PEABO BRYSON & BRIAN MCKNIGHT TO PERFORM AT GROOVIN IN THE PARK (@ItsBMcKnight @PeaboBryson2)

Posted on May 6, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Peabo Bryson

Reggae and R&B music lovers in the tri-state area are beaming with excitement after news broke that ‘Loversrock King’ Beres Hammond and reggae legend Toots Hibbert will join Grammy Award winning singers Peabo Bryson and Brian McKnight as headline acts at the 5th annual Groovin In The Park concert. The event unfolds at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens New York on Sunday, June 26th 2015.

Peabo Bryson, who has won two Grammy Awards in his celebrated career is one of the premier male vocalists in contemporary music. With over twenty albums to his credit, he has the distinction of being the first artist in music history to have separate songs topping four different charts simultaneously. Bryson launched his career with his self titled debut album. The project including a young Luther Vandross who sang background vocals. After releasing ‘Reaching for the Sky’ which went gold, he penetrated the hearts of fans with ‘Feel the Fire’ and ‘I’m So Into You’ which spent two weeks at #2 on the R&B chart. His 1989 album ‘All My Love’ peaked at #1 on the R&B chart. He hit #1 a second time with ‘Can You Stop The Rain.’ The single won him a 1991 Grammy nomination for best R&B vocal performance by a male. But it was his #1 pop songs ‘Beauty and the Beast’ with pop superstar Celine Dion from the Disney animated films and ‘A Whole New World’ with Regina Belle that earned him two Grammy Awards and an Oscar for ‘Best Song.’

Over the years, he has scored hits with his friends including ‘We’re the Best of Friends’ with Natalie Cole and ‘Live & More’ a year later with Roberta Flack. He achieved even bigger success with Flack on the album ‘Born to Love’ that featured his signature hit ‘Tonight I Celebrate My Love.’

Brian McKnight

Singer Brian McKnight who is also confirmed for Groovin In The Park is known for his sensual love songs. He has a hefty catalogue of hit songs dating back to his 1992 self-titled debut album which peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and included ‘One Last Cry.’ Among his other popular albums and hit songs that will have the ladies yearning for more are ‘Remember the Magic;’ ‘Back At One’ which sold over 3 million copies; ‘Superhero’ which secured five Grammy nominations and ‘U Turn.’ New Yorkers have a special lover affair with McKnight who was a popular radio host on Urban 98.7 KISS FM in NYC and who appeared on the Celebrity Apprentice TV show with current presidential candidate Donald Trump who hosted the show.

ROAD TO LAGOS INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2016

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Header 2016 This year’s Lagos International Jazz festival 2016 organised by Inspiro productions which coincides with the traditional April Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) and 30 April International Jazz Day celebration kicked off with a series of JAM sessions tagged ‘Road to Lagos International Jazz festival 2016’ held at venues across the city of Lagos. The events were to highlight the importance of Jazz and its extraordinary heritage throughout April and also to publicize the festival happening between the 29th of April and 1st of May 2016. Jazz Roundtable Specials on Metro 97.7FM were also held every Sunday in April to support same.

The JAM sessions kicked off on April 1 at Hotel 1960 – Prince of Anthony – Culture Café, Anthony Village Lagos, it was followed on Friday 8 April at The Pop Up Jazz Lounge Lekki I, Lagos and then the Ayo Bankole Centre for Arts Surulere, Lagos on Saturday 15 April. The highlights of the event were performances by leading Jazz performers and attendance by enthusiasts and lovers of the genre. Present to perform at the events were Director of SPAN Academy of Jazz and Contemporary music and foremost Jazz Musician Bright Gain, Europe based NAIJAZZ guitarist Adedeji Adetayo, classical pianist Ubong Utiah (UB4TY), Sam and the Jazz Apostles featuring Dera, the group Wired, Jazz vocalist Dapo Fasuyi, konkovibrations proponent Niyi Ige, rising Jazz saxophonist Peter Adedeji, trado-soul and jazz singer Empress and a host of others.

