Catch-A-Fire Reggae Style

2008-07-22T09:15:00.000-04:00

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Rockers Takeover

Source: www.youtube.com

I and I come to change the mood!

InI COME FI CHANGE DI MOOD

2008-05-29T12:40:00.000-04:00

Rockers

2008-05-28T15:47:00.005-04:00

Recently I saw the movie Rockers. I had heard a great deal about it so I finally decided after years of procrastination to purchase the 25th anniversary edition. I was impressed by the line-up, some of the biggest name in the reggae business, most of them legends; before they were legends. After the movie, my first thought was, could this be replicated today? Who would be in it? How could it be done? I am still pondering these questions.

The movie had several unforgettable scenes, but by far, my favorite is “Rockers takeover,” in which Dirty Harry and Horsemouth hijacked the soul playing club. (Check it out on YouTube, search “rockers takeover.)
Also unforgettable is the ending, maybe it is because I grew cynical but I did not expect that ending. It was perfect.
It is a simple movie which made me long for better days. If you haven’t seen it, please try to.

Reggae Lives On!

2008-05-07T11:38:00.001-04:00

With all the negativity in the industry I am proud and overjoyed to know that there are still musicians out there who are uplifting our culture. Ever since the birth of Dancehall reggae as somewhat drifted to the back seat in our community and culturally. However, the continual rise of Reggae is an encouragement that a lot of people are conscious and are fascinated.
Over the last few years the young talents who are making a positive stance are not one hit wonders, they have proven themselves over and over and shows they are willing to keep the torch blazing. The veterans of Reggae are also embracing this trend and continue to lead. Although it is easy to get side tracked by the hype and popularity, their faith keeps them grounded.

Music is the rod and we are Moses

2008-05-07T10:01:00.002-04:00

Mama Africa

2008-05-06T16:49:00.003-04:00

Africa here she is; an ever high.
The Motherland of us all is frequently the subject of numerous reggae songs. Africa, the incorruptible birth place of our ancestors is revered and looked upon. Despite its economic destitution, which is heavily promoted in the west, the richness of the people, the culture, the lost civilizations and kingdoms; Africa will prevail.
Africa is without doubt a considerable part of reggae not only because Rasta is a dominant force in reggae but also because we owe a lot to her. Reggae music is derived from the all the cultures which were experienced by our pioneers, in this we find the heavy influence of the percussion and chanting.
We owe Africa our utmost respect and to show this we highlight and make her optimistic presence a part of us. We revere her because Marcus Garvey taught us the significance of her in our lives. Almost all reggae artists dedicate their music to Africa and her upliftment and that is a good thing.

Is it exploitation?

2008-05-02T15:46:00.005-04:00

Rastafari is one of the pillars of reggae music and its development. No wonder most of the admired musicians of the genre are associated with the faith. But is being a Rasta necessary for the establishment of an artiste? Maybe or maybe not. One thing is certain, it does not hurt.
The vehicle that facilitated the Rastafari movement into mainstream culture was reggae music but simultaneously reggae music was hailed to the forefront by Rastafari.
I can remember as a child Rastas were not as popular as they are today; they were reviled, feared, mysterious and not at all as adored or accepted.
The transformation represents our distancing from colonialism and of us controlling our own destiny; this is a positive move. However, if an artiste exploits the Rasta image for selfish reason or personal gain then the fabric which holds the faith together is permeable and will cause it to collapse. The will of those who do paints an image which is base on falsehood and with this Rasta will not be able to defend itself from threats or coercion. But, is calling on HIM without being a Rasta Blasphemy?

This is in no way targeting any artiste, it is purely my contemplation.

Cease the moment

2008-05-01T16:27:00.004-04:00

In 2005 a friend invited me to go see Culture perform in New York, although I wanted to go I declined for what reason I can not remember. A year later Joseph Hill, one of my favorite reggae musicians died and I never saw him in concert, ever since I have regretted not taking my friend’s invitation. Because of this, whenever any of my favorite performers or in town I make it my duty to go see them in action so I don’t have to listen to their tributes or live CD’s after they are dead and imagine what it must have felt like.

time is not counted from daylight but from MIDNITE

2008-04-30T11:09:00.004-04:00

By now you should know that I am not too much into hype music -except as a tool for venting- but when I am in my mellow mood I revert to the things and music which I love and the best example of the music I like is that of the band Midnite.
The hypnotic vibes which is like energy transfusion is nothing short of astounding. If you have had the chance to take in a live performance you would understand exactly what that feels like. The stage performance will encapsulate you and take you away!
Unlike other more commercial Reggae musicians, Midnite's focus is the music, not the appearance or the hype. They stay true to ROOTS music, this is their weapon of choice; Babylon will crumble.
If you ask most people in the Reggae business only those truly dedicated will know this band and they have been releasing albums and performing for more than 12 years with their first official release in 1997.
If you, like I was, are longing for some good music without all the clutter this is your tangent to leave the perpetual and predictable. And if you can, go see them live.

Going International

2008-04-29T12:27:00.000-04:00

The decision to make reggae/dancehall artistes into international stars and to make them profitable is nothing new, and the results are usually the same. From Bob Marley to Elephant Man, we’ve seen this time and time again. This habitually happens after a star has bloomed, not one that is cultivated. The music which makes an artiste a star in the dancehall community is from such artiste’s experience but when the attempt to duplicate such success after an artiste is signed to a commercial/international label the prospects of continued success dwindles.

Why? Because the authenticity is no longer present, the music now becomes formulated; meant to be commercialized, not for those who appreciate the underground and exclusiveness of the music and culture but for the wider audience. It is no longer by us so we tend to think it is not for us, therefore, without our endorsement the popular audience ignores it.

Music made by people looking for overwhelming success through record sales is researched and precise; it is intentional, not spontaneous. Because dancehall artistes usually depend on performing rather than record sales, transforming the music to achieve the opposite becomes very difficult. The occasional crossover of an artiste (and a song) first depends on that artiste success within the original community, “crossover” occurs after this accomplishment. Consider the success of Sean Paul, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, and Junior Gong or even Shaggy, their successful crossovers required the initial approval of the dancehall community. Their songs usually filter through the channels from bottom to top, not the other way around.

The Reggae Business

2008-04-28T16:21:00.000-04:00

Lately I have been listening to a lot of reggae, not dancehall, and I have missed out on a few things. However, I have also learned a lot. Reading all the news about the current situation (you know the situation) with the cancellations and turmoil facing Reggae artists and Jamaica as a whole, made me think that this is completely our fault, not theirs. From the government of Jamaica to the artists to the blogs and record labels, we are to be blamed. For too long we have imported everything and exported nothing, for too long we have depended on others and not ourselves, so, now we are threatened with boycotts and cancellations.

What are we to do? Invest. Invest in ourselves, our products, our creativity and our. That way our fate will be in our hands, we will control our destiny.

Looking at the food shortage in Jamaica (and the Caribbean) one can see that we are volatile, whatever happens aboard, particularly you know where; we feel the brunt of the pressure. You know that old saying if America sneezes Jamaica catches a cold; well do we need more examples than that which is currently manifesting itself!

I am not against globalization, I am just for equality. The stagnation of Jamaica rest on the shoulders of our government and its people. We prefer to market and exploit the north shore resorts so that a few will profit than to promote agriculture which will benefit the entire population and region. There is no possible reason Jamaica should be importing such things as carrots or cabbage when the ones grown there are much healthier and beneficial. However, since we signed on to all those global contracts, the people should buy Jamaican; this practice is performed in other countries and is celebrated as patriotism. Why not Jamaica?

Dancehall, or should I just say reggae, we have come too far to be stopped now. People protesting or calling for cancellation will never stop true lovers of the music from loving or listening to the music or from paying to see their favorite artists perform. However, if you are a commercial artist you will have a monkey on your back. Your hopes of the MTVs and BETs sadly will be terminated.

Remembering Joseph 'Culture' Hill

2006-09-10T23:21:00.000-04:00

A tribute to Joseph 'Culture' Hill, In his own life as an entertainer, he was never content with the life of lights, glitter, and glamour. Instead, he conducted himself as a teacher, healer, and spiritual leader urging his fans the world over to seek a more balanced society. A society based on righteousness, respect for human dignity, equal opportunity, and social morals.While Hill and Culture's style certainly owed much to the influence of the early Wailers and Burning Spear, it was never a case of imitation. Nor was Hill or the group ever obsessed with the latest trend. Instead, with his instinctively primeval vocal style, Joseph was able to position Culture as one of reggae's pre-eminent roots groups, performing in that churchical style informed by both Pentecostal and Rastafarian lamentation and praise song tradition. His music, like a sermon from the best village preacher, was delivered with a sense of mocking irony, though never without wit and accompanied by body language to boot. At the same time, however, Culture's music was laced with powerful spiritual, social and political messages delivered with conviction and sincerity. - Herbie Miller

Lil Kim V. Tanya Stephens

2006-08-29T21:28:00.000-04:00

Looks like Lil’ Kim will be back in a courtroom soon due to a lawsuit filed against her by reggae artist Tanya Stephens, who claims the rapper illegally borrowed her music and lyrics for a track on her latest album, “The Naked Truth.”

