Richie Stephens & the Ska Nation Band Set To Release INTERNATIONALLY

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

00-INTERNATIONALLY With his captivating voice and a sound that exhibits his passion from every note, Grammy award winner Richie Stephens and The Ska Nation Band will release their new studio album Internationally, April 15th (Pot of Gold, Adriatic Sound and Zojak World Wide).

The 14-track album available for pre-order today, comes with the instant-grat track Fire Fire, a tribute to ska. Richie Stephens and the Ska Nation band (based out of Italy), came together to create this masterpiece, which listeners can appreciate and become educated at the same time. The album starts with a single title ‘Foundation’, which mentions some of the ska greats and states that ‘ska a the original sound, Jamaica’s first big music”.

Connecting with the Ska Nation band, a nine man ska ensemble, while in Italy last summer performing at the Casalabate Festival, the creative bond was instant. All the members of the band were born and currently live in Salento, southern Italy. The single Kingston Salento captures the connection between Richie Stephens & The Ska Nation band and the love for ska on a global level. With half of the album being completed in Jamaica, Internationally is also symbolic of the passion and impact ska music have on a broader spectrum.

Throughout the album Richie Stephens and The Ska Nation band embrace the musical magic of ska. Bringing to life a positive and motivating message in one of their singles Born To Be Great feat. Sly & Robbie and still giving the listener a feeling of happiness as they sing and dance along. For many music lovers they may view ska music as ‘older reggae music’, Richie Stephens and The Ska Nation band definitely changed that stereotype. With singles like Original Style feat. Sean Paul and Gentleman, Internationally feat. Sud Sound System or Everybody Dance (Remix) there is a youthful tone, which highlights the ability to blend age groups and still showcase the brilliant musical arrangement and greatness of ska.

Working with some of reggae great musicians on this album like Cleveland “Clevie” Browne, Dean Fraser, Sly & Robbie, Kirk Bennett and the major support of the mastermind Stephen ‘Lenky’ Marsden, Richie Stephens and Ska Nation band created a great body of work. From the musical arrangements to the lyrics, Internationally will definitely make music and ska lovers proud.

UK Based Reggae/Dancehall Artist, Peppery, Addresses The Issue Of Skin Bleaching In New Single (@pepperyworld)

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

UK Based Reggae Dancehall Artist, Peppery, Addresses The Issue Of Skin Bleaching In New Single Reggae/Dancehall artist Peppery uses ancient cliché to reinforce self-love in his latest single, “Tall Dark and Handsome.” The song tackles racial prejudice and discusses skin bleaching with an edutaining approach (for clarity, that’s entertaining while educating at the same time).

Tapped as an artist to watch for 2016 by several key music industry insiders, Peppery, who is originally from Trelawny, Jamaica, says that “no vulgar or ‘bad’ language will be found in any of his tracks, that’s not what his music is about – It’s about good music with meaning with room for people’s own interpretation.”

The 2016 One Love Poetry Festival Set For April 7th At Atlas In Aarhus

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Jorgensen Wanjiku Judy reading at the 2015 One Love Poetry Festival

Jam Link International and Line Hassall Thomsen will be hosting the 2016 One Love Poetry Festival at Atlas, in Aarhus, Denmark on Thursday, April 7th. This is a unique spoken word event that will be a collaboration of poetry and acoustic style music. The theme for the evening will be ‘union in diversity and balance & harmony.’

The April Rainers, an exciting new Aarhus based band, with bassist John Hassall at the helm, will be one of the main musical acts. Having just returned from a successful concert in London and with a new album due out shortly, this will be their first Danish concert this year. The other musical performer for the night will be Lucas King, a 34 year-old Danish/Vietnamese national versed in organic pop, folk and roots. He possesses strong vocals and his artistic style is often compared to that of James Taylor. Lucas King released his debut album, “long road again,” in early 2015 and is fresh from a tour in Asia.

