Few Caribbean immigrants that come to the U.S. with little more than a great idea can reflect years later on their journey to the top. Robert Mr. Clarke, Founder and CEO of Irie Jam Media, is one who can.
Bobby, as his friends and business associates affectionately call him, has always considered himself a risk taker. Some would say he was born an entrepreneur. It was this desire to take chances and a passion to “make it big in America” which motivated him to leave sunny Jamaica for the USA.
“I grew up without fear for trying new things. It is something I learned from my parents,” he notes. His first stop was Miami, Florida before he made the trek to New York City, a place bustling with young immigrants seeking to achieve a piece of the American dream. Mr. Clarke’s plan was simple: work hard and obtain a good education. He received an Associates Degree in Computer Science from Monroe College and pursued his B.A. in Business Administration at Iona, all the while working at a nightclub in New Rochelle to support himself.
His first business venturewas Bronx Travel Express, a travel company he started with a high school friend. The business was successful, but after 3 years he yearned for something more challenging. He recalls having a discussion with a few friends while listening to a Caribbean radio show one Saturday afternoon and commenting on the poor quality of the programming. It was from this discussion, that the idea of Irie Jam Radio was born. Even though he had no formal training in broadcasting, Mr. Clarke felt he had the drive and the business savvy to realize his dream.
In 1993 armed with an idea and the support and encouragement of his friends, he took the three-hour trip to Ocho Rios, Jamaica and met with the top brass of IRIE FM. He outlined a strategic plan forhow a radio link between Jamaica and New York could be successfully achieved and how it would open the door toopportunities for both entities. Within months Irie Jam was on air and Mr. Clarke had orchestrated the very firstCaribbean radio simulcast between Jamaica and New York. With radio jocks Pat McKay and Milford Edwards in New York and Big A in Jamaica, the radio listenership grew steadilyfrom the first broadcast.
After four years Clarke realized that if he was going to be truly successful he had to grow. In an effort to expand his sponsorship participation and provide additional programming to his growing listener base he brokered a deal for the simulcast of ‘Direct Connect’ with FAME FM in Kingston, Jamaica. The program, with DJ Roy Dubbmaster Chris and anchoring inNew York and Colin Hinds hosting in Jamaica, created an instant buzz in music circles and each personality has expanded their influence in the industry as a result.
Irie Jam has come a long way since the station first graced the New York airwaves 23 years ago. Mr. Clarke notes, “We have had weekly features with Oliver Samuels, Aubrey Campbell, Carlene ‘the Dancehall Queen’, Vinette Pryce, Shelly Thunder, David Rodigan, Shinehead and Douglas Fiddler. Our goal has always been to provide relevant and timely news, information and most of all music to our listeners.”
In August of 2007, the New York Mets in conjunction with the Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC) honored Mr. Clarke with their Spirit Award for leadership in Caribbean Community at their second annual Caribbean Night at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York.
“This award is very dear to me since it is from an organization that is not directly connected to us but they have obviously seen the positive work that we have done in the community,” Mr. Clarke noted.
He has also received numerous other awards, citations and proclamations for his pioneering work in media during his many years in the industry.
In addition to his success in broadcasting, Mr. Clarke has excelled in live event, festival and concert production. In 2003 Clarke began co-producing Irie Jamboree, North America’s premier reggae festival which has consistently attracted over 20,000 patrons. Irie Jamboree has featured all of the top reggae and dancehall recording artists, including Sean Paul, Damian Marley, Sizzla, Wayne Wonder, Shaggy, Capleton, Beenie Man, Cocoa Tea, and Beres Hammond. The Jamboree has been held at Roy Wilkins Park, York College and most recently at The Barclay’s Center.
In 2011 Clarke co-produced Reggae, Rhythm & Blues, New York’s first large scale reggae and R&B Festival featuring Baby Face, Mavado and Machel Montano.
In June of 2012, Clarke and his team co-produced the inaugural Adidas Jamboree concert that served as a 50th anniversary celebration for both Jamaica and Trinidad. The event took place at the conclusion of the annual Adidas Grand Prix at Ichan Stadium, where Caribbean track stars Yohan Blake, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sherone Simpson, Kenia Sinclair, Kelly-Ann Baptiste and other world elite athletes competed. Jamaica’s most celebrated dancehall artist, Rexton Rawlston Gordon, popularly known to fans as Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, Richie Stephens and soca darling Fayann Lyons were the headline performers. A few weeks later, Clarke and his team flew to Jamaica for Shabba’s return to the island for his first performance at Reggae Sumfest in over 10 years. On the very successful trip, Irie Jam radio served as Shabba’s exclusive media company.