Kim’s entertainment attorney L. Londell McMillan was quick to release a statement addressing the lawsuit, which claims that Stephens’ track “Mi and Mi God” was swiped by the Brooklyn MC for her song “Durty.” Alleging the lyrics are nearly identical to her 1997 track, Stephens seeks all past and future royalties in connection with the song, and asks for ownership of the material as well, reports the New York Post.

"The lawsuit against Atlantic Records and Lil Kim is the result of Royalty Networks Inc's failed attempts to extract unreasonable sums and percentages of Lil Kim's new song for an interpolated use of a song which happens all the time in Hip Hop,” McMillan responded in a statement. “There are no damages to Tanya Stephens, they never objected until after their efforts failed, and Kim was and remains willing to be fair.

Shaggy goes gaga over India

2006-08-01T16:31:00.000-04:00

[Reggae] star Shaggy loves India because the love and affection present in the country reminds him a lot of his own country Jamaica.
The Hey Sexy Lady singer said that his native country Jamaica had a lot in common with India.
The two countries had similar warmth andaffection of the audience and they also shared similar problems, according to him.
"I'm from a country like India. Jamaica has similar problems and similar joys and warmth. I sense that warmth in India, that affection and love from the audience," Femalefirst quoted him, as saying.
However, Shaggy, who looks forward to being part of the Bollywood scene, also revealed that as long as piracy was rampant in India, artistes would always shy away from considering the country a major market for music.
"Unless the piracy stops it is difficult to consider India a major market for music. How can any artist think of good sales if everything just gets illegally copied?" he said.

Uncertain Time

2006-07-06T19:29:00.000-04:00

For the past several weeks I have noticed that there are no clear directions in the music and buying tread. The great Reggae and conscious music rebirth that started in 2003/2004 is fading and dancehall didn't fully recover. Eventhough neither music is completely silent and there continues to be big hits from both sector, neither is carrying the majority of listeners. Also, the dancing craze while still alive is not as big as it once was. The big summer hit, which is supposedly Baby Cham's Ghetto Story is not as big a summer anthem as previously seen. Anyway we still have some time to see the rebound and see which way the music will go next.

Emboldened by Reggae, Jamaican Writers Bust Out

2006-06-28T16:03:00.000-04:00

The story comes at you with hurricane force and an irresistible title, "How to Beat a Child in the Right and Proper Way." It is the creation of the Jamaican writer Colin Channer, who is also the editor of "Iron Balloons," an anthology of a new kind of Jamaican writing published by Akashic Books in May. On a recent Saturday, Mr. Channer read a section of the story at Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe in Harlem.
"The Right and Proper Way" is a big breath of a piece, 54 pages long, and something of a tour de force, spoken in various registers of Jamaican English by Ciselyn, a 68-year-old Jamaican woman who works at Macy's and is giving a talk in a speech class she is taking.
One day in Jamaica in 1972, Ciselyn relates, she went to pick up her daughter, Karen, from school and Karen wasn't there. When Karen finally appeared, she was very rude.
At Hue-Man, Mr. Channer read Ciselyn's child-rearing philosophy as told to her speech class: "Sink them down again below the grass, and stand up over them like you have a machete in your hand. If they push up they head again before they time, don't hesitate. Take one swing and chop it off." "The Right and Proper Way" reaches a terrible and inevitable conclusion. "I paint her body red," Ciselyn cries. "I look at her and say, 'You think you is a woman in this place?' Whap. 'You think you is woman, eh?' Spa-DIE. 'What you have to hide?' Whap" And so on. And on.DINITIA SMITH

2006-06-15T13:20:00.000-04:00

*Despite earlier reports which have been circulated over the internet, dancehall/reggae artiste Baby Cham’s hit song Ghetto Story (a song in which he depicts some of the unfortunate incidents that he experienced while growing up in a Jamaican ghetto), has not been banned here in Jamaica.
Ghetto Story which has been impacting on the Billboard R&B Hip Hop Singles & Tracks chart, spent eight weeks at number one here in Jamaica a few months ago. The song was sent to radio here in Jamaica in November last year and has been receiving strong airplay even though its no longer on the charts here.
According to sources at the Broadcasting Commission here in Jamaica, the government organization which monitors songs and makes recommendations whether they are fit for airplay or not, Ghetto Story was never considered for any form of banning. Some members from the media here in Jamaica, have viewed the allegations of a ban as a mere publicity stunt to drum up support in the American market.
Efforts to contact Baby Cham for a comment on the issue, proved futile, as his Jamaican cell phone was consistently turned off.

Jamie Foxx is Bob Marley

2006-06-10T23:28:00.000-04:00

Remember how absurd it sounded when Jamie Foxx was cast as Ray Charles? Well, prepare yourself for another outrageous announcement: Foxx is said to be starring as Bob Marley in a biopic directed by Oscar-nominee Rachid Bouchareb (Dust of Life). The film was conceived by Bob's widow, Rita, and Bourchareb says that he wants to show the reggae icon's life from childhood (he didn't lose a brother, did he?) through to his young adulthood and interest in Africa. by Christopher Campbell

Reggae star draws government ire in Jamaica

2006-06-10T23:21:00.000-04:00

"At first they were trying to fight it in Jamaica, but now it's the biggest thing," Cham says. "The radio started playing it like probably two weeks after they said, 'No, no, no.' The fans were letting them know that it was the biggest song in the street. But that's how it is in Jamaica, they tend to draw a curtain to the real things going on."

"Ghetto Story" isn't Cham's first song to draw the government's ire. Both of his earlier tracks, "Desperate Measure" and "Ghetto Play," were banned, as was Bounty Killer's "Anytime," which Cham wrote with longtime producer buddy Dave Kelly.

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Reggae star Cham's hot new tune "Ghetto Story" explicitly describes the poverty raging through Jamaica, and has been banned in its homeland.

"The government wrote me," Cham says regarding "Ghetto Play." "I was saying to give me the country to run for a day. And they said, 'We need to stop the bashing of the government.' That's not bashing, it's just showing up the government. There's no free speech there. They say you have free speech, but it's not free speech."

Cham's gritty video for "Ghetto Story" features him rhyming into a cell phone and children enacting his verses of sticking up store clerks and sleeping on foam squares. The entire video was shot in about a day. Then MTV came calling, airing the clip on "Direct Effect" and "MTV Jams." Cham also tapped Akon for the "Ghetto Story" remix, which recently went to radio.

Aside from the "Ghetto Story" single, which originally debuted in Jamaica last November, an album of the same name is slated for an August release on Atlantic. - By Hillary Crosley

Reuters/Billboard

No "Rapping" In The Dancehall

2006-05-12T20:33:00.000-04:00

I remember the days when my friends and I used to argue about who was the wickedest DJ, and we weren't talking about radio personalities. Almost everyone I knew called the artistes DJ's, however, I have noticed that we no longer called artiste DJ's but instead we call them rappers. Common-sense would tell me that a rapper raps; nothing to do with the craft of the Dancehall. Calling a dancehall artist a rapper is not fair to the artist or the trade. The title diminishes the independence of Dancehall/Reggae, it puts dancehall under the umbrella of rapping, which I think should be the other way around. For too long the industry denied itself upliftment, it is time to be bold and uncompromising. By doing the same things as rappers we not only blend ourselves in but we have to play catch-up because we not be setting our own goals but rather reaching for someoneelse's. Our uniqueness is our highlight and that is what we should emphasize, not the "watered-down" music which is intended to cross-over successes.

