Queen Ifrica Creates history, leads with 9 IRAWMA Nominations-
Singjay Queen Ifrica captured nine nominations in the 29th annual International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA), for her CD Montego Bay (VP Record). She created history, no other female artist have ever receive this many nominations before in the history of IRAWMA. The IRAWMA Awards ceremony will be held on Sunday May 2 at the York College Performing Arts Centre, Jamaica, Queens, New York.
Queen Ifrica was nominated in the following categories: Recording Artiste of the Year, Best Female Vocalist, Best Song (Lioness On the Rise), Best album/CD (Montego Bay), Best Female Disc-Jockey/Rapper, Best Music Video, (Stay Far), Most Cultural/Educational Entertainer, Songwriter of the Year and the Community Service Award.
She will also be performing at the awards ceremony. Other leading nominees include: Tarrus Riley with six nominations, Machel Montano and Gramps Morgan with five each, Julian Marley, Sean Paul and Macka Diamond with four nods, followed by Barbee, Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel with three nod each.
India.Arie received two nods, one for Therapy with Gramps Morgan and the other is the Martin’s International Award of Honor; several other entertainers were nominated in two categories.
Scheduled performers for the 29th IRAWMA are Julian Marley, Machel Montano, Queen Ifrica, Tony Rebel, Alison Hinds, Gramps Morgan, Bar-bee, Dean Fraser, and Winsome Benjamin. Fans can visit www.irawma.com to vote for their picks best for the year 2009. The deadline for voting is April 15.
Rise Again # 1 in Ireland, # 2 in Japan
‘Rise Again”, the single by Caribbean artistes dedicated to the Haitian earthquake survivors is currently charted at# 1 in Ireland and #2 in Japan behind Challenger by Chehon. The single was spurred by the earthquake on January 12, which killed over 200,000 Haitians. The proceeds will be donated to the Digicel Haiti Relief Fund. It is available on iTunes for download for US$0.99.
Artists featured on ‘Rise Again’ include Shaggy; Sean Paul; Sean Kingston; Barbadian artistes Alison Hinds, Shontelle Layne and Edwin Yearwood; Trinidadian soca artistes Destra Garcia, David Rudder and Kes Dieffenthaller; Jamaican reggae artistes Tessanne Chin and Etana; and Haitian artiste Belo.
Wailing Souls’ Things and Time featured in Dear John soundtrack
THE song “Things & Time” by the reggae Wailing Souls (VP Records) is featured on the soundtrack for the #1 movie in America, Dear John. Dear John, unseated the movie Avatar for the #1 movie in America which has been at the top of the box office charts for seven weeks. VP Records and Greensleeves Publishing are pioneering forces in the reggae music industry represent the full spectrum of reggae music from roots and culture to dancehall.
VP Record release the following statement: VP Records and Greensleeves Publishing are proud to have Things & Time, by reggae group Wailing Souls featured on the soundtrack of the movie Dear John. Dear John the film is based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks is the highest-grossing film ever to open on the weekend of the Super Bowl. He has penned numerous books that have been made into great films; Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember and The Notebook.
Dennis Brown birthday celebrations start Reggae Month-
Dennis Brown’s former band Lloyd Parkes and We The People emcee Tommy Cowan officiated at Brown’s former home, ‘Big Yard’ at the intersection of Orange and North streets, Kingston.
The ceremonial cutting of three cakes onstage on the stroke of midnight, Monday, February 1 marking the Crown Prince of Reggae’s 53rd birthday.
The, producers Trevor ‘Leggo’ Douglas, Derrick Harriott, Niney ‘the Observer’ and Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee, along with members of Brown’s family and the substantial audience which turned out for the free concert able were present. There was a video screen onstage showing Dennis Brown live in performance throughout the night.
Reggae Month 2010 was ushered in with the slicing of Dennis Brown’s cake, Lloyd Parkes singing happy birthday and Tommy Cowan gave the countdown. The historic venue Orange Street, once known as ‘Beat Street’ for the music production which took place there. The crowd extended past Prince Buster’s record store and Ken Boothe pointing behind the stage to where Beverly’s Recording used to be.
Boothe sang Dennis Brown’s Cassandra and rhymed stats and facts about reggae’s Crown Prince. John Holt, Beres Hammond and Derrick Harriott also performed. Bongo Herman did Dennis Walks’ Drifter and Strangehjah Cole celebrated Dennis’s mentor and fellow child prodigy Delroy Wilson., Ken Boothe Brown sound-a-like George Nooks did an excellent tribute to Brown including Money In My Pocket and Your Love’s Got a Hold on Me and Ghetto Girl. Tinga Stewart memorialized Brown’s If I Had The World and Big Youth tore the house down with “I pray thee.”
