On December 25th reggae artist AJ Brown will headline an event dubbed Reggae Christmas Jamboree at the Island Flavor Bar & Grill – 10711 Chef Menteur Hwy – in New Orleans, Louisiana. Brown will be backed by the Jam-X Band, and patrons will also be treated to performances from several other guest artists.
The Reggae Christmas Jamboree is being presented by Sonic Promotions in collaboration with Island Flavor. There is $35 USD entrance fee. Click here for tickets.
In 2018, while the overall crime rate was on the decline in the U.S., police brutality remained constant. This is across all communities; with an unfortunate higher concentration in the inner-cities.
At the time, song writer, recording artist and producer King Jazzy, who traverses between Jamaica and America, felt compelled to address the situation in a song. The record, titled Sentry, was subsequently shared in the Fall of that year (on September 14th to be exact).
Fast forward to today, in 2021 and police crackdowns, which have in some instances escalated to state terrorism, have gotten worse. With that reality, King Jazzy and his team have decided to re-share the song Sentry, which is now getting a lot of radio play here in Jamaica.
The relevant reggae tune brings to light the acts of some unruly soldiers stationed to keep guard and control access to certain areas, but who are instead abusing their powers.
A few days ago Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress Nneka shared a new song and video, and at the same time announced the official release date for her upcoming album, Love Supreme. The highly anticipated LP, which will have a total of thirteen songs, will go live on February 11th, 2022.
In the mean time Nneka continues to publish singles from the record. The latest is for track number eleven, a reggae-soul fused tune called Maya. Click here or on the image above to check out the visuals and remember to like, comment and share.
Next week Thursday, December 23rd, DJ Aktive will present the holiday edition of his classic hip-hop party series Protect Ya Neck. He has invited the founder of Black Girls Rock, DJ Beverly Bond, to join him on the turn tables; while CL Smooth will performance live.
Protect Ya Neck will take place at Silk City, located at 435 Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Starting time is 10pm and proof of vaccination or a negative covid-19 test within 72 hours is required for entrance. Get tickets here.
Ghanaian reggae artist Tradition Man Wolo, who stepped on the scene as a solo act after leaving the defunct reggae band Club Tradition many years ago, is now back with a timely message.
He is gearing up to release his first full length studio album in the new year; but for now he would like to share the project’s lead single. It is a beautiful, but powerful reggae tune titled Back Again.
The song was inspired by recent events in the United States of America; this is as it relates to racial injustice and the real possibility that the reinstatement of Jim Crow laws are likely if the people do not consciously reject segregational politics. “Slavery days have come back again like a gun shot, in a different style,” sings Tradition Man Wolo.
Back Again was produced and mixed by Bobby Roy in Stockholm, Sweden. That said, Tradition Man‘s vocals were recorded at Undercaste Studios in Shoreline, Washington (America); while the mastering was done by Mike Caplan at Lion and Fox Studios, in Washington DC.
Lupe Fiasco, who is currently doing the Food & Liquor tour, is making it known that as a consequence of shows being sold out quickly he will be streaming his December 29th concert live for fans who will not be able to see him in person.
The December 29th show will be at Brooklyn Steel, a 1800-capacity music venue in Brooklyn, New York. The performance, which will be supported by a full backing band, will broadcast in real time via Dreamstage. Get tickets and details here.
R&B and soul singer / songwriter Macy Gray has just announced that she will be doing three back to back concerts starting on the December 30th and ending on January 1st at the Iridium – 1650 Broadway – in New York.
Gray will be supported by her band, The California Jet Club. Click here for tickets and to get additional information about this event.
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 