When Music & Digital Culture Gets it Right

A Tracy Chapman Appreciation Issue.

Hey Insiders,

Welcome to another issue of SiliconCaribe Insider that is also an unapologetic Tracy Chapman Appreciation Issue with all other news acting as backup singers.

IN THIS WEEK’S SCI

  • The Lead: When Music & Digital Culture Gets it Right, Dammit! A Tracy Chapman Appreciation Issue.

  • Caribbean Tech News:

  • Africa Tech News Snippets

  • Rest of the World Tech News

  •  A Moment in Caribbean Tech History: Reggae Music Lessons: Top 3 Reasons Reggae Music Sales Suck and how to change it

  • Caribbean Tech Events

THE LEAD

When Music & Digital Culture Gets it Right, Dammit! A Tracy Chapman Appreciation Issue

[ Music + Tech]

I don't think anyone had “witnessing the captivating smile of the iconic Tracy Chapman” on their bingo card last weekend, but here we are. If it made you feel joy in that moment and that all things that are right in this world. This issue is for you.

Can you imagine, thirty-five years after the release of her legendary folk-rock anthem "Fast Car," Tracy Chapman has once again top of the music charts. This 1988 masterpiece now proudly claims the throne as the No. 1 track on the iTunes Top Songs Chart, all thanks to her mesmerizing duet with country sensation Luke Combs at the recent Grammy Awards. But this isn't just about music; it's a fusion of live TV magic and the instantaneous power of digital charts and song purchases.

The swiftness with which "Fast Car" reclaimed its well-deserved crown reminds us of the remarkable connection between music and technology. People hear it, see it, search for it, listen to it, purchase it, and dive into its magic—all in a click and a blink of an eye.

Tracy Chapman's iconic music and body of work are now reaching a whole new generation, and I am here for it. The internet is on fire with excitement over the glorious five minutes she graced the Grammy stage, a rare occurrence from an artist who has kept a low profile for the past fifteen years.

No iTunes in the 80s

Remember, there was no iTunes in the 80s when Tracy Chapman first debuted her self-titled album on April 5, 1988, under Elektra Records. That groundbreaking album earned her three Grammys, including Best Contemporary Folk Album, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Producer of the Year. In 1989, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it No. 10 on its list of the "100 Greatest Albums of the 80s." Fast forward to today, and it has cemented its place in history, ranking No. 261 in Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2003, No. 263 in 2012, and No. 256 in 2020.

Back in the 80s and 90s, there was no iTunes or Digital Charts. It's essential to note that iTunes was officially launched on January 9, 2001, and it wasn't until October 2004 that digital sales were incorporated into Billboard's music singles charts. This transformation was driven by the booming digital market while physical format sales were dwindling.

It Mattered

But let's talk about why it all matters. Beyond the undeniable impact on Tracy Chapman's digital album sales after her mesmerizing Grammy performance, Frank Leonard, an American film executive and the founder of The Black List, captured its essence perfectly. He said, “The Tracy Chapman / Luke Combs performance mattered because it was a connection across supposed divides, but it also mattered because Combs embodied unbridled joy, admiration, and respect for Chapman, something we see FAR too rarely when these sorts of bridges are celebrated.”

I agree.

As we step into 2024, Tracy Chapman's beautiful smile, enchanting voice, and soulful energy are the unexpected treasures we never knew we needed. It warms our hearts to see a new generation falling in love with this phenomenally talented singer-songwriter, all thanks to the fusion of TV, Digital Music Charts, and Digital Song Downloads.

Combs  on TikTok

And let's not forget about Luke Combs, who might have been a lesser-known name to many. His cover of Chapman's song on his album last year propelled it to the #1 spot on the Country Music Charts. Curiosity led us to TikTok, where we discovered his incredible music, especially the track "Don't Call Me Baby." This is the magic that unfolds when Music and Digital Culture collide—we find ourselves singing "Fast Car" in our cars and reveling in videos of Combs' musical journey.

  :) Thanks for coming back, Tracy! This, my friends, is the magic of music, and we're here for every note of it! 🎶❤️🙌

CARIBBEAN TECH NEWS

Source: Kingston Blendz

Drone Delivery Testing in Kingston Jamaica.

Kingston Blendz, a Kingston-based Food Company soft launched drone delivery to food order drop offs it seems. In An Instagram video, the 8-year-old Healthy Food business showed a video of a drone delivery to a customer. And said ” We’re currently in the testing phase with the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA). Presently, our deliveries are restricted to the Half Way Tree and New Kingston areas.” 

Currently, some of the General Rules for Flying Drones in Jamaica are:

  • Do not fly drones at heights exceeding 400 feet (122 meters).

