Keecia Ellis is not short of musical skills. Classical training in piano and songwriting are just two of them. Now, she’s added music publishing to the mix.
To round up PPL’s celebrations of Black History Month’s ‘Saluting our Sisters’ theme, Keecia joined our Black Music Relationship Manager for an evening of conversation, Afrochill sounds from DJ Tobiah Frei and Caribbean nibbles from Fusion Flavours by Tee.
Keecia shared her journey to becoming a woman founder in the music industry, as well as the importance of ensuring artists are properly recognised and protected.
Working to make her voice heard and championing the voices of others
Before founding Rekodi Music, Keecia already had a decade of music experience on her CV from MTV, Universal and JRM.
“At the beginning of my career, I could almost count the number of black people in the office on one hand. I was often the only black person in the meeting,” Keecia says. “I spent so much energy trying to make my voice heard because none of the decision-makers looked like me.”
Alongside progressing her career agency side, Keecia also became an accredited mediator specialising in resolving disputes. This passion emerged having witnessed the battle that her reggae musician father, Alton Ellis, had to go through for ownership of his intellectual property rights.
Last year, she turned that understanding of the music business and Caribbean artists into her own publishing company, Rekodi Music.
And it’s growing.
“After Covid, I thought, ‘Yes, I can do this’. Taking risks allowed me to reinforce instead of doubt myself. I recently got my first investor deal and hired my first employee,” she smiles.
For Keecia, the importance of events during Black History Month is about awareness. “The key thing for me,” she adds, “is to keep that awareness up.”
Taking action beyond Black History Month
Empowering and supporting women through the industry doesn’t just begin and end with Black History Month. Discover more about the progress we’re making in our latest Equity, Diversity and Inclusion report published in August this year.
