Donovan Germain

Donovan Germain ( born March 7, 1952) is a music producer. His Penthouse Studio and its labels, especially Germain and Penthouse Records, since the early 1990s are among the major studios and labels in Jamaica.

Life and work as a producer

Germain ran a record store in New York, until he started in 1972 to work as a producer. Among the first he produced reggae hits include Mr. Boss Man with Cultural Roots ( 1980), Sugar Minotts Good Thing Going, in 1981 placed high in the UK singles charts, Freddie McGregor Just Do not Wanna Be Lonely and One Dance Will not Do Audrey Hall ( 1985).

In 1987 he opened his penthouse studio in Kingston. There he co-produced with engineer Dave " Rude Boy" Kelly, quickly acquired with the quality of his recordings high reputation and became one of the major producers of Jamaica. Many of the recorded here plates appeared on his own label Germain and Penthouse Records, numerous singles were hits in Jamaica. Penthouse became one of the top studios of the island and developed " a synonym for the most pronounced, silicon chip Reggae ' ", that is for at the time popular, embossed synthetic drum sounds Ragga. Germain was also a pioneer of the Combination style, in which the toasting of Deejays alternated to hard ragga rhythms in the verses with a melodic sung chorus, in principle, similar to U- Roy's legendary toasts dub versions, but just from the outset as duet designed.

With the onset of the wave of success of Penthouse Studios gained some hitherto unknown musician first attention, the great careers made ​​later. Buju Banton is to be mentioned here that the produced inter alia by Germain and Penthouse released album Mr. Mention in 1992 in Jamaica broke all sales records, even surpassed by Bob Marley. Also artists like Wayne Wonder, Tony Rebel, Cutty Ranks and Mad Cobra got their start in the early 1990s in collaboration with Donovan Germain. Further, Jah Mali or Assassin in their rise also benefited from Germain's professionalism. But it was not only newcomers, for their careers Germain was significant - Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths and Nana McLean celebrated their comebacks with productions at Germain's studio and label.

In addition Germain's studio was also a career springboard for some sound engineers and music producers who later opened his own label, including Dave and Tony Kelly and Andre Tyrell.