  • Do not fly drones beyond a range of 1,640 feet (500 meters).

  • You must keep your drone within visual sight at all times. “First Person View” technology does not satisfy this requirement.

  • Do not fly over or within 500 feet (152 meters) of any crowd.

  • Do not fly over or within 165 feet (50 meters) of any person excluding the drone operator or during take-off and landing procedures.

  • Drones may not be operated on public or private property without prior authorization.

  • Do not fly within 3 miles (5,000 meters) of any airport, helipad, or airport.

Kingston Blendz which started as a ghost Kingston in the Capital City’s business district New Kingston-is now a brick-and-mortar setup. We’re going to have to wait to see if this is a PR Stunt or will be part of their food delivery strategy.

IDB Lab invests US$750,000 in the Caribbean Health Innovation Accelerator

International Development Bank Lab has invested just under a million US dollars in a Caribbean Health Innovation Accelerator and Incubator owner by Novamed, which is led by Jamaican Dr David Walcott. Named Catalyst, it’s being touted as the Caribbean’s first health innovation lab that will also have the Caribbean’s first healthcare start-up accelerator programme, the Health Future Institute, which provides resources to propel start-up businesses into successful enterprises and is being developed in collaboration with Rock Health, a U.S.-based venture fund specialising in supporting start-ups in digital health and broader health technology. 

The Health Future Institute’s portfolio has already kicked off with a list of start-ups including Athena Care, Brain in Training, Daisy Health Technology, First Step, HYC Medical Limited, and Xermosol.

Also for people who love Tracy Chapman😀 

GLOBAL TECH NEWS SNIPPETS

[ Africa Tech News]

  • Startup Funding in Africa Slows Down

African businesses got off to a slow start in 2024, raising only $83 million in 31 declared deals in January, according to Africa: The Big Deal statistics. This is a significant decrease from the $545.1 million raised in 20 transactions during the same month in 2023, marking an 84.8% year-on-year drop.

  • Internet Shutdowns Threatens Democracy and Economy in Senegal

Senegal shuts down internet after delayed presidential election. Senegal’s government shut down the country’s internet for the third time in nine months citing "hateful messages" on social media as the reason for the shutdown, following the same approach as the earlier shutdowns. 

Internet Internet shutdowns have become a prevalent tool for African governments seeking to control information flow. In the past two years, governments in the Republic of the Congo, Niger, Uganda, and Zambia have cut off internet access during election periods.

While residents attempt to circumvent the restrictions through WiFi, the economic impact of the shutdown is significant. Reports suggest Senegal lost $300,000 per hour during the previous internet disruption in June, and Sub-Saharan African countries incurred $1.74 billion in losses due to such shutdowns in 2023.

It is a very concerning trend: Official narratives often justify shutdowns as measures to curb violence, maintain public order, or prevent the spread of misinformation. However, the shutdowns may be used to silence opposing voices, restrict freedom of expression, and hinder transparency.

In Jamaica For example: This is why customers having choice in Internet Service providers is crucial for democracy and self-sovereignty. This is why we here in Jamaica welcome Starlink to break up what has been a duopoly of Flow and Digicel for over a decade.

REST OF THE WORLD TECH NEWS

Google buys  Edlyft's AI Tutor platform startup led by two women.

Google purchased Edlyft's AI Tutor platform founded by Erika Hairston and Arnelle Ansong , developed through collaboration with the tech giant's Exchange Program, to teach applied computer science virtually over a semester. 

This really helps demonstrate the significant impact Black women engineers can have by creating an AI-driven solution that empowers students in computer science education. 

The duo's journey, from exploring computer science to securing top internships and now establishing a successful tech startup, reflects their dedication to making the tech industry more accessible and inspiring the next generation of underrepresented engineers.

[ Social Media + Streaming ]

  • YouTube has hit 100 million paying subscribers across its Music and Premium platforms.YouTube is not only bringing millions of new users to the Premium and Music tiers — it’s also increasing the amount of revenue it generates from those subscribers. Premium was once available for as little as US$7.99 per month, but a series of recent hikes have brought the service’s standard U.S. price to $13.99 per month.

  • Wow, Meta: It added US$197B to its market value Friday, the biggest single-day gain ever, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s fortune jumping US$28B+. Why? Profits are way up and Wall Street’s starry-eyed about its AI offerings. Source: Hubspot

  • Spotify renewed its contract with podcaster Joe Rogan in a deal worth an estimated US$250m. However, due to Spotify’s new strategy, it will no longer be exclusive to the streaming platform.