Another child prodigy Errol Dunkley honored D Brown, his boyhood pal, so did Tappazukie.Dennis Brown’s records were also a large part of the night, Mikey Barnett and Super Dee spinning recordings from their vast catalogues. Adapted from the Gleaner online
Stephen Marley grabs 2nd Reggae Grammy in 2nd year for Mind Control. Ziggy Marley Wins non reggae Grammys in The Children’s Musical Album category
Bob Marley’ son Stephen Marley won his seventh Grammy Award for the Best Reggae Album for (2010) Mind Control (Acoustic Version), a digital-only follow-up to his 2007 Grammy-winning solo debut, (2007) Mind Control (musical version) at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards held on Sunday (January 31) at Staples Center in Los Angeles. This is the seventh time Stephen is claiming a Grammy.
His brother, 41-year-old Ziggy Marley won his fifth Grammy for Family Time, all-star project in the children’s musical album category. This writer like many critics were surprise that Stephen, having won the 2007 Grammy for Mind Control, was eligible to submit what appears to be essentially the same album for Grammy consideration. Brother
Ziggy had this to say “on Stephen winning second Grammy: “I understand it may come under criticism. (Stephen won a Grammy for an acoustic version of an album that won two years ago.) You have to understand that people outside of Jamaica see the music differently than in Jamaica
Stephen, the artiste/producer beat his brother Julian, Awake (Ghetto Youths/Tuff Gong/Universal Republic); Buju Banton, Rasta Got Soul (Gargamel Music, Inc); sentimental favorite Gregory Isaacs, Brand New Me (Tad’s Record) and Sean Paul, Imperial Blaze (VP/Atlantic) to take home the Reggae Grammy at last night’s. With Burning Spear breaking the Marley’s winning streak last year, Stephen Marley has started the winning streak once more by walking away with the Grammy award
Jamaica Cancels Bob Marley birthday concert
Police call off annual Bob Marley birthday bash over noise
Reggae legend Bob Marley would have turned 65 this Saturday and music fans around the world are preparing to celebrate the legacy of Jamaica’s greatest musical icon. However, an annual concert that draws hundreds of tourists to celebrate Bob Marley’s birthday has been canceled for the first time since its inception in 1992 over noise complaints. Residents of the posh area of Negril, Jamaica, under the Noise Abatement Act state that the Bob Marley Birthday Bash organized every Feb. 6 regularly exceeded the 2 a.m. curfew. This means no ‘jammin’ in the name of the lord’ for tourists excited to celebrate in the Marley festivities. The show was launched in 1992 in Negril — a seaside town west of Kingston — and has attracted up to 3,500 people, Pringle said. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett recently called for a revision of the Noise Abatement Act to extend time for events popular with tourists. Bob Marley birthday bashes are held worldwide in places including London, Hawaii and Miami.
Party will pay tribute to Reggae legend Bob Marley:
Reggae legend Bob Marley received his due respect in St. Louis at the Venue, which hosted what was billed as the largest Bob Marley B-Day Bash birthday party in the Midwest. Organizer James Heich also coordinated similar events in Kansas City, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami.
Bob Marley set challenge Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson for the title of the richest dead celebrity.
Erik Heinrich report in the Toronto Fortune that reggae biggest superstar, Bob Marley, is poised to become the world’s richest dead celebrity by 2012. Marley king of reggae is set challenge Elvis Presley, King of Rock and Roll and the king of pop Michael Jackson for the title of the richest dead celebrity.
The Marley estate struck a management deal with Toronto-based private-equity firm Hilco Consumer Capital that is expected to generate world-wide annual sales in excess of $1 billion by 2012. Some estimates the Marley name, sound, and image already generate as much as $600 million in pirated merchandise.
“Marley is a strong global brand … (The name) enjoys a high level of awareness, and people feel positive about his music,” -Mickey Goodman- New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Through major licensing agreements of the Marley brand, consumer electronics and health cares brand are about to be launched. Also deals for a Marley-branded calming beverage, a video game similar to Guitar Hero featuring Marley’s songs, and a chain of restaurants celebrating the music superstar may be in the work.
