Artistes Wanted For Honey Jam

On Tuesday 27th September, Ebonnie Rowe launched the first official Honey Jam event in Barbados. Honey Jam debuted in February this year as ‘A Taste of Honey Jam’.  Honey Jam is not only designed to showcase female talent, but it also serves to empower female artists and give them an opportunity to learn from international industry personnel.

Barbadian producer Ebonnie Rowe at the launch of Honey Jam (Photo by Bajan Reporter)

Along with the media, sponsors, members of the audition panel and those who want to support Ebonnie’s mission were present at the launch. A few ‘Taste of Honey Jam’ alumni were also there and one of them deserves a special mention.  

Sixteen-year-old Malissa Alanna said a few words and made a personal donation to Honey Jam, which helped her to break out into the industry. Since appearing at the February showcase, she has made a few more public performances, including the COSCAP Foundation Gala. She has also recently returned from Nashville, working with a recording studio there. Other than giving back, there is another reason Malissa made the donation.

Ebonnie Rowe & Malissa Alanna at the Honey Jam Barbados launch

Despite the turn out, support, and media coverage of ‘Taste of Honey Jam’, Ebonnie has been struggling to find sponsorship and funding. This comes as a surprise to everyone, I’m sure. There are some individual companies who have given sponsorship to the Honey Jam cause, but most of the sponsoring companies are run by those who are, or have been, in the Barbadian music industry. When it comes to receiving funding from corporate Barbados, it turns out “a producer bringing in [Jamaican dancehall artiste] Vybz Kartel” has a much better chance of getting financial support than the organiser of a local talent showcase. Ebonnie also lamented that of all the government entities that are geared towards helping initiatives like Honey Jam, not one agency has come on board.

We at Kurama Magazine implore anyone who wants to sponsor or donate to this amazing cause, to contact Ebonnie Rowe at honeyjambarbados@gmail.com to find out what you can do to help. Even if you have a small budget, you can make a contribution. There are Honey Jam buttons and bookmarks that are available for purchase as well. To find out more information, head over to the Honey Jam website.

Queen of soca Alison Hinds with Ebonnie Rowe; Hinds will be one of the audition judges

Honey Jam auditions are being held at the Plantation Theatre on Tuesday, October 4th from 6 p.m. It’s advised that performers ensure they are available on the day of the showcase (November 12^th) before auditioning. Artistes will have one minute to impress a large panel of judges made up of persons from all aspects of the industry. There is also the opportunity for the public to watch the auditions for a small donation of $5. I know I will be going to support.