If I were to judge him on first impressions only, I’d never guess that he was a perspicacious businessman. I’d probably write him off as a bon vivant.
But when I sat down to speak to Joe Bogdanovich at the offices of Downsound Records, he turned out to be more than what meets the eye.
We spoke about Reggae Sumfest, one of the latest acquisitions under his Downsound Entertainment brand. It was clearly something he was passionate about.
“I think of reggae and dancehall music as a natural resource,” said Bogdanovich. “Jamaican music is something that the world enjoys and Reggae Sumfest is just one of the ways that we can give it to them.”
He added, “But it’s more than that. It’s also about preservation of the music — ensuring that it continues to have a future. I mean, what is Jamaica without the music?”
When asked about the decision to change the format of the festival from a three-night event to two nights and forego the usual cadre of international acts, Bogdanovich pointed to the state of affairs in Jamaican music.
“Reggae music has to evolve. That’s why we’re bringing a whole new presentation to Reggae Sumfest with the 360 virtual reality and streaming app. We’ve done a lot of work on the production this year, so it’s going to be an entirely upgraded experience for the patrons.”
“This year we’re looking to put the spotlight on reggae and dancehall music. That doesn’t mean that we’re closing the door to international acts. If you look at it seriously, Jamaican music is where it’s at right now. A lot of international artistes have been sampling reggae and dancehall music over the years, so the demand for it is obvious,” Bogdanovich said.
His vision is to see Reggae Sumfest grow to into a mega-tourism event like Coachella.
“Reggae Sumfest has lasted this long because it’s a great product. So just imagine its potential! This is the home of reggae music, and having an all-inclusive experience where people can get access to the music, fashion, food and everything else that’s uniquely Jamaican is the direction that we want this to take.”
This served as a segue to discuss sponsorship and how the festival would survive in an economy where corporate sponsorship for events like Reggae Sumfest was seemingly on the decline.
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