Roots artist Chezidek will kick off 2022 on stage in Dakar, Senegal. He is scheduled to perform at Hôtel Monaco Plage, located at Bel Air, Chemin de I’Hydrobase, with backing band Jahmo.
The event will also feature guest artists Saah Karim, Peeya Fyah and Wzaa. It is being presented by Kemtan Iyah and popular reggae promoter Sen Reggae.
International recording artist Richie Stephens may have another major hit on his hands. He just released the remix of his single Crazy, which features dancehall legend Bounty Killer, and the record is getting a lot of attention.
The song was already doing pretty good in its original version; however, the addition of Bounty Killer has given it a more appealing edge. That said, all the dancehall radio shows in Jamaica have now added it to their playlists. Click here to check it out.
Silk Sonic, the American pop duo that’s made up of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, have been dominating the entertainment space in recent months with both the lead up to, and release of their brand new album, An Evening With Silk Sonic.
The first single, Leave The Door Open, which was shared early in the year, took the world by storm. It rose to the number one spot on hundreds of charts, won countless awards and has been streamed and downloaded multitudinously. With numbers like these one can – without actually hearing the song – accurately speculate that it sounds amazing. It’s well written, produced and delivered. As far as songs goes, Leave The Door Open is perfect!
After reading the preceding paragraph one would think that there is no way it can be improved upon. But all that was until veteran reggae artist Anthony Cruz shared his version.
At the beginning of October, Cruz, in partnership with Tad’s Record, unleashed the reggae remix of Leave The Door Open. As it’s been known to do, the pulsating reggae drum and bass, combined with the strumming of the keys and guitar, takes the record to whole new level. Also worth noting is Anthony Cruz‘s vocal prowess, which enabled him to hit notes not frequently attempted by many singers.
The global reggae community welcomed the more familiar version of an already very popular song, so much so that it has been, and continues to get heavy radio spins and feature on music platforms worldwide.
The overwhelming positive reaction to the song led to the creation of some visuals, which were faultlessly presented.
At the end of November, U.S. based roots label, Reggae Global Entertainment, released a stunning seventeen-track album titled Di Jugglin. Volume 2 – Hush Riddim.
The project, which is made up of lovers-rock, inspirational and socially conscious tunes, boasts a stellar line-up. It features: Ed Robinson, Anthony Malvo, Ian Sweetness, G Cole, Hopeton Lindo, Hezron, Peter G, Joanna Marie, UU Maddo, Zeal, Yvad, Steve Knight, Yishka, Chris Thomas The CEO, Teddy Greaves Jr., Shauna Dazzle and Danglin. All the artists committed to the compilation once they learned that it’s for Joanna Marie and Ed Robinson; a well-respected couple in the industry.
In addition to the above-stated names, the creative energies behind the production are equally, and in some cases more accomplished. Therefore one can infer, without hearing it, that this body of work is authentic reggae music of the highest quality. World-renowned bassist Robbie Shakespeare is responsible for the bassline and Willie Lindo did the guitars; while piano, organs and drums were done by KashieF Lindo. The lone woman behind the scenes is the producer, Joanna Marie.
The rhythm was created at the Lindo‘s HeavyBeat Studio in Florida. As such, the HeavyBeat crew, along with Joanna Marie and Ed Robinson are credited for both mixing and mastering. As the name implies, this album is the second in a series of rhythm-driven records from Reggae Global Entertainment. Part one came out in 2017 and the hope is to have part 3 ready for November, 2022.
Since its release Di Jugglin. Volume 2 – Hush Riddim has had thousands of streams. When asked what she would like listeners to take away from this album, Joanna Marie said: “the most important take aways would be good penmanship, a riddim to rock your soul.. and longevity sound to last a lifetime.”
Romain Virgo’s latest song – a Caribbean pop tune called Good Woman – is already trending, after having been officially released for only a few hours.
The track went live on all major digital streaming platforms on December 3rd and was followed by the official video on the 4th. Notwithstanding the fact that it’s brand new, both audio and video have been placed in high rotation globally.
Click here or on the image above to check out the visuals and remember to like, comment and share.
Restart Riddim is a four-track dancehall compilation that features new music from Peppery, Sherida Sharpe, I-Talawah and Karamanti. The project, which was released at the end of November, comes to us courtesy of Blakkwuman22 Music.
The idea for the record was conceptualized after the label shared the first single from Karamanti’s upcoming album, Start With A Prayer, and noticed that the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Everybody that heard the track fell in love with it; and several artists inquired about voicing on the instrumental. However, after careful deliberation the Blakkwuman22 Music team decided to go with the aforementioned performers.
The beat for the Restart Riddim was built by Lamar Thompson, exclusively for Blakkwuman22 Music. And all the artists wrote their respective songs, with the exception of the title track, which although sung by Sherida Sharpe, was written by Karamanti.
The objective of this and all other projects on the Blakkwuman22 Music label is to purposefully restore positivity back into Jamaican dancehall music.
It is said that there are literally hundreds of new reggae songs released on a daily basis. This number continues to grow, especially as technology advances, giving untrained music enthusiasts the ability to create their own sound.
This new day and age that we live in has its advantages and disadvantages. One of the unfortunate things about having access to so many new tunes on an ongoing basis is that the really great songs can, and does sometimes get lost in the crowd.
One such song is Dwight Pinkney‘s rendition of The Train is Coming; featured on Upstairs Music‘s latest reggae compilation with the same name.
Although this beautiful instrumental is being recognized and celebrated by persons within the reggae industry, many are of the belief that it ought to be exposed to a wider audience so that its charming and seductive melodies can be fully appreciated by true reggae lovers.
Dwight‘s decades of musical experiences are embodied in this one record. From his entry into the industry in the 60s with the group The Sharks, to his countless shows and studio sessions with the likes of Bunny Wailer, Coxsone Dodd, Toots Hibbert and other legendary reggae artists and producers. One of Dwight Pinkney‘s most recognized works to date is How Could I Live, which has been covered by many artists including the great Dennis Brown. That being said, his interpretation of The Train Is Coming is arguably among his best, as far as instrumental goes.
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 