Check Wikipedia and the Oxford Dictionary online for the definition of “riddim” and you’ll be pleased to learn that the Jamaican ‘mashup’ of the word ‘rhythm’ has taken on a globally understood meaning of its own, one synonymous with Jamaica and dancehall. However, it should come as no surprise with reggae and dancehall having birthed reggaeton, hip hop and electronic dance music (EDM) genres, and crossing the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to reach all corners of the globe – from North and Latin America to Europe, Asia and Australia. Having much influence over the years – as far back as Rock & Roll giants Mick Jagger and The Police in the 70’s, being widely sampled by hip hop heavyweights LL Cool J, Jay Z, Snoop Dogg turned Snoop Lion, Kanye West, Nas, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, The Game & Kendrick Lamar over recent years, inspiring (EDM) productions from Major Lazer and Skrillex Avicii and most recently reggae/dancehall infused tracks by Rihanna & Justin Bieber – there is no doubt that reggae & dancehall “riddims” have long been winning!
World renown for music and culture, Jamaica has long had challenges consistently harnessing its talent, unifying its players, packaging and monetising its creative and cultural industry, and standardising our winning formula. Now Pepsi is taking Jamaican music to a whole new level with the Winnin’ Riddim competition. Pepsi Winnin’ Riddim is a next-generation talent competition and reality television show that will unearth the next big composer/producer, while detailing the process of composing, songwriting, arranging, producing and careers behind the music.
Oneil Walters of Sretlaw Media, conceptualisers of the Winnin’ Riddim property, is ecstatic at the reception of the six-week-long competition, from which content was filmed for the pilot to be aired this summer. According to Walters, “Winnin’ Riddim was developed to showcase talent behind the music, but we wanted to go beyond the end product of a stage performance to showcase music from where it begins: lyrics, vocals put to a beat, a rhythm, a melody.”
After a glitzy celeb-attended, industry-endorsed launch in January, the competition started in February with 201 Facebook page & mobile app submissions of 60-second original riddims from 128 contestants. The top 40 riddims in two age categories – School Tour (13-17 years old) and Club Tour (18-35 years old) – were chosen from a listening party comprising industry experts, artistes, producers, engineers & musicologists at Robert Livingston’s Big Yard Studios, and played on FYAH 105 FM. After public voting via Facebook, Facebook app, mobile app and mobile phones, riddims were narrowed down to the top 20 and top 10, with the finals culminating in March on Flow TV.
To continue reading, purchase Vol.8 #6, 2016 Issue.
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Check Wikipedia and the Oxford Dictionary online for the definition of “riddim” and you’ll be pleased to learn that the Jamaican ‘mashup’ of the word ‘rhythm’ has taken on a globally understood meaning of its own, one synonymous with Jamaica and dancehall. However, it should come as no surprise with reggae and dancehall having birthed reggaeton, hip hop and electronic dance music (EDM) genres, and crossing the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to reach all corners of the globe – from North and Latin America to Europe, Asia and Australia. Having much influence over the years – as far back as Rock & Roll giants Mick Jagger and The Police in the 70’s, being widely sampled by hip hop heavyweights LL Cool J, Jay Z, Snoop Dogg turned Snoop Lion, Kanye West, Nas, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, The Game & Kendrick Lamar over recent years, inspiring (EDM) productions from Major Lazer and Skrillex Avicii and most recently reggae/dancehall infused tracks by Rihanna & Justin Bieber – there is no doubt that reggae & dancehall “riddims” have long been winning!
World renown for music and culture, Jamaica has long had challenges consistently harnessing its talent, unifying its players, packaging and monetising its creative and cultural industry, and standardising our winning formula. Now Pepsi is taking Jamaican music to a whole new level with the Winnin’ Riddim competition. Pepsi Winnin’ Riddim is a next-generation talent competition and reality television show that will unearth the next big composer/producer, while detailing the process of composing, songwriting, arranging, producing and careers behind the music.
Oneil Walters of Sretlaw Media, conceptualisers of the Winnin’ Riddim property, is ecstatic at the reception of the six-week-long competition, from which content was filmed for the pilot to be aired this summer. According to Walters, “Winnin’ Riddim was developed to showcase talent behind the music, but we wanted to go beyond the end product of a stage performance to showcase music from where it begins: lyrics, vocals put to a beat, a rhythm, a melody.”
After a glitzy celeb-attended, industry-endorsed launch in January, the competition started in February with 201 Facebook page & mobile app submissions of 60-second original riddims from 128 contestants. The top 40 riddims in two age categories – School Tour (13-17 years old) and Club Tour (18-35 years old) – were chosen from a listening party comprising industry experts, artistes, producers, engineers & musicologists at Robert Livingston’s Big Yard Studios, and played on FYAH 105 FM. After public voting via Facebook, Facebook app, mobile app and mobile phones, riddims were narrowed down to the top 20 and top 10, with the finals culminating in March on Flow TV.
To continue reading, purchase Vol.8 #6, 2016 Issue.
Share this post: