Masterroom Music, a St Vincent-based music publishing and production company, recently concluded a highly successful international songwriting camp, held at the legendary Tuff Gong Studio in the Jamaican capital Kingston.

Held from February 26 to March 1, the camp brought together talented songwriters from around the world to collaborate and produce music for established artists.

The week-long event saw participants from various corners of the globe, including the Caribbean, Europe, Colombia and North America, converge at Tuff Gong Studio, renowned for its historic significance in reggae music and its association with Bob Marley. 

Among the standout talents were Vincentian writers Sarah and Krystian Mark; Barbadian Buggy Nhakente; St.Lucian Mecca and Dupes; and Colombians Oliva and Mila Egred, who all made a remarkable impression with their creativity and lyrical prowess.

Renowned artists and producers at the camp included local-based artists, TeeJay, Naoimi Cowan, Sevana, Joby Kay and Tesselated.

The list also included Americans MalikNinetyFive (who has writing credits with Aj Tracey,Ty Dolla $ign), Hadar Odora (Cardi B, Selena Gomez); UK platinum top selling and Brit Awards nominee Goddard; grammy nominated producer, Michael Angelo, Kunle B, JB Mensah (Drake French Montana) and Jamaican producers Blaqsheep (Sizzla, Beenieman), JLL, tu Fingas and Ch3zy.

Camp stand-outs

Sarah and Krystian Mark, representing St. Vincent and the Grenadines, showcased their exceptional songwriting skills and contributed to the vibrant atmosphere of collaboration and innovation at the camp. Their unique perspectives and artistic flair added depth and diversity to the 37 songs collective body of work produced during the event.

Masterroom Music CEO Mark Cyrus commented, “we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to host such a talented group of songwriters at Tuff Gong Studio. The energy and creativity that permeated throughout the camp were truly inspiring, and we are immensely proud of the music that was created during this collaborative endeavour. Less than one week after the camp, and we have already had two songs placed with major acts, one of which was co-written by Krystian.” 

The songwriting/production camp took place a week after the Caribbean’s biggest music conference the Island Music Conference (IMC) where Cyrus was invited by CEO’s of the IMC, Orville “Shaggy” Burrell and Sharon Burke and team to speak on the panel Contracts and Music publishing. 

The IMC took place over five days and was well attended with esteemed guests such as Wyclef Jean, Spice, Sean Paul, Masicka, TeeJay, Warner Records CEO Steve Carless and many more. The IMC has discussed having Masterroom’s song camp being part of their 2025 conference moving forward.

Camp funding

The international songwriting camp was funded by the FCDO and the UK Government, providing a platform for emerging and established songwriters to work for international major artists while forging meaningful connections within the global music industry. 

Participants benefited from the presence of international record labels Warner Records, A&R executives from Atlantic Records, RX Songs, Solid Agency, and the Apple-funded new major label Gamma Records. 

According to Sarah and Krystian Mark, “we are grateful for the chance to participate in the Masterroom Music songwriting camp.”

“Working alongside incredibly talented artists from around the world has been a rewarding experience, and we are excited to see where our collaborations will take us,” said the pair.