Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

Reid

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Popular Song winner for 2006, Omar Reid, is among 10 Jamaican artistes selected to perform at MIDEM this year.

Reid has since been making preparations around the clock, as he hopes to gain much exposure and contacts at the music festival held in France.

"I feel good because I'm going to be getting major exposure out of this one event. I also feel privileged, because I will be sharing the stage with the likes of Shaggy, Tessanne, Da'Ville, just to name a few," Reid said.

Reid took the Pop Song contest title last year with Remember The Days.

Preparations

He says right now he is focused on how he will promote and present himself at the music festival.

"There are so much preparations, because the suit I'm going to wear, getting CDs printed, because we going to have to hand those out, and press kits and rehearsals. All of this week and next week we have rehearsals with the backing band, Gumption," Reid said.

The event, which is the world's largest music festival, will take place in Cannes, France, from January 21-25 and will see the Jamaican performers in the 'Sounds of Jamaica' Jamaica Night Showcase.

'Sounds of Jamaica' is the booth where the Jamaican contingent of over 50 artistes, producers, lawyers, rights professionals and persons from cultural training institutions will be hosted under the leadership of local promotions agency, JAMPRO.

Participants will have an opportunity to meet with professionals from all over the world to discuss various aspects of the music business and begin negotiations for future business opportunities.

However, Reid has more specific goals in mind, that of "building relationships with distribution companies for the overseas market, in order to get my music in places like Europe and Japan".

Up until now, Reid says he had been working on some singles which he hopes to complete shortly after returning from MIDEM.

"I was still working on some singles and the deadline I have for completing this independent project of mine is April of this year. Outside of that I am working with Shauna Fung-Yee of Down To Earth Productions. She does booking and management," Reid said.

Participation

Omar Reid performs his winning entry, 'Remember The Days', at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Popular Song Contest finals held at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, Hope Road, in July last year. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

The Jamaica Night Showcase returns to MIDEM after a four-year absence and will be held on January 23. Jamaica's participation in MIDEM dates back to 1997 and the last Jamaica Night event was staged in 2002.

MIDEM 2007 is being staged under the theme 'I've got the Music in Me, Come to the Source'.

The JCDC will be participating in the festival with an aim to negotiate international licensing and distribution contracts for the various music albums produced by the commission annually.

Since his victory, Reid has been working on a number of new songs, some of which will be performed at MIDEM along with his winning entry. He leaves for the festival on January 21.