REGGAE MUSIC REVIEWS

REGGAE MUSIC REVIEWS COVERING THE UNIVERSE OF REGGAE KAYA ON MYSPACE KAYA ON FACEBOOK Follow @Kayahunt _______________________________________ _______________________________________ Stephen Marley Explores EDM On ‘Rock Stone’ (Song Premiere) - click here to listen and read more _______________________________________ Jahmiel - Real Father (Official Video) JUNE 2014 _______________________________________ Jesse Royal - Modern Day Judas (Official Video) When Jesse Royal was only a cub, the Lord revealed to his mother that she would have to release one of her sons to the world, proclaiming “he will be a psalmist, declaring righteousness and justice throughout creation.” As Jesse matured into a young lion, his mother observed in him a strong sense of integrity and a natural ability to positively affect those around him. But it was his deep spirituality, passion for life and unique connection to music that would convince her that he was being molded to be used by the Creator. _______________________________________ Ziggy Marley 'Fly Rasta' Worldwide Album Release Party Tuesday, April 8 Ziggy Marley / Club Nokia Los Angeles For tickets:Click here _______________________________________ STEPHEN MARLEY TOUR 2014 Son of legendary musician Bob Marley, Stephen Marley is a reggae music making artist who sometimes goes by the nickname Raggamuffin. Born on April 20, 1971, Stephen Marley is a producer and musician who was a member of brother Ziggy's band Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers before he embarked on his own solo career. Along with working alongside brother Ziggy, Stephen Marley also produced all three of brother Damian's solo albums and one album for brother Julian. Back in 2007 Stephen Marley released his first solo album, Mind Control, which found relative success in the world of reggae music. With the Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers, Stephen Marley contributed to 15 studio albums, and as a solo artist he has created three, 2007's Mind Control, 2009's Mind Control Acoustic and 2011 Revelation Pt. 1 - The Root Of Life, the latter of which earned him a Grammy for best reggae album. STEPHEN MARLEY TOURDATES 2014 _______________________________________ _______________________________________ Jah Sun "The Journey of 1,000 Miles NAPTALI & AROFAT LEADING OUT (SAVE THE YOUTHS RIDDIM) _______________________________________ Gyptian - Non Stop [Official Music Video] _______________________________________ My Conclusion - Stephen Marley feat. Akon & Buju Banton Montage Video _______________________________________ JO MERSA - COMFORTABLE (OFFICIAL VIDEO) _______________________________________ KING ADDIES PREPARES TO TOUR New York, New York -- March 4, 2013 -- King Addies' new management team Irish and Chin will launch their marketing efforts by surprising hardcore dancehall patrons with special guest appearances of the "KING" sound on the Mighty Crown "Driving Force" tour. These appearances are planned for select cities only and will not be all out performances for King Addies. There will be "meet and greets," which will feature short juggling sets by the sound's current selectors. The goal of these select appearances is to reintroduce King Addies to their diehard fanbase and also to spark the interest of today's young Dancehall lovers. King Addies touching the road with Mighty Crown is just a taste of what is to come in the future. Currently, Irish and Chin is in the middle of making plans for King Addies to tour on their own. There is great anticipation for this tour, which will consist of both juggling and high profile events. The first stop will be Europe. "The marketing plan for King Addies is not one to be rushed. By no means are we aiming to create an overnight buzz for King Addies," says Garfield "Chin" Bourne, King Addies manager. "Rather, we seek to execute a marketing strategy that will allow longevity, prosperity and global visibility. Doing so will take time and consistent efforts of the whole team." One of the most unique things about King Addies is that their legacy attracts fans of all ages. While the newer members familiarize the younger generation with the King Addies brand, legendary selector and member Danny Dread will uphold and entertain the sound's foundation audience. One can also look forward to seeing Danny Dread touring on the King Addies sound 'rub-a-dub' style . _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ IBA MAHR Iba MaHr, the young sensation for authentic Jamaican reggae/ lover’s rock genre. Born January 21, to Ms. Roselin Embden and Mr. Glendon Greaves, he was given the name Mario Greaves at birth but has emerged with strong African culture, thus granted the name by friends, Iba MaHr, ‘Iba’ African name, meaning Humble and Calm while ‘MaHr’ is really an acronym, meaning Mario of Harar, Harar which is a small province in Ethiopia. As a toddler, Iba MaHr was nurtured by his grandparents, Mrs. Joycelyn Greaves and Mr. Vincent Greaves in the Community of Cheesefield. Always being in the centre of attraction, every Sunday evening Iba MaHr would dance to