Bob Marley Is Still Catching Fire

2006-05-11T13:10:00.000-04:00

Bob Marley didn't believe in death. It is part of Rastafari teaching that there is no dying, only living, and Marley held that to be true. For Marley, at least, death was just the beginning.
It may seem, to the casual top-40 listener, that reggae music is a limited genre, a sidestream to the mainstream, a musical form that saw its glory days, its better days, in the days of Bob Marley.
Listen closer.
The sound of reggae is everywhere. Bob Marley's greatest hits album, Legend is still on the Billboard charts, more than 20 years after its release. Artists that he influenced are all over MTV, in various forms and in various genres. There are too many to list them all.
Some draw from his sound: Hasidic roots-reggae rapper Matisyahu. The Fugees -- Wyclef has covered Marley songs, and fellow Fugee Lauryn Hill has covered Marley songs and given birth to Marley grandkids. Dancehall star Sean Paul has produced two best-selling CDs. And Marley's son Damian scored a recent chart hit with his song "Welcome to Jamrock." Others draw from his general spirit: Gwen Stefani; Julian Casablancas, the lead singer of the Strokes, a band that sometimes borrows reggae rhythms, is an avowed Marley fan. U2 has covered Marley's songs in concert and lead singer Bono inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In the past other musicians have been influenced by Marley, including Eric Clapton, who cvered his song "I Shot the Sheriff"; Stevie Wonder, who wrote "Master Blaster" as a tribute to the reggae king; and the now-defunct ska-reggae-punk band Sublime, who re-recorded Marley's song "Jailhouse". In the future there will no doubt be more Marley acolytes. "
full article...http://www.popmatters.com/books/features/060511-bobmarley.shtml

VP Records PAYS TRIBUTE TO the King of Dancehall

2006-05-04T13:11:00.000-04:00

In a Collective Series Documenting Producer King Jammy’s Lifetime Dedication to Music
VP Records, in collaboration with King Jammy’s Sound, has announced the release of the most comprehensive retrospect of the legendary sound that triggered digital reggae music, commonly referred to as dancehall. Two compilations paying tribute to King Jammy’s will be released in 2006 that will include: international hits, unreleased tracks from King Jammy’s archives, deep cuts and rare behind the scenes footage.
Recently, there has been a massive resurgence of digital “throwback” riddims, so the timing could not have been more precise for this original collection to be released. From the reappearance of the “Father Jungle Rock” riddim in the Fugee’s reunion at the 2005 BET Awards and also on I-Wayne’s hit “Can’t Satisfy Her,” to the popular "85" riddim featuring deejays like Assassin and Cham, to Ini Kamoze & Sly and Robbie’s “World A Reggae” riddim resurrected by Damien Marley in “Welcome to Jamrock,” to the famous "Sleng Teng Resurrection" revived by Bounty Killer and original vocalist Wayne Smith to the restoration of Admiral Bailey’s "Punany" on the current “Capital P” VP Riddim Driven Series, the presence of these classic rhythms prevail today.
On July 18th, the first release ‘King at The Controls,’ a DVD and compact disc collection, will unveil twenty of King Jammy's most acclaimed tracks as well as exclusive behind the scenes footage. The musical set highlights the celebrated classics and gives you a taste of the highly anticipated ‘Selector’s Choice’ dual box set due out this fall. A few renowned tunes to look forward to are, "Sleng Teng" by Wayne Smith, "Music Lover" by Shabba Ranks, "Punany" by Admiral Bailey, "Agony" by Pinchers and "Mr. Landlord" by Half Pint. The bonus DVD includes the first in depth documentary on King Jammy with exclusive interviews from Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Chaka Demus, Admiral Bailey, Wayne Smith (from Sleng Teng), and the King himself! It also includes never seen before historical footage from the Waterhouse community, Ninja Man’s recording sessions inside Jammy’s studio, as well as photos and live footage from King Jammy’s personal archives.
The second release, ‘Selector’s Choice,’ will be a dual release of two 4-disc box sets coming this October. It will be the most all-inclusive tribute ever paid to the legendary producer, who sparked reggae’s digital revolution, revealing the rest of his most cherished and prized hits along with some hidden gems that have been preserved until now. This full collection will give the listener an enjoyable and educational journey into one studio's lifetime dedication and contribution to a crucial era of dancehall reggae. http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur26212.cfm

Sizzla's latest proves why he's beloved

2006-04-10T17:37:00.000-04:00

"Sizzla, "Ain't Gonna See Us Fall" (VP Records)
Rastafarian hero Sizzla doesn't jeopardize his position as Jamaica's most beloved roots reggae star on his latest album, "Ain't Gonna See Us Fall." Unlike his bump-and-grind-prone peers, the dreadlocked veteran delivers exactly what his fans expect of him after 10 years in the game - sweat-soaked songs of spiritual salvation. No greater is the message of cultural pride than on the choir-backed title track, a defiant yet tender prayer for Jamaica's citizens. "People Need Love," a steel drum-supported plea to the government to improve the plight of the poor, sums up the album's core dogma, that love makes the world go round.
Not surprisingly, Sizzla's love theme transfers perfectly into the bedroom. It's there that he employs his trademark falsetto, tapping into his inner Gregory Isaacs for sugary grooves like "Somewhere" and "Knowing Each Other."-TOMIKA ANDERSON

From The New York Times

2006-03-25T16:12:00.000-05:00

"Lots of dancehall reggae singers have spent lots of time trying to figure out how to turn Jamaican popularity into international success. Should you collaborate with established pop stars? Imitate lightweight R & B crooners or heavyweight rappers? Abandon Jamaican patois? Play up your larger-than-life persona? Emphasize your exotic look? Sean Paul, reggae's biggest success since you-know-who, has succeeded by finding a counterintuitive answer to all these questions: no. He makes hits by making only minimal changes to the genre's standard operating procedure. He slides cool, tuneful rhymes over sharp dancehall reggae beats...known as riddims."- KELEFA SANNEH

Critics and Reggae

2006-03-23T17:28:00.000-05:00

After reading in several articles and on numerous blogs the issue of race and identity are being highly debated. At the center of the controversy is Matisyahu, the Jewish reggae anomaly. Because both himself and his band members are all white, his critics are questioning his right as a Reggae artiste and his authenticity. However, criticism from the reggae community regarding his race or culture his yet to be seen. Most of the critics are either Black Americans or people from his community/fellow Jews, most of whom has nothing to do with reggae. In an article in the New York Times written by music critic Kelefa Sanneh, Matisyahu is a "cheap substitute for the real deal."
Another phenomenon which I have noticed is the use of the title Reggae. Whenever there is a successful artist or album the term is avoided, instead rapper, rock, hip-hop or another foreign term is used. Currently, Reggae music is one of the must distictive musical form. Wherever it is played the difference is quite noticeable. It is full time reggae and Jamaicans get credit for our talent and our creation, for too long we have been denied the right.

REGGAE TO DANCEHALL (and back)

2006-03-15T20:57:00.000-05:00

It's all been a bit roots and culture round these parts lately. Now, though, it's time to mash up the dance. With two stone-cold anthems already released and a rapid turnover of new material, Jamaica's continued love affair with old-school-style riddims is proving surprisingly fruitful.
First up is a tune everyone needs. Baby Cham's "Ghetto Story" (Mad House/7"/JA), released on Dave Kelly's comeback Eighty Five riddim, does exactly what it says on the label, telling Cham's autobiographical tale of badman business, the wealth crime brings and its fatal consequences. Going from "I remember those days when hell was my home/ When me and Mama bed was a big piece a foam" to "Mi best friend Richie get two inna him dome/ I remember so the Avenue tun inna warzone," it doesn't so much glorify gun talk and violence as simply tell it how it is, rocking into the bargain. Other voicings of this splurgy Casiotone beat worth looking out for are Pinchers' "Desperate Scenario" (It's a desperate scenario/ What would you do/ Should I be a bandelero, at age 22/ Mi got nuh dinero/ Mi rent overdue") and Yellowman's fantastic "Orphan".
In the same rhythmic vein Ding Dong's "Badman Forward, Badman Pull Up" (VP/12"/JA) is an absolute cracker, drawing heavily from the 1980s, but bouncing with 21st century panache.
Speaking of Ding Dong, this dancer and deejay also crops up hosting Fine Gold Productions' excellent DVD It's All About Dancing. Over one hour and 12 minutes, the film takes the viewer on a tour of Kingston, showing how central dancehall is to island life, especially at the berserk Passa Passa street party. It also includes sections teaching all the latest moves, for those who don't know their Weddy Weddy from their Shankle Dip, interviews with Beenie Man, Tony Matterhorn, and Cordell "Scatta" Burrell, and rare footage of famed dancer Gerald "Bogle" Levy shot before his death in January 2005. Dave Stelfox

Jamaica music awards gets funding

2006-03-04T13:37:00.000-05:00

Numerous previous attempts at a Jamaican music awards have tragically buckled under the pressures of a fickle and seemingly untameable music industry. But executives of the Recording Industry Association of Jamaica (RIAJam) hope that with the establishment of a Reggae Music Academy, things will be different this time around."History has shown where previous awards have failed... but I believe RIAJam can make this one work," said association president, Cleveland 'Clevie' Browne- one half of the famous producing duo 'Steely and Clevie'.He told Splash that, "things are well under way for the development of the Reggae Music Academy". Browne added that RIAJam has received some euro80,000 Euros from the Private Sector Development Programme (PSDP)- a portion of which is to assist with the formation of the said Academy for the awards project. The money is also to be used in developing a Sound Recording Producers Collections Society and the expansion of the RIAJam website.Roland Henry

