EntertainmentVybz

West Bank Is A Musical Bank Of Talent

Lady Mystery — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:36:05 +0000

Often times talented dancehall/reggae group West Bank has been compared to the likes of Hip Hop super group the Fugees, because of their ability to successfully fuse various genres of music such as R&B, Jazz and Hip Hop with Reggae and Dancehall. When you hear a West Bank track you will be blown away by the group’s unique vocal styling and their melodic musical arrangements. The members of West Bank describe the group as a musical bank of talent that represents the West Indies as well as the whole Western hemisphere.

The group is on a mission to create a whole new sound with a Reggae flavor. Lead band member Joe West says that the each member of the group has a genuine love for music. “We all have a genuine love for reggae music. Growing up, we all were drawn to music by reggae icons like Black Uhuru, Burning Spear and Toots Hibbert but we also draw influence from more current artistes like Black Eyed Peas and Morgan Heritage.”

Hailing from different backgrounds, band members are drawing on each others sound to create a niche for themselves in the very competitive music biz.

Joel Isaacs, aka Joe West, is no stranger to the music industry. Behind the scenes as writer and producer, he enjoyed success in the late 1990s while managing two popular groups, ARP and Emerge, in Jamaica.

Patrick Livingstone, aka Mr. Millennium, has written, performed and perfected various forms of reggae and calypso music in different venues and was lighting up the dancehall scene before joining West Bank. Jodaine Penrose, aka Jody Jode, has been singing since she was seven years old and according to Joe, she “blends right in with the group with her soulful voice”.

The New Jersey-based band is focused on “conquering their part of the world first” and as such they have been doing a lot of shows in that state as well as New York, Philadelphia and Jamaica – home to the reggae movement.

Since their emergence on the scene, the band has released singles such as Never Find Another, West Indies and My Life. They have also released videos for all these singles which has been creating a buzz for them in and outside of the States.

The group is currently enjoying lots of attention with their latest single titled Swing That. The bouncy dancehall track is getting steady rotation on radio stations both locally and abroad, it is also receiving lots of love in the dancehalls. Its accompanying music video is also doing well; it is currently receiving good rotation on local television stations such as HYPE TV, NTV, RETV and CVM Plus.

West Bank will be doing several performances in Jamaica later this year. The group is also planning to work with several Jamaican based producers.

4th MILO Central Champs runs off tomorrow

Lady Mystery — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:24:16 +0000

by: Trudy Williams

The 4th MILO Central Champs runs off tomorrow at the GC Foster College in St. Catherine with a record forty (40) schools including two new ones (Ascott High and Hydel High). The two day meet – Thursday and Friday, March 11 and 12 – will begin at 9:30 am each day and will feature defending champions Holmwood Technical (girls) and St. Jago High (boys).

The top five schools last year were: Girls – Holmwood, Vere Technical, Edwin Allen, Manchester High and Bellfield while the top five boys schools were: St. Jago, Holmwood, Claude McKay, Edwin Allen and Vere Technical.

Jerry Holness, meet director and coach of Manchester High indicated that this year’s championship will see high quality competition as the top five girls schools nationally all hail from the central region. In the boys section, St. Jago is expected to be the runaway winner based on their current form and the fact the last year they won by a big margin over second place Holmwood last year.

He also mentioned some of the young athletes to look out for this year including Jenieve Russell and Chris-Ann Gordon from Holmwood; Shericka Jackson from Vere; sisters Nikita and Ristananna Tracey and from Edwin Allen; Natoya Goule and Sandrae Farquharson from Manchester High; Kemoy Campbell from Bellfield High and Kemar Bailey-Cole from Old Harbour High.

The first event on the track on day one will be the 400M Hurdles Open for boys and girls while the meet will end with the 4×400M Relays for boys and girls.

Dancehall Artist Mad Dog Alive And Kicking

Lady Mystery — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:47:10 +0000

by: Ralston Barrett

Dancehall artist Donovan Lawrence aka Mad Dog would like his fans, relatives and friends to know that he is alive and well. Mad Dog says he has been receiving a lot of phone calls from fans, relatives and friends inquiring about his well being, since news surfaced in the media yesterday that man known as Mad Dog was killed in a stabbing incident in the parish of St. Ann.

“Mi phone a ring off like crazy, people a call mi from all over asking me if I am alright. Everybody telling me they heard it on the news that a man identified as Mad Dog got killed in St. Ann, thank God its not me, said Mad Dog who is known for popular recordings such as Early Morning and Bounce Pon It.

