Steele upbeat about JUNO Awards
CANADA’S JUNO Awards take place April 1 at the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa and Torontobased singer Steele says his nomination in the Reggae Recording of the Year is payback for the hard work he has put in.
“It is a positive thing and I’m looking as this as just another step towards gaining the mainstream attention that reggae truly deserves in Canada,” the artiste, christened Mark Steele, told Splash.
Steele earned the nomination for his song Woman, which is dedicated to his wife. It was produced by bass player Othneil Campbell more commonly known as Taddy P.
This is his second JUNO nomination as his 2004 debut album Uncorrupted was also nominated for Reggae Recording of the Year.
In 2007, he dropped his sophomore album, The Love of Jah, which earned several accolades including Male Vocalist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, CD/Album of the Year and Artiste of the Year by the Reggae Music Achievement Awards (RMAA).
He also received two awards at the RMAA for his 2009 album, The Man The Music.
Steele is best known locally for his cover of Stevie Wonder’s Ribbon In the Sky, Jah Is My Strength and Silhouette.
He said he is currently working on his latest album with Fam Records and Paul ‘Computer Paul’ Henton’s Boot camp label. It is expected to be released late this year.
Franchino Having A Good Time In Music
Fast-rising reggae singer Francheno is having a good time as he continues to carve out a niche for himself on the local music scene. Since he delivered his breakthrough hit last year titled Life Set Away, Francheno has been very busy recording for a number of producers, while also producing several tracks for himself.
"Right now I am feeling very good about my career. Things are looking very promising for me. My music is getting out there to the people. I am getting crazy comments and messages on Facebook from people all over the world about my music, and the fans are showing me a lot of love. This has really encouraged me to continue making good music for the fans, and that's what I am concentrating on doing," he said.
New singles
His latest single titled Ghetto Youths Be Strong is currently blowing up FM radio both locally and abroad, and the Trelawny-based artiste doesn't plan to ease up as he is getting ready to drop a barrage of new singles in the coming weeks.
"My newest tune is doing very good. It's getting good airplay and it's catching on in the dancehall, too. I plan to drop a bunch of new tunes over the next few months. I can't afford to ease up right now. I am working for the big break, so I got to keep pushing, keep on hitting the fans with good music," he said.
Francheno is also booked to perform at a number of events over the next few months, including the Portmore Dancehall Awards and the Clarendon Music Awards.
Reggae Music Again
BUSY SIGNAL'S much anticipated all-reggae album is a bit of an anti-climax. A former protégée of dancehall legend Bounty Killer, Busy’s signature gruff deejaying style has long been his thing.
However, over the past few years it has become apparent that the Jamaican star has a singing voice on him too!
After hearing him deliver hits including The Gambler, Praise and Worship and One More Night, my appetite was whet for an album of similar blow-away reggae tracks. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with Reggae Music Again.
The album is a marked effort, no doubt. But rather than cement his career, stretching back nearly a decade, Reggae Music Again signals his some of his potential.
If this was an album from a rookie, it would be very good, but for Busy, ‘good’ isn’t really good enough. The world has seen him work and heard his ability, so I expected more.
Either way, he deserves a lot of credit because not many dancehall artists can pull off a reggae album full stop. It’s not everybody’s calling, after all. Reggae, as a genre, is clearly something that is very special and relevant to Busy Signal, as demonstrated in his ‘Busy Thoughts’ interjectory tracks throughout the album.
Therefore, there is a real passion behind the music; a real grit, determination and intensity.
There are a few great tracks: some cry for struggle (Running from the Law); some are social commentaries (Modern Day Slavery); and some, in true Busy Signal style, croon to the ladies, (Come Over). One stand-out track, for me, is Comfort Zone (the acoustic version).
Busy Signal fans won’t be bowled over by ‘Reggae Music Again’, simply because whilst it showcases a conscious, mellow side to Busy, it still lacks the dynamic of his previous work.
