Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 3rd Edition

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Our Competitive Advantage

to have people around you who support you. A career in music is NOT EASY, but coming up in school, especially in the early stages of my career I had a lot of support from my classmates and friends from other schools that heard me at house parties, etc. That definitely boosted my confidence. Meeting my manager, Matthew “Fewwture” Ashby in 2009 then boosted my self-confidence even further because he really believed in my potential and talent.” Puffy believes that after winning theThre3style, the world stood up and noticed Caribbean DJs even more, adding that their culture shapes them into extremely versatile and energetic DJs, who have endless opportunities worldwide. “There are many lucrative markets for our artistes. I know many musicians from across the region who work on cruise ships, in hotels around the world, and in clubs across the globe. Literally, everywhere! There are many traveling DJs who go from island to island playing at different events and making a living from it and then there’s radio. Radio also propelled my career in a major way. It allowed me to showcase my personality, talent and skill to hundreds of thousands of people every day.” Puffy agrees that a lot more can be done by regional governments and bodies to develop the music industry, but this is an area where the musical mixologist has a few ideas of his own that he is looking to pursue in due course.

Despite the need for more support to the sector, Puffy also recognises the Caribbean’s success in the international market with artistes such as Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, Rihanna, Alison Hinds, Chronixx, Beenie Man, King Bubba, and countless others. He also believes that the music from these artistes contribute significantly to the diversification of the Caribbean economy. “Music is one of the import organs that helps drive the Caribbean economy. With the development and reach of our music, people are automatically invited to taste our culture, and experience what we experience through our sound and lyrics. For example, a Machel Montano song about Carnival definitely encourages someone who hasn’t experienced Carnival in Trinidad to come. Similarly, a Chronixx song about Jamaica might encourage someone to want to visit the island. Our music also plays a huge role in the tourism industry and many other sectors.” DJ Puffy is much more than a disc jockey. He is a visionary and a musical maestro, with the world as his playground. His world title has introduced him to a much bigger global audience and earned him further respect among his peers, but he has never lost his focus. His advice to aspiring DJs is very much the mantra he maintains for himself: Stay humble, keep learning, continue to practice and most importantly, BE YOURSELF!