A spokes person from Tori Shae’s Productions the company that handles Mad Dog’s public relations also stated, that their offices have been flooded with phone calls since yesterday regarding the artist’s well being. As a lot of people heard the news story yesterday and thought it was the artist that was killed in St. Ann.

Reggae Legend Sylford Walker is Offically Back

Lady Mystery — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:04:11 +0000

Sylford walker, one of Jamaica’s hidden treasures of the 70’s was born in the parish of St. Thomas in a district called Pen Line Castle. He was the first of four siblings.

He grew up in Wakes Field Trinity Vill, St. Thomas, where he attended the Trinity Vill Primary School. Growing up in the country was not by any means easy, Sylford faced rough times but he always found ways to get by. While attending school Sylford had discovered his passion for music. He would perform at concerts where the crowds would go wild. It was at that moment he was convinced that he was born to sing. Wanting more out of life, at the age of 11 Sylford ran away from home to Kingston where he thought that life would be better. That was not the case .

Sylford had no family to turn to, he had no where to sleep and resulted into sleeping on card board boxes in coronation market with rats and roaches running all over him. He could hardly find food at times. After growing up and learning the ways of the streets, Sylford got his first job working as an assistant plumber fixing sewage pipes without receiving any pay for his labor.

It came to a point where Sylford could not take the pressure of working and without getting any pay so, he went on to pushing hand carts just to get some money to survive. However that still did not help much and he then went on to selling newspaper and that too didn’t keep much food in his stomach or a roof over his head. Never giving up Sylford went on to selling ganja on Law Street and Ioban Street. Sylford eventually started smoking herb and indulging in the street life. One night while hanging out on the unforgiving streets of Kingston, Jamaica smoking his herb, life in general and the police caught up with Sylford and he was incarcerated. It wasn’t till then when he was inspired to write is first song and also came to accept the Rastafarian teachings.

Right as Sylford was about to be release the police punished him by cutting one side of his dreadlocks, for years Sylford felt like a baldhead until Jah show him the light again. Through all of his life struggles, Sylford didn’t wait around for things to happen for him. He walked the street for days upon days trying to get a producer to produce is single “Burn Babylon”. Everywhere he went they would run him away. Still, he never gave up because of his greatest inspiration burning spear.

Finally all of his hard work had blessed him as Sylford met Joe Gibbs who was one of Jamaica’s biggest producers. Joe Gibbs saw something in Sylford Walker and decided to give him chance to record his song, which is to date one of the greatest songs to ever come out of his studio. Sylford didn’t not stop he wanted to reach the world with his music.

A year later he was inspire to write his second single “Jah Golden Pen”, also produce by Joe Gibbs, which became the world wide hit he had wanted. Sylford was then approached by another producer, Paul Cluff, to produce two more hit songs “Book of The Old Testament” and “I Just Can’t Understand”.

A few years later Sylford’s long time friend Glen Brown produce his first album “Lambs Bread” in 1977 under Green Sleeves Records, which produced many hits. In 2000 the album was reissued as a compilation with Welton Ire – Ghetto Man Corner by Blood and Fire in England. Many years later Sylford was once again approach by Joe Gibbs to produce and record a second album he world name Nutin Nah Gwan, released in France, 2006. This album saw Sylford Walker becoming a prominent reggae stalwart on the international stage.

After the hype of his second album died down Sylford decided to give up on music and almost on life its self. Sylford felt he wasn’t getting the monetary reward that he richly deserve. After nearly loosing his life in terrible accident, Sylford felt he was speared by the mercy of Jah. As he recovered he went back into the studio where he recorded several songs which have yet to be released. Sylford was then given a chance by Asher Selector from Switzerland to tour and perform for his fans .

Since then Sylford has been touring internationally in places such as Jerusalem, France, Serbia Switzerland and Rototum where he has performed at some of the world’s largest Reggae Festival (Rototum Splash, Paleo Festival, Serbia Festival and Montreux Festival). Sylford has come to recognize how great his music is on the world stage and the positive impact his music has on people all over the globe . Sylford has now put on his covenant and is living the Rasta Farian way. Currently Sylford Walker is signed to his co-own label Walkyahwalk Records (Kingston, Jamaica).

Sylford’s only desires now to perform in places such as Japan, Africa, Brazil, England, USA, Netherlands, Australia, Germany to spread the love of Jah and his positive music for his fans in whom he loves so much .

