Music: Bitty and Bougard take Philly

_Drexel Now (Drexel University)

A pair of reggae innovators will visit Drexel University this fall to share their experiences in the music industry with students in Westphal College of Media Arts & Design and to explore the trove of Philadelphia soul music in Drexel’s Sigma Sound Studio Archives. Bitty McLean, a reggae artist with three top-10 hits as a performer and a No. 1 album to his credit as a producer; and Guillaume Bougard, who operates one of the most successful independent reggae record labels in Europe; will serve as Westphal’s 2017 Rankin Scholars, holding a mixing demonstration in the Pearlstein Gallery on Nov. 2 and a series of lectures from Oct. 31 to Nov. 8 while also working on a new album in Drexel’s recording studio.

“An integral part of the Drexel Music Industry Program student experience is learning from and working with industry professionals,” said Darren Walters, an associate professor in Westphal’s Music Industry program and director of the College’s student-run record label MAD Dragon Music Group. “This residency allows students in the business and recording arts and music production concentrations to work side by side on a commercial project while interacting with the principles on the process of recording and marketing a unique album.

McLean, a British-born artist with Jamaican heritage, built his successful career around melding his reggae sound with that of early American rock classics. His chart-topping hits, covers of Fats Domino’s “It Keeps Rainin’ (Tears From My Eyes),” and The Shirelles’ “Dedicated To the One I Love,” were a natural blend of powerful lyrics with his soulful sound. In his week at Drexel, McLean is looking for another opportunity to revive some classics — this time looking toward the Philadelphia soul music of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

“Over the years, Jamaican music has always included a heavy element of soul and ska, rocksteady or reggae artists like Alton Ellis, the Wailers, or Ken Boothe have sung their own version of soul music,” McLean said. “Many of us have covered hits first recorded by American soul artists in a reggae style. At the same time, Jamaica has offered the world its own musical approach, which has been used by international artists, so it’s a continuous back and forth movement between Jamaica and the rest of the world. I come to Philadelphia to expose my experience as a reggae artist but also to explore the soul flavor that Philadelphia is famous for. This cross pollination promises to be a unique experience.

Bougard, who co-produced McLean’s “Movin’ On” album with Jamaican legends Sly & Robbie on his TABOU1 label, also manages a large catalogue of Jamaican music and brings years of experience in the music industry to his teaching residency at Drexel. He provides a unique perspective from his experiences as a producer and as an advocate representing more than 250 Jamaican recording artists in a $4 million French copyright lawsuit.

Bougard and McLean are taking advantage of their time at Drexel to check out some classic soul tracks from the Drexel Audio Archives’ Sigma Sound Studios Collection and are working with Reservoir to add a few of them to the “Bitty In Philly” album they’re working on.