his grandfather’s stereogram, playing hits from the 70’s, while singing to each song as if they were of his era. It was not until he was successful in his Common Entrance Exam to go on to High School that he moved to reside in Linstead with his mother. Being the only child for Ms. Roselin, iba was the main priority, with morality and education as her advocacy, leaving very little things undone if any. Now the youngman chants from a small town in the parish of St. Catherine called Linstead, that is most popular for the famous “Linstead Market” and the Song titled, “carry mi ackee go Linstead Market”. After completing secondary education at Charlemont High and sixth form at Dinthill Technnical High, Iba went on to study a Bachelors Degree in Computing and Management Studies at the University of Technology. Even though he had the ability to write songs since going to high school, it was only while in University his peers pushed him to perform his own words. In 2008, Max ‘Romeo’ Smith of CHARMAX MUSIC released his first song, “HAD IT & LOST IT”, for a various artiste album titled, “DEVIL ON DI RUN”. Later, Phillip ‘Fatis’ Burrell of XTERMINATOR PRODUCTIONS released his second single, “WHERE YOU ARE”. The young sound has also work with great producers and record labels such as, UIM Records, Marlon McCubbin, Bizzarri Records, Jermaine “Lenky” Edwards and more recent Roland “Rollie” McDermot of Rollins Records. I take pleasure in doing love songs. Essentially, I am inspired to sing about real life occurrences, but in reality as artiste we create melodies then connect words to them to craft stories that reflect other people’s lives. The energy, mood and my emotion at times may affect how a song might turn out. Feelings, be the sombre, joyful or sorrow also play a part. I now see the music making a paradigm shift from roots and culture, not that it has died but just need to be played more. Regardless of what is being played, the people need redemption songs, especially in these times of division and world crisis. I can only say that Reggae music is a medium through which we connect and touch people in any situation, so I work to preserve its legacy”, said Iba MaHr. The artiste was able to survive the many dangers and harm of his volatile community through advocating love, peace, righteousness and spiritual consciousness. As his name represent, he is quite humble, and does not let anything or anyone trouble his innate calm. With Rastafari as his inspiration, roots and culture is always what he promotes, along with social commentary and soulful-reggae love songs that speaks out to the hearts of people, those in love or out of love. Iba MaHr’s music ranges from reggae, lovers rock and soulful roots genre. Give heed to the voice, message, and what reggae music has to offer in the future. _______________________________________ Gyptian- Wine slow (Lyrics) A user generated YouTube lyrics video has received 5,000,000+ hits (yes, more than FIVE MILLIONS !) Jamaican superstar Gyptian unveils his latest video "Wine Slow" filmed on the Bob Marley Beach in Saint Thomas Parish of his native island. "Wine Slow" is off the new digital EP “SLR” and will also be featured on Gyptian's upcoming full-length album "Sex, Love and Reggae" due in stores this summer on VP Records. Gyptian - "Wine Slow" (Official Video) We ran the online premiere just this Friday at 1PM with VICE’S NOISEY and the video has already surpassed 50,000 views! Source: VP Records _______________________________________ _______________________________________ VICTOR ESSIET AND THE MANDATORS (THE 'GODFATHER' OF AFRICAN REGGAE) NOW BOOKING TOUR DATES WORLDWIDE FOR 2013 (LOS ANGELES) NOVEMBER 20, 2012 The award winning platinum selling international Reggae and World Music band, Victor Essiet and The Mandators from Nigeria, are now booking dates for 2013. Victor and his band are returning to the road after a hiatus from touring and will be releasing a new album in the new year also. Victor Essiet and The Mandators have influenced the likes of Lucky Dube and Alpha Blondy and introduced homegrown Reggae artists Majek Fashek (a then unknown guitarist in the Mandators band) and Ras Kimono from Nigeria to the world. He is the winner of the best new entertainer at the annual IRAWMAs (International Reggae and World Music Awards). Victor Essiet and The Mandators return to touring in 2013 with his dynamic full band that wIll be an exciting addition to concert and festival venues next year. Victor has continued to be a deeply dedicated ‘voice of the people” in his home state of Akwa ibom, the whole of Nigeria and the world. The 'mystic music man' in Victor Essiet brings a message of social consciousness and love to the world continuallyalong his phenomenal journey traveled and to come. _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ STEPHEN MARLEY ANNOUNCES U.S. TOUR DATES SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 by Ghetto Youths International New York, New York August 23, 2012 Fresh off a sold-out 9-week European tour, Ghetto Youths International announces that Stephen Marley will embark on a