Geejam Resort and Studio Where Drake, Rihanna, Diplo Do Their Recording
Geejam Hotel Jamaica
Geejam Hotel, Jamaica – Photo courtesy of Geejam Hotel Website 

The iconic recording venues for Jamaica’s considerable music innovators include Studio One, Trenchtown, and Strawberry Hill, but there are additional, little-known parishes that are also making music history. One of these is located in Port Antonio, about 60 miles from Kingston. Port Antonio was a key port during the island’s 19th-century banana boom, and in modern times, it became a major destination for socialites, movie stars, and musicians. The town has been called a “time capsule” of Jamaica that offers authentic island culture that has been lost among the mega-resorts located on its northern shore. In 1996, Jon Baker, former London Punk and record producer, bought property in Port Antonio as a getaway destination. Over time, he developed Geejam, a music studio and villa that features private, deluxe cabins named after Jamaican music genres: Ska, Rocksteady, Mento, Drum and Bass. Geejam combines luxury with privacy and security, and it has attracted many of the biggest stars in the music industry, including Rihanna, Drake, Grace Jones, Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, No Doubt, Lily Allen, Diplo and the Gorillaz. Baker himself features as part of Geejam’s attractiveness to musicians, as he has many connections in the industry and is highly respected.