Living The REGGAE LIFE

2006-02-28T17:13:00.000-05:00

JIMMY Cliff is a living museum of the development of reggae music, but don't try telling him that. "As an artist, I have to be creative," he says. "It's what keeps me alive. I have never thought of myself as a living museum. Fortunately, the music keeps changing and I am able to change with it. If I had to stay in that one bag all the time I wouldn't know what I would do."His latest album, Black Magic, traces all the phases of reggae right up to today's style, which Cliff calls "dancehall reggae", and it uses many of the artists who have made reggae great. But Jimmy Cliff, 57, goes way back and beyond that, partly because he started out as a musician so early.
Raised in rural Jamaica, the son of a tailor who also farmed, he was simply bursting with the need to become a performer.
Actually, he thought he would be an actor. "I still think I am a better actor than a singer," he says. By TIM LLOYD

REGGAE WAY

2006-02-20T22:31:00.000-05:00

The motion to honor the Jamaican reggae legend has cleared a community board and lined up City Council support. The measure would rename Church Avenue — which runs through Flatbush, Kensington and Lefferts Gardens, home to many Jamaican New Yorkers — Bob Marley Avenue. The street also runs through several community boards, which have first say on such matters. A move's afoot to get the city to "Get Up, Stand Up" and rename part of a major Brooklyn street after Bob Marley. PATRICK GALLAHUE

Reggae Grammy award could be split into Dancehall and Roots

2006-02-10T19:58:00.000-05:00

In April 2006, the proposal to split the Reggae Grammy category into traditional roots reggae and dancehall segments will be examined once more. The prominence of dancehall has forced at least the thought of the sub-division..
This was not so when Black Uhuru won the first Reggae Grammy for 1984's Anthem and dancehall was seen as not having true international appeal. However, out of the 16 artistes who have won the Reggae Grammy, several have been dancehall performers, specifically deejays.
The change came with Shabba Ranks, who won back-to-back titles in 1991 and 1992 for As Raw As Ever and Extra Naked, respectively. Shaggy followed in 1995 with Boombastic, Beenie Man in 2000 with Art and Life, Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley in 2001 and Sean Paul in 2003 for Dutty Rock. Roots reggae has come in between, with Burning Spear winning with Calling Rastafari for 1999, and Toots and the Maytals last year with True Love.

Jamaica to declare Marley home a national monument

2006-02-08T17:56:00.000-05:00

The Jamaican government will declare Bob Marley's Kingston home a national monument, 25 years after the reggae legend's death, an official said on Tuesday.
Minister of Education and Culture Maxine Henry Wilson said the tribute was in recognition of all Marley had done to promote his Caribbean homeland overseas.
Marley, who died of cancer in the United States in 1981, would have turned 61 this week.
Known as Tuff Gong International, Marley's home is now a music studio as well as a leading tourist attraction.
Marley, who remains one of the most recognizable stars of pop music, was given Jamaica's third-highest national honor, the Order of Merit, shortly before his death. But government officials have repeatedly shied away from calls to name him a national hero.
As a devout Rastafarian, and someone who used marijuana as part of his religious beliefs, Marley ran a long-running crusade for the legalization of the herb known locally as ganja.
No official date has been set yet for the ceremony in which Tuff Gong, which translates loosely from Jamaican slang to tough sound, will be designated a national monument.

Reggae Made From 'Scratch'? Give It a Try

2006-02-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

Is Lee "Scratch" Perry the greatest pop music artist you've never heard of? Last year, Perry -- the mad genius of reggae -- appeared at No. 100 on Rolling Stone's list of "The Immortals: The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time," right behind the likes of Guns N' Roses, Carlos Santana and Curtis Mayfield. In the magazine, the Beastie Boys' Adam "Adrock" Horovitz paid tribute to Perry with a loving and amusing essay in which he rhapsodized about the producer-mixologist-songwriter-performer's famously bizarre behavior.By J. Freedom du Lac

Bob Marley Festival Tour Renamed to Legends of Rasta Reggae Festival Tour

2006-01-30T00:30:00.000-05:00

Formerly known as the Annual Bob Marley Festival Tour, the 2006 Annual "Universal Love" Legends of Rasta Reggae Festival Tour is the original Reggae Festival Tour. Over the past 19 years, the Houston based Tour has visited over 45 cities in the United States and abroad, making it the longest running Touring Festival in the world.
This year marks the 20th year since the first tour and the 15th year it has traveled the world to spread awareness of Reggae Music and messages of Universal Love, Peace & Unity along with the Rastafarian way.
The 2006 Tour theme is "Universal Love" and the theme song is "I Can See Clearly", by Johnny Nash.Alan Gray

Reggae For Christ Hits The Air Waves

2006-01-21T17:42:00.000-05:00

What do reggae music and the gospel of Christ have in common? When most people hear the words 'reggae music' they immediately think of Bob Marley, one of the most famous Rastafarians to emerge from Jamaica. But if you listen to the words of most of Bob Marley's music you will realize that he quotes regularly from the Bible.Reggae is not normally associated with Christianity. However Tennyson Walters, president of OFMB (Our Father's Music Business) had a vision to spread the good news of Jesus Christ worldwide and he uses different forms of music to reach those who would normally not listen to gospel music.

Tracing Reggae's Catholic Roots

2006-01-16T18:12:00.000-05:00

Less well known, and more bizarre, is that this order of nuns is also partly responsible for the birth of reggae music.The sisters had already been working in Kingston, Jamaica, for 12 years when they founded the Alpha Boys' School in 1892.Its purpose was to house and educate "wayward boys," most of them from backgrounds of dire poverty. With instruments donated by a benefactor, a drum and fife corps was set up which, as the years passed, became a martial brass band. By the mid-20th century, the connection with military music was still a constant, but the Alpha Boys' bandmasters were increasingly influenced by swing and jazz."Without the school, there just wouldn't have been the blossoming of talent on the island in the key period of the `60s and `70s," says Laurence Cane-Honeysett, a music consultant to reggae label Trojan Records, who has compiled the excellent album Alpha Boys' School: Music in Education 1910-2006."When the Jamaican music industry took off, it was totally dependent on those who studied there," he says.A quartet of Alpha alumni, Tommy McCook (pictured), Johnny "Dizzy" Moore, Lester Sterling and the celebrated trombonist Don Drummond, were founder members of the Skatalites and, as such, co-creators of Jamaica's first indigenous pop music.
Bar the odd dent - such as the depiction in the film The Magdalene Sisters of cruelty in their now-defunct Irish orphanages and laundries - the reputation of the Catholic Order of the Sisters of Mercy is of 200 years of good deeds in some of the most underprivileged areas of the world.

Reggae would eventually bloom from these roots at Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd's hugely influential Studio One, all built on horn sections featuring Alpharians.Thomas Green

Sean Paul and politics

2006-01-14T13:04:00.000-05:00

The biggest musician to come out of Jamaica since Bob Marley has a lot more on his mind than asking sexy ladies to "shake that thing," it seems.
Take gun control in Jamaican, for instance. There isn't any, Sean Paul opined.
"There are only two major political parties (in Jamaica) and they have control of docks and bays that bring in the guns," said Sean Paul, whose Never Going To Be The Same from his new album The Trinity is dedicated to late Jamaican musician Daddigon, a victim of gun violence. "We don't make guns in Jamaica" so he says it's up to him to drop a "lot on the politicians."By Chris Jordan

Guyanese reggae group First Born hits the charts with "Uplift Yourself"

2006-01-02T18:17:00.000-05:00

The Guyanese reggae outfit First Born has been making moves in Jamaica over the last couple of months. The group hit the charts with "Irites" and now they are charting with "Uplift Yourself", which features Fantan Mojah.First Born has been steadily building its reputation as a bonafide reggae band having shared the international stage with a string of big name acts, and spreading its brand of cultural messages.© Stabroek News

MUSIC REVIEW: The Wailers

2005-12-31T17:27:00.000-05:00

Even the most casual of music fans knows
that the late Bob Marley, along with his band,
The Wailers, was almost single-handedly
responsible for bringing reggae out of the
streets of his native Jamaica and into the
mainstream of American popular music.
The Wailers have done little recording
since some very productive years in the
1970s . But since Marley's death in 1981,
the band has maintained a touring presence
in an effort to keep Marley's music and
message in the ears and minds of American listeners
BY BILL CRAIG

Rap, rock and reggae are among the year's best albums

2005-12-31T02:48:00.000-05:00

From the Baltimore Sun

"Damian Marley

Welcome to Jamrock

Like father, like son, Marley released a smartly produced set of songs that spotlight socio-political strife and celebrate the power of love. Though not the charismatic, transcendently soulful vocalist his father Bob was, Marley establishes his own flavor with this album, his third release. The youngest son of the reggae king worked with his half-brother, Stephen, on the production. The two mingle roots-reggae with threads of slick R&B and hard-hitting hip-hop. Easily the year's best reggae CD."

