Minister of Commerce, Senator Lynette Eastmond
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Government’s determination to continue to create new industries was reiterated over the weekend by Business Development Minister, Senator Lynette Eastmond, who was speaking at the launch of a new music download facility “Gotrhythm.com”, at The Plantation,
She described the launch as a new chapter for the local entertainment industry and sought to explain the numerous avenues that government had been continuously encouraging the formation of new industries.
“Government has put in place the appropriate intellectual property legislation, provided more venture capital and loan finance facilities than ever before, and has encouraged people to see entrepreneurship as a first option and not one to pursue if they can’t find a job,” she said.
Gotrhythm.com has set its mandate as one “to provide an easy convenient and legal one-stop shop for all Afro Caribbean and World media, while providing a platform for artistes from the region to deliver their art to a worldwide audience”.
Senator Eastmond advised those in entertainment not to build an industry on the success of one or a few individuals.
“An industry is one where several Barbadians contribute … it cannot be built in an environment where individuals deliberately seek to undermine the efforts of others, instead of spending their energies in creating their own success,” the Minister said.
One of the Directors of gotrhythm.com, Glenn White, noted that the service added “a new dimension to the entertainment industry giving artistes an unlimited opportunity to reach every corner of the globe. Barbadians will be afforded the opportunity to use the wonders of new technologies to share a slice of our culture with the rest of the world.
For the first time, it will be easier for customers to legally download music from their favorite regional artiste and every time it is downloaded the artiste will benefit,” he said.