On Carnival Thursday – April 13th – Trinidadian soca group, Kes The Band, will perform live at Sabina Park (South Camp Road) in Kingston, Jamaica. Formed in the mid 2000s, Kes The Band is known for their unique blend of soulful vocals, calypso inspired melodies, rock riffs and island beats.
The aforementioned show will run from 8pm to 2am, and it’s being presented by SunNation, I Love Soca Jamaica, Frenchmen Party and IZWE Festival. Click here for tickets.
On Saturday, April 15th, Waterford Missionary Church – located in Waterford, St. Catherine, Jamaica – will present their 2023 Women’s Conference on the church grounds: 3154A Caymanas Drive, from 9:30am to 3pm.
The objective of the bi-annual event is to inspire, encourage and uplift – not just the women from their church and surrounding churches – but the unbelievers who they would like to bring closer to the Lord.
To accomplish their mission they have invited soet, author, motivational speaker and pastor, Marsha Wade, to be one of the keynote speakers. She will be joined by the executive director of the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF), Dr. Zoe Simpson. In addition to the powerful talks, they will also have special performances by Hands in Praise, WMC Dance Ministry and Dub Poetry; with the day’s activities being moderated by Nadeisha Edwards-Williams.
Finally, attendees will be asked to donate $1,000 JMD.
In recent years, Jamaica has seen a surge in new, independent reggae-dancehall artists not affiliated with any established camps. In an industry that is slow in welcoming emerging talents this news must be celebrated, as in the past these artists would have to rely on other already known singers and deejays to ‘give them a buss’. However – and this is unfortunate – quite a few of the new artists seem more intent on becoming famous as oppose to making good, quality music. And this is what sets Frass Khalifa a part!
Khalifa is a versatile dancehall artist and songwriter, who hails from Falmouth – Clark’s Town – in Trelawny, Jamaica. Although he has been making euphonious music for some time, it was approximately two years ago that his name really began to circulate in dancehall communities. Frass Khalifa now believes that 2023 will be his breakout year.
With that said, he kicked off this 12-month cycle by dropping a tuff dancehall track titled Rich Now. The song is on the trending Things & Time Riddim, which was produced by Pandemic Records. On the rhythm Frass Khalifa talks about the sense of urgency he has for achieving real success forthwith.
When asked what he would like listeners to take away from the song, he said: “Just want the listeners to understand that the time is now, no one knows what tomorrow brings so do it now. Don’t get discouraged by others, believe in yourself and get “Rich now mek Elon fret”.” He went on to say: “Well so far I’ve been getting a great feedback. They love the message and most of all a specific line… “Hafi rich now mek Elon fret”. They’re using that line very often. So now they’re waiting for the video.”
Gospel recording artist Nadine Valentine will release her debut reggae-gospel EP – Joyful Praise – on April 14, 2023. This is a four-track record that features a mix of new and previously released songs.
Listeners can expect to be taken on a nostalgic journey that’s guaranteed to get them singing and dancing. And although this is Nadine’s first gospel-reggae EP, she has released several Caribbean-style medleys and reggae hits in the past.
She explains the inspiration behind the project as follows: “I am inspired to create music that points to the joy of the Lord. Oftentimes persons outside of Christ perceive believers as individuals who do not radiate the joy of the Lord. My reggae gospel EP, Joyful Praise, wants to shift that mindset. We can serve the Kingdom of God with joy. It is not all about rules, regulations, and rituals.
As Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us, ‘the joy of the Lord is my strength’. My desire is to remind believers everywhere that God wants us to worship Him with the fruit of our lips, hands, feet, and body. Like David, we can sing and dance before our Creator unashamed. I have dedicated my life to making a joyful noise to the Lord.”
Earlier in the year British singer-songwriter Ella Mai announced her second headlining tour in support of the deluxe release of her sophomore album, Heart On My Sleeve. The highly anticipated tour will commence today – Friday, March 31st – at the Dome (Toyota Oakdale Theatre) in Wallingford, Connecticut. Below are all confirmed dates and locations.
