Elephant Man - File

In an environment where the number of stage shows seem to be declining, Jamaican dancehall and reggae artistes are being forced to find alternative sources of income.

In the past few years, major stage shows such as Champions In Action, Island Explosion, Reggae Campfire, Welcome To Jamrock, Summer Sizzle, Saddle To The East, Summer Jam, West Kingston Jamboree, Dancehall Jam Jam, East Fest and Spectrum have not been held.

With stage shows decreasing and record sales also dwindling, artistes are being forced to find other ways to earn income.

"The Industry is hurting from a reduction in stage shows in Jamaica. What the artistes have to now rely on are more overseas bookings, concerts and tours as their means of earning a livelihood. It is important to make sure that when you do a song, it gets international exposure as soon as possible," said Charles Campbell, executive director and vice-chairman of the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA).

He added that the strength of these songs will help to determine which artistes are booked to perform on the international scene. In addition, he said statistics have been showing a 30 per cent decline in stage shows.

He also explained that for example, at the event Reggae Wednesdays, held weekly during February's Reggae Month, the artistes who perform there are not paid.

For the free event, he said the performances "are a real sacrifice on the part of the artistes. It doesn't help the artistes in the short term but it does put the industry on display to the world."

He noted that these free performances also help the artistes to get other bookings.

Dancehall artiste D'Angel also admits that stage shows have declined, but she believes there will be an increase as time goes by. However, as a entrepreneur, she said she is keeping herself busy with other ventures like An So Thursdays, her new partnership with the owners of Cookies Nightclub in Portmore and her clothing store.

"I am an entrepreneur so I try to branch out into different avenues. I am trying to do something outside of music so when the music slows down I can still survive," she said, noting that she is still releasing songs to keep herself current.

Elephant Man describes the current situation with the stage shows as 'wicked'. However, he says he is still able to survive through other means.

"You have dubplates and we in demand abroad because as you can see no shows keeping in Jamaica. Mi glad mi put in the groundwork so I can still get work. Is not like one time when you have plenty stage shows," he told THE STAR, noting that he still gets calls for the remaining calendar shows.