Teino Evans, Staff Reporter
Assassin at the video shoot for 'Gully Sit'n' last month. Ring tones for his songs will be among those to be available through a partnership between VP Records and Digicel. - COLIN HAMILTON/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
ARTISTES AND consumers are looking forward to the benefits of a new partnership between VP Records and Digicel.
The venture, formed earlier this month, will allow Digicel customers to add ring tones and popular songs from their favourite artistes, as well as artiste wallpaper and ring-back sounds, to their cell phones.
Over the next few weeks Digicel will be launching 20 songs from the VP roster and customers can go to Digicel Live www.wapdigicel.com to download the tunes. They will be able to choose from Morgan Heritage, Sean Paul, Elephant Man, Assassin, TOK, Lady Saw and many others.
GREAT IDEA
Gramps of Morgan Heritage said "I think it's a great venture. I think Digicel is leading the way and the whole thing with ring tones is a great idea. It's great for the artistes, because it gives the fans a chance to get these hit songs that are popular and take the songs with them".
Deejay Assassin is also pleased. "When the world is moving forward with certain technologies, then the music should be able to adapt as well. So one time a man use to go record store fi get a record or CD, now dem can download it... The whole thing will definitely benefit the artiste, because that's more promotion right there," he said.
Digicel customers are also looking forward to the venture.
"It sounds like a nice idea. I think it will be very interesting and it will make your phone more attractive. Ring tones are the in thing, so I'm sure everyone will want to have their favourite tunes on their phones," said 19-year-old Posha .
Her only concern, however, was with the cost of $125 per download. "It kinda sound expensive fi a person like me, but if a something weh mi really want then I'll make the sacrifice," she said.
Twenty-three year-old Nicky says "a long time mi want something like dat, because sometimes yuh have some song weh yuh want as ring and when yuh download some a dem it nuh sound good; the volume low when it ring an sometimes di ring not even sound like di original song. Hopefully, since these will be provided in collaboration with the actual record company and the mobile network, the quality will be much better".
NOTHING NEW
One person, however, was not so enthused.
"I guess it's a good idea, but I don't think it's anything new. People have always been able to download rings and wallpaper for their phones, but I guess it only makes the same facility available to every single Jamaican who is not technologically inclined or who doesn't have access to the Internet," Clyde Shaw said.
Alison Troy, manager, New Communication Solutions, which will facilitate the download sales says "all the latest artistes will be featured. As you are aware, VP Records is the biggest source of reggae music content and holds an enviable catalogue of material. Digicel customers will be able to download tones like Sean Paul's, Temperature, Elephant Man's Willie Bounce, TOK's Footprints, Junior Kelly's Receive and Assassin's God Nah Sleep. This is just a sample of the tunes that Digicel customers will be able to access through VP Real Tones."
