5 Questions with … Richard Roach

NOT ONE for the spotlight, artiste manager Richard Roach is usually found working his magic behind the scenes. A shy, unassuming individual, one cannot tell the magnitude of his contribution to the music industry by simply looking. His work, however, speaks for itself. With a career spanning more than two decades and a diploma in marketing, Roach has helped to push the careers of some of dancehall and reggae’s biggest names. Vybz Kartel, Ward 21, Tanya Stephens, Wayne Marshall and, most recently, Gage and Savage are just some of the talents he has worked with over the years. A man of many talents, Roach not only assists with promotion and marketing, but he’s also an experienced music producer. His work in that field goes as far back as 1996. In this edition of Five Questions With …, we will get to know more about a man whose legacy in music is just as rich as some of Jamaica’s most prolific artistes.

What made you decide on a career in music?

I loved music from I was little, but it kinda grew when I was in high school. I remember listening to the disc jocks on the radio and just developing a passion to help push new artistes. But I grew up in Waterhouse and my mom was a Christian, so the parties and the dance, I wasn’t allowed to go. I still couldn’t stay away from the music though, so what happened to me was that when the sound system string up early, I would go when they were setting up, doing testing, and I would go around the turntables. That developed my love for recording. My mother migrated to the United States and the first money she sent me, I bought a cassette tape. I used to do some stuff with the cassette; it amazes me to this day. In 1996, I left high school and didn’t end up in music. I did marketing, and even got a diploma in it, but it wasn’t quite adding up for me. I had a zeal to help young artistes. I remember there was a group of young guys in my community, very talented, and they wanted to record. There was a studio up the road from us called Studio Mix. We went up there and we did a little recording. I remember trying to promote them one day with Richie B, this was about 1996 when he was at RJR. There was the promoter from Antigua who came down to book Richie B, and I introduced myself. I told him I select and play music and I have these young artistes who are bad. He showed interest and asked if I could get them performing. He invited us to his hotel to hear them, gave me taxi fare to carry dem. I took them, they performed in Antigua and when we came back, word just began to go out about us. That’s how things really got started.

What is it like working with artistes? Do you enjoy it, and what are some of the difficulties you face?

Getting them to do what is best for them more while is a challenge. Like doing promotional stuff for no money because, of course, people want to get paid. One of the hardest things I’ve also found in this business is getting the respect you deserve from these artistes. This game comes with a lot of roadblocks. If somebody don’t see you as someone of a certain stature or a certain financial background, dem nuh really listen much. But I enjoy it because I have a zeal to make things happen. I love when I’m able to help a young artiste get his break in the business. That’s what drives me.

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Maybe them already know this, but me shy till me fool (laughs). I don’t like crowd. I’m in entertainment, but I hate crowd. I don’t like hype, either; I don’t do well with it. I try to be as behind the scenes as possible.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

I would actually want to see it be an INDUSTRY. When I say that, I mean I want us to finally realise that the day we treat reggae and dancehall like the important asset it is, we will be untouchable. I want us to unify and become a real industry because if we do that, nothing can stop us.

When you want to unwind, where is your favourite chill spot in Jamaica?

Anywhere QUIET (laughs). I go on vacations with my family, and me always get cussing because I don’t go out to the pool or nothing. I just lock up in the hotel room. You can even ask the artistes I work with, [they] can tell you that. When I travel, I spend most of my time in my room, that’s how I chill. Maybe that’s why I don’t even get enough love from the streets, because I don’t go a lot to the dances and parties. I don’t drink and I don’t smoke, but I do enjoy going to the beach, and I’m a lover of nature, Mother Earth.