The 2024 Cali Vibes Festival is all set for February 16-18 at the Marina Green Park – 386 East Shoreline Drive – in Long Beach, California.
Starting at noon on all three days, it will feature performances by Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley, Inner Circle, Stephen Marley, Blvk H3ro, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Skip Marley, and many more artists from varying genres. Click here for tickets.
Perfect Giddimani, one of the hardest-working artists and producers in the reggae-dancehall industry, has joined forces with Pressure Busspipe from the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Eesah, a rising star from Jamaica, for the single Rasta Corner.
On record, they draw a clear distinction between men with locked hair and authentic Rastafarians committed to a faith-based way of life. Click here or on the image above to stream and/or download Rasta Corner from your preferred music platform.
Now that his first full length studio album is out, Jah Lama and the team at Pandemic Records & Entertainment LLC are engaged in a nationwide media stint, while simultaneously prepping for the 2024 summer touring season.
For those not in the know, his debut album was released on December 15, 2023. The project, classified as modern dancehall, has a total of eight tracks, with only one collaboration: Burn Dem Down, a reggae song done with Turbulence.
Eager to share this record in front of a live audience, Jah Lama and his camp are spreading the word, letting it be known that he is available for both bookings and interviews. As such, anyone wanting to work with him in any capacity should contact the CEO of Pandemic Records, Sheldon Edwards.
Sadly, much like Jamaica, the unusually high murder rate in Trinidad & Tobago is an issue that the government has not yet solved. Over the years, several artists have recorded songs with the hopes of combating this problem, and yet it persist.
The latest to do so is Trini gospel recording artist Jaron Nurse, who also goes by Jaron. His most recent single is called Heavy Maths. On a modern dancehall rhythm, he asks: how much more a go dead, how much more we a go bury.
Click here or on the image above to check out the song and visuals, and remember to like, comment and share.
After listening to a couple of tunes penned and performed by Kurtiouss, a Jamaican reggae-dancehall sing-jay and songwriter now residing in the US, I immediately began to question the sincerity of some of the media personalities who are task with determining what gets on the air, versus what is shelved.
For those not familiar with Kurtiouss, he is a highly proficient lyricist, committed to only making songs that he considers to be positive, socially conscious, and/or inspiring. Sadly, making this decision means that he gets less airplay, platform features, and blog highlights, despite delivering records that are well produced.
Strangely enough, a lot of the “gatekeepers” are always lamenting on the fact that most of the music being broadcast nowadays are either too negative, violent, or slack. But when presented with message-music, the kind being created by Kurtiouss and artists like him, they outright reject them.
Although his tunes are not getting the kind of attention he would like them to get from traditional medias, Kurtiouss continues to press on. He recently released a single called Genuine, which serves as a good example of the type of music he makes.
If you have not yet signed up for the Jamaica Reggae Retreat, which is scheduled for April 18–22, 2024, the organizers are hoping that Turbulence‘s performance at the recent staging of Sting encourages you to do so quickly, as you will have VIP access to a concert at which he is the headliner.
The general consensus among Jamaicans who have seen the show, is that Turbulence (The Future) was one of the best performers at Sting 2023. The Rastafarian singer delivered a short but spicy set which had the crowd going from the moment he and his entourage walked on the stage, to when they left. Interestingly, Turbulence didn’t even scratch the surface of his extensive catalogue, instead, he gave the audience what they came for: a taste of his lyrical mastery.
In addition to the live concert, the Jamaica Reggae Retreat will also feature an all inclusive resort in Montego Bay, trips to Dunns River Falls and Bob Marley Museum, free access to Doctor’s Cave beach, Smoke Shop visits on the Montego Bay strip, Health & Wellness sessions, and much more.
The early bird option of $1,750 USD for a single occupancy, and $2,995 USD for a double occupancy is still available. Furthermore, you can book with as little as 10% down, and pay the balance in monthly installments.
Ricardo Wray, known publicly as Kurtiouss, is a singer, songwriter and lyrical deejay (sing-jay) who hails from a small district called Hesse Cassel in the parish of St. Ann (Jamaica).
Following in the footsteps of his father, and much like other members of his family, Kurtiouss fell in love with music at a very young age. His passion for beats, melodies, and organized words became evident when he relocated to Kingston to attend school. It is there that he became fascinated with the local sound systems, and really began toying with the idea of pursuing a career as a recording artist. His desires intensified when he started doing dubplates for sounds in and around his community.
He frequently visited and performed at RJR Radio Station, as well as at the Colgate Cavity Fighters Club, which was a popular program designed for youths at the time. However, as he grew, so did the stages he would perform on. That said, he has entertained crowds at Asylum, Cactus Night Club, and other established venues. He has also shared the stage with several top-tier artists, with one of his fondest memories being his performance at Delly Ranx‘s birthday party.
To date, Kurtiouss has released one full-length studio album – Calling in February, 2020 – and a number of singles. Inspired by veteran performers like Garnett Silk, Beres Hammond, Beenie Man, Buju Banton, and General Degree, Kurtiouss‘ music can be aptly described as refreshing, positive, inspirational, and authentic. Authentic because he is not trying to sound like, or be like anyone else.
Kurtiouss‘ goal is simply to use his music to spread love, inspire, and entertain people, globally.
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 