multi-city U.S. run which kicks off at the Jomeokee Festival in Pinnacle, North Carolina on Friday, September 14th. Additional performance territories include Baltimore, New York City, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, to name a few. The eight time Grammy Award winning producer, singer songwriter and second son of legendary reggae artist Bob Marley, recently released the critically acclaimed album, Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life (Universal / Ghetto Youths) which garnered a "Best Reggae Album" Grammy Award in 2011. Stephen Marley plans to release a follow up to Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life entitled, Revelation Part 2. The Fruit of Life, which Stephen describes as leaning more toward "an eclectic feel." A catalogue of Stephen Marley releases is available for purchase on itunes.com. For more information about Stephen Marley please visit: www.stephenmarleymusic.com; www.facebook.com/stephenraggamarley; Twitter @StephenMarley. STEPHEN MARLEY LIVE IN CONCERT - SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2012: FRI SEPT 14 PINNACLE, NC. JOMEOKEE MUSIC FESTIVAL SAT SEPT 15 BALTIMORE, MD. CHARM CITY MUSIC FESTIVAL MON SEPT 17 BOSTON, MA. PARADISE ROCK CLUB TUE SEPT 18 NEW YORK, NY. IRVING PLAZA WED SEPT 19 PHILADELPHIA, PA. TROCADERO FRI SEPT 21 MINNEAPOLIS, MN. MILL CITY NIGHTS SAT SEPT 22 CHICAGO, IL. VIC THEATRE MON SEPT 24 LAWRENCE, KS. GRANADA THEATRE TUE SEPT 25 DENVER, CO. OGDEN THEATRE WED SEPT 26 FT. COLLINS, CO. AGGIE THEATRE FRI SEPT 28 ASPEN, CO. BELLY UP ASPEN SAT SEPT 29 SALT LAKE CITY, UT. IN THE VENUE MON OCT 1 SEATTLE, WA. THE SHOWBOX TUE OCT 2 PORTLAND, OR. ROSELAND THEATRE WED OCT 3 REDWAY, CA. MATEEL COMMUNITY CENTER THUR OCT 4 SAN FRANCISCO, CA. THE FILLMORE SAT OCT 6 SOLANA BEACH, CA. BELLY UP TAVERN SUN OCT 7 WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA. HOUSE OF BLUES (Tour dates subject to change) _______________________________________ ZIGGY MARLEY INTERVIEW WITH DON MERRIL ZIGGY MARLEY INTERVIEW Click Here _______________________________________ _______________________________________ SEABREEZE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS: SUNDAY AUGUST 19 IRIE SEABREEZE FESTIVAL 2012 LUCIANO, CUTTY RANKS, ELJAI, LLOYD BROWN, DUANE STEPHENSON, AURELIO MARTINEZ, LIVE WYYA, E-DEE, NEW KINGSTON, LOVA BOY, JASHA, LIDEREIBUGU GARIFUNA ENSEMBLE AND MORE* (*LINE-UP SUBJECT TO CHANGE) QUEEN MARY EVENTS PARK 1126 Queens Way Downtown Long Beach (harbor area) 3pm to 10pm - All Ages TICKETS (GEN ADMISSION AND VIP)ON SALE NOW AT www.IRIEFEST.net and ROOTS OUTLETS THROUGHOUT SO. CALIFORNIA !! LA / LONG BEACH METRO TICKET OUTLETS: Eyerie 6695 Downey Ave Long Beach, CA 90805 (562) 408-1000 Right Choice Caribbean Market 4233 Crenshaw Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90008 (323) 292-8921 Juicy's Natraliart Food 3426 W Washington Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90018 (323) 732-8865 Pelican Belizean Cuisine 4254 S. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90037 (323) 232-5487 Stone's Grocery & Market 6700 Crenshaw Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 751-5526 Tracey's Belizean Restaurant 3810 S. Western Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90062 (323) 735-2166 Blessed Love 1404 W. Vernon Ave Los Angeles, CA 90062 (323) 292-5214 Little Belize 217 Nutwood Ave Inglewood, CA 90301 (310) 674.0696 Jah Lambs & Lions 1030 S Fairfax Ave Los Angeles, CA 90019 (323) 931-2903 African American Gift Shop 76 Berth San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 521-0203 Shades of Africa 1001 E. 4th Street Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 436-2210 Stones & Chin 763 W. Highland Avenue San Bernadino, CA 92405 909-873-9366 Rick Wicked's: 4234 Atlantic Avenue Long Beach, CA 90807 Tel. 562.989.4742 Nel & John's Belizean Restaurant 3567 S Western Ave Los Angeles, CA 90018 (323) 732-6603 The Global Beat Gift Shop: 3804 W. Slauson Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 298-1980 SAGE International Gifts 1160 Commerce Center Drive Lancaster, CA 93534 (661)200-8587 Blue Lagoon Caribbean Soulfood 5916 S. Vermont Los Angeles, CA 90044 (323) 759-2100 SAN DIEGO TICKET OUTLETS: Lou's Records 434 North Coast Highway 101 Encinitas, CA 92024 (760) 753-1382 Earth Culture 105 South Coast Highway Oceanside, CA 92054 (760) 721-4434 Reggae World 2540 University Avenue San Diego, CA 92104 (619) 296-5989 Trade Roots 3535 Adams Ave. (between Wilson Ave & 35th St) San Diego, CA 92116 (619) 546-6194 Festival / Vendor Info: (661) 718-5566 Web: www.iriefest.net _______________________________________ WORLDBEAT CULTURAL CENTER PRESENTS: LABOR DAY WEEKEND !! SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 2 SUMMERSPLASH / REGGAE ON THE BAY 2012 BARRINGTON LEVY, THE WAILERS FREDDIE MCGREGOR, MIDNITE TRISTAN PALMA ARISE ROOTS, SHORELINE ROOTZ, PIRACY AND MORE INTERNATIONAL ARTS & CRAFRT FAIR / BEER GARDEN BROADWAY PIER / PORT PAVILLION 1000 North Harbor Drive & Broadway Downtown San Diego All Ages - Tickets On Sale NOW Click Here for Tickets online Worldbeat Center Box