The majority of Busy’s fans tend to be the party-goers. To fully appreciate this album, they’ll have to stay indoors and listen to it; definitely not one for the clubs. Overall, not a fantastic album, but not too bad.
Rodigan To Appear At World Clash R.E.S.E.T
Don't let the 'gentle' in David Rodigan's moniker of 'The Rudeboy Gentleman' fool you, as the selector is poised to make a forceful and explosive debut at World Clash New York (R.E.S.E.T.).
The event is to take place on Saturday, April 7, and Rodigan is to perform alongside Fire Links, Bass Odyssey, Black Kat, Tony Matterhorn, Earth Ruler and Poison Dart (early-bird advance US$45 tickets available on http://www.irishandchin.com).
With a box bursting at the seams with dubs cut by some of reggae music's most iconic figures and modern-day leading artistes, Rodigan is a force to be reckoned with.
Rodigan hit the spotlight recently, not for the first time of course, after His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales honoured the selector with the United Kingdom's fifth highest award, the prestigious Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Decades of experience
The selector has more than four decades of experience playing Jamaican music and it is expected this will give him a significant advantage going into the World Clash.
There is no doubt that David 'Ram Jam' Rodigan will bring the heat to his younger contenders during his first official rumble on the World Clash New York stage.
Additionally, Rodigan is billed as the official opener of World Clash Jamaica, where he is set to deliver a phenomenal set that will include a montage of his famous one-of-a-kind dub-plate selections.
The selector's opening will serve as the perfect prelude to the premier competition, which includes top sounds such as Bass Odyssey, Black Kat, Kilamanjaro, Black Blunt, Heavy Hammer (Italy) and others to be announced.
Over the years, Rodigan has defeated nearly every top sound in the industry at least once.
Thriving on hard-core, clean competition, Rodigan subtly attacks his contenders with knowledge and music. With uniquely cut specials and piercing, often witty speeches, Rodigan is constantly credited with winning over audiences worldwide.
Over the years, Ram Jam has boldly carried the torch for reggae music and culture with his every move. Whether it's through his role as a prominent selector or famed radio host on London's Kiss 100 FM, Rodigan walks the walk and talks the talk, allowing no one to fill his mighty big shoes.
Much to his credit, Rodigan remains one of the industry's hottest commodities.
With dates booked a year in advance, this selector is clearly in demand. Aside from impeccable clash skills, Rodigan is a sensational juggling DJ. Promoters from all over the world seek Rodigan for high-profile juggling dates, which often draw thousands - young and old. Rodigan's lengthy stint on London's Capital Radio yielded some of the reggae music industry's most notable clashes.
While broadcasting in Jamaica for the station, he invited Jamaican radio host Barry G to be a guest on his show. The two started clashing on air - a first - despite the deep history of sound-system clashes in Jamaican music culture. The clashes were a phenomenon, officially locking down Rodigan's Jamaican fan base. Technically, Rodigan is one of the first 'non-Jamaican' selectors to be wholeheartedly embraced by reggae music fans.
Rodigan's vast accomplishments and accolades set him apart from the rest, making him a prime candidate to win the World Clash New York (R.E.S.E.T.).
Clash fans are anxious to see how the selector will face up against his contenders.
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The gangster's lore - Sandokhan, Dudus, the perfect examples
There is no shortage of songs about reputed dons and gangsters in Jamaica done when they are in their heyday, but doing a song about a former name-brand bad man who has gone the time-honoured route of long-term incarceration or violent death is another matter.
Like all things, support and accolades are strongest when the object of respect is strong, but invariably fades rapidly when they have fallen off their pedestal.
In this regard, Horace Andy's song for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke on the album he is now working on from his Charles Street, Kingston, studio is unusual, as it comes at a time when Coke is in the United States awaiting sentencing. Still, Andy sings:
"Dudus we know a you rule
Presi yeah
Presi we miss you
Things no calm since you gone
The people them nah live right
Every day them a fuss an' fight ..."