Confirmed poets for the 2016 One Love Poetry Festival are: Camilla Sydel, Mads Mygind, Line Hassall Thomsen, Judy Wanderi, Henrik Giversen, Black Gold, Matt Charnock and Olaf Zhiga. The organizers have recently announced that a few more names will be added to the lineup.

Entrance fee is 50kr and tickets are available now via the following link:
http://fondenvoxhall.dk/koncerter/one-love-poetry-festival-2016/

For additional info, join the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/811548702326171/

Karamanti’s Bio

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

2016 Karamanti Though the Reggae/Dancehall industry is dominated by men, Karamanti stands as a strong black woman, (in her home town of Kingston, Jamaica) raining showers of conscious lyrics to a generation far from reality.

Karamanti has been creating music since she was eight years old. Falling in love first with rap (or hip-hop), then embracing Dancehall and now passionate about Reggae. In spite of the fact that she has been making music for most of her life, she only began to pursue it as a career in 2011. Currently regarded by many as one of Jamaica’s best female lyricist, Karamanti writes her own songs and operates her own record company; Blakkwuman22 Music.

Industry insiders began paying attention to her when she released the single “don’t it,” produced by Red Boom in 2012. The track exposed her to a hardcore Dancehall audience that was eager to hear more from the self acclaimed Pan-Africanist. Karamanti spent the summer of 2012 engaged in a nationwide media tour which had her performing, and/or being interviewed on most of the major entertainment radio and TV programs in Jamaica. That was followed by a Canadian tour which featured performances on big events such as the Montreal Reggae Festival and the Toronto Rasta Festival.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Since she officially stepped out on the scene in 2012, Karamanti has been consistent in releasing songs which focuses primarily on social and political issues. She has done several music videos and live performances both in Jamaica and overseas.

Karamanti’s voice can be heard on some of the biggest Reggae and Dancehall rhythms coming out of Jamaica: Heights Riddim (“Gye Nyame”), Rock Island Riddim (“Fake Rasta”), Life Triangle Riddim (“Hold On”), Reggae Land Riddim (“Domestic Abuse”), Love Bounce Riddim (“Da One Ya Fi”) and that is just to name a few. She has also enjoyed success with singles like “Read,” which was produced by Denmark’s #1 Dancehall artist/producer, Pharfar. The song got heavy radio rotation and climbed to the #1 spot on the Top Ten Conscious Chart which airs on Jamaica’s Roots FM. It sat there for weeks beating out songs from now popular artist, Chronixx.

Karamanti has collaborated with major Jamaican artists: 3 Starr (from Mavado’s Gully Squad), veteran Mikey General, Asante Amen and many others. She has also done recordings with international acts: Iwan, Sonniballi, Blasto, Lise Ranks, Stonebwoy and several others. In her role as executive producer, Karamanti, via her record company, Blakkwuman22 Music has released projects which feature long time dancehall artist Alozade, iconic star, Lt. Stitchie and a lot more respected Jamaican artists.

In April 2013, Karamanti released her first and only studio album entitled Dancehall Retaliates. It was released on her Blakkwuman22 Music label with production credits going to both Ricardo ‘Red Boom’ Reid and Shamarie ‘Digital Sham’ Bogle. Karamanti was nominated as best the female solo artist for 2013 by the Dancehall Industry Awards (held in the UK). Additionally, one of her videos for the song “Rise” (which is on the album Dancehall Retaliates) was nominated as best Dancehall video for 2013. To top it off, Reggae France included Dancehall Retaliates in the WINS REGGAE AWARDS in the category for Dancehall Album of the year for 2013. Here she went up against two Jamaican heavy weights: Vybz Kartel and Mr. Vegas.

Karamanti has performed all over the world. She has graced stages in cities like Gothenburg, Stockholm, Hamburg, Prague, Copenhagen, Roskilde, Aarhus and more in Europe; and Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Seattle, Bellingham and more in North America; and Dominica Republic and of course, Jamaica in the Caribbean.