Office (619) 230-1190 Web: http://www.worldbeatcenter. _______________________________________ Roots singer Junior Kelly gears up for tour Simone Morgan Friday, August 03, 2012 ROOTS singer Junior Kelly is preparing for the Carib Reggae Fest in Toronto, Canada later this month. It is a warm-up of sorts for a two-month tour of Europe with Warrior King, scheduled to start in October. "Thankfully, it has been a very busy year for me and I am still here fighting the musical struggle. The music business is not an avenue for me to enjoy myself and entertain only, but to educate people through my message," Kelly said during a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer. He added that although most of his songs have conscious topics, he ensures his music remains marketable. "My message will remain, but my melodies are always different and that's a key factor. This way the listeners will not get bored," he explained. Kelly is one of the better touring acts in contemporary reggae. Even though he has not had a hit song in Jamaica for some time. The 41 year-old Kelly made waves in 2002 with Love So Nice, his first hit. Other hits followed, like Black Am I and Take You There. Kelly says that although some of the music being produced in Jamaica is not of international standard, he still has high hopes in reggae/dancehall "Reggae music will never die as Jamaicans are very creative. Dancehall music, however, is like pop music. One has to be constant to hold a top spot and what the music business is seeing is an abundance of empty creativity," he said. He also voiced concern about the growing number of aspiring entertainers, saying no one seems interested in taking up any other section of the business. "No one wants to be entertainment lawyers or songwriters, everyone just want to be a deejay," he said. Source: Jamaica Observer _______________________________________ "Brand New Exclusive" Mojo Morgan feat Nina Simone & Peetah Morgan "NEW DAWN" The lead single New Dawn is from Mojo Morgan's upcoming solo debut full length album, due later this year. The song features RnB Legend Nina Simone and Peetah Morgan. _______________________________________ Brand New Video release from C-Sharp Band "Somewhere" _______________________________________ LOVELLA ELLIS DEBUT SINGLE "BEAT ME" LOVELLA ELLIS was born one of the younger children to the late rocksteady singer ALTON ELLIS. Talented in her own right, this soulful young lady has been touching audiences with her beautiful, healing, natural and smooth vocals. LOVELLA has been singing unknown to her family since the age of 12. LOVELLA told the JAMAICAN OBSERVER “I truly fell in love with the music business in my mid-teens after listening to acts like Joe, SWV and Brandy” At the age of 16, LOVELLA formed an R&B group called "Ladies with Vibes." The girls entered their first talent competition and won. LOVELLA ELLIS was introduced to J.THOMPSON of MFW ARTIST MANAGEMENT after this time. Recognising her potential and her ability to write songs, he helped her to enhance and develop not only her song writing skills but the smooth soulful voice that has such a healing effect on audiences worldwide. The collaboration proved successful. But the turning point came after she performed with her Dad in 2001 at the Catford Theatre and the Metropolitan Hotel on Edgware Road. LOVELLA also had the privilege to perform on stage with her father for the last time at the Jazz Cafe in 2007. October 2008, ALTON ELLIS passed away in Hammersmith Hospital London, England. Before her father died he saw the tears in her eyes and said, “Lovella don’t cry no more.” After returning from Jamaica in November, LOVELLA was asked to represent her father at the BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE for the launch of the film ‘Legacy in the Dust’ February the 14th 2009 LOVELLA ELLIS and her management team decided to do a tribute show to her father entitled ‘I’m Still in Love’ at the HOOTANANNY in Brixton. This was the first opportunity she had to collaborate with her brother CHRISTOPHER ELLIS and they performed a classic of ALTON ELLIS ‘I’m Still in Love’. Ironically ALTON ELLIS and his sister HORTENSE ELLIS recorded the same song with a string of duets in the 1960’s. In the same year LOVELLA covered one of Alton's songs ‘LOVE ON TOP’ it went straight into the LIGHTNING FM top ten reggae charts and held the number 1 spot for seven weeks. It was also voted record of the week twice on VIBES FM by the public. In January 2010 as another tribute to her father, LOVELLA did a cover version of the classic WILLOW TREE based on the emotional moment that she recalled in the hospital with her dad, where she incorporated those very words spoken to her (‘don’t cry no more.’) She interpreted the song in her own way. Not intending to release it as a single, the song became an instant hit with LOVELLA’S fans and true reggae connoisseurs alike. Due to this fans have dubbed her 'Daughter of a Legend'. Because of her ever increasing popularity and stage presence she has also performed on the same stage as BERES HAMMOND, JOHN HOLT, JANET KAY, CAROL