Bob Marley’s Legend second longest charting album-
Bob Marley’s Legend has kept the title of second longest charting catalogue album on Billboard whilst also topping every major reggae chart on iTunes except Japan. Legend currently charts at # 10 on Billboard Catalogue Albums and has been on that chart for 914 weeks (17 years according to Billboard data). The only album charting longer (at 944 weeks) is Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon at # 12. Marley’s 1984 album currently outlasts catalogue albums by Journey, ABBA and the Beatles at 755 weeks, 416 weeks and 351 weeks respectively.
Marley Art Gallery Opens
The Berhane Selassie’s Art Gallery was officially launched at Tuff Gong International Ltd on Marcus Garvey Drive, St Andrew. The art gallery is named after reggae singer Bob Marley, Berhane Selassie being the name given to him when he was baptized in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in 1979. The name means ‘Light of the Trinity’.
Keynote speaker Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett expressed his deep respect for Tuff Gong Record, (the record company founded by Robert Nesta Marley/Peter Tosh/ Bunny Wailer) referring to the label as “a jewel in the gilded trunk of Jamaica’s tourism treasures”. “The official opening of the Berhane Selassie Art Gallery is also an important step in bringing people together,” he said. “Our visitors are coming, not just to enjoy the hotels and the beauty spots, but the historical and cultural arenas such as Tuff Gong International.”
The Berhane Selassie Art Gallery will display the works of local and international artists, and will also become a part of Tuff Gong’s Making of Music Tour.
Artists who are featured in the gallery include 17-year-old Jamaican, Laura-Anne Fung, who did a splendid interpretation of Bob Marley as well as other abstract pieces. Joavan Puran’s half Haile Selassie I, half lion face profile was a crowd favorite at the opening as well as the 10-piece black history series done by Tennyson ‘Jimmy’ Smith; both those artists are also Jamaican. Works by Switzerland-born Djamila Liniger-Strauss are also on display.
Buju Banton trial pushed back to April
Buju Banton attorney, David Markus, says the artiste’s trial has been re-scheduled to April and will not start in March as was anticipated. According to Markus the case was to ensure that it continues without a break. “It has been pushed back because there were so many conflicts. The prosecution’s agent will be having a baby in March and April 12 is the only date convenient for all parties,” Markus told Chat!.
Banton remains in Florida jail since December and is facing drug and conspiracy charges, in that state.
Markus could not confirm reports that prosecutors will be trying to bolster their case against the artiste by flying in witnesses from Jamaica to testify against him.” The prosecution is not obligated to show a witness list and they have not shown us one,” Markus said.
The postponement of the start of the trial means Banton will have to spend another month in jail, as he opted to waive his right to a bail hearing. If Banton made bail he would immediately be re-arrested by US immigration authorities who have revoked a travel waiver he used during his extensive US tour last year to promote his album, Rasta Got Soul, which was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Markus had earlier this year stated his intent to apply for the immigration detainer to be lifted, said it may not be possible to make the application just yet.
“We have not been able to make that application and we may have to wait till the trial begins before we can try to do that,” he said. Markus intends to prove to that the US Government entrapped his client into purchasing cocaine and had used a paid informant to inveigle him for almost a year. Markus also intends to get the prosecutors to reveal the name of the paid informant and how much he was paid to trap the artiste.
DJ Khaled supports “Free Buju Banton Movement-
DJ Khaled, international mixologist has voiced his support for incarcerated reggae artist Buju Banton in light of his current legal woes involving alleged drug trafficking.
While not getting too deep into Banton’s situation, Khaled expressed the good character behind Buju’s personality. “Shout-out to Buju Banton,” Khaled said in an interview. “My comment is he’s a great person, he’s a great friend of mine and I know him for being a great person, great family man and being a great artist and a real dude. Buju Banton, I salute, that’s my brother right there and his music is amazing. Free Buju Banton. Free, Buju Banton…” (VIBE)
Mavado’s Manager Robbed, Manger’ stolen goods returned
According OutAroad.com Mavado, Stacious; members of the Alliance escaped being a victim of robbers while on tour in Canada. Initial reports stated that Mavado was robbed. The popular singjay was not involved. Instead it was his manager, Julian Jones-Griffith who was robbed of his laptop and cellular phone at gunpoint outside a record studio while Mavado was inside. Later reports in the Star stated that Jones-Griffith had his laptop and cellular phone returned.
