Effective Immediately Jamaica’s Broadcasting Commission Bans All Songs Promoting Illegal Activities!

Posted on October 11, 2022 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

The Broadcasting Commission (the Commission) has issued a Directive requiring broadcasters to take immediate steps to prevent the transmission of any recorded material that promotes and/or glorifies illegal activity.

Guided by and exercising the powers granted under the Television and Sound Broadcasting Regulations, the Commission now requires an immediate halt to the transmission of:

any audio or video recording, live song, or speech which promotes and/or glorifies scamming, illegal use or abuse of drugs (e.g. ‘Molly’), illegal or harmful use of guns or other offensive weapons, “jungle justice” or any other form of illegal or criminal activity.
any edited song which directly or indirectly promotes scamming, illegal drugs, illegal or harmful use of guns or other offensive weapons, jungle justice, or any form of illegal or criminal activity. This includes live editing and original edits (e.g. edits by producer/label) as well as the use of near-sounding words as substitutes for offensive lyrics, expletives, or profanities.

To be clear, the broadcast of a sampling of any song which promotes or glorifies scamming, illegal drugs (e.g. ‘Molly’), illegal or harmful use of guns or other offensive weapons, “jungle justice” or any other form of illegal or criminal behavior is strictly prohibited.

The Directive reinforces the Commission’s commitment to keeping the airwaves free of harmful content given the important role traditional media still play as agents of socialization. The use of the public airwaves to broadcast songs that promote/glorify illegal activity could give the wrong impression that criminality is an accepted feature of Jamaican culture and society. It could also unwittingly lend support to moral disengagement and further normalize criminality among vulnerable and impressionable youth, and the young adult demographic.

Commenting on the Directive, Executive Director of the Commission, Cordel Green, said it was the end product of a wide-ranging process that included focused monitoring, decoding of subculture dialect and urban slangs, deliberations on balancing free expression vis-à-vis protection from harm, and consultations with Industry.

Mr. Green went on to explain that this approach was necessary given the nuances and peculiarities inherent in content regulation.

“Part of the difficulty in dealing with music, especially that which emerges from a subculture, is that it takes time to identify, understand and verify the slangs and colloquial language used. Understandably, new street lingua may take some time before they are normalized, or their meanings become well entrenched. The Commission also has to be circumspect in its actions, knowing that regulatory attention can have the unintended consequence of giving exposure to and popularizing subcultural phenomenon,” – Cordel Green

The Executive Director also said that while content regulation must always have regard for the right to freedom of expression, any context in which criminality is presented through music or videos as normal behavior, conflicts with the tenets of responsible broadcasting.

The BCJ continues to welcome and encourage the public to share information about any violations via:

Direct messages on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @bcjamaica,
Email at info@broadcom.org,
Telephone at 876 929 1998,
The Monitoring & Complaints section of the BCJ website at www.broadcastingcommission.org.

The Broadcasting Commission is the regulatory body that is responsible for monitoring radio, television, and cable services. It receives and investigates complaints from the public in relation to these services. The Commission assures the public that it will continue to exert all powers within its regulatory remit to protect the most vulnerable (children and impressionable and unattached youth) from harmful media content.

^{SOURCE: BROADCASTING COMMISSION}

Marlon Binns’ Bio

Posted on October 8, 2022 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

A voice that can be described as sweet, soulful and enchanting, Marlon Orette Binns epitomizes the essence of Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and dancehall music. His sweet harmonious sound has not only graced local radio stations and audiences but international audiences as well. This young, passionate and sensational singer was born in Manchester, Jamaica on October 14th. He is the sixth of nine children. His mother is a business woman and his father is a pastor at Zion Restored Church in Mandeville. Good, clean, positive and uplifting music has always been an important part of his upbringing, as Marlon’s career is rooted in the church, where he sang on the church choir (as lead singer); he also displayed his musical talent at weddings and fund raisers for the church.

Being a very keen and insightful individual, education has played a very critical role to the level of astuteness to this artist’s development. He attended the Christiana Comprehensive High School and enjoyed playing football and cooking. A very humble person who’s inspired by the Almighty, Marlon prefers to write his own music, as this is his way of expressing himself and addressing issues of the heart, as well as social commentaries. In his own words “I sing for the people, their struggles, and triumphs!” He loves Bob Marley’s courageous and righteous lyrics, which always have a message, and Beres Hammond’s smooth and tantalizing style. These two great Jamaican artistes have left a legacy for young artistes like him to nurture and build upon.

Marlon’s musical career became inevitable after he won the Grace Road Show in 1997. His first mission was finding a suitable team to work with. In June 2002, Marlon moved to Kingston and teamed up with Solid Agency, where he was exposed to the Dancehall/Reggae audience, and was able to perform on several events promoted by the above-mentioned company. One of his most memorable experiences to date was his first performance outside of Jamaica. He opened a show for Wayne Marshall in Antigua. He stated “I was surprised to see the love that was poured out to me during my performance!” This has encouraged the young singer to carry on with his work, as he believes that he is chosen by the Almighty to educate, motivate, uplift, and enhance the life of people and nations across the world. Recently Marlon opened for Voicemail at the University of the West Indies’ Freshers Fete on the St. Augustine campus in Trinidad & Tobago. The responses from his performances have been more than encouraging.