THOMPSON, KEN BOOTHE, GAPPY RANKS and R n B artists; HEATWAVE, ROSE ROYCE, OMAR, JUNIOR GISCOMBE, BEVERLY KNIGHT and many more, performing at places such as One Love Festival in Hainult, Edinburgh College of Art, Jazz Cafe and the O2 Academy Bristol, ect. In 2011 she was honoured to be the only artist to perform at the premier screening of 'The Story of Lovers Rock' at the British Film Institute in the presence of the legends of Lovers Rock. In the same year she won the CMA award as Best Cross over Act. LOVELLA has also been nominated as Best British Female Newcomer by the BRITISH REGGAE INDUSTRY AWARDS which will take place in October 2012. LOVELLA ELLIS’ first mainstream interview was with Natty B from CHOICE FM in 2009. LOVELLA says ‘I will never forget those pirate radio DJ’s that has supported me continuously.’ She has now been embraced by the U.S. and the EU market. Much to the demand of the public, LOVELLA ELLIS is currently working on her first album entitled LOVE ON TOP and is soon to be released. Of which she has written and produced a number of songs showing her skills as a producer and songwriter. Her song writing skills embrace the realities of everyday life, bringing a fresh approach to deep issues as in her latest single BEAT ME released in April 2012. LOVELLA is currently setting up a new domestic violence campaign entitled ‘If you love me don’t beat me.’ which targets men and women who are victims of domestic violence. LOVELLA has been recognised as an artist in her own right; her continued success has been independently gained through hard work, persistence and great support from her management team. LOVELLA ELLIS is continuing to develop her own style of music inspiring a new generation with her unique and dynamic contemporary songs. Unquestionably there is still more to come from this young lady. _______________________________________ THE KILLIN NEW REGGAE REMIX ON "I'M FADED" "Kill It" by E-DEE REFIX Produced by Qmillion on Unseen Lab Recordings Dancehall Celebrity E-Dee aka Pum Pum Killa brings new fire to the Tyga feat Lil Wayne Song "I'm Faded". E-Dee's reggae remix of the song has Dancehall and Hip-Hop DJ's mixing it in right behind the Tyga. Crazy lyrics!! Beat even more hype!!. _______________________________________ Cutty Ranks album Full Blast released on July 10th featured on the front page of iTunes US on it’s release date! (KINGSTON, JAMAICA / SAN FRANCISCO, CA) July 14, 2012 Jamaican Reggae powerhouse artist, Cutty Ranks, comes Full Blast with the US release of his new full-length album Full Blast on July 10th, 2012 on his own Philip Music Label in partnership with Independent Distribution Collective. The album has already received many media accolades for both the EP that was released in May 2012, and for both his new music videos, Full Blast and In My Place, which have been featured on Television in Jamaica, and on many well trafficked reggae music websites. The album also garnered the highest visibility placement on the world’s largest music retailer, iTunes USA’s coveted front page. It is very rare for an independent artist to receive this type of exposure, and the fact that Reggae releases rarely get this premiere placement, make this even more exciting. Clearly there are some true reggae fans at Apple. The highly respected veteran artist gives a gritty take on the reality of living in the urban streets of Jamaica on the title song with accompanying video “Full Blast” with Cutty bringing a strong message of non-violence and justice. _______________________________________ JAMAICA DANCEHALL REGGAE POWERHOUSE CUTTY RANKS COMES FULL BLAST WITH NEW ALBUM RELEASE AVAILABLE TODAY ON AMAZON, iTUNES, and PHYSICAL RETAIL OUTLETS THROUGH PHILLIP MUSIC / INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTION COLLECTIVE ALBUM FEATURES SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS BERES HAMMOND, LUCIANO, GWEN GUTHRIE AND MORE Amazon order link Itunes order link (KINGSTON, JAMAICA / SAN FRANCISCO, CA) July 10, 2012 Jamaican Reggae powerhouse artist, Cutty Ranks, comes Full Blast with the release of his new full-length album Full Blast under his own Philip Music Label in partnership with Independent Distribution Collective. The highly respected veteran artist gives a gritty take on the reality of living in the urban streets of Jamaica on the title song with accompanying video “Full Blast” with Cutty bringing a strong message of non-violence and justice. Featured artists on the album in collaboration with Cutty include top Reggae names in the business including a pair of Grammy-nominated Jamaican superstars: Beres Hammond with their sweet pairing on “Way To Go,” Luciano “Long Life,” and a combination with the late veteran female American R&B vocalist Gwen Guthrie (of “Ain’t Nuttin Going On But The Rent” fame) on “My Girl” showing a softer side of the artist. Other tracks on Full Blast include the lover’s rock track “In My Place” with up and coming singer Hyh Volume plus the high energy dance infused “Take It Away.” These three tracks are a sample of this evolved artist’s journey in music and completion of Cutty