The Man With the Pan

2005-12-27T16:52:00.000-05:00

Byron Lee, undoubtedly one of Jamaica’s finest musical ambassadors and with 46 years of experience and over 150 awards he continues to command respect and admiration world-wide.
He attributes the success of Byron Lee and the Dragonaires to the image and reputation of a band, comprising of slick-looking member that would take minimum breaks, play good music and ensure that patrons got their monies worth.
The Dragon’s “no bull” attitude helped shape the current industry. He was against musicians being slighted by management be it clubs or individual. Byron, along with other major players in the music industry revitalised the Jamaica Federation of Musicians, enlarging its membership with a band-registration drive, and giving its president Sonny Bradshaw the clout he needed to operate.

Swiss Reggae Ambassador

2005-12-26T07:23:00.000-05:00

-The reigning Swiss roots reggae champ Thomi Nikles, aka Famara, is not relenting in exposing his dual racial personality. "I am white outside and black inside," he confessed over the phone from Europe. "Reggae is black music and that's all about me." The vibrant performer, who's toured Western Africa a couple of times, wittingly captioned his recent and fifth full-length album "Double Culture." In Nikles's previous albums he loudly intimated that Africa has a deep place in him. Born in Basel, Switzerland, and after going through the grooming of percussion skills, Nikles ventured with the mic in 1996. "I love the songs of reggae greats like Bob Marley, Jacob Miller, Peter Tosh and U-Roy. But when I realized that the originality of reggae music is rooted in Africa I decided to visit the sun continent and get the actual traditional feel of the music I intend to venture in." -
http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/5-12-25/36152.html

Black Cinderella <> Mother Culture

2005-12-21T16:45:00.000-05:00

Known as the "Black Cinderella" and "Mother Culture," Sister Carol has led the way for women in reggae. Her music is rich with cultural heritage and infused with a vital social consciousness that permeates every aspect of life in the new millennium. She has also had a prolific music career during the past 20 years, that has included over 8 albums, a Grammy nomination, several world tours, and network television appearances. Her music carries a social message for people all over the world. Music has always been close to Sister Carol's heart. In fact, her father was an engineer that worked in radio at RJR in Jamaica and would regularly be part of the music scene that was being established in the 1960's by Studio One's legendary Clement "Coxsone" Dodd.

Reggae Gold 2006 Goes Digital Early

2005-12-21T16:25:00.000-05:00

This year reggae fans will not have to wait until the weather starts warming up for their hearts to be warmed with the beautiful musical sounds from Jamaica. In fact for all the reggae lovers who already have or are planning on buying or receiving a digital music player soon, they have a lot to be cheerful about. Yes indeed, this year Reggae Gold 2006 is getting a very early release. To prove its weight in gold the album is also called 18 Karat Reggae Gold. With 18 tracks on the album it can be assumed that each track represents a karat of gold. While the physical CD is not yet available and probably wont be until about June 2006, all the MP3 lovers can lick their chops and rejoice. Reggae Gold 2006 is already available at places like ITunes, Yahoo Music, MP3 Tunes and other leading digital music download stores.

Reggae Explosion: The Story of Jamaican Music

2005-12-19T06:56:00.000-05:00

The book, done by photographer Adrian Boot and writer Chris Salewicz and charts the development from the sound systems of the 1950s, through ska and dub to the rise of Bob Marley and Rastafarianism. It also explores the 1990s blend of high tech and local rhythms.
Reggae Routes: The Story of Jamaican Music was written by Brian Chang and Wayne Chen and published by Ian Randle Publishers. The authors trace the history of reggae music and examine the ways in which it expresses the dreams, desires and realities of the Jamaican people.The pages are full of information on reggae artistes. It also includes song lyrics, charts from 1960 to 1996 and a provocative reggae all-time top 100 chart.

Reggae: Globalisation in reverse

2005-12-16T18:44:00.000-05:00

Noted Jamaican musicologist, Dermot Husssey has observed reggae music's global penetration as one of Jamaica's greatest victories. Describing the music's global reach as "globalisation in reverse", he contends that this is a feat that only superpowers like Britain and America have matched."The penetration of reggae globally, is one of Jamaica's greatest victories, especially as globalisation is becoming one of today's more controversial topics," Dermot Hussey told the recent Reggae Studies Unit lecture at the Undercroft of the University of the West Indies (UWI).

Tomorrow's People The Melody Makers

2005-12-04T23:06:00.000-05:00

The oldest son of reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife Rita, Ziggy Marley was the natural heir to the throne left vacant by his father's untimely 1981 death; along with backing band the Melody Makers, a unit comprised of his brothers and sisters, he successfully carried on the tradition of communicating the music's message to a growing global audience, in the process even scoring a U.S. Top 40 single -- a claim neither of his parents could make. Born David Marley in Kingston, Jamaica on October 17, 1968, he received guitar and drum lessons from his father, and began sitting in on Wailers recording sessions at the age of ten. In 1979, Ziggy, his sister Cedelia, brother Stephen and half-sister Sharon all joined Bob in the studio to record the single "Children Playing in the Streets"; christened the Melody Makers, the four siblings continued playing together at family events, and even performed at their father's state funeral.

Buju Banton In Pilgrimage to West Africa

2005-11-28T21:53:00.000-05:00

Though not his first time in the western region of Africa, Buju Banton's proposed musical pilgrimage to Gambia and Sierra Leone is echoing with loud vigor. Youths in the streets of Gambia are already celebrating the anticipated
peak sound party.Buju was in the Ivory Coast in 2004, and that tour could be tagged the prelude to this largely coordinated pilgrimage that is aptly scheduled for the Christmas and New Year celebrations. Via the impresario
emblem of Afric Afriq, an international promotion outfit, Buju Banton is billed to thrill the entire Gambian reggae scene as well as conscious lyrics lovers on the 24th and 25th of December 2005.

The Godfather of Dancehall

2005-11-28T19:45:00.000-05:00

Lincoln "Sugar" Minott is one of the great figures of reggae music and is fully justified to carry the status as the "Godfather of Dancehall". He was born and grew up in Kingston, Jamaica and started his musical journey by entering talent contests in his youth. In 1974 Sugar then teamed up with the legendary producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd and the singer was responsible for reviving the fortunes of Studio One in the 70s. Sugar wrote new songs and sung them over classic Brentford Road rhythm tracks and single-handedly invented the modern day dancehall style. His Studio One hits included such classics as "Vanity", "Hang On Natty", "Mr. DC", "Jah Jah Children" and many more. These tracks are collected on his two Studio One albums "Live Loving" and "Showcase".

Sir Coxsone - "the father of reggae"

2005-11-26T18:51:00.000-05:00

The name Clement Seymour “Sir Coxsonne” Dodd is synonymous with the development of Reggae music. Mr. Dodd has been the recipient of countless accolades, awards and acknowledgments (including the Jamaica Order of Distinction, the third highest honor issued by the Jamaican government) for his immense contributions to the island’s music industry as sound system operator, record producer and founder of Studio One, Jamaica’s first and only self sufficient record label. Mr. Dodd’s tireless endeavors, which span six decades, have set an imposing standard of artistic excellence and played a pivotal role in molding Reggae into a globally embraced musical force.
Legendary music pioneer and founder of Studio One, Sir Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd, passed away in Kingston from heart complications on Tuesday May 4, 2004. Sir Coxsone was in the studio with Jennifer Lara and Bunny Brown when it appeared that he didn't feel well.

Maxi Priest [no pot-smoking hippy]

2005-11-25T12:38:00.000-05:00

Maxi Priest wants the world to know the new generation of reggae performers are professionals, with a sharp eye for business. "The majority of leading reggae artists today don't even smoke (marijuana)," said Priest from London. "We have been through that stigma. We went through that in Bob Marley's day. "My generation kind of wanted to get rid of that and make people focus on the fact that we make music and can do some business."