When THE STAR spoke with Jones-Griffith, he explained the incident; “I didn’t want to say what really happened until I got back my things. It was some little wannabe rapper dude who came to the studio to meet with Mavado and got upset when he walked in and didn’t say hello to them. Then they wanted to meet me and came outside to the truck and were begging me to look on their website but I was working on my laptop so the dude got frustrated and started telling me we were in his city, and pop off a gun. He was like ‘yo, I said log on to my website’ and I was like, ‘wah kinda gunman this a stick me up fi look pon him website’.”
Jones-Griffith said he remained calm during the incident after which the culprits got upset and made off with his phone and laptop. Jones-Griffith said, “they felt punked and just wanted to prove a point but they got some phone calls from some associates of mine and returned the laptop and phones to a friend of mine. Anyway …I ended up logging on to their website and lo and behold there were several photos of the dude who popped off the gun.”
After a successful Canadian tour Mavado will be heading to the United States for several shows. Adapted from OutAroad.com &JamaicaStaronline.com
Kartel Releases Gaza Kim from contract W/Adidjaheim Records
Kim Hamilton formerly known as Gaza Kim (now just KYM) parted ways with the Adidjaheim Records but she was still locked into Vybz Kartel’s Portmore Empire record label for another five years contractually.
Hamilton’s new management has issued a release stating that the artiste has been officially released from her contract with Vybz Kartel’s Adidjaheim Records.
Hamilton’ according media reports was beaten by cronies associated with Kartel at Kartel’s studio. The full story regarding the incident remains unclear. Published reports said that Kartel, the self-proclaimed Gaza President and leader of the Portmore Empire had ordered that the teenager be disciplined, hence the beating.
Vybz Kartel managed Hamilton, then known as Gaza Kim, for the past eight to nine months. KYM, who is now pursuing an independent musical career’ said “I’m now focusing on driving my career and past events in my life have only made me stronger and more driven to achieving success,” She expressed her gratitude to her former management team and wised them “all the very best in their endeavours”..
Munga returns to court in March
Dancehall DJ Munga Honorable will return to court on March 22 to face charges of possession of ganja and possession of an offensive weapon. He was arrested and charged in last November year after an incident with the police. Munga was riding a motorcycle he was stopped by the police but refused to corporate and uttered an indecent language.
Munga was searched and an offensive weapon and small amount of ganja was found on him. He was charged for riding an unlicensed motorcycle, operating an uninsured motorcycle and riding without a helmet the motorcycle was unlicensed and uninsured vehicle.
Lady Saw impresses Jazz fest audience-
From Lady Saw to Marion Hall to being both persons at once, the queen of dancehall demonstrated that dancehall artistes can make a musical transition, and grow with the music, through her splendid performance at the 14th staging of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival.
In sheer brilliance, and obvious signs of musical growth, Marion Hall executed her 35-minute performance through smooth timeless hits like My Silly Heart, Love Hurts and Brown Eyes Blue.
With her usual eye for fashion, Marion wore a pink dress with silver sequins, her hands draped in black gloves and sporting eye-dazzling jewellery. From start to finish, she kept her audience engaged and yearning for more as she did an emotional Less Than A Woman song for persons who are not able to conceive a child.
But she could not exit the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Stage without delving into her persona as Lady Saw. With Sycamore Tree and Healing, Marion ‘Lady Saw’ Hall showed that her versatility on the microphone will offer her longevity in the music business.
During an interview after her performance, she revealed that she was please with the performance and the responses she received from the audience.
“This is my first time at jazz so I really wanted to show my fans that there is another side to me other than Lady Saw,” she reasoned. “I had so many songs that I could have done but when I checked the time I had to perform, I decide to minimize the list of songs.”
While she gave an excellent performance at Jazz fest, she affirmed that this is not a sign of her giving up her raunchy Lady Saw persona.
“Many persons are asking are you now going by Marion Hall?” she smiled “I am not giving up Lady Saw; it is what brought me to prominence. I am simply enhancing my musical career with Marion Hall and growing with the music.” Adapted from JamaicaObserveronline
Usain Bolt and the US TV star
Reggae website Yardflex.com is reporting that Taneish Simpson a former cast member of For the Love of Ray J is claiming that she is Usain Bolt’s love interest. She made the announcement on the show’s reunion special which aired on the United States music channel, VH1, Monday at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., Simpson claimed she was now over Ray J and had moved on with her life – with Usain of course. According to her she flew here to spend New Year’s with Usain and that the relationship developed after he Googled her.
