Legacy Sounds Entertainment and Meyhem Entertainment will present Duane Stephenson at Zanadu Studios – 1520 Pike Street North West – in Auburn, Washington State, on Sunday, February 11th.
This Valentines Edition concert will also feature DJ Steve Junior from Nairobi, with hosts DJ Quins and Wes. Early bird tickets are currently going for $25.
On Tuesday, February 13, The city of Miramar in Florida will celebrate Tony Rebel, Judith ‘Judy’ Mowatt, and Mutabaruka by presenting each with an award for their respective contribution to the reggae genre.
It all goes down at The 2024 Reggae Icon Awards, which will take place at the Miramar Cultural Center (Banquet Hall) – 2400 Civic Center Place – on the aforementioned date. It will be hosted by the city’s vice mayor Alexandra P. Davis.
California-based roots-reggae producer Josh Harris has scored another major collaboration. On Friday, February 2nd, his imprint, Big Feet Records, will release Come Dance The Night Away, a feel good reggae tune performed by Jamaica’s beloved roots man Richie Spice.
Spice who hails from Rock Hall, St. Andrew, is the brother of Pliers, Spanner Banner and Snatcha Lion; all musical stars in their own right. He gained popularity in the mid-1990s, and has given us megahits like Grooving My Girl, Earth A Run Red, Living Ain’t Easy, Land Of Jamaica, Time So Rough, and many more.
Everyone who’s heard it, in whole or in part, is of the belief that the upcoming single, Come Dance the Night Away, has all the right ingredients to be another breakout hit. The team at Big Feet Records are also optimistic about its prospects.
On February 9th, Reggae Vibes Music will be releasing a ten-track reggae compilation called Natural Vibes Riddim. It will feature new music performed by Busy Signal, Jah Cure, Turbulence, Pressure Busspipe, Powerman, Lutan Fyah, Kurtiouss, Jay Shephard, Rufftop Rock I, and Ginjah.
On January 24th – the birthday of international recording artist Busy Signal – Reggae Vibes‘ CEO and owner Marlon Folkes used the opportunity to publicly salute the sing-jay, while simultaneously letting his fans and supporters know about the aforementioned project.
Signal‘s tune on the EP is titled Can You Be My Baby, a lovers-rock piece that has him pursuing his love interest in his signature style. Although the record will not be available until next month, the team at Reggae Vibes have already begun teasing out snippets of some of the songs as they gear up for the official release.
After making his official entrance into the reggae industry last summer, Florida-based recording artist Teacha Barnes is back with a new single dubbed Heart Attack. Inspired by real-life events, the bouncy reggae tune is all about an obsession he had with one of his exes, and the way he felt whenever he saw her with another man after their relationship had ended.
One of the most intriguing things about Teacha Barnes is the fact that he is a white American, who writes and performs reggae music on a level equal to many top-tier Jamaican acts. This came to light last year when he and his team shared the introductory track Your Eyes. Interestingly, the newly released Heart Attack is by all accounts a much stronger song than Your Eyes.
Musicians that contributed to this piece are: Wayne Armond (guitar, bass, keyboards); Yiska (saxophone); and Jordan Armond (drum programming). Backing vocals were added by Shauna Dazzle.
When asked what he would like listeners to take away from this song, Teacha Barnes said the following: “they should always protect their heart by knowing themself and not giving another person ultimate power over them. By this I mean knowing the difference between love and obsession. But not all situations are completely controllable and sometimes we can get lost along the way. Learning from these situations we can become more caring for others feelings.”
Heart Attack can be streamed and/or downloaded from iTunes, Deezer, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon and all other streaming platforms, and it comes to us courtesy of My MM Productions.
On Saturday, February 3rd, famed producer Frankie Music will present the second installment of the Essence of Reggae Music Festival. It will be held at the Police Officers Club, which is located at 34 Hope Road in Kingston, Jamaica.
This year’s lineup includes Sizzla Kalonji, Richie Spice, Queen Ifrica, Bugle, I Octane, Jahshi, LaaLee, Mackeehan, Singer J, and Kuzikk, with additional music by selectors Ricky Troopa, JJ Wizzle and Kurt Riley.
The title of Bushman‘s newly released song Whyne Dung is misleading.
Owing to the fact that Whyne Dung is a commonly used Jamaican colloquialism which when interpreted means dancing sensually, upon hearing the name one might assume that the highly respected Rastafarian has disregarded his principles and is now making the kind of music that he has denounced throughout his career. Thankfully that is not the case.
As a matter of fact, the track’s lyrical content stands in stark contrast to the above statement, and is instead a record about not squandering opportunities when they come your way. Seeking further clarification, Bushman was asked what really inspired Whyne Dung, and he said the following: “whyne dung inspiration is just a typical day in my life yu know; just watching people and interacting with them and seeing how they living yu know. Just states a perfect picture, a perfect inspiration; whyne dung.”
He went on to say: “what I really want listeners to take from this is to know that opportunities, as we’ve learnt, knocks only once, if it knocks twice you are very lucky. So it’s all about making the most of opportunity when the chance comes around, yu know, never let it slide, make the most of it. Yes I. Give thanks.”
Whyne Dung is a flawless, well-rounded, cleverly written reggae tune that is – without a shadow of a doubt – one of the best reggae releases so far in 2024. It was published via Bushman‘s own label, Burning Bushes Music, on January 19, and as such can now be streamed and/or downloaded from all major music platforms.
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 