Burning Spear ~~Calling Rastafari

2005-11-22T17:45:00.000-05:00

Once in a great while, an artist emerges that has a profound effect on popular culture. Burning Spear is such an artist. A certifiable musical legend, Spear's career has already spanned over three decades and shows no sign of slowing down. His concerts regularly last over two hours, a live show that delivers more energy and vibrancy than many rock and roll bands that are half his age. Its no surprise that Spear was the only reggae artist included in the 2002 music issue of Vanity Fair. But it is not just the music that generates the excitement, it is also the message. Carrying the torch for the gospel of Marcus Garvey, Burning Spear is one of the single greatest proponents of self-determination and self-reliance for all African descendants; but his message is not exclusively based on the teachings of Garvey. Through his music, Burning Spear has consistently been able to educate, inform, and uplift people the world over with his positive message based on honesty, peace, and love.

The U.N. of Musical Genres

2005-11-20T23:21:00.000-05:00

Far from Jamaica, reggae is gaining a slew of
new ambassadors as artists from all over try to stir it up.

Willie Nelson Rebel Roots: Abbott, Texas Reggae Sound: On his July release, Countryman, Nelson covers Jimmy Cliff with twang. Island Cred: Says cannabis should be legal and shared on the tour bus.Matisyahu Rebel Roots: White Plains, N.Y. Reggae Sound: The Hasidic hipster who hails Bob Marley in
Yiddish has two fall albums. Island Cred: Some Rastafarians view themselves as the original Jews.Daddy Yankee Rebel Roots: San Juan, Puerto Rico Reggae Sound: His Gasolina popularized reggaeton, a reggae-derived, Latin hip-hop. Island Cred: Last we looked,
Puerto Rico was an island too.Sinéad O'Connor Rebel Roots: Dublin, Ireland Reggae Sound: Her next album, Throw Down Your Arms, features Jamaican musicians and Marley songs. Island Cred: She embraces the Rastafarian faith--and the notion of hair as a statement.

Jr. Gong and his rebel music Catch-A-Fire

2005-11-20T16:46:00.000-05:00

His father grew up in Jamaica's shantytowns
and impoverished countryside, but he was raised
in a well-to-do neighborhood. Actually, two well-to-do
neighborhoods: one in Jamaica and one in Miami.
So does Damian (Jr. Gong) Marley, the youngest son
of Bob, have the right to sing about the ghettos
and poverty of his native country?That's the question
the Marley family's latest hitmaker has been answering
ever since his infectious [Dancehall] single
"Welcome to Jamrock" hit the U.S. radio waves this summer.
~~Chris Riemenschneider

" 'Reggae Jamdown' will benefit Katrina victims"

2005-11-14T18:04:00.000-05:00

A group of area musicians and artists are holding a benefit for Hurricane Katrina victims, Habitat for Humanity and local county families relocated from the gulf area due to Katrina.
"A Thanksgiving Weekend Reggae Jamdown" will be held on Saturday, Nov. 26 at the Victorian Village Theatre in Elkhart Lake. The show will feature Natty Nation, a Madison-based Reggae band; Bowser, a popular local jam band; and Mike Brumm, an acoustic guitarist.
Doors open at 7 p.m.
The event will also feature the works of local artists, jewelry, food, raffles and more.
There will be a $10 cover charge at the door; children under age 12 are free.
All of the proceeds and donations will go to Katrina victims.
If you are interested in donating or have questions, call John at (920) 459-2963, Ext 513.

"A dancehall dilemma for Jamaica's dangerous days"

2005-11-13T12:40:00.000-05:00

What's up in Jamaica right now is the murder rate.
Should the homicides continue at their current
pace�over 1,180 since January�Jamaica could
end the year with the highest per capita murder
rate in the world. What's that got to do with Shaggy,
Sean Paul, and other dancehall acts releasing
albums this fall? Nothing. And that's their and
dancehall's potential dilemma. Violence isn't new
to Jamaica; neither is dancehall's role as
escapism-cum-therapy. But when flamboyant
dancer Gerald Bogle Levy� virtually a symbol
of dancehall itself�was murdered in Kingston in
January, a line was crossed: The sacred realm of the
dance, outr� sanctuary from the harsh realities of
ghetto life, had been bloodied. More than ever, the
conscious, one-drop reggae that began dominating
the scene last year better fits the national mood.
Soothing or seething, roots had enough fire to
trivialize dancehall: The massive willie-bounced
while Kingston burned.~~Baz Dreisinger

Rasta/Reggae - universal

2005-11-13T12:22:00.000-05:00

In a year when reggae music has already been turned on its ear with the release of Willie Nelson's "Countryman" and the Carson Daly-endorsed ascent of Hassidic toaster
Matisyahu, the bald beauty tries her hand in the spiritual sounds of deepest, darkest D'yer M'aker with "Throw Down Your Arms." Recorded at the legendary Tuff Gong Studios in the heart of Kingston, this is as
straight-up dirt floor reggae as it gets (well, at least by Sinead standards), especially when you got such masters of their craft as Sly & Robbie behind the boards.
--Ron Hart

"the Hasidic reggae superstar"

2005-11-10T23:43:00.000-05:00

Matisyahu isn’t your average reggae musician.
Dubbed “the Hasidic reggae superstar,” he is just that:
a young, white Hasidic Jew from the Bronx who
performs smooth reggae that sounds like it is
straight off the beaches of Kingston, Jamaica.
Rather than making a joke out of the music,
he takes himself and what he does very seriously,
using the microphone as a forum to express many
of his beliefs about faith and morals.

Anthony B - Rasta-A-Revolution

2005-11-10T17:14:00.000-05:00

Anthony B is the living personification of Afrikan consciousness in Reggae. His single "Nah vote again" was a major factor in making the Jamaican elections of Thursday, December 18 1997, the most peaceful one since the insidious cancer of gun violence was introduced in West and Central Kingston, prior to the elections of 1967. Like his hero, Peter Tosh, the most revolutionary of the Wailing Wailers, he is an uncompromising Pan Afrikanist, in the tradition of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jamaica's first national hero and the founder and leader of the largest Afrikan organization ever, the Universal Negro Improvement Association and Afrikan Communities League, U.N.I.A. and A.C.L.

Push For Grammy Reggae Category To Be Televised

2005-11-05T11:35:00.000-05:00

The 2006 Grammy Awards may still be months away
but a Jamaican-born national has begun a
grassroots efforts for reggae to be included in
the telecast. While the Academy includes the
reggae music category among its list of nominations,
the winner is never presented on television but
earlier in the evening’s proceedings.

Everybody's Favourite Artiste

2005-11-03T17:55:00.000-05:00

Don't be deceived by Beres Hammond's cool profile. The playful smile, the unassuming demeanor, the beard, the cap and the spectacles might lull you into forgetting that you're in the presence of an awesome musical talent, Jamaica's greatest practicing singer/songwriter. Beres remains cool, though he knows that he's one of a handful of people responsible for maintaining a mighty legacy of soulful reggae music - a select group of Artistes like Toots and Gregory, like Dennis and Bob. "Father bless me with a song," he pleads on the last cut of his latest album, 'Music Is Life,' "to make the whole world sing along. Regardless of the race, regardless of the taste." In the year 2001-2003, the blessings just keep coming, the world keeps coming, and is just starting to catch on.

Everybody has a favorite Alton Ellis song

2005-11-03T17:44:00.000-05:00

Someone once said: "Everybody has a favourite Alton Ellis song, and every Alton Ellis song is somebody's favourite"
Singer, songwriter and producer, Alton Ellis is a genuine icon of Jamaica's music and one of the major pioneers of the Rock Steady era. Gifted with a distinctive voice and delightful stage presence, Alton is one of the few singers who can thrill an audience for over two hours with the certain knowledge that every song that emerges will be a big hit and a well loved favourite.

Morgan Heritage

2005-11-02T20:57:00.000-05:00

Since the 1980s, the world has anxiously awaited a Reggae band to continue the path that was set by the legendary Bob Marley and the Wailers. Morgan's Heritage is a vocal band that is continuing that path to revolutionize Reggae music worldwide.

The band, which was formed in the early 1980s, consists of five of the 29 children of former Black Eagles' lead vocalist, Denroy Morgan. The band is comprised of percussionist, "Mr. Mojo" Morgan, vocalist/keyboardist, Una Morgan, keyboardist/vocalist, Roy "Gramps" Morgan, vocalist, Peter Morgan, and rhythm guitarist, "Lukes" Morgan.

The five siblings were all born in Bushwick, Brooklyn and raised in Springfield Massachusetts, where they attended school. They would leave on weekends to record music in their father's studio back in Brooklyn.