In a recent interview with The Sunday Gleaner, Andy said "the song is just a song about the man. Is no political thing." And the statements he makes about the community in Dudus' absence, Andy said, are simply a matter of "I write the truth, what I see".
The song speaks about Coke's absence from the community, while maintaining his presence in the present tense assertion of his leadership. On the other hand, deejay Supercat's Sandokhan is clearly an ode to the departed, as it is in the past tense.
Supercat sends out general respects to some of the customary areas:
"Special request to all Firehouse man
Uptown an' Garden an down a Paynland"
And then he zeroes in on the man who was at one point in the late 1980s the most wanted man in Jamaica, with a $50,000 reward on his head and the subject of intense security searches. He deejays:
"Sandokhan
Say dat likkle yute was a righteous man
Him born inna de ghetto an no trouble no one
Anyting whe happen now a mussi temptation
De nex' ting whe happen a mussi revelation"
Wayne 'Sandokhan' Smith (not to be confused with Hopeton 'Sandokhan' Brown from Canterbury who was on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Most Wanted List, killed by the police in Lilliput, St James, in March 2004) was the target of a major manhunt centred on Waterhouse, St Andrew. This was after a pre-dawn attack on the Olympic Gardens Police Station on November 19, 1986, in which three policemen were killed and rifles stolen, him being held about to leave the island from Montego Bay and an escape from the Gun Court. Then there was recapture and escape from the then St Catherine District Prison on June 15, 1988, where he was on death row. Sandokhan was eventually killed by gunmen in Tower Hill on September 8, 1988.
Impact of attack
The Gleaner reported that the police station attack had such an impact that then Leader of the Opposition Michael Manley, who was out jogging when the news broke, jumped into his vehicle and immediately went to the scene.
Supercat's summation of Smith not troubling anyone seems to be borne out by reports about the events leading up to the Olympic Gardens station attack. He was known as a marijuana dealer and, while he was riding with his wife on a motorcycle in the community that fateful November, the police tried to apprehend him. Smith escaped, but his wife was held and taken to the Olympic Gardens Police Station where she was allegedly physically abused. This included slaps to her face.
The allegation was made in a letter by Smith to Roman Catholic priest Father Richard Albert.
The following night, Sandokhan and his associates attacked the police station, which Supercat records in his song:
"Say him screechie over fence an go inna station
Kill three policeman an' him wounded one"
He also speaks to the futile hunt by the security forces for Sandokhan:
"A jus' de odda day Jah man dem kill a mad man
Dem a bawl an a shot sey dem touch Mr Khan
An when you take a stock man dem touch de wrong man"
Within two months of his second escape, Sandokhan was accused of nine murders. That may or may not have been on Supercat's mind when he deejayed the lines:
"Jah man, Jah know you double wrong
You shoulden provoke the escape con"
At the end of it all, though, what remains is Sandokhan's reputation, which is part of Jamaica's extensive gangster lore. Supercat pays homage to this, with "rough, rough Sandokhan/tough, tough Sandokhan/wild, wild Sandokhan".
Sanchez Turns Producer
REGGAE singer Sanchez has not appeared on a Jamaican stage in recent times. The reason, he said, is that he has embarked on a different musical journey.
"I'm a full-time producer now," Sanchez told the Sunday Observer.
Sanchez, whose real name is Kevin Jackson, said his producing projects have led him to cross paths with American-based Jamaican Rodnie 'Tenor' Lyon.
"He is a brilliant kid, so it's a blessing," said Sanchez.
The singer, who rose to prominence in 1988 with his cover of Jermaine Jackson's Lonely Won't Leave Me Alone, said he has also done work with Chiney K Productions. That effort has produced the single Nuh Kotch, with him on vocals.
"It is now getting good rotation. It has a real nice dancehall vibes," he said. "Everyone can relate to it. It's crazy."
The singer said he is currently working on two albums. The first, Nuh Kotch, has already been completed with five tracks. The second is a gospel set, which is yet to be titled.
