Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Winston 'Merritone' Blake (left) speaks with singer Pam Hall at the launch of Nadine Sutherland's 'Call My Name' album at the Grog Shoppe, Devon House, on Tuesday.-Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

On Tuesday evening at the Grog Shoppe, Devon House, St. Andrew, Winston 'Merritone' Blake referred to a number of female Jamaican singers, even as he spoke about one and a particular album.

He was the main speaker at the launch of Nadine Sutherland album Call My Name, which he said "captures the essence of Nadine, a very special lady. I have watched her grow from young, frightened to confident young lady into a real spiritual human being.

"The industry has not been very kind to female artistes," Blake said. He said that he was going to name some of them, a number of who probably wouldn't be familiar. On his list were Norma Fraser, Doreen Schaeffer, Dawn Penn, Lorna Bennett, JC Lodge, Audrey Hall and Donna, Diana King, Angella Stewart, Suzan Cadogan and Shelia Hylton, and Blake pointed out that "The radio stations have not been kind to our female artistes.

"I am hoping that this CD, Call My Name, will be the turning point for females in the industry," Blake said.

Still, "There are some of the present generation who are getting some attention," said Blake, naming Alaine and Tessane Chin among the few.

"There has never been a time in the music industry where so many people are recording," Blake said. "Everywhere I go people are putting a CD in my hand and saying 'get some play for this'."

Little changes

He said at present he had 10 CDs by women that were not getting any airplay, and advised "They should have a lobby group to target radio stations and demand a better deal for the music they make.

"It has been that way ever since and in 2007 I see little changes," Blake said about the low airplay for women. "The essence of play on radio is sustenance. It is heavy rotation. If you do not get played for two to three months regularly, it (the song) cannot break on radio, on the charts, in people's minds."

And after listing a number of things that artistes can do to promote their records, he said "The people in the radio stations, they are heavily connected. Some are producers themselves. The jocks have special people they do special things for and if you cannot match those favours you won't get a lot of airplay."

He said that performers should "go to the radio stations and demand they make a playlist, a chart that they follow. They are doing their own thing and that does not necessarily mean the best of what is available to us."

As for Call My Name, he said Sutherland "is not demanding play. She is giving them an album they should play."

"I have no doubt this is a new starting point for Nadine," Winston Blake concluded.