HAVING grown up in one of the world’s most famous music families, Stephanie Marley is familiar with the attention afforded children of celebrities.
Two years ago when she started the B’uniqk (pronounced be unique) Modelling Talent Agency, one of her goals was to prepare aspirants for a career in the spotlight.
Even with a name as renowned as Marley, the daughter of reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife Rita said it has not been easy establishing the fledgling company.
“We have been networking with ad agencies and production teams to get our company in the know. We still have to work on increased publicity; however, the response has been good as we have made it easier for agencies to locate and identify children with talent,” she told the Jamaica Observer.
Currently, B’uniqk has a full-time staff of three, which includes a booking agent. There are 18 charges signed to its roster, ranging from ages four to 21. They are singers, actors and models who receive training and grooming courses from well-known people, such as public-speaking coach Carol Turnbull and former fashion model Althea Laing.
The international youth talent market is lucrative. Agencies or record companies can make millions of dollars placing child or teen actors and models in television shows, ads, movies, or producing bubblegum music a la Justin Beiber.
Despite the challenges of breaking into such a competitive market, Marley noted that things have looked up for B’uniqk this year.
“This summer we booked a young female singer for a documentary done by a German television station, ProSieben TV. They wanted a school-aged female to talk about life as a Jamaican and to show her talent,” she related. “They recorded her in ‘Ochi’ where she lives, and also her recording a song in studio.”
Jazear, a five-year-old who plays Nick Cannon’s son in the movie, King of the Dancehall, is a B’uniqk protégé. The company’s players have also appeared in ads for Flow, National Bakery, JMMB, Jamaica Producers, and CB Chicken.
Several Marley children are on B’uniqk’s books. They include Khristian and Manna, children of Kymani; Zuri, Ziggy’s daughter; and Stephan and Summer, who are Stephen’s children.
Family ties, Stephanie Marley points out, does not mean preferential treatment.
“Our Jamaican talent are from both urban and rural areas. We have talent from St Andrew to Westmoreland. We have talent from uptown and downtown as well,” she explained.
“It is very important that they have a dynamic, social-oriented personality, as well as being
multi-talented.”
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Isn’t she the one of questionable birth?