Singer Pierrepressure is a star from birth

Lady Mystery — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:52:45 +0000

“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.

On the Reggae/ Dancehall side of things, he lists Sizzla, Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Vybz Kartel along with lesser known acts as Hawkeye, Frisco Kid and Mad Anju as artists that have shaped how he builds his rhyme schemes. Now with a new focus, the multi talented only child confesses he didn’t always put all his energy into music; he has dabbled in modeling and acting…staring in a few commercials.

He identifies a re-link, of sort, with long time brethren and fellow recording artiste/producer Dami Knight, of D1 Productions, as a turning point in him picking up and moving full force in releasing his writings and recordings for the world to see. At D1 recording Studio, ‘pressure is not only a recording artiste, he along with Dami Knight are the primary writers, in addition to that ‘Pressure is considered the chief creative consultant within the camp. When pressed about exactly what his goals are within the music industry, the sometimes shy, 6’1”, brown eyed “singjay” refuses to get in depth and simply says he hopes his recordings and/or writings can bring solace to at least one troubled soul somewhere in the world, he then followed that by saying he does have personal goals but he does not wish to make them public..

WATCH MUSIC VIDEO for “TEXT YELE” by Pierrepressure

Pierrepressure can be contacted at cantpressurepierre@gmail.com

HYPE 2K10 Will Be A Memorable Event

Lady Mystery — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:12:33 +0000

by: Ralston Barrett

Flava Squad Entertainment the promoters of HYPE 2K10 promise to make this year’s staging of their annual stage show a most memorable event; despite the pressures of the current economic recession the chief organizer of the event Ewan McRae is adamant that his company will be staging a great event come April 3rd at Independence Park in Black River, St. Elizabeth. Therefore he and his team have put together a very exciting package for Hype 2K10 because they want to give patrons good value for their money.

“We know how tight things are for everybody right now with the recession and all that’s going on economically, therefore we are trying our very best to give our patrons a very good event for their money. We have always tried our best to deliver a very good entertainment package to our supporters; since we began HYPE 2K four years ago we have always maintained this approach. This year will be no different as we have put together another very exciting package again,” said Mr. McRae.

HYPE 2K10 will be a day and night event, with a family fun day and stage show. The fun day will feature a host of activities for the children such as Bounce About, Go Carts, Ferris wheel, Donkey rides and the electronic bull. There will also be other attractions such as car sound clashes, a dance competition, singing and deejaying competitions. Entertainment will be provided by the Diamond Squad Dancers and Black Roze sound-system.

The stage show will feature a very exciting lineup of artists which is headlined by some of dancehall and reggae music’s hottest names such as Vybz Kartel, Sizzla, Lady Saw, Jah Cure and Assasin aka Agent Sasco. In addition to those acts patrons can also expect exciting performances from the likes of Peter Metro, Nitty Kutchie, I Octane, Lady G, Konshens, Lisa Hyper, Delly Ranx, Pamputae and New Kidz. Also included in the lineup are some very talented new acts such as Timmi Burrell, Que, Brimstone, Richie Innocent, Don Sniper, Ras Oneily, Killer Don, Sherrif, Delus, Determine, Vybrant, Ishawna and Chedda.

“Our lineup for HYPE 2K10 is a very good one, it features a very good mixture of artists. We have several dancehall and reggae heavy weights along with some seasoned campaigners. We also have a lot of the new stars on the scene as well as some very talented upcoming artists,” said Mr. McRae.

He also noted that it would be almost impossible to stage an event of this magnitude without sponsors. The sponsors for HYPE 2K10 includes Don Cardona, CVM TV, IRIE FM, X News, The Jamaica Star, Tori Shae’s Productions, Rum Bar Rum, Full Throttle, Magnum Tonic Wine, LINKZ FM, VYBZ FM, John Swaby’s Ent., Outa Road.com, Las Vegas Café and Entertainmentvybz.com.

Toronto Based Reggae Artist/Producer Damion “Dami” Knight

Lady Mystery — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:33:02 +0000

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.