Reggae Music on the Rise in Uganda

2005-10-28T12:47:00.000-04:00

Reggae was developed as a voice of the downtrodden, it is also the music of the Rastafarian movement usually in praise of Jah (who is the supreme being among the Rastafarians), but current trends have proved otherwise. Reggae is now a music genre like any other and it's the hottest kind of music appreciated by all outgoing Ugandans.
you thought that the 1998 Lucky Dube show that sold out in Namboole Stadium was the best thing that ever happened on Uganda's reggae scene, then you should visit one of the popular clubs in town. You will find crowds swaying to the buzz of the soft Caribbean coconut beats. It is the sound of reggae music, swaying the Ugandan souls.

Beenie Man - King of the Dancehall

2005-10-25T21:52:00.000-04:00

Beenie (the name means "little" in Jamaican patwah) was only five when he first toddled onstage to grab the microphone at a sound system dance thrown by his uncle's Master Blaster set. Only three years later, he recorded his single debut, "Too Fancy," for the late
legendary reggae producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes. He had been born Moses Davis, the son and grandson of seminal Rastafarian patriarchs, and raised to know first-hand the trials of life in a tropical ghetto. Yet Craig Town, a notorious Kingston district, also teemed with talent and even opportunity. "I was brought up amongst pure musicians
- Black Uhuru, Duckie Simpson," says Beenie. "From little youth days, way-back-when days, I talk and sing." Beenie
Man boasts an astounding 60-plus number one singles,
scores of hit albums - and who knows how many of the
platinum standard stage shows that crowned him long
ago as reggae dancehall's undisputed King.

Reggae/Art

2005-10-23T16:40:00.000-04:00

BOB MARLEY looms large at the National Gallery in
downtown Kingston. An exhibition of his life and work
is currently on display and will continue until November 5.
The intention is to pay homage to Bob the internationally
acclaimed musical genius in the year that he would
have celebrated his 60th birthday.

Oakland Reggae Fest to celebrate Marley

2005-10-22T13:40:00.000-04:00

Thirty years ago Bob Marley and the Wailers
brought their songs of freedom, rebellion and
oppression to Oakland's Paramount Theatre.
And although Marley died of brain cancer in 1981,
his music and his legacy will be celebrated
this weekend at the Oakland Reggae Fest.

Old-School Reggae Legend, Steel Pulse: Going Strong

2005-10-20T09:42:00.000-04:00

Acclaimed as the greatest British reggae band when it emerged in 1978,
Steel Pulse is perhaps the last great old-school reggae band left.
Two of its best recordings have been recently released.
The band's former road manager, music critic Tom Terrell,
reflects on the group's early days.

" 'Our Music': New Reggae from Burning Spear"

2005-10-20T09:31:00.000-04:00

"If Bob Marley is the "King of Reggae," then next in that royal lineage is Winston Rodney -- known internationally as Burning Spear. Marley and Rodney met as young musicians in the late 1960s, and Marley encouraged Rodney to head to a studio and tape some songs. For Rodney and the reggae genre, it was good advice. Walter Rodney named his band Burning Spear, and he eventually took the name himself.And after 35 years of Grammy-winning music, Rodney's fire isn't going out anytime soon -- his new CD, Our Music, features the same bright, organic sound that made him famous."

Garnett Silk

2005-10-19T17:42:00.000-04:00

One of the most exciting young talents to arise out of the '80s dancehall scene, Garnett Silk began his career as a child toaster, but ended it as one of Jamaica's most astonishing singers; with a rich and emotive voice, he took the nation by storm. He seemed destined for international stardom, when his career was cut cruelly short by his death in 1994.

BUSHMAN>>>"SIGNS" OF GREAT THINGS

2005-10-19T17:27:00.000-04:00

Born Dwight Duncan, in the lush picturesque hill top village of
Spring Garden, St. Thomas, Jamaica. He was raised as a Rasta
since the tender age of two. Dwight attended the Lysson All Age School,
where his music teacher noticed his potential for music and
nurtured him in his developing stages. Dwight then went on to
Yallas High School where he continued to shine musically as a
member of the school choir, a member of the Yallas drum core,
playing the bass organ, also participating in numerous school concerts.
He was also a member of the New Testament Church of God Choir,
where he earned the name Ark Angel.

South Florida celebrates reggae master Peter Tosh

2005-10-19T17:14:00.000-04:00

Reggae master Peter Tosh was gunned down in Jamaica 18 years ago,
but his music lives in the hearts of fans throughout the world.
South Florida's Rastafarian community will celebrate
what would have been Tosh's 61st birthday today,
the actual birthday, and Thursday with a free lecture
series entitled "Get Up, Stand Up for Your Rights."

Free the Cure

2005-10-18T16:38:00.000-04:00

Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica but raised in Kingston Town, golden voiced singer Jah Cure (real name Siccature Alcock) became involved with reggae music as a teenager, rapidly rose to fame in the late '90s only to have his meteoric climb to the top halted by a jail sentence. In 1997 and only 18 years old, Jah Cure released the culturally minded single "King In This Jungle", a duet with Sizzla and produced by Beres Hammond. The single was a pivotal moment for Cure for a couple reasons. Hammond would become the singer's biggest champion while Sizzla was to introduce Cure to the world of the Bobo Dread, a sect of Rastafari that usually lives communally, strives to point out social injustice, and has experienced numerous shakedowns by the Jamaican police. A steady stream of singles - most produced by Hammond - had more and more Jamaicans singing the praises of this new singer, but it all came to a halt in November of 1998. While driving around Montego Bay with some friends, police pulled Cure over in front of Jimmy Buffet's club Margaritaville. Cure claims he was asked if he was in the area the week before when a woman had been raped. He told the police he wasn't but was held until the woman could come identify him. Cure claims the woman asked the police "is this him?" then walked out of earshot to talk with the police. Cure was then arrested, prosecuted in April the next year, and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Since the arrest, Cure has been firm that he is innocent. Cure claims the arresting officer and the accuser's mother were in a relationship, that Hammond asked the police to see him but was given the wrong prison name intentionally, and the lawyer Cure was given by the courts was useless, so bad the singer had to wake him on trial day by throwing rocks at the lawyer's bedroom window.
While Cure was serving his sentence, a groundswell of support amongst reggae fans was getting bigger and bigger, raising the singer's status to folk hero. Compilations like Free Jah Cure and Ghetto Life kept the singer on the charts and his fame spread to Trinidad and France. Cure switched from Bobo to Rasta and was transferred from the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre to the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, which had a digital recording studio the inmates could use. It was there Cure recorded some new tracks, which would appear next to his old hits on Freedom Blues, released by the VP label in 2005. The singer is eligible for parole in 2007. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide

Biggest Reggae One Drop Anthems a must-have collection

2005-10-15T12:26:00.000-04:00

RECORD RACK
Greensleeves Records' Biggest Reggae One Drop Anthems a must-have collection
Greensleeves Records will on October 25 release what is considered to be the authoritative one-drop compilation of 2005. The compilation is the annual Biggest Reggae One Drop Anthems double CD package. The 40-track set includes reggae one-drop of hits over the past year, most of which fared well on the local and overseas reggae charts.
Inner Circle releases the One Day rhythm
Also available from All Access is the One Day rhythm on the Sound Bwoy/Inner Circle label. Featured are the songs One Day by Inner Circle, Praise Jahova by Land Lord, No Matter How by Fantan Mojah, Cold -looded Murderer by Ninja Ford, No Order A Yard by Chuck Fenda, It's So Good by Skatta, Straight Up by Junior Jazz, Love Is by Kirk Davis, Ruff Times by Kananga, Jah Jah by Alkatraz and Lose Your Soul by Shada.

