Writer, composer, producer, record label owner, and all-around nice guy Simeon Joseph Browne is still a voice to be reckoned with, even as he is working to further his studies in the field of journalism.
Over the years, Simeon has created a large following with his captivating lyrics and outstanding voice on several social media platforms through music and photo montages of his travels accompanied by meaningful captions.
In an interview with The Scene, he explained that he started singing at nursery school, since he comes from a musically inclined family, where they were always either listening to music or singing themselves.
As he grew older he used music as a refuge to escape the world. When he was 12 years old, his mother migrated and he recalled that he had to quickly grow up to take care of his younger brother – who he now regards as his biggest motivator. He said his younger brother, Abraham, has always understood and appreciated his talent. Abraham also sings, produces, and writes. “Abraham has been a major motivation to me… He was my brother, my first friend, my first fan,” Simeon said.
While he started his record label in 2008, Browne also served as a prosecutor in the magistrates’ court for the Guyana Police Force. But his love for journalism grew after he served in the force’s communication arm. He said he was exposed to journalism training in 2013 sponsored by the state and the knowledge gained thus far is used to pump out creative content from his everyday life, experiences, and travel.
Though he is completely focused on his music career and serving Guyana through “creative arts and my skills”, he said, he will also be pursuing further education at the London School of Journalism.
Touching on his record label, WondamangProductions, Simeon said that he started it to provide a safe and tolerable space for artists coming from all walks of life and religious backgrounds. “We wanted inclusivity and being able to create the change of what we wanted to see,” he said.
For him, WondamangProductions is more than a record label, it is a movement, being “considerate of other people’s beliefs and way of life.”
In addition to his record label, he also writes, composes, and produces his music along with composing music for video games and film. At present, Simeon is working on releasing an EPA and he noted that his music is centered around dancehall, reggae, and pop “and of course that world culture enlightenment kind of vibes.”
According to him, he has also contributed to many local songs. He said that when current Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo was awarded Champion of the Earth in 2010, he was tasked with creating a song, which quickly went viral following the release.
He stressed that he has also written for other artists such as Vanilla and Big Red.
He said that his inspiration comes from life experiences, “a lot of what I am singing is something I am living and have lived”
Touching more on his mother migrating when he was just 12 years old, Simeon, now a father of two, said that had an impact on him since he gave up his teenage years to support his brother who was 8 at the time. “I had to learn the value of hard work,” he said, and this pushes him daily to create a better life for the people he loves.
“Musically speaking, I have had to focus on managing a record label, managing content that I create, being a father of two, and just trying to keep my head above water,” he stated.
He pointed out that sometimes we as humans like to say that we are strong, but there are things in life that make us weak, and we must remind ourselves to stick to the path. “I’ve not had sponsors. I had to save my money, lose sleep, push forward and take risks,” he noted.
Simeon stressed that he sees his record label becoming larger especially with them having their foot in the ponds outside of Guyana such as in England and Europe. “With the work that we are doing right now,” he boasted, “WondamangProductions is going to be, if not already has become one of the premiere movements of this century bringing awareness and culture of life, creating change through music and the arts.
“For myself, I am pursuing other studies and my ambitions are always centred around higher service, not to ourselves but to the world.”
He stressed that he will continue to focus on his career and to become a better-received artist worldwide “so the world can hear Simeon” and he can bring out about the changes through his music which he wanted to “see as a child.”
Meanwhile, he said he believes that there is not a music industry in Guyana, but rather “a scene where people and other interested parties are active… For there to be a music industry there must be a more collective and direct approach to things.”
He explained that there must be policies in place. Speaking frankly, he said that artists around Guyana mostly earn from performing, as Guyanese are not seemingly interested in purchasing someone’s music from iTunes or Spotify. “Outside of performing artists are not earning holistically from their entire talent… Guyana has a lot of talent and platforms to have the music heard but does not have as many avenues for the artist, the creative, to earn from their work and intellectual property, and when that is present then the industry will erupt so to say.”
He stressed that when creatives can earn from all aspects of their talents then they can reinvest in themselves “and the economy will benefit.”
The talented artist then advised others to be “steadfast and to believe in yourself.” He said, “learn the business of music… [it] is not just having your songs played on a radio station by friends…. Learn the basics of music to understand all of the facets of an industry and how they affect the longevity and survival of the industry and the ripple effects of that industry.”