Armed with creativity and an independent nature and fuelled by wanting to learn more about music but no one around to teach him, Dami would eventually learn to play the piano and guitar on his own. Always seeking to own his creative process, he has also taught himself to produce and engineer all of his music, which he writes himself, in the studio he built himself. For this singer, songwriter and producer, music is about storytelling and connecting with the audience. “I most enjoy the storytelling. Musicians have a platform of sometimes only 3 minutes to tell a story whereas an author can have many pages. As musicians we have a short span of time to capture the heart and captivate the mind.” Singing about the ups and downs of everyday life is what makes his music so relatable even to those who are not avid listeners of his genre. Dami’s ability to convey his story, his vision and his sense of rhythm embodies the idea that life is good, no matter the struggles we may face. “I haven’t had the perfect life, so I can feel and understand what people go through and translate that feeling into music. I can really sympathize and empathize with the struggles of mankind and it’s important that music talks about the human experience and has some relevance in that way.”

All in the Key of Love will be an album of love songs. “The album will feature classic reggae love songs from a period when I believe music was real,” says Dami, “and will also feature touches of our modern era.” The album will be a showcase of Dami’s interpretation of what music is and represents in his life. It will also feature many of Canada’s top musicians, not just limited to this genre. With this album, his aim is to show the world that reggae music coming out of Canada can compete with the best in a genre that Canada has yet to make a significant imprint. With the sweet sound created in his small studio, one cannot even imagine the limits of this young man’s potential – and this is just the beginning.

Positive Vibrations Group Dread Daze has a Whole Lot of Soul

Lady Mystery — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:38:43 +0000

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.

The brainchild of lead vocalist, Najashi, who hails from a talented musical family and gets his reggae vibes via his Jamaican upbringing, Najashi the lead vocals in the band, comes from a musical background his Cousin Donna Reid who was in the group Althea and Donna that recorded the Sly and Robbie produced song Uptown Top Ranking and his other Cousin Christopher Kid Reid who was half of the 80`s Rap act KidnPlay,he has also performed recorded with his friends The Grammy winning BlackEyedPeas .

Dread Daze was conceived in Los Angeles, but is a child of the world stage. Their authentic desire to use their music to open minds, change vibes and spread a message of peace and unity shines through in every song and has captured the ears of listeners across all genres as well as promoters throughout the U.S. and around the world. Dread Daze’ exudes raw energy on-stage and forges a strong bond with audiences worldwide, while their huge grass-roots following and spirit of collaboration make them widely sought after – as evidenced by countless shows in clubs, festivals and other venues throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Together, Najashi (lead vocalist), Brian Ward/Belfast Posse (guitar/vocals), Donu (drums), DJ Thergood (DJ/percussion), Stone(bass) Billy (lead guitar), form Dread Daze. Individually, they have made their mark in the music scene performing with legends such as Steel Pulse, Arrested Development, Pato Banton, Eek A Mouse, Half Pint, Mikey Dread, Wailing Souls, The Abyssinians, Don Carlos and many more. They’ve also recorded with members of The Black Eyed Peas, Jurassic 5, James Early of M.C Hammer’s first album, and more recently recorded in the infamous Hitsville West, a.k.a. Motown Studios, where legends, Marvin Gaye and The Jackson 5, once created music history.

Dread Daze’ album, Di Wall, is available on both I Tunes and CD Baby, and current information and tour dates are available at www.myspace.com/dreaddaze.

For more information and booking, email oneworldmanagementinc@gmail.com dreaddaze@gmail.com or call 213-239-3887.

GOOD TIMES in the Big Apple

Lady Mystery — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:11:48 +0000

Kingston, Jamaica: – Jamaica’s premier oldies party, Good Times, invades New York on Friday April 30, 2010. Already tightly gripping the psyche of Jamaican party lovers, Good Times is now spreading its grasp to North America. The event is slated for Mingles Café in The Bronx, New York and is the first out-of-island experience for the party, but according to the organizers, not the last.

Good Times staged four times annually in Kingston, boasts enviable numbers, and has grown considerably since its first edition in 1996. Many in the Diaspora have been known to fly to Jamaica and incorporate the event into their hectic vacation schedules, as the party spreads it wings to score record numbers in Kingston, May Pen, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios.

Music lovers in New York will be treated to pulsating rhythms from music worldwide from as far back as the 70s and 80s when Dancehall King Yellow Man and lyricist Super Cat reigned supreme. This collaboration between The Quorum from Jamaica and the Irie Jam Media family from New York promises a great party vibe.

The organizers say the move is a combination of the growing demand for the brand, plus the long term plan to develop even more. “New York is one of the biggest markets for Jamaican culture,” notes Jerome Hamilton of The Quorum. “And as the Jamaican music has grown worldwide and into these markets, the same applies to parties. We have also seen the sound systems leave and play in these markets, but a specific event has never done that so to speak. This is also part of our plans to develop the Good Times brand. We see the concentration and growth of the population in these areas as a plus for this drive.”

