The Official Launch of Belize Music Week

Shyne Barrow

At the Bliss Institute for the Performing Arts this morning, Belize Music Week was officially launched. Musicians from throughout the country are taking part in a series of activities to promote the music industry. Topics such as intellectual property, export and marketing of music, how to acquire working visas and other pertinent issues are on the table during the week-long event.  Belize Music Week culminates with a concert on May twenty-second featuring local artists. Music Ambassador Shyne Barrow was at the launch and explains.

Shyne Barrow, Music Ambassador

“It’s a celebration of the music community. I believe that music is a critical component in the development of the society. I think one of the most important things for a nation, if you ask me, but I am bias. So what I wanted to do is to create an environment that is encouraging, that is fostering and I wanted to celebrate the musicians first and foremost just so that they can understand how important that they are to our society, to all of us. The days of musicians being treated as second-class citizens or being overlooked or being unvalued are over. I will do everything in my power and I think I have the support of the establishment, as far as the government of Belize agencies is concerned, to put this as a priority. And that’s what music week is about. I mean we have so many great things going on right now. The New Orleans Jazz Festival was a milestone, such a monumental accomplishment as far as Belize and certainly as far as our talent. And Belize Music Week is all about celebrating that. Certainly we want to educate and we want to inform because we want to continue with the development of music industry which is why we have people from BELTRAIDE and Miss Longsworth dealing with intellectual property and I believe BSCAP dealing with publishing and we have a distinguished gentleman sitting next to me, Mister Steinsberry, all giving information. We have the vice president of Def Jam recordings coming in to share information, but also to scout, to see he talent. And that’s why on Thursday, I am giving away a thousand dollars to the winner of the amateur night, open mic night because again this is a space for every and anyone who thinks that they are talented to come out and to show. So music week is a celebration of the talent we have in this country, original talent.”