Charlie Wilson To Perform At Houston’s Arena Theatre On Feb. 10th

Charlie Wilson, aka Uncle Charlie, will be bringing a mixture of old-school funk and modern rhythm-and-blues to the Arena Theatre – 7326 SW Freeway – in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, February 10th. Show time is 8:30 PM, and tickets are going for $137 and up.

When going through the list of the greatest R&B and funk front-men of all time, Charlie Wilson will always lead the pack. The charismatic crooner rose to prominence fronting The Gap Band in the 70s and 80s, before embarking on a stellar solo career, releasing hits like There Goes My Baby, Yearning For Your Love and Burn Rubber On Me.

Not one to rest on his considerable laurels, Wilson has embraced reinvention of late, collaborating with the likes of T.I. and Shaggy on his latest material. Combining this fluidity with a sense of showmanship finely honed over the decades, the seasoned performer’s soulful vocals bring together flashy costume changes, backup dancers and a tight horn section for a powerhouse show night after night. Click here to buy tickets.

Wesrok Collaborates With Busy Signal On Heartfelt Single “Don’t Get Me Wrong” 

Every once in a while an artist comes along that creates the kind of music that reminds us who we are at our core: loving and caring souls, all created in the image of God, regardless of our ethnicity, gender or any of our physical attributes. The artist of whom I speak is Bog Walk, St. Catherine native Wesrok, who although labeled Jamaica’s king of country-reggae music, has far surpassed that tag, and should now be referred to as one of the nation’s most inspirational songwriters. 

His latest single, Don’t Get Me Wrong – which is done with dancehall giant Busy Signal, who by-the-way rose to the occasion by delivering an equally cogent verse –  was released on January 19.

On the record, both men use approximately two minutes and fifty-five seconds to encourage the listener to be kind to their fellow man, notwithstanding their own status, financial or otherwise. Most striking is the following line sung by Wesrok, who was obviously thinking about Jamaicans in need.

“Heart goes out to all the poor 
the more than sands upon the shore, 
in their hand Africa, 
what about Jamaica.”

Don’t Get Me Wrong is out now, and can be streamed and/or downloaded from iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, and all other digital music platforms. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD “DON’T GET ME WRONG”

Tribute To Edi Fitzroy

This Tuesday, January 23rd, Bushman, Super Black, Roland Burrell, and Junior Vibes will all gather at Bella Donna Restaurant & Bar on Summerset Road in West End Negril for a tribute to the late great Edi Fitzroy.

This is a live band show that will see the aforementioned acts backed by the Sunshine Band, with confirmed MC Allen Ranks. The event will start at 6:00 PM, and there is a $30 USD entrance fee.

Catch Chaka Demus & Pliers In NY On Feb. 15

Rough-voiced deejay Chaka Demus, and smooth-toned vocalist Pliers have come together to create one of the most successful duos in the history of Jamaican music. They are the first Jamaican act to place three consecutive singles in the top 5 British Music Charts.

On Thursday, February 15, they will be performing their numerous hits: Murder She Wrote, Tease Me, Bam, Bam, etc. at Sony Hall – 235 West 46th Street – in New York. Click here for tickets.

Inner Circle, Stephen Marley, Shaggy & Others For ‘Cali Vibes’ Next Month

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.

Luciano Plays NY’s Sony Hall On Feb. 13

Luciano, one of the most soulful reggae artists of our time, will be taking his spiritual roots music to New York’s Sony Hall (235 West 46th Street, New York) on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.

Commencing at 7:00 PM local time, this concert will also feature a special Bob Marley birthday tribute, performed by Luciano himself. Click here for tickets and additional information.

Miriam Simone’s Story

Miriam Simone is a recording artist and producer who resides in The Netherlands despite her Surinamese roots.

Although it is known by everyone close to her that she enjoys various musical genres: hip-hop, R&B, kaseko, gospel, reggae, soul etc., and that her favorite artists list includes several performers of differing styles: Etana, Aretha Franklin, Dezarie, Mary J Blige, Israël Vibration, Whitney Houston, Bob Marley, and the I Threes, many years ago Miriam decidedly chose to embark on a career as a roots-reggae vocalist.

As such, in 2009 she co-founded Dredda Records. She has since released a number of singles, one of which is her Jah Decko produced hit song, Almighty, which eventually ended up on her 2012 EP Follow my Dreams. That project also features collaborations with Fyah King and Jah Melody, as well as two productions by accomplished Jamaican creator Bobby Digital.

She followed up with her first full-length studio album in 2015. Published via her own imprint, the LP, titled Mount Zion, includes her other hits: Mount Zion, Rivers, and the big combination done with Lutan Fyah, His Kingdom Arise.

After a successful album launch in Jamaica, and having conducted studio sessions with Bobby Digital for her second LP, Miriam Simone shared Ämsterdam Revival a few years later, in February, 2020. On Amsterdam Revival she also worked with producers Sheldon ‘Calibud’ Stewart, Everton ‘Caveman’ Moore, DJ KAT, Mr Patze, and DJ Jacko. She was also able to score additional collaborations with Queen Omega, Sizzla and Capleton.

In 2021 she shared two singles: Higher Heights and It is time; both are collaborative efforts done with Jah Works and Zen Social Production. The track Keep Hailing King Rastafari came after, with an official video which was shot in Jamaica. While on the island she connected with Earl Chinna Smith and the Binghystra. Miriam Simone’s latest single – Stop the Shooting – released on the Sound System Club label in November 2023, came from a number of recording sessions done with London-based producer Paul Scott, a protégé of dub legend Osbourne ‘King Tubby’ Ruddock.

Most of Miriam Simone’s songs touch on social issues, black empowerment, upliftment and unity. Things that are considered to be the cornerstones of authentic roots-reggae music.

When she is not singing in the studio or on stage, Miriam Simone is usually hard at work on the radio. Since 2018, she has hosted a popular reggae radio program in Amsterdam called Sweet Meditation on Radio RAZO. It addresses various issues such as spiritual enlightenment, mental freedom, and black history, while also playing a lot of conscious reggae music centered on spirituality, healing and love.