Written by: Jamel Grahame
It was more than a little farfetched the possibility of a famed pastor’s son producing for one of the most provocative and controversial performing dancehall artiste today. This was the sentiments echoed by Joel Browne, who practices his craft as a producer under the name Joey2Kool Productions. He described with animation his total amazement when he initially saw what appeared to be the legendary recording artiste Dexta Daps trying to contact him. Browne explained that the moment was so shocking that he initially questioned the realism of the situation and had not responded until he did some research. According to the young musician the moment has resulted in him receiving much media and public attention.
Joel Browne is, however, no stranger to popularity. Born to one of Guyana’s most recognized and internationally acclaimed Christian leaders Pastor Emanuel Browne who is the Head Pastor of the famed New Life Ministry’s church. Browne credits his famed father’s unwavering encouragement and support for the genesis and sustenance of his music career. He explained that growing up in the church gave him access to a variety of musical instruments where he recognized and harnessed his musical talents. He also acknowledged Guyanese lyricist Kwasi Ace as one of his earlier collaborations and someone he described as an avid believer in his talent.
Browne began his music career singing and producing music with his sister Angelina Browne and became popular for the successful patriotic duet entitled “this is my Home Guyana”. The duet” dominated the radio waves at the time of its release. He has since gone on to produce for many of Guyana’s biggest music acts. The musician’s journey was not a paved road, however, Browne detailed the many challenges he faced early in his career. He recalled the many naysayers encountered and how his struggles with negative comments coincided with his journey to find his unique sound. According to Browne in a bid for recognition, he would listen to artiste and try to create sounds tailored to them. He would eventually settle on creating the type of music he would personally enjoy.
When asked to describe the Joey2Kool production sound, the producer explained that his sound relies heavily on the use of live instruments and the creation of authentic acoustics which he believes played a critical role in his work being recognized by Dexta Daps. Dexta Daps is also known for bringing a unique sound to Dancehall music. His brand consists of live instruments, acoustics, and a blending of musical genres. Browne explained that as an avid “Church boy” Dexta Daps was understandably not on his go-to list. He, however, after being contacted by the artiste’s management team researched the artiste and got an understanding of his sound. Though the tracks produced for the album were not tailored to the artiste, the compatibility is impossible to ignore. Browne’s work on Dexta Daps album ‘Vent’ spans three tracks and features collabs with acclaimed reggae performing artistes Beenie Man, Tarrus Riley, and Spice.
The young producer’s life is quite the balancing act. In addition to music, he also doubles as a professional pilot, a husband, and a father and remains an active member of his father’s ministry. Joel Browne has big dreams for the future of his career. He has dreams of further regional and even international collaborations and even has sights on winning a Grammy award for his country.
Joel Browne closed by encouraging humility amongst persons aspiring to this profession, a trait he said was instilled in him by his father. He further posited that doing it for the “love” and not “accolades” is also critical to ensuring success in the arena. According to Browne, he has much to be grateful for including the opportunity to work and interact with superstars such as Dexta Daps who he described as one of the coolest persons he has ever met. He further regarded, as a high point, a thrilling story of the famed artiste singing Happy Birthday to his wife. He acknowledged his family, friends, and many supporters as invaluable to his life and career
Caribbean Entertainment Hub wishes to congratulate the young producer and wish him continued success with future initiatives.
Guyanese- Bristish Mega Star Letitia Wright Returns To Her Homeland
By: 592 EntertainmentGuyanese-British actress Letitia Wright, widely known for her role in the Black Panther movie franchise, arrived in her homeland Guyana on Friday January 27 after leaving at the tender age of eight.
Read more ...Guyana’s Senior & Junior Calypso Monarchs Along With Junior Soca Monarch Crowned
By: 592 entertainmentThree Monarchs were crowned in one night as the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport held its annual Junior and Senior Calypso and Junior Soca Monarch Competition on February 19th, 2023 at the Guyana National Stadium.
Read more ...National Dishes of the Caribbean
By: Lesandra ScottThe West Indies is often described as a paradise right here on earth given the natural beauty of the islands. However; as much as you can find welcoming people, white sand beaches, and waterfalls throughout the islands basking in the Caribbean Sea, what is unique to each and every island is all about the taste buds, their National Dish.
Read more ...Hot Guyanese Pop Princess, JOURDIN PAULINE, released her long-awaited single “ROCKSTAR” which features popular award-winning Jamaican dancehall artist Skillibeng. Within days the single quickly jumped to the top 20 on the iTunes chart, hitting the top spot on the Reggae chart in the UK, and on all the genre charts in Canada.
Read more ...Terri Lyons Is Calypso Royalty
By: Nekisha CyrusHands down, Terri Lyons is one of the most dynamic vocalists in the game with the musical versatility to match. Even though she hails from soca royalty as daughter of a soca legend, the one and only Super Blue, she has been determined to create her own legacy in the music industry
Read more ...Now That Afrobeat Has Its Own Grammy Category, What About Soca?
By: Adela ScotlandNow that Afrobeat creators have the opportunity to win the prestigious award in their own category it begs the question why hasn’t Soca gotten its own category yet? Like Afrobeat, Soca has also been around since the 1970s and it is also a fusion of different rhythms and styles. It has also gained worldwide popularity within the last couple of years and there are artists who are talented enough and deserving of the accolade.
Read more ...Visual artist Andrea Mckenzie may now live in Atlanta, Georgia but her bold, stunning works of art remain infused with her Trinidadian roots and Caribbean culture.
“My family legacy and Carnival is my foundation. I come from a lineage of creatives”, …
Spice: Colorism and Black Hypocrisy
By: Charmaine LindsayJamaican, Dancehall artist Spice, whose real name is Grace Hamilton is most popular for her erotic songs, and music videos with her acrobatic female dancers. However, she took a break from that routine to speak out against colorism. She did this in her recent social media stunt, and soon after released single, “Black Hypocrisy”.
Read more ...