Ranks first full album in a decade. An extensive schedule of live performances is set in North America, Europe, Japan, and the Caribbean to support this new release. Over his storied career, Cutty Ranks got his start in the mid-1980s at the famed Techniques and Penthouse labels where he dropped hits such as “Press the Trigger” and collaborated with other gifted artists including Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths and Wayne Wonder. He then released his greatest hit single, “The Stopper”(off the album of the same name), on the UK based Fashion label. The Stopper album became a certified gold selling record, and was picked up by Profile Records. He also released his classic hit singles such as “Limb by Limb” and “The Return” and “A Who Sey Mi Dun.” Cutty also produced his first album, Six Million Ways to Die, which got him signed to Priority Records, after which he went on to form his own label, Philip Music. In 2000, he released the album Back With A Vengeance produced by King Jammy that saw Cutty Ranks venture into other musical styles, including hip-hop and dancehall. _______________________________________ Company Founded by Bob Marley's Wife and Children Takes Legal Action to Stop Marley Name and Likeness on Certain Potpourri/Kush Products NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On June 4, 2012, Fifty Six Hope Road Music, Ltd., the company founded by Bob Marley’s Wife and children and the legal entity holding the trademark, publicity, persona and other intellectual property rights to legendary reggae artist Bob Marley, commenced an action in the United States District Court, Central District of California against several parties that have been manufacturing, distributing and offering for sale certain potpourri/kush products which bear Bob Marley’s name, image, trademark, persona and likeness. "Hope Road has never granted a license to any party to use any of the Bob Marley IP on such products, which have been made to resemble synthetic marijuana. Hope Road intends to vigorously pursue any parties involved in the manufacture, distribution and sale of these infringing Bob Marley products." Hope Road obtained an ex-parte seizure order and accompanied by the United States Marshal’s Office conducted a raid on the facilities of the named defendants on June 5, 2012 seizing thousands of illegal Bob Marley products. “We have never authorized any party to sell these types of products with our Father’s image and likeness on them and are very upset to see that people are buying these products and being harmed by them. As a result we felt compelled to take action against the parties that have been illegally manufacturing, distributing and selling these unauthorized goods,” states Cedella Marley, a Director of Hope Road and Bob’s daughter. Hope Road’s general counsel Timothy Ervin of the firm of Gallant & Ervin, LLC explained: “Hope Road has never granted a license to any party to use any of the Bob Marley IP on such products, which have been made to resemble synthetic marijuana. Hope Road intends to vigorously pursue any parties involved in the manufacture, distribution and sale of these infringing Bob Marley products.” The case is Fifty Six Hope Road Music Ltd. vs. LA Paradise, et.al., Civil Action No. 12-4870-DDP. _______________________________________ Harambe Newsletter (The Rita Marley Foundation) June-August 2012 issue‏ Harambe is an African word which means “working together.” It is also the foundation’s slogan and name of one of Mrs. Rita Marley’s most popular tunes. Available through our website quarterly, this newsletter will be a vital vehicle to inform you of our foundation’s endeavors, events and accomplishments; importantly, we eagerly anticipate “working together” with you, through your contributions and feedback. So with One Love we could nurture Harambe into a constructive newsletter. The Rita Marley Foundation Click here to view and save a copy of the Harambe Newsletter (The Rita Marley Foundation)June-August 2012 issue> ‏ _______________________________________ $30 EARLY BIRD TICKETS ON SALE THROUGH JULY 1ST FOR THE 2012 IRIE SEABREEZE FESTIVAL SUNDAY AUGUST 19 IN LONG BEACH, CA AT WWW.IRIEFEST.NET AND SELECT ROOTS OUTLETS DANCEHALL REGGAE LEGEND, CUTTY RANKS ADDED TO FESTIVAL LINE-UP (Los Angeles, CA) – Early bird pricing of $30 for General Admission frstival tickets is available now through July 1st on the official festival website www.IrieFest.net and select roots ticket outlets. The 2012 edition of the Irie Seabreeze Festival returns to the Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach, California on Sunday, August 19, 2012, from 3pm to 10pm. Dancehall Reggae legend, Cutty Ranks, has been added to this year’s festival headliners featuring top Caribbean talent including: Luciano, Eljai, Duane Stephenson, Lloyd Brown, Lova Boy, Aurelio Martinez, Aziatic, Live Wyya, New Kingston, Quinto Sol, Jasha and more. Co-sponsor partners for this years festival are the Reggae Festival Guide 2012 and the Queen Mary. Fun activities for the entire family including giveaways and gate prizes. Families are encouraged