Reggae Jammin Vol 1 singers’ roll call

Although there is definitely a deejay presence on the Tad Dawkins-produced Reggae Jammin Volume 1 – Lady Saw, Beenie Man, Vybz Kartel, Anthony B, D’Angel and Aidonia – it’s really the singers who dominate.

Led by the master, Beres Hammond, with the Flava-produced single I Surrender, which is also on Beres’ new CD, A Moment In Time, the list of singers on Reggae Jammin is impressive. It includes Toots – in combination with Anthony B – Third World, LUST, Tarrus Riley, Terry Linen, Courtney John, Cocoa Tea, Jah Cure, Stevie Face, Serani, Barbee and Konshens.

Mr Vegas rides crest of reggae wave

Jamaican dancehall artiste Mr Vegas (Clifford Smith) has become a worldwide phenomenon with his mega-hit Heads High. He spoke to CAROLINE NYANGA about his music and private life.

Pulse: Most top Jamaican reggae artistes feel that ragga and dancehall music are full of negative messages.

Reggaelution – a twist to party experience

Patrons were in for an unexpected experience on the lawns of the Liguanea Club last Saturday night at Reggaelution. It was as an all-inclusive party with live performances, but most patrons arrived just in time for the live performance segment at 11p.m.

The venue was elegantly decorated with seats for patrons, a white-decked stage and a bar in the centre.

Etana’s The Strong One is on the Shortlist for a Grammy Award

I just got an email this past Friday, announcing the current shortlist of reggae albums under consideration to be nominated for a Grammy. Surprisingly, one-time Fort Lauderdale resident, Etana, made the list due to her debut album, The Strong One, which was released earlier this year.

Etana spent the bulk of her growing up years in South Florida, and attended Plantation High School. She’s since left the States and now lives in Kingston, Jamaica, but it would still be great to see an artist who honed their singing skills locally win a Grammy, or at least be nominated.

Born on sand and lives to rock

Waking up on the beach in Negril, Westmoreland, on January 1, 2005, was not just a special start to a new year for Dominique Brown, but the beginning of a new adventure. Driven by her passion for music, Brown dedicated herself to her musical talents and formed the band Random Chaos.

A then interior designer by day, Random Chaos lead singer Brown, as well as lead guitarist Jason Worton, bassist Trevor Thompson and drummer Craig ‘Flee’ Lee now work tirelessly to create a unique sound that mixes a number of genres. A very animated Dominique Brown described her life-changing decision to pursue music to The Sunday Gleaner.

Peter Ram carving his niche with Ragga Soca

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He started out as a reggae artiste. He then switched gears to calypso music and later on wrote songs for a number of Caribbean artistes including Alison Hinds. Today he is one of soca music’s brightest stars.

Peter Ram describes his music as ragga soca. “I started out back home in Barbados doing reggae music. I grew up listening to people like King Yellow Man and Toyan. I then switched over to calypso and social commentary,” Peter Ram said in an interview on the set of his music video Tight.

Her Imperial Majesty

Watching reggae’s newest female star, Queen Ifrica, liven up a crowd sends a jolt through the body and spirit. During a recent stage show two weeks ago in Nassau, Bahamas, Ifrica performed as part of the heralded Millennium Countdown concert series; she was the lone woman artist on the bill. Around 2 a.m., an audience of at least 2,000 was cheering like crazy, not for her but for the smattering of dancehall artists coming to the stage, spitting braggadocious lyrics about nothing of importance. Mind-numbing music isn’t always bad, but standing in the crowd, I couldn’t help wonder how a conscious Rastafarian woman could raise the energy level even higher than it already was, considering her music has a considerably more serious message.

Chesney trades cowboy hat for reporter’s hat with Bob Marley’s Wailers

East Tennessee would seem an unlikely place to spawn Bob Marley aficionados. No beach, no tides, and the accent is quite dissimilar from what you’d hear in Jamaica.

And yet Kenny Chesney heard Marley’s music as a young East Tennessean and latched on tightly. Chesney recently hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart with “Everybody Wants To Go to Heaven,” a song that featured backing from Marley’s old compadres, The Wailers. Chesney and The Wailers will also perform together on the CMA Music Awards on Wednesday.

Clash production slows down: Some producers refuse to record ‘diss’ songs

Feuds have long been a part of Jamaican music, from the ska era to the dancehall. However, in recent times they have reached unprecedented levels of violence, often with personal vendettas on and off stage.

In music, competition occurs across genres. In rap music there was Kanye West versus 50 Cent and Eminem versus Jermaine Dupri (and almost all the rap community). In rock, there are British rock bands versus American rock bands, in pop Britney Spears versus Christina Aguilera, and the list goes on.

Unmatchable talent!

To think that “the hit maker” Shaggy once had walked in unnoticed through a crowded arena before a concert is unimaginable. He is known to have a limitless hit making talent and so every time he walks into a studio to record an album he faces this challenge labelled on himself. Shaggy with his latest album Intoxication, which has sold 20 million album worldwide, is sure living up to the “hit maker” image.