L-R: Victor “Dj Future” Wells, deejay Bugle, Kerneil Wells, Leonardo Graves and Jason Bevans
by Howard Campbell
NEW YORK – Caribbean unity is on display with Synthdicate Music, a production team based in Long Island, New York. Its members are from that region as are the artists on Rankin Skankin, their latest release.
The 11-song compilation album was released May 8. It is a showcase of Rastafarian artists espousing positive vibes on a rhythm of the same name.
“The name was created because of the energy of the music with an old-school reggae One Drop feel to have you skanking. All the artists on the album are Rastamen and all the songs have meaning,” said Jason Bevans of Synthdicate Music.
Some of the established acts on Rankin Skankin are Bugle, Capleton, Lutan Fyah and Fantan Mojah of Jamaica; Isasha from Trinidad and Tobago; Qshan Deya of St. Lucia; Nello Player and Mobyle Malachi who are from Belize.
Bevans, who is also Belizean, said he and his partners deliberately selected emerging acts to work alongside their more popular Jamaican counterparts.
“We believe that we have to give the newcomers a chance alongside established artists like Capleton and Fantan Mojah because from my experience anybody can bus’ if they have the right team and hunger to be successful so we try to work with new artists that are driven,” he said.
Synthdicate Music was founded four years ago by Victor “Dj Future” Wells who is from Trinidad and Tobago. Other ‘Trinis’ on its team are his cousins Kerneil Wells and Dwayne Daniel, Jason “Kuttrah” West and Nathalie “Chella” Edwards. Brandon Roghubir was born in New York to Guyanese parents.
The Rankin Skankin is their second reggae production. They debuted with the High Rise in 2018, after releasing several soca songs.
