It’s time to put a face to the sound and introduce you to the man behind the music. To see him is not to know him or all he is about. His demeanour is unassuming. He moves through a crowd calling no attention to himself and stands in quiet observation. If you’re not told, you wouldn’t know because his passion lies in his music and not the superficiality of fame.
His story began on December 12, 1984 when his Mom, Regina Joseph gave birth to this musical talent. Miguel ‘Migz’ Joseph was raised by his mother and grandmother in the quiet community of Entrepot. Whilst enrolled as a student at the Entrepot Secondary School, Miguel developed an interest in steel pan. This was the key which unlocked his potential, leading Miguel to pursue music professionally. He is a certified musician, having completed up to Grade 5 in Music Theory and Grade 2 in Music Practical, with steel pan as his instrument of focus.
While he was a student at Entrepot Secondary, he joined the legendary Diamond Steel Orchestra, participating in national panorama competitions and performing at various hotels on the island. This experience led to Miguel landing his first job as the lead pannist at the then Almond Morgan Bay Resort for seven years. He, however, desired more job security, so in keeping with his passion and expertise, he decided to become a primary school music teacher. He describes the experience as challenging at times but very rewarding!
Oh but there’s so much more to this story of a journey to greatness. You see, Miguel ‘Migz’ Joseph is much more than a pannist and school teacher. He is the mastermind behind the effervescent production house, Vibez Productionz. Vibez Productionz, the one-man musical chemistry lab, brought you the regional and international hit ‘Pandemonium’ sung by Sedale and Wildfire. Even before Pandemonium, there was ‘Nah Go Home’ by Mysterio, which Miguel believes is his first breakout song. Many viewed Vibez as having dominated Carnival 2015 with hits from the Island Vibez Riddim and Vestige 758 Riddim, featuring young, fresh and budding artistes, including Sedale, Mysterio, Imran Nerdy, Shemmy J and Toya, to name a few.
Dazzle Magazine sat down with Miguel to gain greater insight into the refreshing sound emanating from Vibez Productionz. The ride to where he is now is truly something to admire and he proves that passion, faith and hard work are the ingredients to realising your dreams.
Dazzle: How did you first get into music production?
Miguel: It was actually through a drummer friend named Channing. We worked together at the hotel. He put together this drum pattern using the programme Fruity Loops and insisted I put music to it. I was very reluctant because I had absolutely no experience using this programme. I initially declined but he was able to convince me and I accepted the challenge. My intrigue and interest grew from then.
The year was 2002. Satisfied with what they had crafted, the two took their work to Derek Yarde, currently of DYP. A more experienced musician, Derek added his own spice to the fusion. Lyrics were then written to suit the sound with the intention of having it sung by Queen of the Jungle, Nicole David. The beat became something that simply happened with no follow through by its creators. Surprisingly, Miguel heard the song on the radio one day being sung by one Dun Mun.
Miguel and Channing went on to form CMPro (Channing Miguel Productions). They created roughly two complete riddims as CMPro but none of these ever made it out of the ‘lab’. Channing eventually left the island to seek alternative employment. Miguel’s innate passion for music made him realise that it only made sense to shift gears into solo production. This would mean operating under a new name.
Enter Mobbla Productions. Why Mobbla? Well, you know how guys like to name their crews in ways that make them distinct on the social scene. It seemed convenient at the time. Mobbla Productions in collaboration with Hitty Lance had its first artiste release, ‘Rusty Waist’ sung by BVI artiste Jaleena.
Aiming to advance his musical career, branding became of utmost importance to Miguel. He felt that the name Mobbla was simply not going to cut it. He sought the counsel of his friends, family and co-workers and requested their assistance with his rebranding.
Dazzle: How did you conceptualise the name ‘Vibez Productionz’?
Miguel: It happened during a brainstorming session with co-workers at the hotel one day. We agreed that it was all about a vibe. When you come into the studio you must have a vibe. If the vibe isn’t right then it just won’t work. And so it became ‘Vibez Productionz’
Yes. It is that simple and makes perfect sense too.
Vibez Productionz had very humble beginnings. From a corner in Ms. Regina’s living room and a computer, it has evolved into a more established space (still at home) that can rightfully be called a studio. Considering how expensive studio equipment can be, you could well imagine that it was not easy to get to this stage, especially if you aim for a great quality sound. Miguel’s personal savings, a grant that he had been awarded, and a leap of faith were pivotal to this studio coming to fruition. Initially there was scepticism, as there usually is with most major investments that have no guaranteed success. Fortunately, Miguel’s passion for music was stronger than his niggling doubt.
Dazzle: Who/what was influential in your musical career?
Miguel: My mother is a lover of music and carnival so there was always soca, dancehall and reggae playing at home. My music teacher at Entrepot, Mr. Lewis has also been a great source of inspiration. Panman Aimran has been supportive of me throughout.
When I started producing though, I listened to a lot of music produced by Studio 758, Curty and Leebo. I studied their music and how they arranged certain sounds and compared them to regional productions. I would sometimes sit at my keyboard while listening and try to match their tunes and add my own twist to develop my skills. I also work very closely with Leebo as my trusted sound engineer and try to learn a lot from him too.
Dazzle: What would you say sets you apart from other producers?
Miguel: I always start from scratch, No samples, no loops or old riddims. I always try to be different and fresh. It’s good to challenge myself that way. My motivation comes from wanting to do better than my last.
Dazzle: What is your greatest achievement to date?
Miguel: That’s a bit tough because I treat anything I’m working on as my favourite. If I had to choose one though, it would be ‘Pandemonium’. To see that it is still a crowd favourite and loved even outside of St. Lucia makes me proud to know I did that.
Carnival 2015 was another great year for Vibez. Who remembers how they felt when ‘Neighbour’ dropped? It definitely added some sparkle to the celebration! Miguel explained that his season’s success was in the making from June 2014 with the prospect of releasing music as early as January 2015. A few setbacks caused him to hold it back till February, resulting in the release of Neighbour on the Island Vibez Riddim. The Vestige 758 Riddim followed which was another success. When asked his thoughts on this carnival season, Miguel humbly stated, “It was a good year.”
Dazzle: Are you currently working on any new projects?
Miguel: Working on something for Jounen Kwéyòl which is around the corner. I’ve already started preparations for Carnival 2016.
Vibez Productionz genre of focus is soca. While he has done some dancehall music, Miguel believes the St. Lucian sound is rooted in soca and local artistes stand a better chance of success in that genre. He added, “I would fuse the soca with different genres, but it has to stand out.”
Dazzle: Where do you see yourself and Vibez Productionz in the next 5 years?
Miguel: A bigger studio with my own sound engineers and artistes signed to my production house. Of course, more hits. For now the fruits are still green (LOL) but I see things progressing.
They sure are, Miguel and we at Dazzle wish you all the best!