Persons wanting to work with Karamanti may do so by sending an email to info@karamantimusic.com

KARAMANTI ONLINE
Website: www.Karamantimusic.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Karamanti
YouTube: www.youtube.com/KaramantiTV
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Karamantimusic
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Karamantimusic

Second Historic African Diaspora World Tourism Awards Set for August in Atlanta

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

00-trophy The 2016 African Diaspora World Tourism (ADWT) Awards and Travel Expo will take place this coming August 26-28th in Atlanta, Ga. (USA). The ADWT-Awards event will again be presented by African Diaspora Tourism with publisher Kitty J. Pope as the founder/director and executive producer of the event. Co-presenter is the AD King Foundation with its Co-founder/CEO Dr. Babs Onabanjo who is the ADWT-Awards’ founding executive producer. Also helping to produce this awards event is Africa’s tourism guru Ikechi Uko, a foremost travel branding expert from Nigeria who will present an African Tourism component, and socio-economic developer Rev. Eugene Franklin, founder of the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce who will present a Pan African Tourism component. Lou D’Amore, founder/CEO of the International Institute for Peace through Tourism is also partnering to help with the 2016 ADWT-Awards and Travel Expo.

Like the inaugural ADWT-Awards event, this awards event week-end will include the awards gala, cultural entertainment, a Hall of Fame Luncheon and a Travel Expo. In addition, the 2016 ADWT-Awards event will feature two new components where event attendees can learn various aspects about African Tourism as well as Diaspora Tourism. The two new components are: 1) Bantaba: Africa Comes to her Diaspora and 2) The Green Book Summit: The Pan African Cultural Heritage Tourism Roundtable. In addition to having seminars and informative meetings, Bantaba and the Green Book Summit will be a part of the Travel Expo. These two new additions to the ADWT-Awards and Travel Expo guarantee something for everyone interested in black cultural heritage tourism.

Ikechi Uko, publisher of Africa Travel Quarterly, the first travel magazine and website on tourism in West Africa will present Africa Bantaba at the ADWT-Awards event which will be the first ever comprehensive African Tourism marketplace in the Diaspora. Uko is the founder of Akwaaba Travel Market, the largest travel expo in West Africa where travel professionals from all over the world attend. Knowledgeable and savy about tourism branding, Uko says that he has been thinking of the idea of doing an event bringing countries and the tourism industry of Africa to her Diaspora in one setting since it has never been done. “Doing this as a part of the ADWT-Awards event is ideal since people attend from all over the US and the Diaspora, as well as Africa,” says Uko who just launched the tourism event WEIZO in Ghana, an event that brings together major tourism players and honors outstanding West African Tourism professionals.

Presenting the Green Book Summit is Rev. Eugene Franklin, founder of the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute and founder/CEO of the National Cultural Heritage Tourism Center. Ushering in the “Modern-Day Pan African American Cultural Tourism Movement,” Rev. Franklin, a retired Naval Lieutenant Commander, is a leader who says that his goal is to bring the black cultural heritage tourism industry together under one roof in such a way that those involved will be able to move to the next level. “This is a socio-economic movement where business owners and leaders in the cultural heritage industry can all benefit,” explains Rev. Franklin. “Members and businesses will have the opportunity to be a part of the Pan African Cultural Heritage Market Place.” The Green Book Summit is named for the first black travel guide in the Americas that was written during the Jim Crow Era that instructed blacks on safe travel and lodging. Once called the The Negro Travelers’ Green Book, the popular guide which was available from 1936 until the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 was published by Victor H. Green. For more information visit: http://africandiasporatourism.com/

New Soca Release: BlackStarr Productionz – Jumbie Jab Riddim (@sokapro846)

Posted on March 27, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Trinidadian-based hit house Blackstarr Productionz pulsates with its latest compilation Jumbie Jab Riddim, now available worldwide from all major digital retailers. This new collection of soca hits was released for the 2016 Trinidad Carnival season and is now available globally, to soca fans everywhere.

