Is the U.S. really land of free? Reggae superstar Buju Banton doesn’t think so Buju Banton has freedom on his mind. Freedom in America. “I don’t see any freedom in America – it’s an illusion, the freedom you have,” Banton says by phone from North Carolina. The reggae superstar is crossing the country on tour [...]
Beenie Man is at it again In an interview published in the latest issue of Riddim Magazine, Beenie bashes Baby Cham, Elephant Man, Dave Kelly and of course Bounty Killer. He also addressed a number of controversial issues surrounding him, his music and relationship with other artistes.
Roots Tonic This is an album of original, instrumental dub reggae from Matisyahu’s backing band produced by the “legendary” Bill Laswell. If you like Matisyahu’s music, then you’ll like this. If you think you’d miss the lyrical element, you may want to avoid it. Most of the tracks here are built around a repeated bass [...]
Tanya Stephens – Dancehall evolution sparks ‘Rebelution’ In dancehall music where trends transcend quality, Tanya Stephens is an exception to the rule. Two years after rocking the dancehall with the acclaimed Gangsta Blues, the diminutive singer returns with Rebelution, another message-based album. Rebelution, Stephens’ sixth album, was released by VP Records in late August.
‘Informer’ sticks on Lady Ann If a day can be a year in politics, a decade is like an eternity in Jamaican music, where a new entertainer pops up every other week and many fade from memory faster than bell-bottomed jeans – and do not mount a comeback. The Sunday Gleaner will be bringing back [...]
Reggae In Germany? No Problem! Mention reggae music, and it’s safe to assume those within earshot will not immediately think of Germany. Jamaica? Sure. Africa? Maybe. But Germany? The land many Americans associate with lederhosen and precision automotive engineering? Please. So here’s a surprise for you: There’s reggae coming out of Deutschland. And here’s another: [...]
Rebel music: Jamaican artist is jammin’ A dozen tracks into her brilliant new album, Tanya Stephens gets deep. After a little girl-power boasting, some sexy love songs, and a couple should-be-classic drinking ditties, the Jamaican singer and toaster takes on the church. On You Keep Looking Up, Stephens sets out the ”chronicles according to Tanya” [...]
Away with Irie Maffia Irie, a patois term used by Rastafarians and Caribbeans to denote acceptance and positivism, is exactly what the ecstatic and vivid Irie Maffia radiate. Their reggae origins give definition to their music without limiting it. It is a little cumbersome to categorize Irie Maffia, due to the band’s colorful and multilayered [...]
Buju Banton aims for the feet as well as spirit Reggae music begat the dancehall style, but that doesn’t mean the relatives are especially close. Reggae, as Bob Marley, Burning Spear and the like conceived it, was music for the mind, concerned primarily with the messages of tolerance, resisting oppression, and devotion to God. Dancehall [...]
The story of Tami and Tessanne It’s almost eerie the way Tami and Tessanne Chin finish each other’s sentences. “We were in Little People together. we did everything together,” both girls said as they recounted some childhood memories. “We used to sing in the fan. that’s probably why we both have bad sinuses,” says older [...]