Hamilton adds that New York will not be the only area outside of Jamaica to benefit. “In our three to five year plan we have been looking at the Florida market, plus we also have other Caribbean markets in mind, the first of which is Grenada,” he explains.

Good Times has prided itself as one of the few parties where crowd behaviour remains at its best, where the music is on point, and flows freely without being eclipsed by incessant rumblings on the microphone. Themes are usually introduced to reflect a particular period in Jamaican music history. Hamilton assures that some elements of the Good Times brand will be kept in New York, but with minor changes. “the format will be kept, and a mixture of our format and a format for that market’s palette will be put into the format of the music, we tend to focus on what comes from the turntable and not from the microphone. Patrons will be taken on a euphoric journey by one of Jamaica’s best, DJ Kurt “Party Animal” Riley and other DJs based in New York.

The Party Animal has been mastering the turntables since he was a teenager, and has dominated Party sessions of all types. He commands the airwaves of Jamaican radio station Fame 95fm with his wit and awesome mixes, name the genre, he’ll play it. Riley has cemented himself in the psyche of music lovers in Jamaica, the Caribbean, England and some parts of North America. On Friday April 30 he will display his mastery of the wheels of steel at the Good Times “Yaad meet forrin” edition in New York.

Patrons will be treated to a fusion of Jamaican, Caribbean and North American music of years gone, mixed with a kaleidoscope of colours and paraphernalia from the decades gone to create an atmosphere of an awesome retro party vibe. This representation will be a fusion of both cultures and will be maintained for each market Good Times invades.

Good Times “Yaad meet forrin” will be held on Friday April 30, 2010 at Mingles Café in The Bronx, New York featuring DJ Roy and Dubb Master Chris of Irie Jam Fm 93.5 WVIP NY based in New York and DJ Kurt “the party animal” Riley from Jamaica.

Source: Headline Entertainment

Big Names to Headline Best Dressed Fun in the Son

Lady Mystery — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:56:37 +0000

by: Raymond ‘Shadow’ Small

Kingston Jamaica: Next Saturday, March 20th the Best Dressed Fun in the Son gospel festival will see the unveiling of an impressive cadre of local and international acts gracing the stage at the 2010 renewal of the island’s most successful gospel showcase.

The concert to be staged on the grounds of Jamaica College boasts an impressive line-up featuring U.S based Multi-platinum and four-time Grammy, Stellar and Dove award winner Kirk Franklin alongside local top flight entertainers such as the very dynamic and inspirational overseas based gospel DJ Papa San, 2010 Youth View Awards –Gospel Artiste of the Year DJ Nicholas, Omari, the fast-rhyming Goddy Goddy, Ja Bez, the very energetic Sister Scully, Kimiela Issacs, Three The Lord’s Way, J Lee, Sons of The Prophet, Karen Gregory, Ryan Berry, Praise Academy of Dance among others. The word will be brought by International Evangelist Andrew Palau. Emcees: Che Cowan and Nadine Blair. Admission is absolutely FREE!

Other attractions will include a very diverse Food Court as part of the Son Village promoting a number of new products and services from several noted industry connoisseur including title sponsor Best Dressed Chicken. For the children there will be a Fun Village courtesy of Party King, and Art and Craft for the entire family.

According to Mr. Christopher Levy, CEO and President of the Jamaica Broilers Ltd., “It’s about changing lives, transformation, and the winning of lives for Jesus Christ. I believe this year will be different from every other year of Best Dressed Chicken Fun in the Son”.

Similar sentiments were echoed by event organiser and Glory Music CEO Tommy Cowan that this year will indeed be a memorable one.
The festival since its inception eight (8) years ago is responsible for almost two thousands (2,000) lives being converted to become followers of Christ; and just as in the past, this year the organisers are expecting impressive numbers. Mr. Cowan spoke of the Lord’s goodness stating, “where there is vision God gives provision.”

The event is sponsored by Best Dressed Chicken, Glory Music, RJR Communications Group (TVJ, Fame FM, Hitz 92 FM, RJR 94 FM, RETV), Wata, Ocean Spray Wata, Bigga, Knightsman Ltd, Grizzly’s Entertainment Ltd, and The Gleaner Company Ltd.