Tobago Jazz Experience Reggae star Tarrus Riley performed before a “mammoth crowd” at the Tobago Jazz Experience’s Jazz in the East event at Speyside Recreation Ground on Saturday. A release yesterday from the Tobago House of Assembly Division of Tourism and Transportation said Riley “sent the crowd in a frenzy that left them begging for more”, delivering on his promise that “the audience should expect a live in concert vibes; reggae music in fine style” with hit after hit. He started his set with his latest smash, “Gimme Likkle One Drop”, and followed up with his signature “She’s Royal”. See Page 20. Local acts also kept the patrons moving with vibes of Caribbean energy, with Blaxx and Roy Cape All Stars commanding the stage with their soca hits “Leh Go” and “No Getaway” and Rhapsody Next Generation amplifying the atmosphere with rhythmic blends of modern steelpans, saxophones and tireless lead vocalist Olatunji. The Tobago Jazz Experience line-up continues this week with headline acts, Grammy Award-winning R&B superstars John Legend and Brandy, performing on Friday; Keyshia Cole and music legends Earth, Wind and Fire scheduled for Sunday; and Jamaican songbird and winner of The Voice Tessanne Chin on stage Saturday. Source Trinidad Express: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Tarrus-tantalises-256108131.html
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An open murder case in Maryland moved ahead this week as a reggae music executive was arrested at JFK airport for an incident which occurred in 2002. The fugitive had created a new identity and eluded officials for over a decade. Kevin Reynolds, who allegedly changed his identity to become “Dennis Graham,” was arrested for the shooting death of Winston King by federal marshals. King was shot in front of his screaming 11-year-old daughter and Reynolds has been on the “run” since the Bush administration. Since then the murder suspect crafted his new identity and climbed the ranks at popular reggae and dancehall music label 21st Hapilos Digital Distribution that lists offices on Madison Avenue as well as in Jamaica, law enforcement sources told The NY Post. “Reynolds obtained new paperwork and passports and settled in Canarsie, Brooklyn while helping run the music company,” the article notes. Sources said he even managed to fly freely from New York to Jamaica and back without detection until he was finally busted this weekend while waiting to board a flight to Kingston. Reynolds and another man reportedly approached King and his daughter in a parking lot outside of their apartment in Maryland in November 2002. The daughter heard the gunshots after he dragged King away and then sources say the pair just drove away. Twelve years later, Reynolds is expected to be extradited to Maryland to face murder charges. The Global Dispatch: http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/reggae-exec-dennis-graham-arrested-for-2002-murder-of-winston-king-59370/ Another exciting event makes its way to The Mann Center this summer. Every year, The Mann Center is the ideal concert location and this summer will certainly be no different. Reggae artist, Damian Marley, and hip hop duo, Atmosphere, are joining forces for a co-headlining show which brings them to Philadelphia this June. They’ll be hitting the Skyline Stage at The Mann Center on June 10th! And tickets are on sale now! Damian Marley is the youngest son of reggae legend Bob Marley. He gets his nickname, “Jr. Gong” from his father’s nickname “Tuff Gong.” Following in his father’s footsteps, Damian Marley began performing at 13. In 1996, Damian Marley released his first album, Mr. Marley. His last solo album was in 2005, when he released Welcome to Jamrock. Since then, Marley has been busy recording collaborations with the likes of Nas, Skrillex, and Mick Jagger (as part of supergroupSuperHeavy). Marley’s co-headliners, Atmosphere, are set to release their next album, Southsiders, on May 6th. This marks the duo’s eighth studio album, and their first release since 2011’s The Family Sign. They recently released a video for the track “Kanye West,” described as an updated take on Bonnie and Clyde. They also previously released the lead single from the upcoming album. You can stream “Bitter” here. Atmosphere have been around for a long time, having formed in Minnesota in 1989. The duo consists of rapper Slug (Sean Daley) and DJ/Producer Ant (Anthony Davis). Catch both acts on the Skyline Stage at The Mann this June! Damian Marley & Atmosphere @ The Mann Center Tuesday, June 10 Show @ 7:30 PM (Doors @ 6:00 PM) ALL AGES Tickets $35 (advance) $40 (day of show) Source mxdwn.com : http://www.mxdwn.com/2014/04/16/philadelphia/damian-marley-atmosphere-the-mann-center-610/ Awaiting trial for having 65½ pounds of pot in his car during a Mahwah traffic stop, the son of reggae great Peter Tosh said he’ll celebrate “National Weed Day” this Sunday at a massive “smoke-in’ on the steps of the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton. The “4/20 at Noon” march and rally in support of state Sen. Nicholas Scutari’s marijuana legalization bill was organized by Ed Forchion — also known as NJ Weedman. Forchion said it will culminate with the smoke-in beginning at 4:20 p.m. Jawara McIntosh — also known as Tosh 1 — said he plans to attend “in an effort to teach the world, or at least New Jersey, the health benefits of marijuana.” “There are just too many medical reports and medical professionals who believe in the medicinal benefits of marijuana to ignore the big government push to limit access,” McIntosh told CLIFFVIEW PILOT. ”The only ones who should fear it are the pharmaceutical companies whose medicines rarely work, or work with enormous side effects.” McIntosh has been free since posting a $200,000 cash bond in December. Two months ago, a judge in Hackensack granted him a one-week furlough so he could perform at a concert in Kingston, Jamaica, as part of Reggae Month there. McIntosh, 34, didn’t have a license — and had open bottles of booze on the front seat — when his rental car was stopped for recklessly cutting off other motorists on Route 17, Mahwah police said in June. The officer who pulled over the 2013 Nissan Maxima said McIntosh appeared under the influence of some type of drug. He and his passenger also gave conflicting accounts of where they’d come from and where they were headed, the officer said. The vehicle was searched, with McIntosh’s consent, after other officers arrived. Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli said they found two large pieces of luggage in the trunk that reeked of pot. The officers then found two bundles of marijuana inside one and a third in the other, Batelli said. One was shrink-wrapped, he said, and the other two were wrapped in duct tape. Mcintosh and his passenger, Carlotta Z. Leslie, 23, both of Dorchester, Mass., “denied any knowledge that the marijuana was in the vehicle,” the chief added. Both were arrested on charges of marijuana possession with the intent to distribute the drug. McIntosh also was charged with two counts of driving under the influence of drugs, driving with a suspended license, improper passing and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle. During his six months behind bars, McIntosh led Bible study classes at the county jail, his attorney, Ron Bar-Nadav, told CLIFFVIEW PILOT. “He’s a man full of love,” Bar-Nadav said. The “4/20″ counterculture holiday — in both the U.S. and Canada — stems from a group of San Rafael, California teenagers calling themselves the Waldos who began using the term in 1971 as a code for their meeting time while on a search for an abandoned cannabis crop they’d heard about. They never found the herb, but the term took root. It soon became associated with pot smoking, in general, before sprouting into an annual national observance — publicized in large part by followers of the Grateful Dead. Forchion said he’s hoping at least 500 attendees will fire up at the Statehouse following a walk from the Trenton train station beginning at 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon. Trenton police have not commented. In a bid to have him released in October, McIntosh’s lawyers showed a Superior Court judge in Hackensack a video that they said was proof of a “family bond” that would guarantee he doesn’t try to evade prosecution. The video includes a brief interview with one of McIntosh’s young daughters, Selecta Jah Tosh, saying how involved he is in her and her sister’s lives. Also interviewed is his sister, Niame McIntosh, a Boston public school teacher who said her brother’s time spent behind bars so far “is really too long knowing that he’s really not a bad person. “He’s not a menace to society.” Niame McIntosh refers in the video to their world-renowned father, who was killed during a 1987 home invasion in his native Jamaica, as “a musical ambassador for equal rights.” Grammy winner Peter Tosh (Winston Hubert McIntosh) was a member of Bob Marley’s Wailers, arguably the most accomplished reggae band in musical history. Although an international recording star, Tosh didn’t achieve fame in the U.S. until his 1978 duet with Mick Jagger on the Temptations song “Don’t Look Back.” He fought publicly against apartheid and for the legalization