to come out and enjoy the weekend full of music and culture. A variety of authentic Caribbean food and drinks will be on sale, plus an international cultural arts and craft fair. Besides the early bird pricing of general admission tickets, limited VIP package tickets are also available. The Irie Seabreeze Festival hotline number is (661) 718-5566 for general information, vendors, directions, and line‑up updates. Official Website: www.IrieFest.net Festival produced by Seabreeze Entertainment 'Your Source For Caribbean Entertainment' _______________________________________ "New" Video From Stephen Marley Stephen Marley - Made In Africa ft. Wale, The Cast of Fela _______________________________________ New Music From Erica Newell - Roses For My Baby Reggaeville Riddim / Oneness Records 2012 _______________________________________ Jo Mersa Marley Live - Paradiso Amsterdam Jo Mersa, son of Stephen Marley in Paradiso Amsterdam May 16th 2012 _______________________________________ SEAN HEALY PRESENTS WITH JAMAICAN GOLD: FRIDAY JUNE 29 REGGAE LEGENDS - THREE THE HARD WAY ! ROXY THEATRE 9009 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood All Ages - 7pm Doors Advance Tickets Available Now At Click here _______________________________________ VP RECORDS IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE SOJA TO JOIN ROASTER FOR EUROPE. MENTALITY EP : Out June, Monday 18th (digital release) The biggest American reggae band, from Wahsington DC, are about to take over Europe. Before the release of their “Strength To Survive” album, planned October 1st, as well as a European tour in the same month, SOJA is dropping an EP including the strong “Mentality” and “Everything Changes” tracks, very representative of their identity, quality reggae vibes and conscious lyrics in a pop-folk wrap up. They’ll be playing few gigs this summer, including one at Summer Jam Festival in Germany. So don’t wait and discover this band if you haven’t heard about it yet. But don’t expect a proper Jamaican reggae, these guys are blending their wide influences under a reggae groove, and it’s worth listening ! _______________________________________ NEW ARTIST IBA Iba MaHr, the young sensation for authentic Jamaican reggae/ lover’s rock genre. Born January 21, to Ms. Roselin Embden and Mr. Glendon Greaves, he was given the name Mario Greaves at birth but has emerged with strong African culture, thus granted the name by friends, Iba MaHr, ‘Iba’ African name, meaning Humble and Calm while ‘MaHr’ is really an acronym, meaning Mario of Harar, Harar which is a small province in Ethiopia. As a toddler, Iba MaHr was nurtured by his grandparents, Mrs. Joycelyn Greaves and Mr. Vincent Greaves in the Community of Cheesefield. Always being in the centre of attraction, every Sunday evening Iba MaHr would dance to his grandfather’s stereogram, playing hits from the 70’s, while singing to each song as if they were of his era. It was not until he was successful in his Common Entrance Exam to go on to High School that he moved to reside in Linstead with his mother. Being the only child for Ms. Roselin, iba was the main priority, with morality and education as her advocacy, leaving very little things undone if any. Now the youngman chants from a small town in the parish of St. Catherine called Linstead, that is most popular for the famous “Linstead Market” and the Song titled, “carry mi ackee go Linstead Market”. After completing secondary education at Charlemont High and sixth form at Dinthill Technnical High, Iba went on to study a Bachelors Degree in Computing and Management Studies at the University of Technology. Even though he had the ability to write songs since going to high school, it was only while in University his peers pushed him to perform his own words. In 2008, Max ‘Romeo’ Smith of CHARMAX MUSIC released his first song, “HAD IT & LOST IT”, for a various artiste album titled, “DEVIL ON DI RUN”. Later, Phillip ‘Fatis’ Burrell of XTERMINATOR PRODUCTIONS released his second single, “WHERE YOU ARE”. The young sound has also work with great producers and record labels such as, UIM Records, Marlon McCubbin, Bizzarri Records, Jermaine “Lenky” Edwards and more recent Roland “Rollie” McDermot of Rollins Records. I take pleasure in doing love songs. Essentially, I am inspired to sing about real life occurrences, but in reality as artiste we create melodies then connect words to them to craft stories that reflect other people’s lives. The energy, mood and my emotion at times may affect how a song might turn out. Feelings, be the sombre, joyful or sorrow also play a part. I now see the music making a paradigm shift from roots and culture, not that it has died but just need to be played more. Regardless of what is being played, the people need redemption songs, especially in these times of division and world crisis. I can only say that Reggae music is a medium through which we connect and touch people in any situation, so I work to preserve its legacy”, said Iba MaHr. The artiste was able to survive the many dangers and harm of his volatile community through advocating