There is no question about the wealth of musical talent in the Cayman Islands.
Although all have had success on local stages, only a few acts have managed to make it overseas to play at international venues. Having their original songs heard by a wider audience can also be an uphill battle.
Now, Cool Out 2022 – the Cayman Islands’ first-ever music industry event – is coming to Grand Cayman from 3-5 Nov. It aims to connect local stars with experts from the international music business, who will provide guidance and insight through a symposium and series of camps. The packed agenda also includes a songwriting contest and live performances at various venues, featuring a mix of Cayman artists and award-winning musicians.
Local company Deep Roots Entertainment has partnered with BMI, the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers, and the Songwriters Association of North America to launch the event, with the vision of positioning the Cayman Islands to be a financial and creative hub for the Caribbean within the global music industry.
Country roots
The theme of this year’s inaugural event is focused on bridging the Caribbean to Nashville, Tennessee, paying tribute to the country music heritage of the Cayman Islands. In honour of Cayman’s country roots, CUC is sponsoring the Cool Out 2022 songwriting contest, which invited contestants to remix or mash up the song ‘For the First Time’, written and recorded by Cayman Brac legendary musician Glenroy ‘Roy’ Bodden.
Participants submitted their personal tribute to the song online via www.col-x-lab.com, ready for members of the public to vote on their favorite version, via the local app Col+lab. The winners of the songwriting contest will be announced at a special celebration of Bodden’s musical journey, being held at Lone Star at noon on Thursday, 3 Nov.
Copies of Bodden’s recently published book ‘My Life in a Conch Shell’ will be available for purchase at this event.
Live concerts
Country music will be infused in the festival’s live performances, happening on main and satellite stages from 3-5 Nov.
Singer-songwriter Paul Overstreet, winner of multiple Grammy Awards, will be hosting the first Sunsets & Songs session in Grand Cayman at the Westin Resort beach on Thursday, 3 Nov., joined by Barefoot Man, Ben Hudson, Hi Tide and Olujimi ‘Jimmeh’ La Pierre.
On Friday, 4 Nov., Fish Tea Vibes will take place at the Harquail Theatre, featuring local band Lion Fish, Cayman’s own Swanky Kitchen Band and BMI award-winning singer-songwriter Tebey Ottoh.
The 3-day weekend will conclude with Nash Up at Cayman Cabana, where visiting and local DJs will be ‘mashing up’ country hits to Caribbean vibes. Nash Up will be hosted by Nash Overstreet with special guest co-hosts Grammy-winner Jason ‘JG’ Gilbert and Carneyval (aka William Carney). All-access passes, as well as tickets for individual nights Sunsets & Songs, Fish Tea Vibes and Nash Up are being sold on Eventpro.ky and are limited.
Satellite stages
Cool Out 2022 will also offer free public live performances at satellite stages located at Cayman Cabana and Lone Star, where local artists joined by visiting artists will perform throughout the three days of the festival.
Many familiar names such as Danny ‘DannyLoops’ Ebanks, Bob Moseley, Vashti, James Geary, Erica Assai, Beneil Miller, Bruce Gordon and many others will be featured on the stages. A special performance of Barefoot Man, his son Nick Nowak and Andy Martin will take place at Lone Star on Thursday, 3 Nov. The public is encouraged to come out and support the local talent and venues. A schedule of the line-ups will be available on social media and at the Cool Out 2022 headquarters.
Symposium and camps
Aspiring and seasoned singer-songwriters are being encouraged to take advantage of the two songwriting camps on 3 Nov. and 4 Nov. at LionFish Studio, which will be presented by Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, composer, producer and educator Andrae Alexander. These camps are free to anyone who registers for them by emailing [email protected]. If there is enough interest amongst teens, a special session will be held for teens alone.
As the event is geared toward the business of music, a key part of Cool Out 2022 is the symposium hosted by the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers, which will take place on Thursday, 3 Nov. IAEL president Jeff Liebenson will share current industry trends, as well as key requirements for a jurisdiction to develop a viable music and entertainment industry.
He will be followed by intellectual property expert Michael Shortt of Faskens, who will present recommendations for legislative changes to elevate the Cayman Islands to a centre of excellence for creatives in the music, entertainment, tech and other related industries. The conference is invitation-only. Anyone interested in attending, should email [email protected] directly.
Shannon Sanders, winner of multiple Grammy awards, BMI Nashville executive director of creative will be hosting BMI Lunchtime Q&A sessions from 1-2pm during each day of Cool Out.
The first Q&A will take place at Lone Star on 3 Nov., with the second and third Q&A sessions taking place on 4 Nov. and 5 Nov. at Cayman Cabana. All are welcome to join these sessions to learn more about BMI and the music business.
Anyone interested in learning more about Cool Out 2022, should follow Cool Out 2022 on social media at @coolout2022; reach out via [email protected]; or visit the Cool Out 2022 headquarters in the retail space in front of Cayman Cabana, located at 53 North Church Street.
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