of marijuana for much of his career. McIntosh who shares his father’s “Legalize It” advocacy and goes by the performing name “Tosh 1,” refers to himself in the video as the “last hope” for his father’s legacy. “I’m going to make sure I live up to that,” he adds: A group called Cannibas Patriots Unite (CPUnite.org) says McIntosh was arrested for “driving while dread[locked]” and called him the world’s “most important political prisoner.” The California/Colorado non-profit group contends that McIntosh is accused of possessing an “herb” that in 20 states, including New Jersey, is considered to have medicinal value. For those who follow the African-based spiritual ideology known as Rastafari, pot is a sacrament — “whether it be a stick or a ton,” the group adds. “One crucial element of this mission is to make it very clear to the world that arrests for cannabis are politically motivated and are not based on science or legitimate social needs,” CPUnite said in a statement following the bail hearing. “Under our mandate we hold (and science supports) that cannabis herb is a perfect medicine as it repairs, restores and supplements the mechanism by which our body heals itself: the endocannabinoid system,” it continued. “Its ease of use, safety profile, and wide range of applications means that cannabis herb is an effective, safe medicine. It belongs into the hands of the people, for it provides treatment at fraction of the cost of currently sanctioned healthcare. In this, The Herb lives up to its reputation as The Healing of the Nation.” Source Cliffviewpilot.com: http://cliffviewpilot.com/son-of-reggaes-peter-tosh-to-attend-weekend-smoke-in-on-nj-statehouse-steps/ Two high end vehicles belonging to reggae singers Jah Cure and Christopher Martin were seized this week by a Jamaican anti corruption officials. According to reports, officials from the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption agency (MOCA) and the Revenue Protection Division seized over a dozen high end vehicles in a major crack down. A Range Rover, a BMW X5 and a Mecerdes Benz were among the vehicles seized.Investigators say the vehicles were illegally imported into the island. Christopher Martin’s manager Lydon Kingy Letman says the singer purchased the car from off a lot and is puzzled by the seizure. “We are talking to the lawyer, but I can say that we saw that vehicle on a car lot which is a registered car lot so we inspect it and buy the vehicle so it wasn’t we who imported the vehicle,” Letman said. Government officials say they will be releasing a statement to the media. Source Urban Islandz: http://urbanislandz.com/2014/04/15/jah-cure-christopher-martin-vehicles-seized-by-jamaican-government/_ NY: Reggae's hit machine Beres Hammond will join Australian soft pop duo Air Supply as headline acts at the annual Groovin' In The Park Concert at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, NY on Sunday, June 29, 2014. Hammond, who ignited New York City with musical flames when he last appeared on Groovin' Concert at Roy Wilkins Park in 2012 is expected to again have his way with music lovers when he belts out favorites like "Rockaway," "In Love With You," "What One Dance Can Do," "She Loves Me Now," "Step Aside" "Double Trouble" and "Putting Up Resistance." Hammond's stellar career was launched in the 70's with the release of "One Step Ahead," a blockbuster single which stayed at number one on the charts for 14 weeks. In the 80's he cemented his name with the smash "Tempted to Touch," and subsequent albums "Love Affair," "Full Attention" (1993), "In Control" (1994), "Love From a Distance" (1996), "A Day In The Life" (1998), "Music is Life" (2011) and "One Love One Life" (2012), which topped the Billboard reggae chart. Whenever pop duo Air Supply is mentioned, it is always in superlative, A-list tones. In 2011, they mesmerized music fans at the annual Jamaica Jazz & Blues festival, and left music lovers begging for more and more. "This is history for us tonight!" declared Russell Hitchcock, lead singer of Air Supply, moments after the group hit the stage to rapturous applauds. With the crowd in tow, Hitchcock belted out "Even The Nights Are Better," "Just As I Am," "Chances Are," "Power Of Love," "Lost In Love" and "Here I Am," much to the delight of fans who sang along word for word. "We are excited about signing the group to perform in Roy Wilkins Park for the very first time" an elated Andrea Bullens, co-producer and executive of Groovin' Inc. said. "Air Supply is a powerful group. Their catalogue of hit songs are impressive. To have a group of their stature share the stage with reggae icon Beres