Mic Check – The Impact, Influence & The Role Sound Systems Played In The Development Of Reggae Music

The Impact, Influence & The Role Sound Systems Played In The Development Of Reggae Music with Reggae Historian, Musicologist & Radio Host Mr Clyde McKenzie OD

Clyde McKenzie is a director of Magnificent Ideas Limited a media content developer. He is also a director of Caribbean Global Network (operators of the Bridge 99 FM. He is a director of Downsound Book Publishing Limited.He is the founding general manager of the phenomenally successful Reggae Radio (IRIE FM )which has consistently polled as the number one radio station in Jamaica since its inception, over a quarter century ago. McKenzie was the host of the popular ‘Musically Speaking’ which was aired on IRIE FM and is now being aired on the Bridge.

McKenzie is an executive producer of the Grammy Award winning album “Art and Life”
performed by the artiste Beenie Man whom he co- managed. He has also co- managed such acts as Lady Saw , Tanto Metro and Devonte and Ms. Ting.
McKenzie also shares songwriting credit on a number of Beenie Man’s albums. McKenzie is a director of the famed Shocking Vibes Productions.

McKenzie has extensive experience in the production of high quality audiovisual content. He has worked on the production of a number of music videos including” Feel it Boy” ( directed by Dave Meyers ) which was shot in Malibu California , “Girls Dem Shuga “featuring Mya directed by Little X shot in New York and was a creative director and scriptwriter for the 2020 Edition of A Taste of Sumfest a virtual presentation of the famous festival. .

McKenzie was a judge for six seasons on the popular Jamaican television programme ( Rising Stars).He co-hosted with Leahcim Semaj the television programme ” Food for Thought” which is a current affairs show for which he also served as executive producer .

McKenzie has written extensively on entertainment and cultural issues and is the co-author of the soon to be released “ Reggae My Life Is” by Copeland Forbes which chronicles some very important incidents and events in Jamaican music over the past sixty years. He will also be shortly releasing “It’s the Culture Stupid” a collection of his articles which have appeared in the Jamaica Observer over the past twenty years. McKenzie is the producer of a soon to be released documentary on the architect of the modern Jamaican sprinting : Dennis Johnson.

McKenzie has considerable experience in the production of large scale entertainment events. He has been the producer of such notable events as “Fire on the Waterfront”, an annual New Years which attracted more than 100,000 revelers on the Kingston Harbour. He has served as creative director / producer /production consultant for such events as the Reggae Academy Awards; Ghetto Splash; Reggae Bash and Summer Sizzle. All of these events have attracted in excess of 20,000 patrons per night.

He was a critical player in the design of the associate degree course in entertainment management for NCTVET which served as the template for the ECEM degree programme at the University of the West Indies.

He has consulted extensively with public and private sector organizations across the Caribbean and South America in media and entertainment matters. He has worked with regional organizations such as CARICOM and Caribbean Export in the formulation of cultural policy and with sporting organizations such FIFA. He has also consulted on a number of festivals in the Caribbean and South America including CARIFESTA 2013 in Paramaribo Suriname.

He served in an advisory capacity on cultural matters for the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery during the CARIFORUM / EU negotiation of the EPA during which a cultural protocol allowing greater access of Caribbean cultural workers to Europe was signed.

He has served on a number of boards in Jamaica and the Caribbean in both the private and public sectors including:, CPTC ( Creative Production and Training Centre) ;JCDC ( Jamaica Cultural Development Commission)JIPO ( Jamaica International Property Office) and chaired the EAB) Entertainment Advisory Board among others. He is currently a member of the Sports and Entertainment Network. He has also served on the advisory board of the Barbados based Caribbean Export.

McKenzie is the recipient of the Order of Distinction conferred by the Government of Jamaica for services to the fields of media and entertainment.