The Jumbie Jab Riddim boasts nine tracks, spewing native Grenadian jab jab flavors that include breakout soca sensation Semonita with her provocative ladies anthem “Possie,” Tallpree with“We Dirty,” Mr. Killa and Mr. Legz HT with “Party Bad,” and 2016 International Soca Monarch finalists Cloud 5 with “Invasion.”

Producer Arnold Noel has been composing hits for four years now and captains Blackstarr Productionz. “I believe what makes my music different is the use of tones from different genres combined together to create a dynamic sound” said Noel. This fusion of sounds from Trinidad and Grenada is evident on the Jumbie Jab Riddim and wins new fans for the budding studio.

TRACK LIST

1. Semonita – Possie
2. Tallpree – We Dirty
3. Terri Lyons – Careless
4. Mr. Killa & Mr. Legz HT – Party Bad
5. Loose Cannon – Watch Meh
6. Bada Dan – Different
7. Cloud 5 – Invasion
8. Bazuka & Militant – Jam & Jab
9. Slammer Cutter – Flame On

Mystic Revealers, Collie Buddz, Raging Fyah and others featured on Reggae Dubs & Dabs EP (@Dub_Rockers @VPRecords)

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

00-ReggaeDubsAndDabsFinalCover Dub Rockers/VP Records presents Reggae Dubs & Dabs, a seven track EP of uplifting ganja tunes, to be released April 15, 2016 just in time for the 4/20 celebrations. Dubs & Dabs brings together international reggae superstars from the United States (Stick Figure, Fortunate Youth, Soul Rebel Project, The Movement, The Green, Bobby Hustle) Europe (Alborosie) and The Caribbean (Mystic Revealers Collie Buddz, Chronixx, Raging Fyah, Marlon Asher), who all support global legalization of cannabis.

The set opens with Italian-born reggae star Alborosie’s “420 Fly” feat. Sugus on this EDM reggae banger professing their love for cannabis. The Golden state represents throughout the collection with anthems from Fortunate Youth and Stick Figure. Fortunate Youth rallies Hawaiian band The Green and Trinidadian reggae artist Marlon Asher on “Pass The Herb,” while Stick Figure brings in Bermudian reggae star Collie Buddz on “Smokin’ Love.”

East Coast rockers Soul Rebel Project enjoy a “Good Burn” on their superb jam, while South Carolina reggae band The Movement talks about their favorite past time with Collie Buddz and Bobby Hustle in “Habit 2016.” Kingston’s rising reggae band Raging Fyah delivers straight “Raggamuffin” style, expressing their preference for steaming chalice and natty dreadlocks, on the hard hitting track off their upcoming studio album Everlasting (Dub Rockers / May 27). Jamaican heritage band Mystic Revealers teams up with one of reggae’s new leaders Chronixx for a powerful anthem advocating for the worldwide legal use of the plant. Chronixx and Raging Fyah both got their start at Mystic Revealer’s frontman Billy Mystic’s Jamnesia. This surf, skate and music hub located on the coast of Bull Bay (just miles away from Kingston) became the local hang-out spot for these young “reggae revival” artists to cultivate their sound.

Currently, EP’s featured artists Raging Fyah, Stick Figure and Fortunate Youth are on the road together for a 30-city U.S. tour until the end of April.

Track listing:
1. 420 Fly – Alborosie feat. Sugus
2. Raggamuffin – Raging Fyah
3. Herb Must Legalize Now feat. Chronixx – Mystic Revealers
4. Pass The Herb feat. The Green & Marlon Asher – Fortunate Youth
5. Good Burn – Soul Rebel Project
6. Smokin’ Love feat. Collie Buddz – Stick Figure
7. Habit 2016 feat. Collie Buddz & Bobby Hustle – The Movement