers will respond to - or even see. Marketing dollars spent correctly will bring you sales. Marketing dollars spent incorrectly will not only cost you money, but will cost you your business-esteem. All marketing needs to have a "fit" with an overall initiative. They must convey a consistent message. Using advertising for name recognition is felt to be a good move by inexperienced business people. Experience dictates that success is best when even your "name recognition advertising" relates to a common theme.
3. Negative networking.
Networking is one of the most important parts of marketing for the small business person. Many entrepreneurs look to groups such as Chamber of Commerces, Business Network International, and Local Business Network to build business through networking. They attend networking functions and seem to feel that the more business cards they give out, the more business they will get. They are generally disappointed and reject networking as a false prophet. Positive networking takes a different approach. Networking events are an opportunity to find synergies upon which relationships can be built. Successful networking is not how many business cards you give out, it is how many quality business cards you gather. Opportunities such as Catapult allow individuals a networking opportunity to find those synergies while learning business skills.
4. Not seeking appropriate support.
Most entrepreneurs are people that have decided to leave corporate America in search of a better lifestyle with less stress. They find a great product or service and think they have it made. Unfortunately they do not have the focus and motivation they need to survive. In the corporate world they had a boss to continually set deadlines and goals, and to hold them accountable for hitting the deadlines and goals. They also had a boss to mentor and coach them. In the small business and entrepreneurial world, this important need is overlooked. People need accountability partners and/or mentors to keep them on track.
5. Inability to distinguish between being talented and being business savvy.
Too many small business owners and entrepreneurs feel that having talent is sufficient to attain success. They feel that if they are good at what they do, word of mouth advertising will supply a constant stream of customers. Talent may help you find excellent investments, glean out the best mortgage rate, repair the most difficult automotive challenge, or any of numerous other potential examples. However without business savvy in the form of a marketing system, the endless stream of customers will never materialize. You must wrap a marketing program around it to encourage or solicit additional referrals.
To be a success in your business, it is essential to focus on preventing these marketing mistakes. Be sure to make a plan and get the support to validate the plan and help you bring it to fruition.
Rick Weaver is President of Max Impact, a national leadership and organization development company based in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Rick is an accomplished business executive with experience in retail, market analysis, supply chain and project management, team building, and process improvement. He has worked with hundreds of companies to improve sales, processes, and bottom-line results. MaxImpact offers leadership and organizational development services along with employee assessments and background checks. Contact Rick at 248-802-6138 or via email, rickgetmaximpact.com. MaxImpact is on the web at www.getmaximpact.com.
Chef Judith O'Loughlin is pleased to announce the opening of her new restaurant - "The Caribbean Cove" - at 2556 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704. Open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday through Sunday, the restaurant will serve up Judith's fare of exotic and authentic Caribbean dishes. Long-time fans of Judith and newcomers alike are invited to come and celebrate!
The Caribbean Cove is a woman-of-color owned independent restaurant and catering business serving the San Francisco Bay area. The Caribbean Cove serves up authentic Caribbean cuisine for a wide range of special occasions including hosted events, corporate parties, wedding receptions, them parties, backstage cooking for music events and more. For a menu and information on services, visit www.thecaribbeancove.com.
You love creating music and/or art, but you are bogged down with mundane tasks of every day business - putting your creativity on the back burner. Having a manager is essential to surviving the business of promoting your own talent in this day and age. One burgeoning company based out of California is ready to take your talent to the next level. Owner's name is Amy Shapas and she is willing to negotiate a contract with you that you are able to afford. Call 831-479-0711 and visit her website at www.soyoucan.com. Say you heard of me through the E-Guide!
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(c) 2004-2005 Reggae Festival E-Guide, ISSN 1551-6121
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