REGGAE UPDATES FROM JAMAICA

2005-10-14T21:09:00.000-04:00

"Sean Paul sets a new record for reggae artistes with first week sales of The Trinity
Following on the heels of Damian Junior Gong Marley’s spectacular debut at number seven on the Billboard 200 album chart three weeks ago with his Welcome to Jamrock album, Sean Paul’s latest disc The Trinity has also landed in the same position.
The Trinity stormed in at number seven with first week sales of over 107,000 copies, making it the biggest one week sales burst for any Jamaican reggae artiste on the Billboard 200. Welcome to Jamrock held the record three weeks ago, when it sold over 86,000 copies in its first week of release. Sean Paul is the fourth Jamaican reggae act to score a top 10 album on the Billboard 200. In 2001 Shaggy went to number one with Hot Shot, while the late reggae icon Bob Marley, peaked at number eight in 1976 with Rasta man Vibration."

http://eurweb.com/story.cfm?id=22883

Richie Spice

2005-10-04T13:03:00.000-04:00

Back in 1995 an unknown singer named Richie Spice hit the Jamaican charts with the funky reggae tune "Living Ain't Easy." Over the next few years his lover's rock ditty "Grooving My Girl" and the spirited keyboard-and-bass-driven "Earth A Run Red," which emphasized the plight of suffering ghetto youths, also became hits. With the release of his 2000 album Universal on Heartbeat Records, Spice was regarded as an extremely promising artist, although not as highly rated as iconic neoroots crooners Luciano and the late Garnet Silk.
Then earlier this year, in a rare instance of a reincarnated song enjoying greater popularity in its second life, "Earth A Run Red" began a steady climb to the top of the Jamaican charts, despite having been relegated to selectors' oldies juggling sessions only a few years earlier. Its seismic impact on the European and American reggae scenes has transformed the 33-year-old Spice into a hot commodity once again.

http://music.miaminewtimes.com/Issues/2004-11-18/music/music2.html

Turbulence

2005-10-04T12:51:00.000-04:00

Currently, the entertainment industry has been experiencing "Turbulence" in the airwaves.
Sheldon 'Turbulence' Campbell was born in 1981 in Kingston, Jamaica. The 24-year-old is taking the Reggae world like a storm, becoming Jamaica's leading conscious singjay in his time.
His affection for the music began while attending St. Andrew Technical High School in Kingston. Turbulence would beat desks at school like many other young entertainers, displaying his talent among his classmates. His talent was acknowledged and encouraged by his peers.

http://www.golocaljamaica.com/entertainment/artisiteprofiles/turbulence.htm

Roots reggae and resistance

2005-08-30T14:11:00.000-04:00

Once feared by the authorities and celebrated by rebels from Notting Hill to Zimbabwe, roots reggae has been sanitised. Bob Marley is presented as simply uplifting summer music. But a series 1970s reggae reissues is making it possible to see how innovative, influential and politically aware it was.

Dub poetry--an extension of reggae culture

2005-08-28T09:45:00.000-04:00

"Mutabaruka is an internationally acclaimed dub poet, social critic, performer and actor. Hailing from Jamaica, he is influenced by Rastafarianism and his work focuses on themes of social justice, human rights and black liberation." - http://www.stanford.edu/group/CSA/mutabaruka.html

Dub poetry--an extension of reggae culture

2005-08-28T09:25:00.000-04:00

"Dub poetry was the name given to the style of verse which reflected a revival of orality in Caribbean poetry, influenced by reggae music. " -http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Dub poetry--an extension of reggae culture
"Dub, an indigenous usage in this context, is a form of performance poetry having its roots in popular Jamaican culture, and more particularly in reggae and Rastafarianism. The movement has served to bring poetry, or at least some poetry, back to the people, although the performance-entertainment aspect sometimes mask shallow content and creativity." -http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/worldlit/caribbean/caribbean_poetry.htm

shaggy

2005-08-18T17:46:00.000-04:00

Emerging in the early '90s, Shaggy was the biggest crossover success in dancehall reggae. Not only did he become the genre's most commercially potent artist in the international market, he was also more than just a typical flash in the pan, managing to sustain a career over the course of several highly popular albums. Perhaps in part because he wasn't based in Jamaica, he never really needed to have it both ways: virtually ignoring the hardcore dancehall crowd, his music was unabashedly geared toward good times, a friendly (if horny) persona, and catchy party anthems.
http://music.yahoo.com/ar-263464-bio--Shaggy

Gone but not forgotten

2005-08-10T17:47:00.000-04:00

click on the link for a list of artists and important people in reggae music that are no longer with us because their careers were cut short. They are greatly missed, but their music and important work will never leave us. http://www.reggaesource.com/c/rs/memorial.html?id=q8dWkzA8

REGGAE- THE ORIGIN

2005-08-10T17:40:00.000-04:00

Ska is integral to the history of Reggae. Fashion-wise, the era will always evoke feelings of nostalgia for its sheer sense of romanticism and flair. Dances took place outside sometimes on great lawns where revellers would travel from the outskirts of town and beyond to witness the selector laying down all the popular hits. < http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/features/reggae/fashion_ska.shtml >

2005-07-19T17:29:00.000-04:00

http://www.reggaesumfest.com/news.htm
I f you are planning on going to Jamaica or if you need information on Reggae Sumfest
click on the link above for more info

Reggae Sumfest>2005

2005-07-19T17:21:00.000-04:00

"Jamaica is open for business now that Hurricane Emily has passed to the south of the island and the Hurricane Warning has been officially lifted island-wide. Airports in both Kingston and Montego Bay are open and all tourism regions have reported little or no damage, as Jamaica is now receiving guests for the 13th Annual Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest. Travel bookings to Jamaica are strong for the world's biggest reggae festival, taking place at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay now through July 23."

Dancehall Renaissance

2005-03-22T22:53:00.000-05:00

If you haven't noticed the new era in Raggae/Dancehall please run to the store and ask for the latest reggae/dancehall collection. 2004 saw the rise of acts such as Natty King, Bascom X, the return of Richie Spice, Chuck Fenda changed persona and other major stars going acoustics. It a mellow form, very soothing.

2005-03-22T22:33:00.000-05:00

Jamaican reggae artist Beenie man is to make a live return in London after a gay pressure group dropped its protest over allegedly homophobic lyrics.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4363099.stm

2005-03-22T22:28:00.000-05:00

Reggae star Sizzla has been released by police in Jamaica following his arrest in connection with alleged involvement in gun-running and violence.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4373337.stm

2005-03-12T19:49:00.000-05:00

Check out this site www.top5jamaica.com it will be very usefull in your search for the best in reggae and other Jamaica related topics .

2005-03-12T01:10:00.000-05:00

Need the lyrics to your favorite raggae/dancehall tunes? then check out http://www.reggaeflava.com/lyricsmain.cfm

2005-03-11T19:49:00.000-05:00

"Reggae. The word conjures images of Jamaica, Rastafarianism, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Beenie Man, Sly and Robbie. The music has influenced a wide range of genres — everything from jam bands to hip hop to ska.
Sean Paul, Wayne Wonder and an assortment of other artists have made dancehall — a variant of danceable reggae that includes a DJ rap — a current popular phenomenon. They have older reggae to thank for bringing reggae into the music scene"
http://www.emorywheel.com/

2005-03-11T10:58:00.000-05:00

kalama.doe.hawaii.edu/ hern95/pt032/Reggae.jpg

2005-03-11T10:25:00.000-05:00

www.linkupmedia.com has linked Jamica, the US, and the UK, which means you can listen to the latest Raggae/Dancehall music on the internet.

2005-01-05T21:00:00.000-05:00

Danchall nice again.
Check out this site
www.reggaeflava.com

2004-07-01T22:36:00.000-04:00

The international success of REGGAE is still on the rise. The "Energy god," Elephant Man has it golden status in Japan with his GOOD 2 GO album, which stores a few months ago. He has being working with the hosts Mighty Crown Sound System promoting his record. visit
http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/20040624/ent/ent1.html
for more information.

2004-06-07T22:45:00.000-04:00

Beenie Man's Tropical Storm, which featured Janet Jackson were marketed and produced directly for an American audience, stepping away from hardcore Jamaican Dancehall music. This shows the growing outside influence and expansion of the music.

2004-06-07T22:33:00.000-04:00

MTV2 hosts "Big Bashment," a program which, exclusively featured Dancehall artists such as Sean Paul, Elephant Man, TOK, and Sasha. The program ran all afternoon on Sunday May 30th and featured Pop Dancehall music videos from the "cross-over" artistes. www.mtv2.com

2004-05-27T23:15:00.000-04:00

DanceHall Music has taken many turns away from traditional reggae but it always return to its Jamaican roots. This factor has always been a part of the development of reggae or Jamaican Music. This pattern is seen in RockSteady, Ska, Reggae and now is evident in DanceHall Music. Outside influences have helped shape both Jamaican culture and music but Jamaican youths always want their culture to be exclusively theirs so they re-invent their music and culture to reflect their identity.

2004-05-27T23:02:00.000-04:00

Prolific performers such as Millie Small, with her hit song "My Boy Lollipop" and Desmond Dekker with "Poor Me Israelite" were the forerunners of Jamaican music overseas. Jimmy Cliff and others successfully followed them.

2004-05-24T17:25:00.000-04:00

Reggae music is now influencing various types of music. From India to Japan and from Puerto Rico to Senegal, the influence can be found in the beats and rythms that gives raggae music its distinctive sound.
Reggae in India - http://www.hindu.com/lf/2004/05/23/stories/2004052300250200.htm
Reggae in Puerto Rico - http://www.starbanner.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040524/NEWS/205240306/1001/FEATURES01

2004-05-22T15:15:00.000-04:00

Although, reggae music has a variety of genres, all Jamaican music is considered Reggae music. The difference in content and style varies widely, however because Jamaica is so small the music often fuses together, blurring the lines between the different genres.