Presents

Caribbean Concert Series at Madison Square Garden

A Unique Opportunity for Sponsorship
12 March 2007 Marjori Bergman T&T: 868.768.3182 US: 917.531.5442

Caribbean Concert Series

The Caribbean Concert Series presents an opportunity to promote and share Caribbean music and culture in the USA at the worlds most famous venue. The large West Indian community in the Greater New York metropolitan area most likely will be the core audience for these events. However, the hope is that the marketing and promotional campaigns for these artists will draw in new fans. Fans around the world will have the opportunity to see their favorite artists perform in the worlds most famous venue over the internet / video on demand / pay per view* This also presents an opportunity for Caribbean-based companies to promote their products and services to an expatriate community which still has strong ties to their homeland.
*Deals currently in review

Current Schedule of Events

23 March 2007 Machel Montano & Friends 25th Anniversary Celebration special guest David Rudder Sold Out

Second show added for Machel Montano 6 May 2007 July / August

(tickets go on sale 6 March 2007)

Buju Banton and Shaggy TBD

October / November TBD

AirJamaica Opportunities
Target Caribbean population for services to increase revenue and brand recognition
Strong ties to homeland (family and business) - frequent travel between US and Caribbean ICC cricket Carnival events Jazz festivals

Target Caribbean-based tourist population

Increase exposure of Air Jamaica to US audience Enhance relationships with tourism operators

Enhance relationships with other Caribbean-based organizations

Develop co-sponsorship activities

Sponsorship Benefits
Built in West Indian audience (over 1 million persons in greater NYC metropolitan area) Targeted media outlets
Caribbean-based radio (over 20 stations in NYC) Newspapers Magazines TV outlets Poster/Flyer campaign for local restaurants, bars, clubs and neighborhoods Caribbean lifestyle websites

Sponsor name on Madison Square Garden Marquis and P2P Opportunities on site at the Garden Marketing and promotional activities through Artists record label and publicist Concert Series produced by Dahved Levy dj on WBLS (107.5FM, New York, NY)
Heavy promotion of all events on Dahveds #1 rated Caribbean-oriented radio show Show is syndicated to 25 major markets Promotion on website and ability to link to AirJamaica Support of all WBLS djs to promote shows Extensive network and support by music and media community (Caribbean and Cross/over urban)

Ancillary Distribution Opportunities*

Webcast / Video on Demand / Pay Per View TV
Caribbean nationals and fans of Caribbean music all over the world Coordination with artists publicist/webmaster to send targeted emails to international fan list Home country audience Promotion and advertising support through webcast / VOD / PPV companies

*Deals currently in review

Detailed Sponsorship Benefits

BRANDING / VISUAL DISPLAY OPPORTUNITIES
Title sponsor name on Madison Square Garden Marquis Title sponsor name / logo on prominent banner on stage Opportunity to speak on stage during event Title sponsor name/logo on all marketing and promotional collateral:
Posters, Flyers, Prominent placement on Caribbean Concert Series website Support by Caribbean lifestyle websites Press outlets Artist / Promoter interviews and Event reviews Post Event photos galleries, blogs and community site chats

Title sponsor name/logo on all advertising spots

ANCILARRY DISTRIBUTION OPPORTUNITIES (Webcasting/VOD/International TV distribution)

Marketing and promotion by partner companies Community and relationship-based exposure

P2P
Booths at Madison Square Garden to provide product and service information, promotional materials and direct interface with potential customer base Opportunity to collect contact information for potential customer base

Direct Sponsor Benefits Sponsors receive tickets to events Backstage networking and photo opportunities Passes to parties and invitations press junkets

Audience Reach
Event Attendance:
6000 (Direct per event) 25000 (Ancillary, including event at Arena)

Media / Broadcast Exposure

Radio: Over 20 terrestrial stations in NYC area as well as online radio Print: NYC dailies, Caribbean Life, Amsterdam News, Broadcast: Caribbean-oriented US networks, Urban networks,
International exposure

Online: Caribbean Concert Series website, Caribbean lifestyle sites

(islandevents.com, toronto-lime.com, triniscene.com), online video broadcast networks, zines

