Tourism Ministry Launches Music Studio for Access by Belizean Artists

On Saturday, the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations officially launched the Reef Recording Studio as a space for Belizean artists to record their songs and improve their craft. The creation of the recording studio was made possible through a partnership between several ministries and the Inter-American Development Bank. News Five’s Duane Moody reports on the launch of the music studio. 

Duane Moody, Reporting

It’s been about a year and a half in the making, and on Saturday, the Reef Recording Music Studio was launched. The request was for the studio to be world-class with all the technology necessary to produce music, including a vocal room and a space for the producer.

Anthony Mahler

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations

“I believe that music and culture play an important part in the tourism product and so I saw the need for high quality recording from the music industry here in Belize. We got the support from the I.D.B. to invest in these studios. Has to be something that could compete anywhere in the world and they’ve done that here at the Reef Studio and so I am proud of it; my colleagues are proud of it. we want to show Belize that we can have good things here. Now it is just how we manage it, how we respect the equipment that are in there.”

Initially, the recording studio project was not included in a larger tourism project funded by the Inter-American Development Bank.

Ramiro Lopez Ghio

Ramiro Lopez Ghio, Belize Country Representative, I.D.B.

“We got to think of this as an integral policy. You cannot think about youth without education. You can’t think about tourism without culture. So this is great to have this as a state policy looking ahead, in the long run, but thinking once again in an integral way to think as an approach to this project.”

The music studio will support youth and Belizean talents who need opportunities to develop their craft. Expressive arts is a fundamental component of the new national curriculum framework which features music education; and, art education is a part of primary and secondary school. Minister of Culture Francis Fonseca speaks of this tangible support.

Francis Fonseca

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education & Culture

“This new recording music studio will provide our young creative musicians with an opportunity for them to come in and record their music using state of the art equipment in a really model, professional studio. One of the big complaints we hear from our musicians is that we don’t have a really good professional music studio in Belize where they can record their music. So that’s the whole idea behind this project. This is a perfect example of tangible support, giving them a music studio that will allow them to go in, record their music and hopefully be able to earn a living off that music. That’s the whole idea behind the project.”

One hundred artists will have access to the facility. A similar project will also be launched in Orange Walk, in the west, and the south.

Rodwell Ferguson

Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Youth

“I hope that Dangriga will get their studio likewise very soon, Minister Mahler. But I hail from the culture capital and there are many talented young people around there. So I believe that that will be maybe the next on the agenda after Orange Walk, but together I am sure we can make it happen.”

The value of the Belize City recording studio is eighty-five thousand dollars. A contribution of about fifty dollars will be charged for the usage of the studio by artists. Duane Moody for News Five.