3 days ago
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When mega producer Donovan Germain attends the second annual Reggae Genealogy Music Festival in South Florida next Sunday, he will not only be a guest; he will be an honoree.
The veteran producer is among three Jamaican music icons who will be the recipients of Lifetime Achievement awards from the organisers, Island SPACE Caribbean Museum. The other two honorees are singer Von Wayne Charles, aka Wayne Wonder, and the acclaimed ‘Bad Boys of Reggae, Inner Circle.
Germain will also be presented with a ‘Key to the City of Plantation’ by Mayor Nick Sortal and the Plantation City Council, and with a Key to Broward County by Commissioners Hazelle Rogers and Alexandra Davis.
The Grammy-nominated producer, whose hallmark is excellence, has spent decades in the music business, perfecting his craft while also exploring areas of artiste management and has had a hand in the career of several elite reggae and dancehall acts, including Buju Banton, Tony Rebel and Wayne Wonder.
And, while this next sentence might seem like a digression to some, all who associate with Germain will understand its importance. It actually ought to be in bold; Donovan Germain is a Kingston College old boy with full purple blood and he continues to play an integral role in the life of his alma mater.
A man of very few words when it comes to talking about his own accolades, Germain told The Gleaner last week how he felt about the award.
“It’s an awesome feeling to be getting a lifetime award and the Key to the City of Plantation and the Key to Broward County all at the same time. I’m really at a loss for words,” Germain said.
Calibe Thompson, president and co-founder of Island SPACE Caribbean Museum, shared why Germain was chosen for this honour.
“Donovan Germain is a legend among people in the music industry. His production house, Penthouse Records, is synonymous with all our favourite hits from the ‘90s and beyond, and he has made the careers of so many beloved Jamaican performers over the last five decades,” Thompson told The Gleaner.
He added, “We aim to recognise not only the voices people know from the radio, but also the people behind the scenes that make the music happen. Like we celebrated Ms Pat of VP Records last year among our honorees.”
In 2024, the awards celebrated Miss Pat Chin, co-founder of VP Records; Marcia Griffiths, ‘The Queen of Reggae’; and Cedella Marley, entrepreneur, author, and steward of the Marley legacy
JOURNEY
Donovan Germain was born on Nelson Road in Whitfield Town, Kingston 13.
In a 2010 interview on http://penthouserecords.free.fr/, he shared his journey. “My neighbour had a sound system by the name of El Toro, he played the sound almost every day, thus began my love affair with music.”
He gave a brief insight into his quest for identity through the formation of previous labels, Rub a Dub, Reggae, Revolutionary Sounds and Germain Records, which all preceded his juggernaut, Penthouse Records.
“The studio was on the top floor of the building, hence the name Penthouse,” he explained, adding “Coxsone Dodd was my idol, you knew his sound anywhere you heard it. I wanted that kind or identification too.”
A graduate of New York Community College, Germain worked at a Wall Street stock brokerage firm as a junior accountant while running Keith’s Records, a Brooklyn reggae record shop he had bought.
“I was actually into distribution before I became a producer. I distributed for Gussie [Clarke], Lloyd Campbell and Sonia Pottinger while I lived in New York. Gussie was instrumental in my entry to the professional part of the music business. We went to the same high school [Kingston College]. I learned the art of producing from Gussie and Lloyd Campbell of Spiderman and Joe Fraser labels.”
His first big hit on Penthouse Records was Chaka On The Move by Chaka Demus in 1989.
During his journey, Germain modernised some of the classic Studio One riddims and also produced original riddims like Dickie (1992); Falling In Love (1992); If Loving Was a Crime (1993); Champion (1994); Cannabis Vibes (1997); Warriors Don’t Cry (1997); Love Dem Bad (1997); Up Close & Personal (1997); Extortioners (2000); and Automatic (2008).
Enduring collaborations between artistes such as Buju Banton and Wayne Wonder; Beres Hammond and Buju Banton; and Marcia Griffiths and Cutty Ranks have helped to set Penthouse apart. Germain’s bio reveals that more than 280 artistes have recorded for him since the establishment of Penthouse Records.
English (US) ·