The movement of Trinibad music has exposed us to some amazing people, music, fashion, trends and slangs to say the least. We made the movement a part of us and celebrated the creativity coming from across Trinidad and Tobago. One of the amazing people we have been blessed with in this movement is Ms. Delicia Patterson founder of Di Media.
Whilst many of us may know her as the talent manager for the voice of the ghetto youths, the one and only Jahllano, it’s yah girl….yes you got it right! Bubbles, the gifted Kalika B and Agent for the man building his dreams, the versatile Rheon Elbourne, do not be mistaken, she is no newbie to the music scenes.
Born on the 27th of September 1985, Ms. Patterson holds the revered portfolios of Talent manager/ Entertainment Consultant/Production Manager. Her company Di Media was named after her nickname DIME. Though simple, there is a wealth of history that went into developing this name and I just want y’all to take a second and peep the level of creative genius we’re dealing with.
Now first to begin, pleeeasee let me know if you had the same challenge as me wondering if it’s pronounced Di- as in dye.. or Di- as in Dee. If you answered yes well then I hate to say it but we fell hopelessly into the plan of this marketing specialist. If you haven’t caught on yet it’s a marketing trick, a very effective one at that as it gets you thinking! Delving further into the name’s history, Delicia recalled coining the name DIME for herself when she was just a teenager as part of the name for her makeup business. The business was called D.I.M.E. Face which stood for “Delicious Is My Exclusive Face” Another play on words. She revealed that the word dime was also meant to imply top quality-10/10, you know like you’re a real dime piece. See what she did there?! Eventually word caught on about her luxury make up business and pretty soon when people saw her they started calling her dime for short and the name just stuck. Fast Forward to now, this amazing part of her history grows with her and I don’t know about you guys! But to me that is pretty awesome!
Originally from Central Trinidad, Ms. Patterson recalled her adventurous childhood days saying she never wanted to settle as a child. The main question was always what’s next? She was ready to explore and possessed an eagerness to learn. Doesn’t she remind you of someone??? I know you know who I’m referring to..Short, brown hair with a bob cut…friends with a talking monkey??? Ok I gave enough clues and if you’re still not sure who I’m talking about (confused face) the answer is Dora the explorer!! Lol!
She is the original okay, waayyy before Dora even became a thing! (Finger snap here and lots of attitude in the face people!)
But all jokes and fun aside, Delicia’s love for learning went past the normal curiosity of a child. It stemmed from the fact that she used to be alone a lot but made very good use of her time. She listened to music and started singing and dancing at the age of 8 years old. Her dream was to become a flight attendant however she also had a real passion for the arts. She learned musical instruments such as the steelpan, guitar, and piano. Notwithstanding this, she participated in best village and was even part of a choir.
In her earlier days in the music industry she secured employment with the water Lord himself Mr. Neil Iwer George (aaayyyee!!!! Throw some water in the air!) and her tasks were bookings, bank transfers and contracts amongst other things. Eventually she picked up on how it all worked and efficiently and effectively performed her duties ensuring that she learnt something every step of the way. After this Delicia got involved with other ventures and even equipped herself with the training and skills needed to pursue her childhood dream of flight attendant but concluded that particular path was not her own. She went on to work at the bank for a period of 7 years, again, learning every step of the way. One thing is for certain and that is no matter where she veered she eventually managed to find her way back home.
Re-entering the creative world on a professional level Delicia was introduced to the realm of Trinibad. She credits her discovery of the movement to Johnny Bravo and Hpyenation Events. She recapped her conversation with Trinidad’s finest bodyguard where he asked her if she was back in entertainment. We’re paraphrasing of course but he was like “Yo do you know about the Trinibad movement that is rising?” I know you read that in a normal voice so now go and re-read it only this time in Johnny Bravo’s voice!! Now we know that was an exciting conversation!! Hpyenation Events also exposed Delicia to a circle which consisted of the Original Princess of Trinibad, the gorgeous DJ Lila amongst others.
