Multi-faceted Virgin Islands businessman-turned-record label owner Shawn Baptiste on Wednesday (August 24) unveiled a comprehensive reggae dancehall album at one of Jamaica’s most popular events, Weddy Weddy, at the Stone Love headquarters in St Andrew.

The compilation, produced by CIGA Records, features several of Jamaica’s top acts, demonstrating what Baptiste has described as a “rude boy, Caribbean flavour” that born out of a love for the island’s contagious culture.

“We invited persons out for a listening party which sort of served as a double launch of projects the label will be releasing. There is a mixture of some of the best Jamaican entertainers which have different range of styles on different rhythms. For our production, the Caribbean Boys Link Up Riddim, we needed the right platform to introduce it to the market and Weddy Weddy was appropriate,” said Baptiste.

DIVERSE SOUNDS OF JAMAICAN ENTERTAINERS

Weddy Weddy has been known to be the launchpad for many of Jamaica’s top performers to debut their music and continues to be a space that welcomes innovation and creativity, he said.

The album explores the diverse sounds of hardcore Jamaican entertainers such as Beenie Man, Sizzla and Shane-O, captures the high energy of Elephant Man and demonstrates how effortlessly the label blends the harmonies of Beres Hammond and Marcia Griffiths into its production landscape.

Having spent three to four months to prepare, CIGA Records believes the project is ready to make a global impact.

“Being from the Caribbean and interacting with other cultures outside of the region has made me realise that not as many persons are mirroring – or are able to mirror – what we are offering in the music and entertainment space,” Baptiste said.

“The Caribbean culture needs that constant push out there to be on the major award stages.

“The project shows the hardcore, rude boy side or things and the low, smooth melodies of the music that pushes more love into the world and shows not what reggae-dancehall recording artistes like Beenie Man, who I’ve known for many years, have been doing but also puts into the spotlight, what Caribbean people are capable of doing.”

Following the release of the album, CIGA Records will embark on collaborating with more of Jamaica’s hitmakers and rising stars with the executive producer investing much of his time into finding creative talent that can create culture-shifting productions.