On Saturday, August 24th, there will be an ‘After Carnival Show & Dance’ at Club Empire (103 Empire Blvd. between Bedford and Franklin) in Brooklyn, New York.
Soca artists Tallpree and Skinny Banton will be the main acts for the evening. They will be supported by Boyzie, Inspector, Shortwave, King Black and many more. Early bird tickets are going for $25 USD; it will be more at the door.
Indian band, Sirens of Shanti, which is based in Toronto, Canada, has released a Bhangra mix of Rita Marley’s popular hit “One Draw.” Done in their native tongue, the song also features a couple verses from Jamaican dancehall artist Karamanti.
The REVOLT Summit, which was created to bring hip-hop artists, creators and executives together to celebrate the culture and empower the community, will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from September 12th through 14th.
Last week the organizers unveiled the first wave of speakers, which includes: T.I., Coach K, Pierre “Pee” Thomas, Jermaine Dupri, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Ester Dean and more. The three-day experience is dedicated to equipping young leaders with the right gems to succeed in the Hip Hop business.
In 2015, Una Morgan, a member of the reggae band Morgan Heritage, fell ill and had to remove herself from the limelight in order to focus on both her physical and mental health. She had been suffering from a pre-existing thyroid disease and was admitted in the hospital as her organs shut down and went into cardiac arrest. The silent killer caused congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation, which is an abnormal heart rhythm.
Today the artist’s publicist announced that she is back! Una Morgan is now healthy, happy and ready to get back to the music. That being said, she just released the first single, Evolution, from her upcoming solo album.
Joy Fairclough in collaboration with Joy Music Ltd. will be having a dinner and show to celebrate her CD and book launch. It’s scheduled for Tuesday, September 10th at Jacob’s Place – 10A Springvale Avenue (off Constant Spring Road) – in Kingston.
She will be joined by some of the industry’s most respected musicians and artists: Fab 5 Band, Stranger Cole, Tilly Roots, The Heptones, Pam Hall and many, many more. For additional information about this event, email joyfairclough@yaho.com.
Ankh Marketing presents hip-hop greats Ghostface Killah and Raekwon at The Midway (900 Marin Street) in San Francisco on Saturday. August 31st. Both men will be supported by Locksmith with DJ True Justice, as well as female rapper Saroc.
In addition to the live performances there will also be an art display by Apexer; plus D-Sharp, Big Von, Apollo, Red Corvette, Mr. E., Sean G, Supreme and more will be on the turn-tables.
Ifa Tunde Orunmila has been working on his upcoming album, Melanin, for the past nine years. The official release date is August 18th.
The reason the project has taken so long is simply because Ifa Tunde is not your average artist. Having been initiated into the ways of the Orishas (Òrìṣà) (which is a Yoruba tradition), he views life from a spiritual stand point and makes all decisions accordingly. That being said, he didn’t feel the need to rush or put a time limit on his work.
Though ‘Melanin’ took a long time to complete, it was definitely worth the wait as it is a well produced, inspirational roots reggae masterpiece. 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.
When asked why the name “Melanin,” a thoughtful Ifa Tunde responded with the following:
“The reason I call my album Melanin is because I absorb the light from the cosmos and convert it into sound and that sound is my music. My music is the harmonic sound, the universal music, the sound that connects everything as one.”