After receiving this very encouraging reception from his audiences in the Caribbean, Marlon has also wowed and amazed those of his audiences in the Americas, Europe and the continent of Africa. He delivered sensational performances in America, Canada, England and South Africa. He has collaborated musically with Bounty Killer, Iyara and Teflon. He has a lot of love and respect for Bounty Killer who he says has brought him to the forefront of his musical dreams and accomplishments thus far. His hope for the future is to continue to do good, positive music that can inspire and uplift his audiences. He aspires to continue on the journey that the great Bob Marley so passionately lead and hopes that he too will be a monument among the many Jamaican talented performers.

I-Wayne, General Trees, Screwdriver & Others Will Be At “Original Dancehall Thursday” Tomorrow

Posted on October 5, 2022 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Tomorrow night (October 6th) several veteran reggae and dancehall artists will be at Rebel T HQ on Dumbarton Avenue in Kingston, Jamaica for the Original Dancehall Thursday Concert & Dance.

Confirmed artists includes I-Wayne, King Banton, Boris Gardener, Barry Back, Rohges, Anacanda, General Trees, Screwdriver, and many more. The event will be hosted by Peter Metro and Major Mackerel; with additional music by Black Scorpio Sound, Klassique Klymaxx, Super Tone and Creation Int’l Music.

Nitty Kutchie Is Living A “Happy Live”

Posted on October 4, 2022 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Nitty Kutchie, one of reggae’s strongest vocalists, has been active in Jamaica’s music industry for approximately thirty years. Many people may know him from the early 90s collaboration he did with Bounty Killer and Angel Doolas: Go Away. However, Kutchie has a slew of songs that have achieved notable success, but because he keeps a low profile, music lovers may not know that he is the voice behind some of their favorite tracks.

Kutchie, with assistance from his long time friend and colleague, Richie Stephens, is hoping to change that. The two men recently worked together on the 2022 Jamaica Festival Song Competition; Stephens wrote the tune – Defend Jamaica – and Nitty Kutchie sang it. Although the song did not win, many people, at home and abroad, felt that it should have been the winner.

To that end, Richie Stephens followed up by writing another song, this one called Happy Life, and again invited Nitty Kutchie to sing it. Happy Life, which is produced by BoomRich Productions, Essential Musik and Richie Stephens‘ own Pot of Gold Production, also features The Gambian producer/artist Goodboy Elliot. It is appropriately being called a club banger because of its heavy rotation in night clubs and street dances.

An official video, which shows Nitty Kutchi living a Happy Life, was also shared.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD “HAPPY LIFE”

Sizzla Kalonji Will be On “Heroes Explosion” In Manchester

Posted on October 2, 2022 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Hewitt Entertainment in association with DJ Blazay will host Heroes Explosion – Stage, Bike & Car Show on Monday, October 17th at Hundred Man Sports Bar in Resource South, Manchester. Sizzla Kalonji and the Crank Up Team will be in the building!

Mega Banton Joins Third World On The 4th Annual Caribbean Food & Music Festival

Posted on October 2, 2022 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Caribbean American Cultural Group Inc. presents the 4th annual Treasure Coast Caribbean Food & Music Festival on Saturday, November 5th at the MidFlorida Event Center – 9221 Southeast Event Center Place – in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

This is a family event that will have lots of Caribbean food, vendors and music. There will be a live concert with Third World, Mega Banton, Denise Belfon and others. The Treasure Coast Caribbean Food & Music Festival will run from 12 noon to 10pm; and there is a $30 entrance fee.

The Caribbean American Cultural Group’s mission is to serve as the channel through which the culture, art, history, and spirit of the Caribbean Nations are shared with the local community.

Chambers Hydro Farm Using Music To Promote Agriculture & Healthy Eating

Posted on October 1, 2022 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Former Jamaican Olympian Ricardo Chambers – who is the CEO and owner of Chamber’s Hydro Farm in Spur Tree, Manchester – has been using music and social media to highlight the importance of healthy eating and the advantages of farming.

Throughout the summer he and his team have been sharing short video clips of artists – and in some cases actors – performing songs and skits that promote agriculture and its benefits. All the performances are usually done on the farm and then shared online where they’re reviewed by his followers in real time.

Pleased with the public’s response, Ricardo has decided to take it a step further. He is now partnering with Blakkwuman22 Music to release a song written and produced specifically to bring awareness to the aforementioned. The song, which went live on all streaming platforms on September 27th, is titled Ground Provision and it’s penned and performed by dancehall artist Karamanti.

On the record, Karamanti – who is a staunch pescatarian – breaks down her eating habits, and recommends that the listener use food as medication and not just something consumed impulsively.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD “GROUND PROVISION”