Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category

“Star from mi bawn”…loosely translated, means he believes he was a star from birth, is how this handsome Leo better known as Pierrepressure describes his foray into the music business.

Raised in the cool hills of Mandeville Manchester on the Island of Jamaica; ‘pressure, as called by friends, discovered at an early age that he had a gift for constructing melodies. Though he enjoyed Reggae and Dancehall, as a child he gravitated towards the sounds of R&B and Soul music coming out of America.

He readily tells of how special Sunday nights were for him because of a radio program that played songs from artists he now lists as having influenced how he puts together his own music. The likes of El debarge, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, and Babyface to name a few, along with such current acts as Jill Scott, Nas and Kanye West has heavily influenced how he constructs his melodies and lyrics from an R&B/hip hop stand point. Read the rest of this entry »

At its most powerful, music tells a story and takes the listener on a journey to another place or time. Such is the case with the music of Toronto based reggae artist/producer Damion Knight aka Dami. In his single ‘At Last’ featuring world renowned saxophonist Dean Fraser, Dami’s voice and musical arrangement will bring you to the beaches of Jamaica and saturate your senses with pleasures that awaken, mend and nurture the soul. This is the trend of the music from his forthcoming album All in the Key of Love. Staying true to his Jamaican background and infusing soul, R&B and jazz into his work, Dami has created his own style of Reggae Soul.

Born Clayton Damion Solomon, he was born and raised in the small town of Lionel Town in the parish of Clarendon, Jamaica. Growing up without a father for most of his life and not many material goods, his mother always encouraged Dami and his brother to use their imaginations. “We never really had much in terms of toys, so we really had to use our imaginations. I am most thankful for this because it forced me to be creative and be imaginative and find new activities each day to keep us occupied.” Another thing Dami is thankful for is that his mother filled their house with love and music. “I remember growing up and dancing with my mother; she was a big music lover and was always singing and playing love songs or Motown in the house during the day.” At night, the heavy bass of the reggae coming from the dancehall behind his house would send him off to bed, and so it seems even in his sleep, he was listening to music. With music all around him, Dami quickly became obsessed with all things music. He was especially drawn to musical instruments and would make guitars out of fish wire and sardine cans and would want to try and play every piano he came across. Always the entertainer, when his mother had company, Dami would perform impersonations of his musical inspiration, Michael Jackson, for them and later as a teenager he started djaying, the Jamaican equivalent to rapping. Read the rest of this entry »

Dread Daze

Pulling reggae apart and putting it back together again with a dose of hip-hop, a dash of rock, and a whole lot of soul, Dread Daze tunes up the positive vibrations and turns traditional reggae on it’s ear. The powerful sound they bring forth is uniquely their own, and their music speaks their truth in no uncertain terms.

Di Wall, Dread Daze’ beautifully crafted debut album, literally explodes with songs like “Right Now”, “Stand Up”, and “Murder in the Name of Religion”, that challenge the status quo and urge people to question, understand and take action. “Kitty” and “NiteTime” get listeners out of their chairs and onto their feet — just in time to bend and move to the traditional reggae vibes of “Morning Time” and “Danger Signs” before slowing down and slipping into Ital Soul where lead vocalist Najashi seduces listeners with his steamy twist on a Motown-inspired love song. Read the rest of this entry »

Coka Cola Zero's Country Manager, Chris Hardy with models posing as AVATARs at the recent launch of the movie.

Kingston, Jamaica) — Coca-Cola Zero’s involvement in entertainment is far-reaching. Not only does it encompass musical entertainment, specifically their upcoming (January) concert featuring international superstar, Sean Kingston, but they are also no strangers to Hollywood.

The brand recently partnered with Twentieth Century Fox on a major global promotional campaign for James Cameron’s epic-adventure film AVATAR. Cameron, the Oscar-winning, director of the timeless blockbuster, Titanic, took years to get the his masterpiece showcased to the world. Thankfully, with the evolution of technology, the film is now a reality, and is now being shown in over 30 countries; it promises to be yet another mega-hit. Read the rest of this entry »

Orville and Boasy Bwoy Floyd on stage at previous Magnum 10 Long 10 Strong Concert

Orville Hall, creative director of the Magnum 10 Long 10 Strong series, says topping the previous concerts will be a tough task, but it will be achieved.

“Everything is gonna be more high energy and we had a one week break so we had time to prepare to make sure everything goes as planned. I can’t divulge everything that we have planned because we want it to be a surprise for the fans and media there, but one of the things that we have planned is what we call a ‘Magnum Moment’. The Magnum girls will be doing a dance presentation and we definitely went into the lab for this one,” said Hall.

Hall, who has been a respected voice in the dance and dancehall spaces has been a trained choreographer since 1995. Then in 1998 he moved on to obtaining his Associate Degree in Performing Arts. He then moved on to join the Stella Maris Dance Ensemble and Patsy Ricketts’ group. “I wanted to learn all kinds of dances, not just dancehall. I wanted to learn about lines and angles and levels and that sort of thing,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »

The urban action feature film “Out The Gate” starring Paul Campbell, Oliver Samuels, Shelli Boone and E-Dee is up on the internet.

The buzz and excitement over the movie is growing as Far I Films announced their plans to premiere the film Spring 2010 in Jamaica, with showings in New York and the east coast to follow the Jamaican premiere.

The film also boasts appearances from Dancehall/Reggae artists Mr. Lexx, Lady G, and Ms. Triniti.

The film, shot on location in Jamaica and Los Angeles, follows E-Dee as he leave a bad situation in Jamaica to come to America to pursue his dreams in music and finds out the music game is just as wicked as the streets he is trying to leave behind.

Source: Noel McKinson