Techniques Records was the brain child of the late Winston Riley. Though he was the face of the label, behind‐the‐scenes his sons: Kurt “DJ Kurt Riley” and Andre “DJ Dre Stylez” Riley were adding their own flavor. The pair reached international success with Charly Black’s Gyal You A Party Animal on the Jambe‐An Riddim in 2014.
Their latest work is Beres Hammond’s My Kinda Girl, a beautiful lover’s rock reggae single with a catchy hook. Click here to check it out.
I-Wayne
Friday, December 15th will see a slew of top-tier reggae / dancehall artists converging in Buff Bay, Portland, Jamaica. This is all in honor of Mr. Portland aka Daryl Vaz’s birthday celebration. Confirmed acts includes: Bounty Killer, Romaine Virgo, Ken Boothe, Bugle, Louie Culture, I-Wayne and that is just to name a few. Musical juggling will be provided by Swatch International and Lil Richie.
It all goes down at the Lynch Park in Buff Bay. Admission is free and all are invited.
On Saturday, December 16th, international roots reggae artist Richie Spice will lend his talent to a worthy cause. He will be performing at Troy & Arlean’s annual Holiday Give Back. This event takes place at the Dry River Square in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. Also joining him will be Iyara, Dre Tosh and Kalla Shea.
In addition to the live show, there will be free kids treat, lots of games, free giveaways, free food and much more. Proceeds from this event will go towards assisting schools in both St. Elizabeth and St. James.
Produced on the Marley-owned Ghetto Youths International imprint ‘Social Media’ addresses a number of topical issues including the advantages and disadvantages associated with the popular platform. The song is written and performed by Wayne Marshall and Bugle.
As a booking agent, I have been noticing a trend that I think needs to be addressed. A lot of, if not all, Jamaican reggae and dancehall artists seem to be pricing themselves out of the market.
I do bookings for a few events in Europe. Because I know that most reggae/dancehall acts look to that region for work, I always try to seek out Jamaican talent (both established and emerging) to try to get them on my shows. Sadly, their requirements have got so out of hand that I find myself hiring mostly UK and African entertainers.
Reggae and dancehall music is now being produced all over the world. Therefore, the industry is more competitive. Investors and promoters are no longer just looking to Jamaica for these genres. Granted, Jamaica is still considered the home/leader in the reggae/dancehall field, but artists must realize that if their fees and entourage are too burdensome, promoters will look elsewhere.
Expecting a promoter to hire and pay you €2,000 and up, plus fly you, your manager and someone else, when you have no hit and, therefore, cannot bring out the crowd, is ridiculous.
I hope I have not offended anyone with this article, but I am currently in the process of booking for two upcoming events in that territory, and the requests I am getting are so far gone that I had to write this.
Etana’s new video “Burned” is an absolute must see! Directed by Jay Will aka Game Over, “Burned” looks at cheating through the eyes of an angry black woman. The visuals, which completely compliments the words of the song, shows that sometimes stepping out of your relationship can be dangerous.
“Burned” is now available on iTunes and all other digital music stores. It is distributed by Tad’s Record. Click here or on the image above to watch the video and remember to like and share.
Lenn Hammond is a singer, songwriter who taught himself to play the guitar, is on a musical mission to contribute positively to society. Using his falsetto over soulful beats, Lenn seeks to uplift and effect positive changes in everyone he meets, everywhere he goes, and to all who listen to his music.
Lenn is best known for love, romance and dissecting relationships’ growing pains in his songs. Critiquing the system, observing nature, and enjoying life are all recurring subject matter. He recently collaborated with Exco Levi on the remix of Tek U Fi Life – an ode of love and commitment and another collaboration with Blizz “Happy Face” both tracks due for release on various projects.
Always writing and recording, Hammond is preparing the stage for his next single, End of Innocence, a poignant and timely reflection of the situations girls and young women face. “I think it’s one of his finest songs!” said MAdCast- Fuji of Radio Regent’s ItaL rOOts RaDio, continuing “I love how the plucking of the guitar strings pulls you into the song and tugs at your heart strings.”
Lenn, a musical nomad, travels wherever his music takes him. In recent times, Lenn has answered the call in Japan, across Canada and in Europe. Europe offered the opportunity to spend over a year in London recording with various UK producers, including Chris Peckings among others.
In spring and summer of this year Lenn spent some time in Germany where he did a series of promotional appearances which were well received The Netherlands hosted Lenn Hammond’s first European show accompanied by a band, at the Luxor in Arnhem. That show saw people claiming a new good find.
A JUNO and multiple-award winner, Lenn Hammond was written into Canada’s music history, paving the way for many of his Reggae contemporaries.
