REGGAE NEWS & SITE UPDATES 2008-III
all items of the third quarter of 2008 (July, August & September)
Old News
Late 1980's US hip hop star Heavy D (without the Boyz) has recorded a reggae album that is being distributed digitally through iTunes. A CD release will follow next year. In the mean time the Jamaican born rapper will try to forward reggae music through his position in the US National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Please read the full Los Angeles Times article here.
Reggae superstar Shaggy has cooperated in the making of a children's book. Shaggy Parrot And The Reggae Band is a book and CD set made for kids aged two to six years old with a serious message about the environment. Please read the full Jamaica Gleaner article here.
Holland's biggest reggae star Ziggi will see his sophmore album In Transit released by legendary international reggae label Greensleeves this November. Available on the Dutch market from tomorrow through Rock 'N Vibes/PIAS, the album has more reggae and less dancehall than it's predecessor. Please read the full Dutch AD Rotterdam article here.
The two reggae stars are featured in the latest Pepsi commercial which is centered around a new version of Carl Douglas' 1974 hit song Kung Fu Fighting. Please check the new Pepsi campaign here.
Etana, Mavado, Busy Signal, Tarrus Riley and Beenie Man have all been nominated for MOBO-awards. The awards ceremony will be held in London on October 15. Please read the full CaribWorldNews article here.
The Guiness 'Sounds of Greatness' competition is a quest for Jamaica's best competitive sound system. The competitors include Firesound, Rebel T, Area Code, Black Kat, Bass Odyssey, Body Guard, Swatch International and Pisces. The finale will be on the first of November and the winner will take home a quarter of a million Jamaican dollars. Please read the full Jamaica Observer article here.
Israel Vibration's founding member Apple Gabriel, who left the trio in 1996, is in serious financial and physical trouble. He is currently homeless and suffers from seizures. Donations are very welcome! Please read the full News Blaze article here.
Since some pop, rock and reggae shows involve "gyrating movements" on stage, the Pakatan Rakyat state government has banned all such shows until further notice. Please read the full The Star Online article here, or the M&C article here.
Vybes Kartell's Honda burned down on his premises and was alledgedly firebombed. Though he himself claimes it was a technical failure, most cars do not spontaniously ignite. Word spreads that perhaps Mavado was involved. Please read the full Jamaica Observer article here.
Radio deejay Generoso Fierro who also made the documentary Lynn Taitt: Rocksteady is now wrapping up his newest film on the legend Derrick Morgan. Please read the full Boston.com article here.
As announced before (see news entry 2008.07.18) the Bob Marley statue by Croatian artist Davor Dukic is now unveiled in Banatski Sokolac (Serbia). Please read the full NME article here.
After his arrest at Sumfest and subsequent bail (see news entry 2008.07.20) Bounty Killer was fined $5,000 (a few cents short of fifty euro), sure he'll have a laugh!. Please read the full Radiojamaica.com article here.
Ripton Hylton aka Eek-A-Mouse is currently behind bars in a North Carolina (USA) jail facing facing kidnapping, 2nd degree rape and cocaine possession charges. Please read the full PilotOnline article here, or the WTKR NewsChannel 3 article here.
After years of struggeling Burning Spear now holds nearly all of his own copyrights except for a few owned by EMI. Please check a new Burning tune and read the full Wired Blog Network article here.
Dancehall star and energy God Elephant Man led a physical workout consisting mainly of dancehall moves for eight lucky fans at the Gleaner office, last friday. Please check the photo's and read the full Jamaica Star article here.
Legendary trumpeter and founding member of the Skatalites died last Saturday of cancer at the age of 70. He was at a friend's house in Kingston just after he had been released from hospital following treatment. Please read the full United Reggae article here.
It turns out that Sean Paul was indeed arrested together with nine more artists and some 200+ other festival goers! Please read the full CaribWorldNews article here, and/or read festival boss Yared Tekeste's comments here.
Some fifty people including a number of artists were arrested fridaynight of this year's Uppsala Reggae Festival on illegal drug posession charges. It is rumoured that among those arrested is Sean Paul whose hotel room was searched with police dogs. Please read the full UPI article here, or for the Sean Paul rumour please read the X17 article here.
The New York Brooklyn Museum's monthly event Target First Saturdays always draws a crowd, but the 6000+ spectators that came together to see local reggae outfit Judah Tribe was a big surpise to all. Please read the full CaribWorldNews article here.
When UK reggae recording artist Murray Man recently recorded an anti-knife violence tune he was offered a free video to accompany the song. Video producer Ray Cooper found the message of the song so compelling that he offered to produce the video for free. Please check the video and read the full Birmingham Mail article here.
Sometime last week legendary stage performer and singer Roy Shirley passed away. He was best known for his very early 1967 rocksteady song 'Hold Them' and his work with the Uniques. He passed away in England where he resided since 1973. Please read the full Jamaica Gleaner article here.
After dissing his fellow performers and ranting at the audience when they booed him for it, Bounty Killer was arrested on profanity charges. He has been released on bail and has to face court July 31. He can be sentenced to thirty days in jail. Please read the full CaribWorldNews article here, or the full the full Herald Tribune article here.
A statue of Bob Marley is to be erected in the tiny Serbian hamlet of Banatski Sokolac. The organisers of the local Rock Village festival will unveil the monument on August 23rd. Please read the full France 24 article here.
The Reggae on the River trademark will remain with the Mateel Community Center and they in turn will drop all suits against People Production's Reggae Rising and landowner Dimmick. The Reggae on the River festival will take place today and tomorrow at Benbow Lake State Park. Reggae Rising will be held at the original Reggae on the River location in August. Please read the full Times-Standard article here.
The German government is considering to blacklist dancehall anti-gay lyrics, thus restricting sales and distribution. Please read the full Deutsche Welle article here.
Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey has plans to set up his own record label. He already signed his first artist, reggae singer Mishka. Please read the full New York Post Page Six article here.
In an attempt to tackle the Stop Murder Music campaign the people of the TCOOO (taking care of our own) Production and label are organising a Straight Pride parade on August 31 in New York as a counteract to Gay Prides. Please read the full Yahoo! news article here.
As many original ska and rocksteady recordings are nearing the end of their automatic 50-year copyright period the Jamaica Music Society is trying to extend this period to 100 or 125 years, thus avoiding the nearing transition into the public domain of Jamaican heritage music. Please read the full Jamaica Observer article here.
This month will see the release of a book on Beenie Man, called Who Am I? The Untold Story of Beenie Man. The claimed first ever biography on a dancehall artist will be published by Greathouse/Omni Media. The more than 400 pages of the book were written by former journalist Milton Wray and will feature some previously unseen photo's. Please read the full Jamaica Gleaner article here.
