A couple days ago Christopher Martin and Romain Virgo shared the official video for their second collaborative single “Glow.” The song was initially released in May on the Top Spot Riddim produced by Maximum Sound.
Click here or on the image above to check out the video and remember to like, comment and share.
On Thursday, October 17th, R&B heavy-weight Angie Stone will perform at the O2 Institute Birmingham (78 Digbeth High Street) in Birmingham, United Kingdom. This is an early show that will start at 7 PM UTC. Click here for tickets.
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.
The great ones endure, and Gladys Knight has long been one of the greatest. Very few singers over the last fifty years have matched her unassailable artistry. This seven-time Grammy winner has enjoyed #1 hits in Pop, Gospel, R&B and Adult Contemporary, and has triumphed in film, television and live performance.
Catch her live at the Kings Theatre (1027 Flatbush Avenue) in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, November 23rd at 8 PM. She will be joined by the Prince of sophisticated Soul, Will Downing. Click here for tickets.
Mega Banton, the artist that brought us hits like “Sound Boy Killing,” “Mr. Mention” and so many other big tunes from the 90s, will be touching down in Missouri next month. He, alongside emerging artist Tydal Kamau, will be performing at the Ye Ethiopian Lounge (5916 Delmar Blvd) in St. Louis, on Saturday, November 9th.
Doors will open at 9 PM, while the actual show is scheduled for an 11 PM start. Admission is $20 USD.
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