[Crypto]

Will the real Nakamoto please stand up?

Australian computer scientist Craig Wright heads to court to prove that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, the father of Bitcoin. And we all wait with bated breath.

Wright is on trial in the UK High Court over his claim that he is actually “Satoshi Nakamoto,” the inventor of Bitcoin and basically crypto’s version of Banksy.

The Little Backstory: In 2008, someone going by the name Satoshi Nakamoto published a white paper that laid the groundwork for Bitcoin. But, by 2011, Nakamoto—whose identity remained a secret—disappeared.

Many are unconvinced. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a group of crypto and tech funds, brought the lawsuit against Wright to prove that he is not Nakamoto and, therefore, has no claim to the technology. It hopes to stop Wright from claiming that others’ use of Bitcoin software infringes on his intellectual property.

What’s at stake?

The future of crypto and how it will also affect a slew of other cases involving Wright and the various bitcoin developers he’s suing, including Kraken and Coinbase. Source: Morning Brew

Bitcoin Users: Currently, there are over 1 million Bitcoin users in the Caribbean and  X around the world. Since its launch in 2009, Bitcoin has become the world's best-known and most popular cryptocurrency exchange, with more than 190 million users worldwide.

FLASHBACK

A Moment in Caribbean Tech History

Reggae Music Lessons: Top 3 Reasons Reggae Music Sales Suck and how to change it

While we’re still vibing from the Grammy Music Awards Show this weekend- loving the rare appearance of Music Legend Tracy Chapman and celebrating the Grammy win of yet another member of the Marley Family- I decided to bring back this 13-year-old blog post I wrote that caused a few people to be a little pissed off at me. :-)

Do you think what I wrote back then, still applies? Read on.

How I started the article:

 “ I write this totally from the perspective of an internet marketing strategist, as someone who spends 80 percent of her waking hours online reading, tracking trends and who is very biased towards conscious reggae and dancehall artists like Shabba, Lady Saw, Gregory Isaacs, Peter Tosh and yes Bob Marley of course.  This post was inspired by a long talk with a friend of mine who’s in the business as a sound engineer and producer who’s worked in pretty much every studio in the country. So, with biases and background declared, let me get to my Reggae music lessons for the industry.”

1. The music, the music, the artiste, the artiste.

Negros, if you haven’t already seen it in the headlines or your own dwindling tour dates and endorsements – the gun and b*tty man-fi dead tunes are so 90s. It may get you a little crowd rail up here, but it bleeds money from your pocket elsewhere, and frankly, it’s so typical that it’s the unoriginal and talent-free that ride that path to a “buss”.

Have you seen how the women of Reggae have been holding it down with quality riddims, lyrics, and singing…Alaine, Etana, Tanya Stephens, my girl Lady Saw, Tessane, Tami Chynn, Cecile, Tifa, and Diana King. Don’t get me wrong some of the men have been wicked too…consistently so…Shaggy, Sean Paul, my namesake Tarrus Riley, Tony Rebel, Assassin, and Baby Cham to name a few off the top of my head.  They have proven that true talent, authenticity, a killer work ethic coupled with love, respect, and connection with their fans win every single time.

CARIBBEAN TECH EVENTS LISTING

What: The Caribbean’s First and Longest Running Monthly Tech Community and Startup Stage Event.

  • Date: Wednesday, February 28th, 2024

  • Location: AC Hotel, Kingston

  • Format: Panel, Startup Stage Competition, The Best Tech Industry Networking in Jamaica

  • Tickets: Pre-sold online tickets to be released by the weekend.

  • Website: https://kingstonbeta.com/

Beyond the Beach

  • What: An invite-only Tech Investor Summit of Super Successful and highly activated US, Caribbean Diaspora, and Caribbean Angel Investors and Tech Entrepreneurs excited about investing in early-stage Caribbean Startups.

  • Date: March 21-23, 2024

  • Location: Half Moon Hotel, Jamaica

  • Format: Unconference Style of Fireside Chats, Keynotes, Networking Lunches, Dinners, and Interactive Activities.

    An Entrepreneurs Across Borders and SiliconCaribe Event

 List Your Caribbean Tech Event here: email:[email protected]m for ad rates.

READER FEEDBACK

“Fantastic read Ingrid.” 

- Narda Ventura, Chief Executive Officer at SkyBlue Transaction Solutions

“ Loved it! seriously...and you are so on point …….. :).”

Allistair SCott, Career Success Manager at projectBASTA

“Yes, read it! Great insight and predictions…”

Franz Weathers, Founder, ShopKiip

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Catch you in your inbox, next week! Cool beans, Ingrid