As NY1 marks Asian-American Heritage Month, the station profiles musical artists and their struggle to find mainstream success in the United States. NY1′s Jeanine Ramirez filed the first report on a Brooklyn reggae band.
Yuichi Iida is a Japanese-born musician, but plays a West African drum in Brooklyn as the band leader of a reggae fusion group called Brown Rice Family.
Showcase: Bob Marley by David Burnett
David Burnett has published his first book, “Soul Rebel: An Intimate Portrait of Bob Marley in Jamaica and Beyond” (Insight Editions). It features the legendary reggae musician and his contemporaries, photographed first in Jamaica in 1976, then during Mr. Marley’s European tour in spring 1977.
Mr. Burnett worked for Life Magazine and has produced photo essays for Time, Fortune and virtually every general interest magazine in the United States and Europe. He covered the Vietnam war for two years as well as every president since Richard M. Nixon. In 1976 he co-founded Contact Press Images.
Aswad reunites for Island’s 50th anniversary
Arguably one of the most prestigious record labels in the history of British music, Island Records has spawned countless artistes in its 50-year history.
Founded by Chris Blackwell, the label is probably best known for bringing Bob Marley and The Wailers to international prominence.
Julian Marley urges ‘Awake’ on third album
Though primarily a roots reggae album, Julian Marley delves into several other genres on his latest project, Awake.
On the album, due out May 26 through Ghetto Youths/Universal, there is a marked difference between the feel of two adjacent songs on the same topic, the slow, bare-bones (musically) Just In Time, which is followed by the up-tempo reggae piece, Jah Works. Both deal with the spirituality of the Rastafarian. Marley tells The Sunday Gleaner that the tempo for Just In Time was decided when the song was being constructed.
Devon ‘Troublesum’ Smith – a new face to reggae music
Would you give up everything to follow your dream even if you did not have a concrete plan but was driven only by what you believe is your destiny?
Well, one individual from neighbouring Jamaica has done that. He is the island’s new reggae artiste, Devon Smith, who woke up one day and decided that working a nine to five job no longer interested him.
One of his singles, ‘Through the Storm’, chronicles that decision where he decided to leave it all behind to follow his dream, which is probably taboo to many.
Last week Ziggy Marley released an album of music for young people called “Family Time.”
The album has a whole crowd, including his mother, Rita, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson and Jamie Lee Curtis. He will play a show for kids in L.A. as part of a “What Is Reggae?” day June 6 at Club Nokia.
They say you get up late in the day. But you have five young children — how do you manage that?
In a polka dot ensemble, Kingston-bred Tami Chynn serenaded a hot crowd with old and new hits in the second performance of the Unplugged Series at Marguerite’s Blue Beat last Thursday evening on Gloucester Avenue in Montego Bay, St James.
Fans cooled down to Chynn’s soothing ballads amid the blazing spotlights and atypical sweltering heat that lasted well into the evening. With the support of her fans, friends and family, she cooed softly, while sometimes busting out her able-bodied voice, in an intimate, jazzy setting.
Dancehall’s ‘First Ladies’ making their mark
For years Lady Saw represented as the ‘Queen of the Dancehall’ but now the ‘First Ladies’ are taking control of the music and representing for their various labels.
In the last few months, the title of ‘First Lady’ has been growing in numbers with the women stepping up in the forefront of male dominated labels and groups.
Nas and Damian Marley on their ‘Distant Relatives’ collaboration
Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley recorded one excellent single together, “Road to Zion,” in 2005. As much as I enjoyed hearing the N.Y. rap legend and the reggae scion play off each other’s styles on that track, though, I never guessed that they would be following it up four years later with a full collaborative album, Distant Relatives, tentatively set for release this June. Turns out, neither did they.
Next Generation Dancehall Tour Excites Up North
With little over a week to go before the big ‘Next Generation Dancehall Vibes: Part One’ tour kicks off in North America, artistes Spice, Kiprich, Konshens and Laden as well as their fans are already stoked up with anticipation for the events.
The tour which begins in Boston, Massachusetts, at the Prince Hall, on Friday, May 1, continues the following night, Saturday May 2 at West Indian Social Club in Hartford, Connecticut and winds up in Washington DC at the Cross Roads Night Club on Sunday May 3.