Mar 31
Wallingford, CT, US
Dome at Toyota Oakdale Theatre
Apr 2
Providence, RI, US
Strand Theatre-RI
Apr 3
Philadelphia, PA, US
Franklin Music Hall
Apr 4
New York (NYC), NY, US
Terminal 5
Apr 6
Boston, MA, US
Citizens House of Blues Boston
Apr 7
Brooklyn, NY, US
Brooklyn Steel
Apr 8
Washington, DC, US
Echostage
Apr 10
Atlanta, GA, US
Coca-Cola Roxy
Apr 12
Fort Lauderdale, FL, US
Revolution Live Outdoors at the Backyard.
Apr 13
Orlando, FL, US
House of Blues – Orlando
Apr 18
Raleigh, NC, US
The Ritz
Apr 19
Baltimore, MD, US
Rams Head Live!
Apr 21
Richmond, VA, US
The National
Apr 22
Norfolk, VA, US
The NorVa
Apr 24
Nashville, TN, US
Marathon Music Works
Apr 25
Charlotte, NC, US
The Fillmore Charlotte
Apr 26
Atlanta, GA, US
Tabernacle
Apr 27
New Orleans, LA, US
Joy Theater
Apr 29
Sacramento, CA, US
Discovery Park
Apr 30
Dallas, TX, US
South Side Ballroom
May 1
Houston, TX, US
Warehouse Live-Ballroom
May 2
OUTDOOR
Austin, TX, US
Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater (Outdoors)
May 4
Tempe, AZ, US
Marquee Theatre
May 5
San Diego, CA, US
SOMA – Mainstage
May 6
Los Angeles (LA), CA, US
The Wiltern
May 7
Los Angeles (LA), CA, US
The Novo
May 9
Oakland, CA, US
Fox Theater
May 13
Seattle, WA, US
Showbox SoDo
May 14
Portland, OR, US
McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
May 17
Salt Lake City, UT, US
The Depot
May 18
Las Vegas, NV, US
House of Blues – Las Vegas
May 20
Denver, CO, US
Ogden Theatre
May 22
Minneapolis, MN, US
Fillmore Minneapolis
May 23
Chicago, IL, US
House of Blues Chicago
May 24
Chicago, IL, US
House of Blues Chicago
May 25
Indianapolis, IN, US
Old National Centre
May 27
Cincinnati, OH, US
Bogart’s
May 28
Columbus, OH, US
Newport Music Hall
May 30
Detroit, MI, US
The Fillmore
Jun 1
Toronto, ON, Canada
History
Multi-platinum recording artist Rayvon has teamed up with the reigning ‘King of Conscious Reggae’ Luciano, and emerging dancehall artist Sugar Bear on a new single titled Peace, Love & Understanding.
Written by Rayvon, the song was directed by Shaun Darson, and it features Dean Fraser on sax and Michael Richards on Bass. It was mixed by Shane Brown, son of Errol Brown who famously recorded and mixed albums with Bob Marley & The Wailers, Burning Spear and Third World.
The Jamaican music industry has birthed yet another unique talent. Hailing from the parish of St. Mary, which has consistently produced top-tier artists throughout Jamaica’s very musical history, newcomer Kelly Shane brings with her the eclectic mix of musical influences ranging from reggae, folk, and bossa nova, to hip-hop, R&B, rock and metal.
New artist but old musical soul, this singer/songwriter is no stranger to the industry. As a professionally trained beauty and special effects makeup artist, she has worked extensively on music videos, adverts, fashion shows and photo shoots. She first toured as a child with her mother (Tanya Stephens) during school vacations, and later worked as her personal assistant.
From the continent of Africa through the sounds of Fela Kuti and Steve Monite, to the Caribbean’s Beres Hammond and Bunji Garlin, and the USA’s Joni Mitchell – who Kelly hails as her biggest influence – this unassuming student of evocative expression is ready to share all she has learnt with lovers of good music across the globe.
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MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 