DJ encourages Jamaican artistes to try Canada
DJ Bobby Uptop Boss believes that Canada is potentially one of the most lucrative markets in the world for reggae and dancehall music.
“For decades, Jamaican artistes have concentrated on touring the United States and Europe for obvious reasons; those are two of the biggest markets outside of Jamaica for reggae and dancehall music. While that’s a smart thing to do, I believe they could potentially earn more money if they look towards Canada as well,” he said.
“The people over here love Jamaican music a lot. Several reggae festivals are held in various parts of the country annually. However, most of these festivals feature locally based reggae and dancehall acts. But the patrons would also like to see more of the big name acts from Jamaica performing on these events,” he added.
DJ Bobby Uptop Boss, given name Narvado Melroy Taylor, was born in St Mary but grew up in Kingston. He’s been living in Edmonton since 2021. The DJ, who plays reggae and dancehall from an Edmonton-based online radio station, is also calling for more unity in the Jamaican music industry.
“I want to see a collaborative effort to put the Jamaican music industry on a level where our artistes can get the support they need to create and market their music globally. If the industry was more unified, it could lobby the government for support. In Canada, the government supports the music industry by giving grants to people who qualify. That’s how a lot of artistes over here produce and promote their music,” he said.
DJ Bobby Uptop Boss is currently on tour with the Jamboise Reggae Band, Ojah and Ras Lee and Vibes Band.
“Last year I did a series of events across Canada with Kumar Fyah, Ojah and Ras Lee and the Vibes band; it was an awesome experience. This year I am on the road again and the tour has been very good so far. The people in Canada love reggae and dancehall music a lot and they come out and support these events whether the artistes are locally based or from Jamaica,” he said.