Bimbo Interview

While Latin hip-hop and rap has been the causeway to a considerable flow of both industry and consumer dollars over the past five years, it’s reggaeton that has provided a fresh face on the contemporary Latin music scene.

One such innovator and now one of reggaeton’s larger than life stars is Puerto Rico’s Bimbo, an artist with a background and considerable amount of success in Latin hip-hop.
Bimbo recently took time from a hectic promo schedule to speak by phone to www.contactmusic.com

Reggae maven gives it over

After Matisyahu, Roger Steffens is probably the world’s most famous white Bob Marley expert from Brooklyn. Gearing up for an extensive tour of Israel beginning Thursday, Steffens’ multimedia Bob Marley lectures are so comprehensive that Marley’s mother Cedella once thanked Steffens for teaching her so many new things about her son.

Steffens began collecting artifacts over 30 years ago for what he calls “Roger Steffens’ Reggae Archives.” Today, the archives fill six rooms in his home and contain the world’s largest collection of Bob Marley video, memorabilia, interviews and live concert recordings. Despite many tempting offers from collectors, Steffens and the Jamaican government have begun planning a museum that will some day house the collection in Kingston.

Istanbul and Critical rhythms now at In the Streetz

Radio jock-turned-producer Wayne “DJ Wayne” Morris takes his Purple Skunk label into the record shops this week, via his latest project the Istanbul rhythm. The sure fire shot from the rhythm appears to be the message-laced Dying for a Cure by Wayne Marshall featuring Alaine. Big things are in store for this song, as it is already bubbling under local charts.

Bedouin Soundclash UK Tour

Bedouin Soundclash have announced that they will be joined on their upcoming UK tour by reggae legend Vern Buckley of the Maytones. The musician, performing as Vernon Maytone, will open all of the band’s previously announced shows.

Mikey Dangerous

The year 2005 brought Montreal dancehall don Mikey Dangerous this much closer to his big crossover breakthrough. He played festivals, from Barbados Reggae Splash to the Montreal International Reggae Festival, and his recordings were featured on a number of compilations around the world, from Jamaica to England.

“Barbados Reggae Splash was the opportunity of a lifetime,” Dangerous states. “The audience was mostly Barbadians and others from other Caribbean islands. It was a long time I wanted to sing for Caribbean people in the Caribbean. It was different because they are more up to date and really let you know if you’re not good. I was very good because they let me play an extra song, and I got a lot of good reviews.”

Beenie ‘runs’ Trelawny

Self-styled King of the Dancehall Beenie Man delivered a majestic performance in front of a jam-packed audience at the Hague Agricultural Show Ground, Trelawny, at the sixth annual staging of the reggae music festival dubbed the Trelawny Family Fun Day hosted by top flight chanter Anthony B New Year’s night.

Bhutooism: Our new ideology

The new Jamaica that we were told about before and after Independence is dying. It is being gormandised by the shoots of ‘bhutooism’ that seek to destroy all that our ancestors toiled and sacrificed for.

The new Jamaica was going to be an example to the world of how all classes could live and work together and be respected as a great little nation. Unfortunately, we have embraced the ideology of ‘bhutooism’ where we are now respected not for goodness, but for downright badness in every meaning of the word.

Payola on the increase, say music industry sources No pay,no airplay

It’s hard to prove and those who get involved are extremely tight-lipped, but music industry sources say payola, an old unethical pay-to-play or publish scheme involving the media, is on the rise.

So pervasive is payola that many producers, artistes, and artistes’ managers believe that if they don’t pay, they don’t get airplay.

First World Music at King’s House

With acts like Third World, given their longevity (32 years) and the attendant depth of their catalogue, everybody more or less has “their” song; the one tune from the repertoire that they just have to hear.

Police chief takes rap to rock slum crime

A police chief who led a commando-style anti-crime team that has left a trail of bodies is hitting the airwaves with a rap song that pledges to restore law and order in Jamaica.

“People of Jamaica, listen to this: The law is here to serve and protect, and no-one is above the law,” sings Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams. In To Protect and Serve, Mr Adams also threatens criminals, who have given Jamaica one of the world’s highest murder rates, saying: “They will feel the full extent of the law.”