Hammond will be a musical treat for fans. I am confident it will be a fantastic presentation" she stated. After being signed by music mogul Clive Davis to Arista Records in the mid 80's, Air Supply went on to score eight Top Ten hits in the United States, including "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All," "Good Bye," "Its Never Too Late" and "Lost In Love," which was named "Song Of The Year" in 1980. Hammond and Air Supply will be joined by Chronixx, Reggae Queen Marcia Griffiths and her friends John Holt, Judy Mowatt and Bob Andy. Sponsors supporting Groovin' In The Park 2014 include Grace Foods, TD Bank, SQPA, Nutrament, Money Gram, The Smoke House, The Door Restaurant, BullZii Marketing, Groovin' Radio, VP Records and Western Union. Log on to www.groovininthepark.com for concert information. Chronixx management not only denied reports claiming that the reggae singer was beaten in Pris, but also say they are taking legal actions. On Tuesday morning reports surfaced online claiming that Chronixx and his entourage were attacked over the weekend at a concert in the French capital. The report claimed that Chronixx disobeyed rules set by the concert promoters and was subsequently denied access to the stage. But members of his entourage proceeded to assault of the security guard. The report also went on to say that the security guard left the venue and came back with a group of men with high power rifles and baseball bat before viciously attacking Chronixx and his entourage. The “Dread and Terrible” deejay has since released a statement denying the reports. “These reports are not just false, they are also damaging to Chronixx image overseas,” a rep for Chronixx told Urban IslandZ. “No one was beaten nor was there any altercation involving Chronixx or any member of the band. We already notify our lawyers to address the matter.” Chronixx is currently touring Europe for his Dread & Terrible tour which ends on April 23. The reggae singer is also promoting his new album of the same name. Chronixx Music Group has released the following statement: MEDIA RELEASE April 15, 2014 Chronixx “Dread & Terrible Tour” is alive and well This is an official statement from Chronixx Music Group, the managers and booking agents for Chronixx. Members of the Chronixx Music Group management team are currently on tour with Chronixx for the Dread & Terrible European Tour which features Chronixx, Kellissa, and Dre Island. We have been present at all concert performances presented so far, as we are responsible for the supervision of all aspects of the artists’ production, presentation and security on tour. Our responsibilities including interface with show promoters and personnel hired by them. It has come to our attention that a false report is being circulated by Platinum Camp by way of an email under the name of the Platinum Camp CEO. This false report includes a story alleging that Chronixx and members of his team were beaten by security personnel after their performance at La Cigale in Paris on April 6, following an alleged earlier altercation between the team members and the security providers for the show. We would like to take this opportunity to categorically state that there was no altercation whatsoever between members of the Chronixx team and security providers at the show. There was also no incident involving Chronixx or any member of his team where anyone was beaten, nor was there any incident involving security personnel with high powered weapons and baseball bats as alleged in the report above mentioned. The “Dread & Terrible Tour” has continued with successful performances by Chronixx, Dre Island and Kelissa in various cities around Europe every night since the April 6th date in Paris. There are now 4 more dates remaining before the tour ends on April 20. We consider the false report issued by Platinum to be not only unprofessional and irresponsible, but also very damaging to the credibility and good name of Chronixx and members of the Chronixx Music Group team. We have therefore consulted our attorney and will be seeking to have all necessary action taken to have this false report corrected, and any damage done repaired. Source Urban Islands: http://urbanislandz.com/2014/04/15/chronixx-denies-being-beaten-in-paris/ DELAWARE, United States, Friday April 11, 2014 – Jamaican reggae icon Bob Marley's signature anthem “One Love” appears to have hit the right note with members of the Wilmington City Council in Delaware. Last week, the council voted to rename the Tatnall Playground “One Love Park” to honour and promote the message of peace and unity that the musical legend -- a one-time