Sanchez said he has some upcoming international engagements in Canada, Europe, the United States and the Caribbean.
"I love singing and that's the way I started out," said the man who began recording in 1987 when he released Lady In Red.
Closing the book on reggae
REGGAE music suffered another blow recently with the decision of veteran booking agent Peter Schwartz of the Agency Group, to cut back on the number of Jamaican artistes his company represents.
Schwartz is a vice-president at the New York City entity which has offices in major music markets around the world.
Schwartz joined The Agency Group in 1993, after spending two years at the giant William Morris Agency. He is the company's longest serving employee.
In an interview with Splash, Schwartz pointed out that he has not closed the door on reggae entirely, but said several factors forced him to stop booking some artistes.
"I still do represent a handful of them and I still love the music and genre, but unfortunately, many
of the artistes I represented in reggae have come into issues that have prevented me from continuing to build their touring careers," Schwartz explained.
"Many have lost their US visas or work permits and without those, I obviously cannot book them here," he added. "Some have unfortunate legal issues and in the case of Gregory Isaacs, one of my hardest working reggae artistes, he sadly passed away."
Schwartz did not name the delinquent acts.
He said he will focus on the hip-hop acts at The Agency which include Big Boi, Method Man and Redman.
During the past 15 years, Schwartz has booked tours and shows in North America, the Caribbean and Europe for Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Sizzla, Capleton, Tarrus Riley, Israel Vibration, Easy Star All-Stars and Luciano.
He said the first reggae tour he booked was for former Black Uhuru singer Michael Rose.
Journeyman roots group Israel Vibration — one of the best touring reggae acts — is one of the remaining Jamaican entertainers on The Agency's roster.
Dancehall's top artistes have racked up many negatives in the last decade.
They have clashed with gay rights groups in Europe and North America over homophobic lyrics and had run-ins with the law at home.
This led to some of them being barred from entering sections of both continents.
Two years ago, the US Embassy in Kingston revoked the visas of several artistes. Some have been reinstated.
Schwartz does not rule out working with Jamaican performers in the future.
For sure I would work with the artistes again. Dancehall and reggae have been a huge part of my career," he said. |
No Celebration For Coxsone
LEGENDARY music producer Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd would have celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday. But concerns are being expressed that eight years after his passing, nothing is being done to celebrate the birth of this musical giant.
His niece, music industry veteran Maxine Stowe, is among the peeved.
Stowe, a former executive at Sony International, is head of Jahnanda Entertainment Corporation, a consultant company that specialises in intellectual property.
She noted that Dodd is being ignored during a period of significance for Jamaican music.
"Seeing that his birthday falls around the time of Jazz and Blues (Festival), just ahead of Reggae Month and the birthdays of Dennis Brown and Bob Marley, it comes rather odd that his life and his work is not celebrated," she stated.
"Anybody celebrating 50 years of anything in Jamaica, if it don't involve Studio One
you have a big gap in your story because the music and independence go together," she added. "The birth of ska is the birth of Independence."
Stowe noted that her uncle was the first black man to own a recording studio in Jamaica. Just before Jamaica's independence in August 1962 he launched Studio One, setting the pace for his great rival, Arthur 'Duke' Reid, who opened his Treasure Isle studio shortly after.
A number of projects to preserve Dodd's legacy were announced during a press conference at Studio One on the first anniversary of his death in May 2005.
These included the establishment of a foundation in his honour; construction of a museum at Studio One;
the commissioning of a bust of Dodd; cash grants for a student to take up a three-year scholarship at the Edna Manley School of the Visual and Performing Arts; and helping to maintain the Alpha Boys' School Band.
Apart from the bust, none of the ther elements have yet materialised.
"All those things have to be revisited, the passing of Mrs Dodd throw back certain things," said Courtney Dodd, the younger of Dodd's sons. "All that will go back on the agenda with the family getting together to sort out certain things."
The younger Dodd is currently in charge of Studio One operations. The facility was closed for some time after the passing of the Studio One matriarch, Norma, just over one year ago.