We asked what made her want to do this particular line of work, the answer as any true creative knows and would understand is passion. Again as any true creative would know and understand it takes more than passion to become successful which is why Delicia believes in having multiple skills and never becoming complacent. Another important factor to success is to know what is lacking in your particular industry and take the necessary action to help it improve. On this note we enquired what areas she found to be lacking in the industry. Some points highlighted were that the standard is poor. In addition to this she observed that no one was taking the time to coach artistes, or focus on personal development which she believes is causing the industry to keep going in a circle.
Because merely identifying a problem does not make it go away, Delicia did what any true concerned person would and looked for ways to eliminate or minimize the problems. Through her company’s platform DimediaTT Delicia launched an interactive workshop series entitled Music Business Principles where she shared the wealth of knowledge gathered over the years about not only the music business but also marketing tips and tricks as well.
Hosted on Instagram live, the series featured many well- known persons in the industry such as Mr. Fabian Alfonso, Mr. Spine, Tech Sounds, K.G. Dj Lila and Kasey Phillips to name a few. Some topics discussed were Mastering the sound, Self- Made Opportunities in Entertainment and Public Image and Perception amongst others. We want to say a special thank you to Delicia for her love and service to the Trinibad movement and the development of our young people.
Not to be fooled every job has its challenges and for Delicia it’s no different. Some of the issues she faces are the lack of resources to effectively and efficiently carry out all functions as well as coordination with the artistes. Let us read on to know what you can do to combat these issues and more in our signature Q & A style.
What are some of the things you can do to manage these challenges?
Don’t give up! Always in every conversation, every business deal, anything you’re doing…ALWAYS conduct it with principle and integrity.
What has been the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is observing all the progress made.
Who/what is your biggest inspiration? Why?
My artistes or anyone I work with is my inspiration. Once I see the potential in someone I want to continue to help make things better.
What is the best advice do you have for someone interested in doing your line of work?
Understand your market and your position. Keep it real, stay humble and stay focused.
What has been your most memorable moment of being in the industry to date?
I have two moments. The first one was Soca For Summer which took place in 2006 and The International Soca Monarch 2020 because it showed what the power of working together can do.
What is your favorite dancehall song?
Honestly I don’t have a favourite; it’s too much to choose from.
Who is your favourite dancehall artiste?
From Trinibad again I don’t have a favourite, but if we’re talking Jamaica, the answer is Ky-Mani Marley, why because I believe he is the ultimate Rasta man! (It was at this moment we realized that her response may have very little to do with music but more with appeal lol but that’s a topic for another time haha)
What is your creative process?
I follow the rules of marketing. I conduct a S.W.O.T. Analysis and set S.M.A.R.T. Goals. What this means is I identify what I want to achieve and create a timeline which to do so. (For anyone who has never heard of these terms before…S.W.O.T. means Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. For your goal setting, ensure they are S.M.A.R.T- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Based)
What are the requirements to become part of the Di Media TT family?
Presently I am unable to accept any new clients as my time is already dedicated to my current artistes. I do not want to be in a situation where I take on too much work and cannot maintain my standard however I do have a screening process for each person which starts with me scoping their social media. I look at their stage name, their content, listen to your voice, I look for versatility and I also try to get a sense of their capability to learn, understand and grow in the industry. Their attitude is very important as well. It’s about building a relationship, which is an ongoing process.
What will success look like to you?
When all goals achieved and continued progress.
What are your hobbies?
Travelling to different countries. We even got an idea of some of the places visited already and the list includes but is not limited to London, different states in the USA, namely Atlanta, New-Jersey, New York and Miami and from the Caribbean she has been to Bahamas, Venezuela, Aruba, Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Dominica and Antigua. (Ummmm waw! Talk about inspiration to get out and see the world!)
What is your favourite food?
My favourite foods are Sunday Lunch and Curry.
I know!!! She’s awesome right!!!! We want to thank her again for this amazing opportunity and want to take this time to wish her and her team continued success and blessings!!
Blessings! Big Up!