Castries, St. Lucia: McCarthy MARIE an economist and a former lecturer at the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill, Barbados) was voted Chairman of the Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation for Music Rights (ECCO) Inc. at the first meeting of the Board following the society’s AGM held last month.
Mr. Marie, a Dominican by birth, has extensive experience in the music business in the Caribbean being the manger of OPHELIA, one of the Caribbean’s most successful female performers and has organized and led many tours through the Caribbean and Europe.
He is also a record producer, music publisher and studio owner having produced albums for most of Dominica’s successful groups and artists like the WCK Band, First Serenade and the Midnight Groovers to name a few.
Mr. Marie has extensive experience in the management of music copyright having been the agent of the Performing Right Society (PRS) from 1981 to 2008. In this capacity he has established licensing for public performance and broadcast of music in many islands of the OECS including St. Lucia and Antigua. He has participated in many regional and international conferences on the music business, intellectual property, and trade in cultural goods and services.
Mr. Marie consults for the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in which capacity he has lectured to members of the judiciary of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme court and registrars of Intellectual property of CARICOM.
Mr. Marie has been a Director on the board of ECCO since January 2009 and takes over the position of Chairman in succession to Mr. Gene Lawrence who held that position since 2001. Leading writer and six times Calypso Monarch of St. Lucia Mr. Jeff Elva (‘the Mighty Pelay’) was elected Vice-Chairman of the society.
Congrats! you know your stuff!