Machel Montano & Friends

For more information about Machel Montano
Machel Montano HD and his band Xtatik have been the premier soca band in the Caribbean for more than a decade and have established themselves as the leading draw at major events in New York City, Miami, Toronto, and London and throughout the Caribbean Diasporas. Machel is recognized as the leading performer in the soca music genre and is highly regarded as well as a songwriter, producer and band leader. Machel began his career in 1982 at age seven. As early as 1984, he formed his band Pranasonic Express now called XTATIK. Machels debut album TOO YOUNG TO SOCA, released in 1985, was an instant hit which earned him many rave reviews and standing ovations wherever he performed. In 1986, he appeared on Star Search in Hollywood bringing Soca Music to the screens of US National Television. He was described as a Stevie Wonder of Soca. Machel and XTATIK have performed with many popular international entertainment personalities including: Freddie Jackson, TLC, Third World , Shaggy, El Debarge, Destinys Child, The Boyz, Kris Kross, Buju Banton, Ziggy Marley, Garnet Silk, Shabba Ranks, Bounty Killa and many others. In 1997 Machel became the youngest ROAD MARCH KING of Trinidad & Tobago and XTATIKs album HEAVY DUTY is one of the best selling SOCA Albums ever. Machel and XTATIK have produced sixteen (16) albums, seven (7) mini albums, seventeen (17) singles, a ten (10) single compilation and three (3) cassette singles. In 2006 Machel Montano and Xtatik alongside Patrice Roberts won T&T Carnival Road March with their album title song "Band of D Year. Its 2007 and Machel Montano has gone HD. Machel is celebrating 25 years in the Music Industry making the anniversary sweeter, Machel has won his third T&T Carnival Road March title with "Jumbie".

David Rudder and Collie Buddz

David Michael Rudder from Trinidad and Tobago is one of the top calypsonians of his generation. In 1977 he joined Charlies Roots, one of the top bands in Trinidad and Tobago. He spent many years as one of the vocalists with the band. In 1986 he burst into prominence with his album The Hammer which produced two big hits, The Hammer (a tribute to the late pannist Rudolph Charles) and Bahia Girl. This was followed in 1987 with Calypso Music, a brilliant encapsulation of the history of calypso. In 1988 Rudder released his best album to date, Haiti which included the title track, a tribute to the glory and suffering of Haiti, Engine Room, which captures the energy of the steelband, and Rally 'Round the West Indies which has become the anthem of West Indies cricket. David, along with Charlie's Roots, produces and performs for the Carnival productions of, what is arguably, the most innovative and controversial Carnival artist ever - Peter Minshall. Minshall's designs have been used in many major events, the most notable being the Barcelona Olympics of 1990 and most recently The Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Over the years Rudder's music has become intertwined with the yearly Minshall's theatric bands. Bermuda-born deejay Collie Buddz who is now based in the US, has been making quite an impact with his tune 'Come Around.' Signed to Sony Music in the US, Collie Buddz is the sole reggae act working with the label at the moment. In the past, acts such as Tiger, Tony Rebel, Diana King, Mad Cobra, Tanto Metro and Devonte, Shabba Ranks, Super Cat and Patra were signed to various Sony Music subsidiaries. 'Come Around' is expected to jump start the major label debut for the white deejay. The track recently topped the BBC 1Xtra and Dancehall chart in the UK. It is still the top seller on the reggae charts in Germany and has been on the reggae charts in Japan as well has made a huge impact in the Caribbean, playing on most urban/local stations. His new video is currently in rotation on BET.

