GEORGETOWN, the capital of Guyana in South America, is a potpourri of cultural influences, and is traditionally referred to as the Garden City.
Anyone seriously talking about music in Guyana must mention the name of Burchmore Simon, a leader and innovator in a country that has serious limitation in its scope for music development.
Burch, as founder and leader of one of the country’s most popular bands, the EC Connection, has survived 16 years as a professional musician in any sense applied to that phase. His exploits include touring, writing, producing and arranging compositions that always impress his audience, whether in Europe, North America or the Caribbean; and he has shared the stage with such notables as Byron Lee, Sanchez and Crossfyah.
He is always situated somewhere in any major effort to develop Guyanese music, and has made unselfish contributions to this cause. As one of Guyana’s leading bass players, he accompanied calypso contestants in the national competition, and the Home Care effort that took a group of calypsonians to Barbados to record at the Blue Wave Studios.
In 1993, against insurmountable odds, he released the first packaged album by a Guyanese group at home. The song, “Number One Lady” from that effort, became a household favourite across Guyana, and propelled the EC Connection band into an overseas market.
There has since been no turning back for this son of the soil, who continues to create great music by which he reinvents himself. He has been responsible for the formation of many groups, and for the development of many talents, like x2, Kode Redd, Vanilla, Tennicia Defreitas, and many others.
He toured England in 2006 when X2 performed at the Crystal Palace Stadium for ten thousand patrons.
Burchmore enjoys vegetarian foods, has been a practising vegetarian for the past 30 years, and is a firm believer in keeping fit, as evidenced by the number of times he visits the gym. Burchmore also enjoys athletics, and looking at movies featuring actors Denzil Washington, Morgan Freeman, Laurence Fishbourne, Sally Fields and Julia Roberts.
Kross Kolor Records now ranks as the major recording studio and production centre in Guyana, and this has resulted in the happy circumstance of both label and Burchmore rising to national prominence. Kross Kolor Records has so far been the crowning glory of Burchmore’s achievements, of which he intends to make the sky the limit.
His first compilation, “The Beginning”, which saw him merging the talents of eight of the top performing artistes in Guyana, has proven to be the beginning of great things. Since that recording, he has been sought after by leading advertising agencies, producers and performers.
Burchmore is a trained musician and music educator, having studied classical guitar and piano under the auspices of the Government of Guyana.
Burchmore is a level-headed individual who has consistently shown dedication in every aspect of his life. He has been a committed family man and an excellent role model for any young person to emulate.
Productions
The beginning of this label has resulted in a rebirth of the music industry in Guyana, and has injected new life into writers, arrangers and other players in related fields. Many Guyanese artistes have made names for themselves in other countries they have adopted as home, but the local industry has not developed over the years.
Kross Kolor Records was established in 1996 by Burchmore Simon with the objective of getting exposure for his song writing talents, the performing talents of his compatriots of all backgrounds, and to ensure that Guyanese culture and music enter and stay on the international scene.
Kross Kolor boasts a roster of the top Guyanese artistes, covering all genres of music from rap, reggae, soca, gospel, R&B to “Foja”, the new world beat sound.
SOUND GARDEN STUDIO is where the Kross Kolor sound emanates, utilizing logic and protools DAW software powered by Apple Mac Pro eight core. The equipment is rounded out by a Motu HD 192 sound card, Focus rite octopre amp, Yamaha and Mackie 824 Monitors, Mackie 32 channel controller Roland Modules and Alesis HD 24 hard disc recorder.
Over the years, the studio has produced and recorded over 5oo jingles, telephone prompts and voice-overs for dozens of clients locally and internationally, including those for telephone giants Digicel. Other clients include, but are not limited to: BANKS DIH, DDL, GT&T, DSL, Western Union and Guyana Electricity Corporation.
HITLINE PRODUCTION is the promotional and management arm of Kross Kolor Records. It has developed a reputation for high quality stage productions and promotions. Professionalism is their watchword, and this ensures that their artistes are kept in the public domain as much as possible.
Kross Kolor Records, through Hitline Productions, would like to work with similar organizations worldwide in mutually beneficial arrangements.
BLUE SIMON MUSIC publishes all of the works of its signed artistes and a number of local writers, thus providing a huge data base of material for almost any genre of music. Blue Simon Music, through The Harry Fox Agency, will be pursuing licensing, and sub-publishing deals on behalf of its various clients, so those clients can maximize on their creative efforts.
In 2012 Kross Kolor Records signed a worldwide digital distribution agreement with German Publisher Ediciones La Palmera, which publishes in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Kross Kolor Records has produced the works of DISCOGRAPHY Woodside Choir, Steelpanist Colgrain White, Korowka Singers, Jazz keyboardist Trevor John, The Marigold Singers, Miriam Williams, Kester D, Mighty Canary, Sean Bhola, The Mighty Rebel, Classical and Jazz Guitarist Deryck Callendar, Eze Rockliffe, Courtney Noel, Visions- all girls band, Dave Martins, Henry Rodney, Gillo, Rajesh Dubraj, Shelly G, Ballys, Brutus, SBO4,Compton Hodges, Daddy Iroy, Slingshot, Yoruba Singers, Edward Neblet, Mischievous Guys, Jumo Primo, Adrian Dutchin, VANiLLA, B52, Tennicia De Freitas, Jovinski, Spida, Ras Ison, Burning Bush, Keep your Day Job, Margaret Vieira, Malo, Big Red, Passion, Lucky B, 24K, Hits and Jams, Ossie O, Ghetto voices, A-rmony, Saiko, Osca B, Truly Blessed.
International artistes that have not been produced but have done work at Kross Kolor Records include: Maka Diamond, Richie Spice, TOK, Elephant Man, Kip Rich, Popcaan.
AWARDS
Kross Kolor Records has received the following Accolade Music Awards – Producer of the Year and Studio of the Year Awards.
12 Road March Titles; 7 Soca Monarch Titles; 6 Junior Calypso Monarch Titles; 3 Children Calypso Monarch Titles; 1 Groovy Monarch Title (competition was held once)
Kross Kolor Records is a young company that is willing, after careful consideration, to enter into deals covering the entire spectrum of the music industry. It has set itself the task of releasing its entire catalogue into the international market place, besides attending music industry trade shows (Attended WOMEX 2010, MIDEM 2011) and creating extensive touring opportunities for its artistes.
