Sound selectors in Jamaica no longer rely on 7inch vinyl for distro or as a barometer of popularity. Riddim albums can’t sell anymore. Producers no longer cake off single sales. The dynamics have been altered dramatically. But they will adapt. Link
Should any music be able to weather such a storm, it’s reggae. If nothing else, its largely informal economy allows it to adapt much faster than the major labels in the US or Europe. In fact, as Harding points out, attitudes and expectations are already beginning to alter on the island. “People are starting to think differently. They’re realising that they can’t rely on easy money any more and taking steps to change the way they work,” he continues. “Whatever happens, though, reggae and dancehall will never go away. This is our culture so, as long as new generations of artists keep coming through and people want to dance to it, it will always have a future.”
