When we first spoke to Andrew ‘Drew Thoven’ King in March, he had referred to his vision for music in Guyana and he has now taken a step closer to fulfilling it with his record label company, Kindred Republic.
Kindred Republic was launched on June 1, and is now located on Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown. It is an independent record label and now also a studio built on the vision of taking a different, more conducive approach to getting the Guyanese music industry standardised and internationally acclaimed.
The name Kindred Republic is an attribute of the desires and strength of the initiative. Everyone involved in the progressive movement of the label is bound by a common ambition.
It is a label that supports unity and collaboration with the mutual understanding and respect from all parties involved.
The recording label was started by Drew as a paper company with a brand and sound but no physical assets. It has now merged with KF Records as a united association. KF Records, one of Guyana’s outstanding studios, owned by Danley Major is now partnered with Drew and Sound Engineer Jude Clarke to give Kindred Republic a physical and standard form.
Kindred now has a fully equipped studio, co-operate clientele and an emerging network to strengthen their ambition of building and continuously improving the Guyanese music industry.
In an exclusive interview with The Scene, Drew explained that Kindred was first drafted to bring quality music at international standards to Guyana. “If I could remain put for another year, two years, three even and develop an elite few and create a brand, a league, a sound, a standard, then when that opportunity comes around again and trust me, I am extremely positive that it will, then rather than the international industry taking one of us, we can bring the international industry here. That’s the progress I believe this country needs,” he said.
Drew believes that Guyana has talent that could be used as an investment for a more constructive industry in the future. He went on to say that we cannot expect people to invest in us if we are not proving ourselves to a certain standard and quality, “So Kindred is about proving that we can produce exceptional material on our own, through our own networks, off our own ambition and drive. That is what drives this vision.”
Attached to the label so far for signatory considerations are Randy Kirton, A-TayJah, Poonam Singh, Lerone Souvenire, Gordon Andres, King Leonidas and Don Gialiani just to name a few. The producer, musical writer, film scorer and creative director is credited with working with King Leonidas, A-TayJah, Collage, Shawn English, Ryan Hoppie and Don Gialiani amongst other Guyanese artists. He celebrated his sixth year of music producing in August and notes that he will always be motivated to continue and grow stronger. “I am a very expressive person, I love making music. I don’t really see myself as a big deal most times because this stuff comes so easily for me, almost effortless, so it never feels like a big deal,” he said.
Drew took a risk by focusing on production while studying at Queen’s College in his teenage years. He stated that he is currently reaping the benefits of that decision since he has never wanted a “normal job” when he finished writing the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. From a very early age he knew what he was called to do, he knew who he was called to be and for him, he is currently living that destiny out one day at a time.
“Kindred is more than music. It’s a brand, a sound, an image. A breed of people” he asserted, “It’s now more than just studio recordings, we are offering vocal training, instrument training, we will be hosting competitions and eventually holding our own shows as well as flooding local stages with our artistes.”
