Later today – Monday, August 1st – Warrior King, Shane O, Bescenta and others, will perform at the Proud Jamaican Emancipation Day concert being presented by Island Vibz Seafood, Sportsbar and Grill.
The celebration will commence at 1pm; however, the live show will not start until 7pm at 195 Manor Centre Plaza, Constant Spring in Kingston, Jamaica. The Guinness winner, High Grade International Sound will be in the building along with internet sensation Swiss Lee.
General admission without food is $2,000 JMD; with food it is $8,000 JMD.
Internationally-acclaimed Jamaican singer-songwriter Tanya Stephens celebrated her 49th birthday by gifting the world with a surprise new single “Fifty,” featuring another chart-topping female artist of Golden Era dancehall music, Patra. Produced by Tad Jr. , the monstrous new collaboration off Stephens’ upcoming album Some Kinda Madness (out September 2ndvia Tad’s Recordand available now for pre-order), finds the legendary artists offering fair warning to anyone who thinks that age might slow down the shenanigans of these two queens of the dancehall:
And If yuh think mi bad now wait till mi lick FIFTY, dem a go say a how dah big woman yah so frisky Want a buddy weh knock it inna gypsy Bad when mi sober, worse when mi tipsy
And if yuh think we bad now, wait till yuh see half ah century When a dozen big woman a mek a entry An we a sip di henny bottle till it empty Keep up behavior weh upset di gentry
To further demonstrate that age ain’t nothing but a number, Tanya Stephens dropped the “Fifty” official lyric video. Directed by Romario Rodney and Rayon Smith, the brand new visuals invite us into a grown woman bashment party hosted by the “maturing” bad gyal herself. As the dancers drop from headtop to full split, they leave little doubt that there is no substitute for experience.
Of the unexpected, but welcomed combination, Tanya says, “Patra is an unquestionable bad ass! She influenced urban culture and inspired many of us women to embrace our sensuality even as we stood in our strength. Having her bless this track feels like my personal revolution now has a soundtrack and I’m excited to step into my 50’s with this kind of energy!“
Patra broke boundaries in the 1990’s — a time many consider to be the Golden Era of Dancehall music — with seminal albums like Queen Of The Pack, which topped the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, and rude gyal anthems like “Romantic Call,” a collaboration with Compton superstar emcee Yo-Yo. Patra‘s unparalleled success during that time paved the way for future female Jamaican singers and deejays like Tanya Stephens, who also made a name for herself in the following years with dancehall staples like “Yuh Nuh Ready For This” and “Goggle,” before establishing herself as one of the island’s most gifted songwriters with unforgettable tunes like “It’s a Pity” and “These Streets.”
“Fifty” stands as the second official single released from Stephens‘ upcoming 20-track album, which also features support from reggae heavyweights like Cedella Marley, Diana King, Big Youth and Nadine Sutherland, among other guests. Previously released tracks from the Some Kinda Madnessproject include the steel pan-driven “Zig Ziggler,” the heartfelt ballad “World Goes Round,” and the uplifting single “Diamonds In The Sun (featuring Cedella Marley and Diana King).”
In his latest release Old School New School, dancehall artist Busy Signal puts his spin on Buju Banton‘s 90s hit, Bogle. Signal, in collaboration with Gorilla Music Source, shared both the song and its accompanying visuals on July 29th.
The simple but entertaining official video features some local celebrities, namely: Sean Paul, Bling Dawg and several professional dancehall dancers. If you have not yet seen it, check it out and remember to like, comment and share.
This Emancipation Day – Monday, August 1st – Catherine Hall Entertainment Centre in Montego Bay, Jamaica, will come alive with the annual Mobay Jerk & Food Festival.
Although it is primarily a food show, the event has several other features: bounce about, face painting, ball pits, drinking and eating contests and live performances from top acts in both the gospel and secular genres.
Among the artists booked for this year are: Jah Vinci, Alaine, Shane O, Petra Kaye and Goddy Goddy. Additional music will be provided by ZJ Liquid, DJ Shem and Trophy Sniper Sound; while MC Blazze and Lady Energy will do hosting duties. This is an all day family event that will begin at 10am. Entrance fee is $2,500 JMD.
In 2021 while most of the entertainment industry was still grappling with the negative effects of covid-19, Sheldon Edwards – a true visionary – conceptualized the imprint we now know as Pandemic Records. Although the label initially started with just him, in no time it became a team of four which now includes: Rodrick, Garth, Leroy and of course Sheldon.
They stepped out on the global stage approximately one year ago with an inspirational dancehall single called World Prayer, performed by Ras Kronik and Chillum. The success of that song served as the catalyst to the now trending Logic Riddim, which came out on June 16, 2022.
Logic Riddim is a dancehall compilation that has a blend of emerging and established artists. It features Munga Honorable, Diffa Element, Sizzla Kalonji, Fantan Mojah, Chillum, Shava, Little Hero, Mr Easy, Jah Soulja, Skystar, Tabeta Cshae, Pezd, Ras Kronik and Kash Promise Move. The well produced – positive – project is giving hope to dancehall lovers who are distraught by the direction the genre is going in.
With songs from the Logic Riddim on heavy rotation all over the world, the team at Pandemic Records feel inspired to do more. When asked what’s next for the camp, they said: “BIG THINGS, We have recently launched a Real Energy Merch Website where fans of Pandemic Records can get their favorite songs on t-shirts and other stuff!!! We are putting in a lot of work we never stop because it is definitely big things for Pandemic Records.”
After working in Jamaica’s media for approximately twenty-two years – with stints at SunCity 104.9 FM, Bes 100 FM and Styles 96.7 FM – Disc-Jock Redeem is now back at his original home, Roots 96.1 FM, unleashing Positive Vibrations each and every Saturday from midnight to 6am on Sundays.
The six-hour program, which is also streamed live on his Facebook profile, features various musical genres spanning several decades. What makes the show unique is that unlike other radio programs, Redeem welcomes and promotes music from up-and-coming artists, providing their lyrical content is not negative or derogatory.
Although Roots 96.1 FM is a community radio station based in Kingston, Jamaica, it can be heard right across the island – and the world – via the internet. The station uses four online radio tuners, which means that it broadcasts digitally twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
The album titled ‘Jamaica Festival 2022 Song Competition’ features the ten finalists in this year’s contest. It’s the third consecutive year that finalists in the Jamaica Festival Song Competition have been released on global streaming platforms.
The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honorable Olivia Grange, who has been leading the initiative as part of her strategy to revitalize Jamaica Festival is urging “lovers of Jamaican music, everywhere, to support the artistes by streaming and downloading the songs.”
According to the Minister, “It is essential that people hear and get to know the finalists and participate in selecting that one song which will drive our Jamaica 60 Independence celebrations. These 30, or so, streaming options are a good medium to expose the music and the performers.”
The winning song will be decided by judges scores as well as public voting via text messaging in Jamaica and via the Reggae Jamaica App across the world. There’s a prize of three million dollars for the winning song to be shared among the producer, the writer and the singer.
SOURCE: MINISTRY OF CULTURE, GENDER, ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORT
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 