On Saturday, October 5th, Jah9 and the Dub Treatment Band will perform at Festi’Val de Marne, which will be held at 4 Avenue Boieldieu in Villiers-sur-Marne, France.
Deeply mystical, Jah9 has become the feminine icon of a movement based on universal consciousness. Her philosophy, spirituality and style, “Jazz on Dub,” have spread throughout Europe and around the world. Click here for tickets to the festival.
On Friday, November 15th, veteran reggae / dancehall artist, Anthony B, will be performing at Kola Restaurant & Lounge – located at 32523 Northwestern Hwy – in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
This event will run from 8 PM through to 2 AM the following morning. Tickets, which starts at $25 USD, are available HERE.
A few weeks ago veteran reggae artist Mikey General introduced me to a new artist, IfaTunde Orunmila. Though he currently resides in the UK, I met IfaTunde while he was visiting loved ones and hanging out with Mikey in Jamaica.
Upon meeting him I was given a complimentary copy of his new album “Melanin.” I promised both men that I would listen to the CD and give my honest opinion.
While listening to it I was struck by how different it is from other recently released Rasta-reggae albums I’ve had to review. The difference, I felt at the time and still do, is in the lyrical content, the message. I was honestly expecting to hear a lot of praise and acknowledgement for Rastafari, but I didn’t get that at all.
The album starts with IfaTunde introducing himself by letting us know that he is a “Struggler.” He gets into his background and laments on why he won’t give up. From there, the next few songs are all about educating his listeners on the importance of loving and respecting each other and not neglecting and/or mistreating our youths. There is of course the title track “Melanin,” which highlights the uniqueness of the black skin, as well as a couple of tracks in which he is thanking the ‘Creator’ for all his blessings.
All and all I’m fascinated with this album because I find that it has an inexplicable power. Maybe it’s IfaTunde‘s spirituality that’s quietly on display. In the early 2000’s, he traveled to Nigeria and Ghana where he was initiated into the ways of the Orishas (Òrìṣà), which is a Yoruba way of life/tradition. It is there that he got the name Ifa-Tunde; meaning the oracle has returned.
Musicians featured on this project includes: Trevor Bonnick (Skatta), who is the lead singer for Inner Circle. He played various instruments, provided harmonies and mixed the entire project; Benje “Donovan” Belnavis (bass guitar); Paul “Titus” Green (rhythm guitar); Steven “Lenky” Marsden (piano) and Shanti (harmonies). It was mastered by Delroy “Spider” Thompson at Anchor Studio in Kingston, Jamaica.
As if all the aforementioned isn’t enough to solidify “Melanin” as a great record, it also boast collaborations with Mikey General, Skatta and Shaddu. All songs were recorded at Cube Music JA.
Click here to listen and download “Melanin” from iTunes.
Review by @MariaJackson27
On Wednesday, October 16th, Midwest Reggae Radio will host veteran reggae artist Half Pint at Club Viva (408 N Euclid Ave) in St. Louis, Missouri. He will be supported by guest artists Andrew Bees (from Black Uhuru) and King Hopeton. Confirmed selectors are Triful Toones and DJ Witz.
Early bird tickets are available via eventbrite for $25 USD. It will be $30 USD at the door, which opens at 8:30 PM.
On Saturday, October 12th, iconic lovers rock reggae artist, J.C. Lodge, will make her first public appearance in Salt Lake City, Utah. She will be bringing her classic reggae hit, “Someone Loves you Honey,” to The Complex, located at 536 West 100 South.
Showtime is 7 PM sharp, and there is a $30 USD entrance fee.
“I’ll Be There,” performed by Randy Valentine, is featured on Heavy Roots‘ album “Tiempo Roots,” which is scheduled to be released on October 11th. The project is on the Evidence Music label and they have shared the song’s official video on their channel.
Click here or on the image above to watch, and remember to like, comment and share.
On Friday, October 25th, Junior Kelly, backed by the Fireman Crew Band, will perform at YAAM (An der Schillingbrücke 3) in Berlin, Germany. This show is one of the stops on his ‘Love So Nice 20 Years Celebration Tour.’
It was Junior Kelly’s game changing roots reggae mega hit single “Love So Nice” that established him as a star throughout Jamaica. It brought about a stunning album, with the same name, for U.S. based Distributor, VP Records, which was released on January 25, 2001.
