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BMG partners on new Jamaican record label
By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 14 February 2019
BMG has announced a partnership with musicians and producers Zak Starkey and Sharna Liguz to launch a new label called Trojan Jamaica. The new venture says it will “bring newly produced, Jamaican-made music to the world”.
The duo already operate a studio in Jamaica, having built connections on the island after originally being booked to play at the opening of the Pete Tosh Museum in Kingston. That booking came about after the curator of the museum saw Starkey and Liquz cover the Bob Marley/Pete Tosh song ‘Get Up, Stand Up’.
The new business shares its name, of course, with legendary reggae label Trojan Records, which BMG acquired in 2013. Under the deal between BMG and the two musicians, the music rights company will license the Trojan brand and has also invested into the venture. A first release is due this spring.
Discussing his work in Jamaica, Starkey says: “We felt so warmly welcomed and at home in the musical community, that we stayed and recorded all the music that has become Trojan Jamaica. We’re committed to presenting local artists together with international musicians who, like us, have been inspired by roots culture”.
Meanwhile BMG boss Hartwig Masuch adds: “We are delighted to partner with Zak and Sharna on this exciting new musical endeavour. This is a wonderful opportunity to reflect the new sounds of reggae’s homeland”.