Clarke and longtime collaborator and partner Louis Grant have also worked closely with Irie Jam sponsor Grace-Kennedy Western Union Money Services to promote track and field events such as Champs in Kingston, Jamaica and the Penn Relays. Grant has also been directly responsible for developing a media partnership with the Adidas Grand Prix.
Clarke also makes of point of keeping the business in the family, as his wife, Syntyche Clarke, is a principal at the company and is responsible for several key initiatives, including programming, event design and the recent formation of the Irie Butterfly Foundation, which is focused on philanthropic efforts in the Caribbean Community and the community at large. Mrs. Clarke recently spearheaded a campaign to collect and deliver over 20,000 cases of water to residents of Flint, Michigan who were adversely impacted by the water crisis in that city.
Consistently focused on both expanding the brand and serving the community, in 2014 Clarke launched Moving Forward, a customer loyalty program designed to uplift, empower and enhance the Irie Jam community through providing access to discounted products and services from a variety of benefit network partners.
Also in 2014 Clarke launched the Oracabessa Festival, a daylong celebration of Jamaican life and culture that featured performances by Tessanne Chin, Beanie Man, Konshens and Assassin on Memorial Day in Roy Wilkins Park. The 2015 Oracabessa Festival featured Tarrus Riley, the last live performance of Rileys’ father Jimmy, Freddie McGregor, Gully Bop, Sean Paul, Dexta Daps, Christopher Martin and Alaine. In 2016 Oracabessa featured Super Cat, Mavado, The Mighty Sparrow, Ken Boothe and rising stars Vershon and Nesbeth.
2016 marks the first year that Irie Jam collaborated with the South by Southwest Festival to curate the Reggae stage and the third straight year that Clarke and the Irie Jam team will work with the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) to produce several of the events leading up to the world famousWest Indian American Labor Day Parade held annually on Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway.
October, 2017 The Order of Distinction (OD) was bestowed upon Robert by the Prime Minster Hon. Andrew Holness of Jamaica. The Order of Distinction is conferred upon citizens of Jamaica who have rendered outstanding and important services to Jamaica, or to distinguished citizens of a country other than Jamaica.
July 12,2021 saw Clarke and his team making history once more by becoming the first Jamaican diaspora organization to acquire and operate a radio broadcasting license out of Jamaica W.I. with the birth of The Bridge 99 FM. This vision allows Jamaicans and Caribbean nationals outside of the island of Jamaica to stay connected with all things from home, through the breakthrough visual and audio technology disseminated by Clarke and The Bridge team.
The success Mr. Clarke has enjoyed as the CEO of Irie Jam Media, the largest Caribbean own media company in the US – is not coincidental. His calm but effective leadership style has been critical in seeing the company succeed. There is also a homegrown quality to him that belies his age and stature in the broadcasting industry. In many respects he is a visionary with an insightful view of what listeners want to hear when they want to listen to Caribbean radio. It is this foresight, which has helped to mold Irie Jam and has been the cornerstone of their success. While he is frequently lauded for being a pioneer, he is the first to acknowledge the supporting role played by his executive team and the rest of the staff. “I could not have achieved any measure of success without the help and support of my partners, my staff, family, and friends and of course, our listeners,” he noted.
His vision for the future includes expanding his media empire globally to include several digital radio stations a streaming media platform for television content.
His focus is on providing quality content that effectively represents the broad spectrum of Caribbean life and culture. He feels that the Caribbean community has a lot more ground to cover in terms of making its presence felt and he is confident that Irie Jam Media will serve as a catalyst to make this happen.
“The strides we have made thus far are encouraging. We continue to build and maintain relationships with several individuals and organizations at various levels in the business and entertainment industries. These synergies we feel will enable us to further enhance our vision to offer quality programs and to compete with mainstream media entities,” he noted.
Bobby Clarke has brought a high level of business acumen and creativity to Caribbean media in the USA and whatever the challenges, he will not be denied.