About – Rockstone Records

Osborne “Ifield” Joseph, was born on the Caribbean Island of Dominica in a beautiful village called Wesley. He is a multi instrument player who started performing on stage at the age of four. His Grandfather, Steady Robin, was a musician and organist for the Wesley Methodist Church in Dominica in early to mid late 20th century. Together, Steady Robin and his Wife had fourteen children, most of whom played various musical instruments such as the guitar, Saxophone, Violin, Trumpet, drums and Osborne is a product of that linage.At the age of eight, he became a singer in the family band, his local primary school singing group, and the Wesley Methodist Church Choir. His parents were also devout Methodist and insisted that his music should stay centered within the gospel music genre. Osborne also loved the Caribbean mainstream music, such as Calypso, Reggae, Ska, Cadence/Kadas, but was forbidden to play them by his religious parents because of the stigma that was associated with those genres at the time. There were times when Osborne was practicing at home on the keyboard or guitar while his parents were listening and he tried to disguise a popular calypso melody song by using a slower Methodist kind of John or Charles Wesley feel, thinking that his parents would not recognize it, but they were also hip to the contemporary calypso and reggae music at that time and would call me out. In retrospect, that same approach to music would become a techniques used frequently in his music productions. He would later learn from his time spent at York University that the technique was similar to “cross breeding” music, a technique in which elements from one genre is fused with another to create a new style. Today, there is no limit to the gospel genre. Calypso and Reggae have become mainstream music played in many Caribbean churches on their worship days. At the age of twelve, Osborne formed a choir in the church with twelve young voices from advice from the church elders. Other churches took notice of their performances and they were invited to be the guest choir at several denominations around the country.  At the age of seventeen he traveled oversea for the first time in his life to the island of Guadeloupe North of Dominica in search of more musical opportunities. That was a time in the Caribbean history when a musical revolution was taking place, “The Kadas Revolution”pioneered by the Dominican group called “Exile One” and the French Caribbean Islands. Guadeloupe was the epicenter for the change. Many Dominican musicians would migrate to Guadeloupe on canoes, planes, and what ever means was available in hopes of getting that chance to record since, Dominica at that time did not have a recording studio. read more…

That experience was very challenging and rewarding at the same time. He and his musicians friends were determine to become successful like their protégée, Exile One, Gramacks and Midnight Groovers all of whom had gone to the French Island to record and were making inroads into the French and Caribbean Musical Market. Osborne and his friends persevered under some extreme difficult circumstances, sometimes with no food but the love for the music kept them going. They literally had to sing for their supper on many occasions. It was in that climate of desperation and necessity to survive that he foster and grew to be the musician that he has become. After spending one year in Guadeloupe Osborne returned to Dominica and formed a Group with his family members called Bionics. Needless to say that with 90 plus first cousins, there was never a shortage of musicians especially in the guitar and drumming department. However, lack of support and musical opportunities in his village forced him to take on a permanent playing position with the Dominica Swinging Stars. “Swingin Stars” by far was the most economically stable band on the Island.
They had their own night club, played every weekend and pay its members a salary which meant that the players could pay for an apartment, buy food, clothing, travel occasionally and do all the necessary things similar to that of Dominica’s civil servant. After his time with Swinging Stars was over, he teamed up with musicians from a number of former band such as “Exile One”, “Billomen” and other young and upcoming Dominican musicians to formed the group called Emphasis. The group was featured in Ebony Magazine from the US in 1980. The magazine was in Dominica to do a story of the Island post Hurricane David which badly destroyed Dominica the previous year. Later that same year, the young Emphasis group toured the US virgin and got great audience support as a result of publicity which came from the Ebony Magazine issue. As expected, the greatest of band only last for a number of years and so it was time to move to another chapter after the breakup of Emphasis. read more…

He then teamed up with some other musicians and put together a group called, “First Sonata”. That group was also short lived due to economic hardship facing the musical industry in Dominica at the time and still today. After the dissolution of “First Sonata”, He got the opportunity to rejoin the Group “Swingin Stars” for a second time. In 1983 He travelled to Canada with that Band on the regular North American Tour. After the Canadian leg of the tour ended, he was denied a Visa to the US to continue the last leg and ended up having to remain in Canada. Back then, it did not take much to be denied a visa. If the immigration officer was having a bad day, then chances are you could be denied even with the best documents and recommendations from head of state. No regrets. In Canada he continued to pursue music but also needed other skills in order to survive independently. Without Canadian skills in everything, there was not much work available for a musician. He became a barber under the apprenticeship of Frank Ford, Owner of Castries Barber Shop for a few months. While working as a barber, he kept his eyes on any musical opportunities that arose. His determination to pursue music at a higher level eventually got him accepted to York University where he pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in music. He juggled both Careers and used his income to pay his tuition and books because he was not qualified to get any governmental financial assistance. During that time he and other family musician members, many of whom migrated to Canada from Dominica, formed a group called, “Steady Vibes”. Since all the musicians in the band at the time were grandchildren of Steady Robin, their grandfather, the name was quit fitting. The group became quite successful locally and was a staple as some of Toronto main Caribbean night clubs. Osborne went on to play with a great number of international and local entertainers In Canada, The United States and The Caribbean in many capacities. Sometimes as an accompanying musician or Musical Director on tour or Producer/Arranger/Engineer in the studio. Some of those names includes, Gregory Isaacs, Sanchez, Nasio Fontaine, The Midnight Groovers, The Mighty Diamonds, Judy Mowat, Glen Washington, The Mighty Sparrow, The Mighty Arrow, Delroy Wilson, L.U.S.T, Lazo and a multitudes of others. Osborne migrated to Hartford Connecticut in the US and lived there from 2000 to 2012. While in Connecticut he formed the Paco Record Label and continued to work with the local and international artists. He is currently the owner Rock Stone Records and Video Productions based in Toronto Ontario Canada. He plans to continue producing positive message music and Videos geared towards uplifting mankind.