Orville Barnes keeps reggae music ablaze

Ricardo Campbell, Youth Focus Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

From party promoter to artiste road manager to co-owner for an internationally based radio station, 23-year-old Orville Barnes, of Negril in Westmoreland, is not slowing down in his quest to make a mark in entertainment.

Barnes, who goes by the moniker 'So Bad', is a third-year college student at the University of Technology (UTech) in Kingston where he studies land surveying and geographical information science.

But his academic choice is a far cry from his first love, which is music.

"My parents wanted me to pursue a degree, and I am doing so. But as soon as I have completed my studies, I will dedicate my time to building on what I have started, which is music. I promote events, I'm road manager for Charly Blacks, and now co-founder of Ablazin Radio Station that's based in Washington, DC," he said.

Ablazin Radio Station is a business venture between himself; his cousin, Fabian 'DJ Ablaze' Cox, 25, who now lives in Washington; and friend Tamara 'Timry' Brown, 33, of Trelawny.

Cox is a Jamaican-born disc jockey in the United States, while Brown is the road manager for female dancehall artiste, Macka Diamond.

The station operates from Washington, DC, and has been established since December 2012. Currently, the group has a streaming media licence and can be accessed online at www.ablazinradio.com.

MUSIC ALTERNATIVE

The initiative provides an alternative outlet for reggae and dancehall music for upcoming artistes and established entertainers, and pairs tradition with new technology to reach a diverse audience locally and internationally.

"I believe there was a lack of good music reaching the people who are deeply in love with reggae and dancehall," Barnes said. "We thought it would be a good idea to bring back this genre that once found favour among all races and classes of people, but has seen a decline in various areas, even in our own country."

"As music lovers, I believe we owe it to our generation and the one coming after us to save this genre. While we play [different] music genres on the station, primarily we focus on reggae and dancehall," he said.