Various personalities attended the events and these included top promoter Wale Oluwaleimu, Emmanuel Odole of Blackdrum.TV, Yinka Oni former chairman National Bank, Demola Ogunfolu, Kunle Ogunneye – Country director – Mall of Africa, Sean B, Chairman of the Hotel 1960 group Akin Adeoya and his lovely wife, Mr. Yemi Akinbode, Jazz Pioneer in Nigeria Tunde Kuboye of the Jazz 38 and extended family fame, Muyiwa Majekodunmi of the Jazzville fame, Austin Of Luzol and a host of others. The last JAM session for April is slated for Saturday April 23 at the Shuga Lounge, Hotel 1960 Eagles Park, Ikeja, Lagos.

April is designated annually as Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) Jazz Appreciation Month and its climaxes into the International Jazz Day on April 30 recognized by the UN and UNESCO. The Lagos State government led by His Excellency Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is marking the International Jazz Day 2016 this year at the Lagos state house, Alausa.

The Lagos International Jazz Festival is Nigeria’s Premier Jazz Festival happening over 3 days in the Lagos Megacity. The event has a standard edition happening at the Freedom Park from the 29th to 30th of April and a Luxury edition happening at The Bay Lounge Waterfront Lekki On May 1 both events start at 6pm. The lineup of acts for the event include Mike Aremu, Sharp Band, Orliam, Herbert Kunle Ajayi, Skata Vibrations, Seun Olota, Adeh, Akeem Lasisi and a host of others.

Soul Singer Percy Sledge Has Passed Away

Posted on April 23, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Percy-Sledge American soul singer, Percy Sledge, who is best known for his hit song, “When a Man Loves a Woman,” has died at age 74.

It was confirmed by Steve Green from the talent agency Artists International Management Inc. that he died at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Tuesday, April 14th.

Sledge’s debut single “When a Man Loves a Woman” reached the top 10 twice in the UK and topped the U.S. Billboard chart for two weeks in 1966, when it also got to number four in the UK chart.

Another Music Legend Has Died

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Prince Prince, the singer that gave us “purple rain” and so many other hits, died earlier today at his Paisley Park home and studio in Minneapolis. He was only 57 years old.

According to a press release sent from the Carver County Sheriff’s Department this afternoon, deputies arrived at Paisley Park at 9:43 a.m. and found Prince unresponsive in the elevator. After CPR attempts were unsuccessful, he was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m. The cause of death has not yet been determined, and Carver County with assistance from Hennepin County Sheriffs and the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating.

Soultronic Music Prodigy Byron Major is blossoming with funky single release ‘May Flower’ (@byronmajor13)

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Byron Major

South African musical mastermind Byron Major is impressing with a fresh take on soul and funk influences with his upcoming single ‘May Flower’.

Byron Major has achieved quite a lot for an artist in his early 20s -he’s performed his song ‘South Africa’ for Nelson Mandela’s Boston birthday celebration in 2013, shared a stage with Pavarotti for his farewell tour in South Africa as part of the Drakensberg Boys Choir and sang alongside Grammy Awards winning songwriter Paula Cole at a songwriting showcase at Berklee College of Music. His new single ‘May Flower’ is a funky and addictive soul track produced by multi-platinum selling producer Andy Whitmore in the Londoner Greystoke Studios. Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/byronmajor/may-flower

Putting Byron Major’s music into a box is not going to work. While his style is certainly influenced by his early classical music training, Byron takes on elements from traditional South African music to Motown and 21st century electronica. His musical influences derive from artists such as Stevie Wonder, Prince and Marvin Gaye but his philosophy of musical variety is one that rejects categorizations. “My dream is for all of music to live under one umbrella, in one home. To me, genres in music is like racism in society”, he explains. He likes to describe his own sound as ‘soultronic’.

When Byron Major first saw Michael Jackson on TV at the age of five, the King of Pop had left such an impression on him that he soon decided to follow his lead and start working on his own career as entertainer and songwriter. At the age of nine, Byron nearly died in a car crash weeks before watching a concert of the Drakensberg Boys Choir. He watched the performance with his dad and it was then that he decided he’d want to join the choir. After a successful audition, his musical career progressed steadily. Byron remembers: “I started writing songs at the age of 12 years, and used my pocket money to have my songs recorded at a studio near my home. So when other kids were out playing and going to the movies, I stayed at home and wrote and produced songs.”At the sweet age of 17, he was already performing his songs on South African national television. The songsmith has perfected his art during a degree at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA, which has fostered the careers of alumni such as Steve Vai and John Mayer. In 2015, Byron Major’s music was playlisted on 21 radio stations across South Africa, including five digital stations in the UK.

