Studio Time: Looking for Outta Town talent

AT first glance, the small building in Goshen, St Elizabeth resembles your typical district shop. But enter, and the blaring sound from speakers puts that perception to rest.

The Outta Town Recording Studio may not be as fancy as its state-of-the-art counterparts in the Corporate Area, but management there is striving for quality productions.

For producer/artiste Vernon 'Singing Vernon' Bourne, the studio is the answer to his discontent with the music scene in Kingston and St Andrew.

His friend and engineer, Duley Eulitts, encouraged him to return to St Elizabeth to produce music they believe in.

Hence, the Outta Town Recording Studio and label which they started in 2008.

"The name is deliberate as we are out of town and far removed from it all," Singing Vernon told the Jamaica Observer.

Back in the parish of his birth, Singing Vernon, 51, is nurturing home-grown talent such as Ras Andy and Itigo, recording cultural songs he and Eulitts hope will eventually penetrate the local market.

While he is disappointed with the results to date, Vernon is encouraged with the response to Outta Town productions in Europe.

Among those songs are Don't You Worry by Fabulous, Hands of Jah (a collaboration between Singing Vernon and Warrior King), and Good Music, featuring Asante Amen.

All were released between 2008 and 2010.

"Every day I get requests for jingles and tracks from music entities in Europe, so you know something is happening," Vernon said.

Singing Vernon's earlier songs include Fabulous Girl, I Need You and Simple Life. He believes there is enough talent in St Elizabeth to make it big.

"All we need now is good support, people to come on board, and we can manage their investment," he said.

(from Jamaica Observer)