Wilmington resident -- championed in his famous song. “The lyrics of ‘One Love’ and what the song has come to mean to people in the years since Bob Marley composed it is what I hope to capture by renaming the park,” Wilmington City Council President Theo Gregory was quoted as saying by nbcphiladelphia.com. “We all need a reminder from time to time about the importance of love in our hearts for our children and for each other,” added Gregory, who first suggested the name change. "I want children who play in Love Park to ask why it was given that name and accept their responsibility to make this a better city and world." The late Bob Marley, who died of cancer at the age of 36 in May 1981, had strong links to the area. His mother, Cedella, moved to a house within a block of the park at 2311 Tatnall Street in 1962. Young Bob lived in that home for eight months in 1966 while working at the nearby Chrysler plant and DuPont labs. His son, Stephen, was born in Wilmington in 1972. The city first paid tribute to Marley’s legacy with the Peoples' Festival, a musical celebration of the man and his music, nearly 20 years ago. This year’s edition of the annual festival will be held on July 26. Marley is also commemorated with a colourful mural gracing a home directly across from the playground. City officials say the name change to One Love will amplify the message conveyed by Marley's lyrics in the mural: "I feel so good in my neighbourhood..." Source: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/entertainment/1107470.html#ixzz2yhToJiNV 2014 continues to be an outstanding year for Exco Levi who made Canadian history where Reggae is concerned by winning the 2014 Reggae Recording of the Year category, marking 3 consecutive wins. The only artist to win 3 back to back Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) for Best Reggae Recording, this accomplishment is shared by his co-performer, Kabaka Pyramid, and producer, Silly Walks Discotheque. The Awards, held in Winnipeg, Canada, is the 44th annual production which recognizes the best Canadian talent in a wide range of genres. Exco’s acceptance speech thanked all who were involved in the songs production, and thanked the great country of Canada who helped him realize his dream of being a recording artist. Reaction from the international community has been swift as Manager and producer Donovan Germaine, label mate Busy Signal, and backing sound system Rootsman Sound have all expressed congratulatory praise on the win. Donovan Germaine says “I am very proud of Exco. He is making good music which the people love … the sky is the limit.” Exco just completed a West Coast tour of the United States, and will be on tour in Europe in April, 2014. Source Tropical Fete: http://tropicalfete.com/congratulations-exco-levi-ft-kabaka-pyramid-2014-juno-reggae-recording-of-the-year-for-strive-produced-by-silly-walks-discotheque/_ Ali Campbell and Astro, founding members of hitmakers UB40, explain why they’ve reunited to compete with their old (and highly unimpressed) bandmates Controversy remains king in the land of UB40 – or, to put it more accurately – the UB40s. In January, three founding members from the veteran British reggae band (lead singer Ali Campbell, trumpeter and singer Astro and keyboardist Mickey Virtue) announced that they would be touring and recording as UB40 Reunited – the name change tacked on where necessary to dampen prospective legal challenges. Since Ali left the original band in 2008, they have continued as UB40 with his older brother Duncan as its frontman (Astro had also remained, before quitting in November last year to defect to the new outfit). Astro, Ali Campbell and Mickey Virtue from the original UB40 line-up have recently linked up to form UB40 reunited The Ali-less incarnation came to Dubai to play Emirates Golf Club in late February, and now Ali’s new version of the band is set to play Irish Village this Thursday night. Expect to hear the hits which have propelled the Birmingham band to more than 70 million record sales since their original formation in 1978 – including Red Red Wine, Higher Ground, (I Can’t Help) Falling in Love With You, Kingston Town and One in Ten. We phoned Ali and Astro to hear more about their decision to reform as UB40 Reunited – a move which predictably drew the wrath of their old bandmates. What are your thoughts on the fact that there are now two versions of UB40? Astro: It’s a competition. Ali: We want the fans to decide. If there are two UB40s, go for the one that’s got the original singer and the one that’s a reggae record. That’s what I’d do! Why did you decide to get back together now? Ali: Because the oldsters have come out with a country album (Getting Over the Storm, which was released in September). And after five years of watching my brother Duncan destroy my songs and the legacy of UB40, I just couldn’t sit back any longer. I said, ‘Sod it, we’re going to take the name back and we’re going to go off as UB40 to promote reggae again’, which is why we started the band in the first place. Astro: For me, the country album was the straw that broke the camel’s back. As Ali said, we were on a mission to make reggae music popular, not country. And so I had no choice – I had to leave. I couldn’t bear to stand onstage giving our fans something I think was very substandard, and trying to pretend everything was okay. It’s horrible to have to lie to your fans. They’re the ones who buy your music and I felt like they were being short-changed. How many times have each of you listened to the country album? Astro: I had to endure it on a daily basis. I ended up trying to convince my friends that it could be alright. I’ve never had to do that with any other UB40 album. Put it this way – if I wouldn’t go out and buy that album, I couldn’t expect anybody else to. Ali: I heard it once, and my jaw hit the floor! I was just in a state of utter shock, I don’t think I’ve ever been so shocked in all my professional life. For them to have lost their direction so much that they ended up doing a country album with steel guitars, and my old brother singing Jim Reeves songs, I just couldn’t believe what had happened. And how’s it been getting back together so far? Ali: We’ve only done one show, at The O2 Arena in London in December. It was absolutely brilliant and the reaction was fabulous, as we knew it would be. Spurred on by the success of that, we’re going around the world. How many dates do you have planned at the moment? Ali: We’ve got about 50 pencilled in. A lot of them are “to be confirmed” as always – they firm up as you go along – but we’re going to be out all over the world. We’re going to Nigeria before Dubai. Have you ever been to Nigeria before? Ali: Yeah I’ve been to Lagos before but we couldn’t play. They’d built a stadium and there was a Shakira show before ours, and all the audience sank into the concrete because it had only just been laid! So the show was cancelled and we went home, which was disappointing. We’re looking forward to the show this time though. Did you know that the other UB40 are coming to play Dubai six weeks before you? Astro: We’re trying to warn everybody about it! Ali: (laughs) They’ve obviously heard that we’re going out there, so they’re just trying to muddy the water. Let the fans decide who they want to see – come and see the original singer and rhythm section of UB40, or go and see a singer who isn’t original. What can you tell us about your upcoming UB40 album? Ali: I recorded an album at RAK Studios in London about six months ago. But now Astro’s returned, we’ve decided to put some Astro tracks on. It’s going to be brilliant, and I know for a fact that the fans will love it. Who has the legal rights to the UB40 name? Ali: There are several trademarks knocking about. I own a few, they own a few. But the fact that it’s me and Astro up front with Mickey on keyboards makes it UB40, as far as I’m concerned. Astro: I was reading online a few days ago, where a couple of fans were debating about there being two different UB40s. One fan said: “Of all your memories of UB40, how many of them involve Ali and Astro?” The other guy said, “There’s no competition is there, really.” Ali, what made you decide to become a judge on the second series of New Zealand’s Got Talent in 2012? Ali: That was a laugh – it’s nothing I would do as a career, and it wasn’t something I took seriously either. It’s an entertainment programme, and I did it because I love New Zealand and I got to spend three months there. We also played across South America at the same time. Only 21 hours each way! Is there anywhere you’ve never performed that’s on your wish list? Both: Mainland China. Ali: We’ve played in Hong Kong, but never China. We were in the Solomon Islands and Hawaii last year, and Angola and Mozambique a couple of months ago. We like to get about, but in China it’s still very much guinea pig stuff. Astro: It’s not really down to us, you have to be invited by a promoter. Ali: It happened in Russia – we were taken there and swapped with the Bolshoi Ballet. We ended up being paid in tractors! We got four I think, but we couldn’t freight them back so we ended up giving them to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund. But yeah, we’ll wait to be invited to China. |