His upcoming single ‘May Flower’ was part of a series of EPs he released during his time at Berklee. The song speaks about the push and pull that lovers experience in a passionate relationship. As someone who has never had a relationship, Byron Major draws his songwriting inspiration from reflecting other people’s relationships and reflects on life in general.

The single ‘May Flower’ is out on 15^th April 2016.

Songstress Tessanne Chin Drops Sensational Hit, Love Suicide (@Tessanne)

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Tessanne Chin’s latest single Love Suicide is a sweeping, soulful ballad of reckless affection. The single captures the essence of finding love so powerful that it is all together consuming and exhilarating. Love Suicide, released on her own imprint Chinita Entertainment, is now available on iTunes for pre-sale.

Known for her powerhouse vocals and striking range, Tessanne Chin is in the studio working on her third album. She cultivates elements of Soul, Pop, and R&B, but always with a little island flare that sets her apart from her peers. These features in Chin’s music are realized to their fullest potential in her latest single, Love Suicide. Her astounding voice illuminates the track as the tension builds throughout this elegant song of absolute true love. Opening with a classic piano melody, Love Suicide maintains a fresh and unique style of contemporary and classic R&B influences. Seasoned songwriter, Blu June, whose credits include Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande and many more, brought her skills to assist in writing Love Suicide.

As the track builds, the passion in her dynamic belting increases and emphasizes the sincerity of her unquestionable yearning and the hold it has over her. To make the sound come to fruition, Tessanne collaborated with producerDarwin Quinn (Lil’C), whose tracks have charted #1 on Billboard and recent credits include Tyga, TI, Young Jeezy and many more.

International Reggae Pop sensation Shaggy suggested she audition for Season 5 of NBC’s hit singing competition show, The Voice, which she won. She performed duets with superstars, like Celine Dion and Adam Levine, her show coach. Her cover of Bridge Over Troubled Water went to #1 on iTunes Overall Top Songs, the first instance of this happening for a contestant of The Voice. Since winning The Voice, Tessanne opened Blow by Blow, a full-service salon in Kingston, Jamaica in tandem with her two sisters. She also recently partnered with Bellami Hair Extensions.

Showcasing Tessanne Chin’s rare sound and style, Love Suicide proves yet again that we can expect more aural beauty from the esteemed artist. Having topped the charts in the Caribbean, Chin has recently set her sights on a broader fan base and continues to win over hearts, minds, and ears with her magnificent voice. To learn more about upcoming releases and tours, visit OfficialTessanneChin.com.

New Love Song From Chris Martin, In Time For Valentines Day (@kirkledove @Iamchrismartin)

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

00- Chris Martin Since his rise to fame after winning Digicel Rising Stars, reggae crooner Christopher Martin has accrued many accolades with his distinctive voice and memorable lyrics. His music has remained a constant presence on worldwide charts, and videos on rotation.

Just in time for the romance that February brings with Valentines Day, KirkleDove Records is delivering “Beauty To My Life” performed by Christopher Martin. Single will be available on iTunes.

KirkleDove is a production company owned by Drummer, Songwriter, Producer, Lyricist, Artiste Kirk ‘Kirkledove’ Bennett. The production label has been delivering work on the Reggae /Dancehall scene since 2004 but got major exposure and notoriety with the ‘Dutch Pot’ Riddim with the mega hit ‘Tek weh yuhself’ by Mr. Vegas. Since then many other Riddims have made it to the worldwide market from Kirkledove Records. In 2015 the label released: ‘The Devil have a way’ – Lady Saw, ‘Healing of the Nation’ – Patexx, ‘Ruff Har Up – Koshens, ‘Bad Gyal Wine – QQ and ‘Style Dem Again’ – Busy Signal on the Street Corner Riddim. Kirkledove Records starts 2016 with the release of an up tempo, catchy crossover song performed by Christopher Martin called ‘Beauty in my life’ which makes the singer’s voice float on bold instrumental, that reminiscent of our Latin neighbours. Listen to the song here: https://soundcloud.com/kirkledove-records/01-beauty-to-my-life-by-christopher-martin-from-kirkledove-records