Make your way down memory lane and reminisce with dancehall star Elephant Man.
Produced under his own imprint label, Energygod Productions, “Memory Lane” is out now on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and others. Distributed by 21st Hapilos Digital.
The media launch for the upcoming Groovin event was a pleasant harbinger of things to come at Roy Wilkins Park on June 25 2017.
Using the event to announce the headline acts for the upcoming summer show, the party atmosphere climbed palpably with the revelation of each headline act. In a move perhaps inspired by the One World Ska & Rock Steady Festival held in Jamaica in 2016 to laud 50 years of that Jamaican musical genre, the production team behind the Groovin brand have decided to showcase the veteran artists. I’msure the blistering performances at both the World Ska & Rock Steady Festival and Rebel Salute made it easy for the team to select their performers of choice.
The first artist to appear, Freddie ‘the Captain’ McGregor seemed to have divested himself of his trademark waist length locks, but looked leaner and lighter. With a gleam in his eye he expressed his happiness at being chosen as one of four headline pioneer reggae acts gracing the Groovin stage this year. The next icon, Leroy Sibbles bounced in like a happy kid, wearing an all white casual outfit, theone thing in common with all the artists is their longevity and years of service. Collectively, their contribution to the reggae industry totals more than 150 years! Rounding out the trio of performers present, the debonair Ken Boothe, glowing and color coordinated with his wife of over 40 years ever present by his side, sitting quietly, soaking up the atmosphere. Providing a seamless transition between live interaction with the artists and their recordings, kudos to broadcaster Ras Clem for turningup the party vibes.
Ibo Cooper, founding member of legendary band Third World was on hand to provide a teaser of what makes this Groovin so special. Undoubtedly Reggae music hits its pinnacle of recognition and acceptance with its fusion of a Philharmonic Orchestra, the late John Holt and Freddie McGregor have had the pleasure of performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, so Groovin has pulled out all stops in harnessing the power of a the Reggae Symphonic Orchestra, branded as GITPRSO (Groovin inThe Park Reggae Symphonic Orchestra) – reggae purists and lovers will be in for a treat June 25 2017. Legendary band leader and singer in his own right, Lloyd Parks performs with his We The People Bandto provide the ‘official’ reggae flava to the more formal orchestral sound.
Tarrus Riley also appears on the Groovin stage this year and the RnB component comes from Robert ‘Pied Piper’ Kelly aka R. Kelly. Those fans who anticipated his appearance in 2012 will hopefully turnout to see him perform hits like ‘In the Closet’, ‘Step in the Name of Love’, and the iconic ‘I Believe I can Fly’. Rounding out the announcements, members of the Lenox Road Baptist Church were on hand to give a small slice of the spiritual food they will offer on the day.
No female performers were announced at this media launch – let’s hope this oversight will be speedily resolved – especially since we are still celebrating the feminine gender for Women’s History month.
As a lover of ska and rock steady, I’m already anticipating the summer and June 25 in particular.
The energy god, Elephant Man, has finally released the official video for his trending single “ski,” which was done in collaboration with Kiprich. One very noteworthy thing about this video is that the living legend, Usain Bolt is featured in it.
The wait is over and the moment has finally arrived! Reggae On The River has announced their artist lineup for the 2017 staging of the festival which will take place at French’s Camp, Garberville, California on August 3-6, 2017.
Long revered as one of the world’s most iconic Reggae music festivals; the 33rd edition of Reggae On The River will continue this incredible legacy, with a diverse collection of the best and brightest in Reggae and world music from around the globe.
One such artist is Reggae / Dancehall lyricist Assassin, also known as Agent Sasco. Sasco has been having successful consecutive quarters since early 2016. He released a slew of hit singles, including one with hip-hop’s front man, Kanye West. Additionally, he delivered his chart topping album, Theory of Reggaetivity.
K20 Records presents Morals Riddim featuring the sweet reggae sounds of Bugle with the title track “Morals,” Frassdon’s “Wah Mi Fi Do,” Kabaka Pyramid’s “Nuh Hype” and Sattin’s “Want All Lose All.”
Morals Riddim is out now on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and all other digital music stores via 21st Hapilos Digital.
Dancehall star Elephant Man proves once again that there is no dancehall without dance! As they often inspire each other, the latter came about when the dance made popular by a dancer called “Ski” became the rave at parties and social media.
In a statement to the Jamaica Observer, Elephant Man explained how the song came about: “Kiprich come check me inna the studio. We start talk bout dancehall music and the girls dem remind me about the Ski dance, dem say it different and it will work. Me and Kiprich ah bredrin long time, so we build it on spot and record it,” he said.
An, Energy God Productions, “Ski” is out now on iTunes and all major online digital stores via 21st Hapilos Digital.
Blakkwuman22 Music is pleased to present THE BLACK GOD EP. It features four new songs from Karamanti plus the already popular, BACK AGAINST THE WALL, which was done with Mikey General.
THE BLACK GOD is a diverse project covering four genres: poetry, reggae, dancehall and hip-hop. It features collaborations with Jamaican reggae veteran Mikey General and Ghanian rap artist Obibini. All vocals were written by Karamanti – with the exception of Obibini and Mikey General’s verses which were composed by the respective artists.
As fans and supporters of Karamanti have come to expect from her, this EP is jam packed with controversial issues ranging from sexual education for children to religious racism. Not wanting the entire project to sound too contentious, she has also included a motivational track entitled I BELIEVE IN YOU.
Several talented beat makers contributed to the EP, namely: Alpheus (Germany), Spugy B and D’Ave Productions (Jamaica) and Beat Monsta (Ghana). All songs were mixed by Audio Traxx Productions in Old Harbor, St. Catherine, Jamaica, with the exception of BACK AGAINST THE WALL which was mixed by ODB in Accra, Ghana and BLACK REVOLUTION done by Nad Xclusive, also in Ghana. All the backing vocals were done by Snysh at Mixing Lab Studio in Kingston, Jamaica.
Persons may listen and download all songs on THE BLACK GOD EP here: https://karamanti.bandcamp.com
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 