love, peace, righteousness and spiritual consciousness. As his name represent, he is quite humble, and does not let anything or anyone trouble his innate calm. With Rastafari as his inspiration, roots and culture is always what he promotes, along with social commentary and soulful-reggae love songs that speaks out to the hearts of people, those in love or out of love. Iba MaHr’s music ranges from reggae, lovers rock and soulful roots genre. Give heed to the voice, message, and what reggae music has to offer in the future. _______________________________________ NEW MUSIC FROM ELJAI - "FRENEMY" JAH MIX ENTERTAINMENT FOUNDATION ARTISTS / MEDIA _______________________________________ E-Dee feat I-Octane "Ghetto Yutes Rise" THE SMASH NEW COLLABORATION BY E-DEE FEATURING I-OCTANE "GHETTO YUTES RISE" Produced by Qmillion on Unseen Lab Recordings A powerfull uptempo roots tune new release. From the Motion Picture Soundtrack : Out the Gate coming to iTunes and more June 5th. _______________________________________ SOUND CHAT RADIO LANDS EXCLUSIVE NINJA MAN INTERVIEW Irish and Chin recently scored another exclusive live interview on their weekly Sound Chat Radio show with one of Dancehall’s most prolific and controversial deejays, Desmond Ballentine aka Ninja Man. The colorful Ninja Man held back nothing, opening up to host 'Chin' about everything in his life including music and his 3 years in jail without a conviction. Ninja Man, who was recently granted bail in the sum of $2 million, was eager to get the word out. The well known deejay chose Sound Chat Radio as the media through which to reach his fans in the Tri-state area and the World, facilitated through the show's streaming at www.irishandchin.com. The deejay said he is ready to battle and reminisced on his early competitive days declaring, "me nah back dung every time me step pon stage sump'n dead." As Ninja Man awaits his next court date on July 15, 2012, he gave host 'Chin' a number of his trademark frank statements including, "the whole music fraternity a ninja man style dem a work off a ....the whole a dem look up to me!" The artist, also fondly known as The Don Gorgon, spoke for approximately 45 mins onTues, May 15 on issues concerning the Jamaican media bias in more readily spreading negative news concerning entertainers. The deejay attempted to explain that "a bad man image is just an image" and not necessarily the person's true character off the stage. He did however admit that "if a man bring badness to me me nah back down..." Ninja Man was also adamant that he is "not in favour of the Police," but understands that they have a job to do, while quickly adding that they need better training, as his name was frequently called as being wanted for crimes that took place when he was asleep. CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN: NINJA MAN INTERVIEW Click here Ninja Man gives his views on: Jamaica's Police/ Justice system... Vybz Kartel's ongoing murder charges... Being mistaken as a 'badman' when he is just a 'serious yute' Being loved and hated for his status CLICK BELOW FOR PAST EXCLUSIVE SOUND CHAT RADIO INTERVIEWS WITH 'CHIN': KHAGO, CHAM, 'BAD' GYAL CE'CILE, 'ENERGY GOD' ELEPHANT MAN, 'MUMA' LADY SAW http://www.irishandchin.com/radio/listen-to-exclusive-radio-show-interviews _______________________________________ Brand New CURRENT AFFAIRS RIDDIM Produced By Mason (DMBOG) for Rebel Soulz(Japan Label) (www.rebelsoulz.com) with artistes like : 1.Denno - Mi Weed 2.Jay-5 - Just Dance 3.Katty - Bubble 4.Vybz Kartel - Ramp Ruff 5.Beego - Girl Wanna Have Fun 6.Shawn Storm - Heat 7.Splinta - Current Affairs 8.Denno - Mi Herbs (Radio Version) 9.Current Affairs Instrumental Source: STAMPEDE'S STREETS CHARTS/ENTERTAINMENT _______________________________________ Miami Premiere of MARLEY TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012 AT 12:14PM We hosted the Miami premiere of Kevin MacDonald's MARLEY last night at the Colony Theater in Miami Beach. Commissioner Michael Gongora was on hand to deliver a proclamation to Cedella Marley making April 9th Bob Marley Day in Miami Beach. MARLEY opens on 4/20 at the O Cinema. Source:http://www.rakontur.com _______________________________________ IRIE SEABREEZE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2012 HEADLINERS LUCIANO, DUANE STEPHENSON, ELJAI , LLOYD BROWN, LOVA BOY, AZIATIC AND MORE ARTISTS TBA SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2012 QUEEN MARY EVENTS PARK IN LONG BEACH, CA TICKETS ON SALE TUESDAY MAY 1ST AT WWW.IRIEFEST.NET AND SELECT ROOTS OUTLETS (Los Angeles, CA) – The 2012 edition of the Irie Seabreeze Festival returns to the Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach, California on Sunday, August 19, 2012, from 2pm to 10pm. This year’s festival headliners feature top Caribbean talent including: Luciano, Duane Stephenson, Eljai, Lloyd Brown, Lova Boy, Aurelio Martinez, Aziatic, Live Wyya, New Kingston, Quinto Sol, and more. Co-sponsor partners for this years festival are the Reggae Festival Guide 2012 and the Queen Mary. Fun activities for the entire family including giveaways and gate prizes