Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Jon Baker (left) chats with Alborosie, artiste and producer, at his Gee Jam studio in Kingston. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

An international advocate of Jamaican music, Gee Jam records has constantly attracted foreign talents and is forging ahead in various different markets.

When the rock group No Doubt came to Jamaica to sample local music, Gee Jam's studio in Port Antonio was one of a few obvious choices.

Jon Baker, owner of Gee Jam, says: "If people want to do things here from the international arena, you come to certain camps, Sean Paul's camp, 'cause he's a huge star; Gee Jam because of our current involvement in the international business, Big Yard and Shaggy and Tuff Gong."

The studio, which is located in picturesque Port Antonio, provides more than a place to record music. It is almost like a mini vaction. Baker says this is one of its main selling points.

Jamaican flavour

"They (international acts) want to get away from the urban environment and focus. We have nice accommodations, and beautiful studios. Another reason may be that a particular artiste might want a Jamaican flavour. Where better to be than in a Gee Jam studio - where we can bring artistes down, producers to work with them and vocalists to guest on some of their songs," he said.

However, despite the charming Port Antonio scene, Gee Jam moved its studio to Kingston, this year. That doesn't mean the Kingston studio isn't up to scratch. The environment is like stepping into an episode of MTV Cribs. Baker claims the move was provoked by the need to be more in the hub of entertainment.

"I didn't realise how isolated Port Antonio was. It's a great place to create but you're out of the mix. I was in two minds whether to go back to New York or to go to Kingston. Last year we came to Kingston and started to increase what we did," Baker said.

Gee Jam retreats

Baker has big plans for the company which include an annual writers' workshop which begins in February 2007. "We're putting together the first writers' Gee Jam retreats, we're inviting a series of songwriters from all over the world to come down for seven days and co-write," Baker said.

"We continue the creative retreat. We work and develop with local artistes, we are finishing Alborosie's album," he said. "We're going to have a facility come 2007 where producers can bring their music to us. (We are) setting up our digital distribution site in unison with itunes, where they will pay for songs downloaded from Jamaica, rather than go through aggregates internationally, where it takes forever to get paid," he said.

"So we will truly be a Caribbean- based First World record company, but digital."

Gee Jam also plans to distribute film.

"We've got a movie coming out called Surf Rastas. We're setting up all of our creative projects and we've never looked back. We're making records again and Kingston is beginning to tell that we are around."