Buju Banton
Buju Banton has been one of the most popular dancehall reggae artists since the '90s. He converted to Rastafarianism and revolutionized dancehall by employing the live instrumentation and social consciousness of classic roots reggae. The Voice of Jamaica album, released in 1993, introduced Banton to the world outside Jamaica, and gave him a huge hit in the celebratory safe-sex anthem "Willy (Don't Be Silly)." Other singles from the album included "Operation Ardent," a critique of police corruption, and "Deportees (Things Change).. In early 1994, Banton released the monumental single "Murderer," an impassioned indictment of dancehall culture and gun violence recorded after the shooting deaths of fellow dancehall DJs Panhead and Dirtsman. As well-received as Voice of Jamaica was, it was the 1995 follow-up, 'Til Shiloh, that would rank as Banton's masterpiece. A fusion of dancehall with live instrumentation and classic roots reggae, 'Til Shiloh consolidated Banton's move into social awareness and adopted a more mature, reflective tone that signaled Banton's arrival as an artist able to make major creative statements. His follow-up, 1997's Inna Heights, continued in a similarly rootsy vein and won only slightly less acclaim than its much-heralded predecessor. In 1999, Banton recorded with the punk band Rancid and subsequently signed with the punk label Epitaph's eclectic Anti subsidiary. In 2000, he delivered his Unchained Spirit, which found him growing more eclectic in a quest to cross over to the international market; it also featured a successful duet with Beres Hammond on "Pull It Up." After a three-year break from album releases, Banton returned on Atlantic in 2003 with Friends for Life, a crossoverfriendly record with elements of hip-hop, R&B, and pop (and very little of the roots-dancehall hybrid that had catapulted him to stardom). Unhappy with the support he was given at the major labels, Banton started his own label, Gargamel Music, and released the entirely self-produced Rasta Got Soul in 2005. In September, 2006, the label unleashed the strictly dancehall Too Bad and the single Driver A is still blowing up on the charts in the US, UK, and in the Caribbean

Shaggy
Emerging in the early '90s, Shaggy was the biggest crossover success in dancehall reggae. Not only did he become the genre's most commercially potent artist in the international market, he was also more than just a typical flash in the pan, managing to sustain a career over the course of several highly popular albums. He has become one of the scant few reggae artists to top the album and pop singles charts in America, not to mention numerous other countries where he's had even greater success. Shaggys first big break came with "Oh Carolina" which at first appeared to be simply a local hit, became an instant smash, vaulting all the way to the top of the British pop charts early the next year and doing the same in several other European countries. Firmly a star in Europe, Shaggy went on to conquer the U.S. with his next album, 1995's Boombastic. The title track was an inescapable hit, selling over a million copies; it reached number three on the pop charts and number one on the R&B charts, and also became his second U.K. chart-topper. "In the Summertime," the flip side of the American single release of "Boombastic," climbed into the U.K. Meanwhile, the album went platinum, nearly reaching the R&B Top Ten, and spent a full year at number one on Billboard's reggae album chart; it also won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album. A third single, "Why You Treat Me So Bad," featured guest rapper Grand Puba and nearly reached the British Top Ten in 1996. Shaggy followed his breakout success with an extensive world tour, consolidating his European following, and recorded a hit duet with Maxi Priest, "That Girl," in 1996. He returned to solo action in 1997 with the Midnite Lover album. Additionally, he appeared on a minor hit duet with Janet Jackson, "Luv Me, Luv Me," from the soundtrack of How Stella Got Her Groove Back in 1998, Hot Shot, released in 2000, was catapulted to the top of the charts by the single It Wasn't Me" (featuring Rik Rok) which hit number one in early 2001; naturally, it did likewise in the U.K. and many other European countries. Its follow-up, "Angel" -- a rewrite of the country hit "Angel of the Morning," featuring Rayvon on vocals -- also went straight to number one in the U.S. and U.K. Hot Shot, meanwhile, spent six weeks at number one on the album charts and eventually sold over six million copies in the U.S. alone -- an almost unheard-of figure for a reggae release. While Shaggy prepared his follow-up album, more pieces of product hit the market in 2002: Virgin put out Mr. Lover Lover: The Best of Shaggy, Vol. 1, a compilation covering his years at the label, while MCA issued a remix album, Hot Shot Ultramix. Before the end of the year, Shaggy released his new album Lucky Day, which was loosely designed as a respectful tribute to womankind which went gold by year's end and charting in the Top 30 on both the pop and R&B listings. In 2005 he returned with the album Clothes Drop.