"We are just trying to get the thing up and running again with some good artistes remodelling some of the original riddims," Dodd told Splash.
Bob Marley and Dennis Brown are just two of the many performers who were at Studio One early in their careers. Other notable artistes Dodd produced include the Skatalites, Alton Ellis, Toots and the Maytals, Bob Andy, Burning Spear, Marcia Griffiths, the Heptones, Freddie McGregor and Sugar Minott.
Richie Stephens Shows Class
Like a 'maniac' under the influence of music, Richie Stephens delivered a scintillating performance on night two of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, second to none other than Celine Dion.
Sharing the spotlight with the international megastar was no easy feat, but Stephens, who has broken down major barriers and gained worldwide appeal was 'dangerously' electrifying, as he took the thousands of jazz patrons from one hit to the next.
Renowned as a class act, Stephens opened his set with oldies but goodies, then proceeded to share the pain of the death of his son who was killed outside his gate last year, before engaging the audience in an uptempo and very appealing gospel routine.
Stephens, who has been a household name in Jamaica for nearly two decades, donned fire red for the 16th annual festival, and he came with one intention in mind - to thrill.
In fact, during one of his songs the sky seemed to open up and burst into imaginary flames, but this was really the backdrop on which patrons feasted their eyes.
For patrons at the event, one of the defining moments was when Stephens brought on his friend Gentleman for what could be tagged a real treat.
The two, who have teamed up for the hit song and powerfully moving ballad, Live Your Life, were a perfect combination.
Gentleman brought energy that could be felt near and far, while the crowd sang along and were highly entertained until they were prevented from singing a new song.
Their performance was cut, making way for the sexy, sultry Nicole Henry, with whom jazz greats such as Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald would have been pleased.
Henry's jazzy rendition of Bob Marley's Waiting in Vain was an instant hit with the audience.
The song, which is now back on the charts in the United States, went over exceptionally well. Henry sparkled, just as the jewellery on her wrists and in her ears did.
Both Stephens and Henry's performances were preceded by Jully Black, a very good rhythm and blues singer out of Canada with Jamaican ancestry, but for some reason she failed to grab the crowd's attention, not connecting as well with the crowd despite her uptempo performance, which should have garnered an enthusiastic response.
Whatever happened at the Trelawny grounds last Friday night, Jully Black remains a musically competent artiste.
Siblings, Tessanne Chin and Tami Chynn did well, but because their performance was so short, it was hardly memorable. Nor frankly was it their best performance. These two have exerted far more energy and zest in other performances. They, however, did manage to get sections of the crowd singing along.
Etana To Record Third Album
Reggae’s reigning princess has been busy in the studio writing and recording tracks for her third, yet to be titled list of new classics. Etana has been spending quality time with the biggest names in the genre to acquire the perfection she seeks for her latest effort.
The songbird has already completed most of the tracks and is just about ready to pass them over to her label, VP records to select what will make the final cut. Etana admits to being hard to please and if you may, call her a diva when it relates to productivity and the quality of her music productions. “When I’m in the studio, I take my job very seriously. It’s fun but certainly not a game. When I’m in that booth, if something is not right, it has to be corrected. I respect my fans, they support me through buying my records and concert tickets; they put me here so I must give my best.”
Etana recording at Tuff Gong Studios, founded by music Legend, Bob Marley
The singer wants to keep the collaborations for her new album a surprise; still there has been a lot of buzz surrounding a fiery duet with Freddie McGregor. Industry insiders and online listeners are also responding remarkably well to the prerelease of another track titled, Beautiful Day.
Etana is steering towards the best and brightest young musicians creating waves with energetic, vibrant and free spirited sounds. Majority of the tracks completed so far have been produced by Shane Brown-Juke Boxx Productions in addition to Steven McGregor –Big Ship Records and her former manager, Donovan Germain of Penthouse Records. Etana’s highly anticipated third album is expected to be in stores later this year.
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