Entertainment Update March 2008!

Maxi Priest is the new lead singer of British reggae band, UB40.   He has replaced Ali Campbell as the new front man of the band which has decided to carry on despite an acrimonious split with Campbell after a festering row with management.  The collaboration with Priest has already yielded a recording of Bob Marley's I Shot The Sheriff and is expected to form half of a double A-side single soon.  Priest joined UB40 on tour last year, culminating in sellout shows at the NEC in December. He had top ten hits with Wild World in 1988 and Close To You in 1990.  He has worked with Sly and Robbie, Roberta Flack, Shaggy, Shabba Ranks, Joe and Dennis Brown.

Soca’s biggest superstar Machel Montano will perform alongside Super Cat, Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Sizzla, Junior Reid, Barrington Levy, and Tarrus Riley among others at the Best of The Best 2008 concert. The event is carded for Sunday May 25^th at Bicentennial Park in Miami.   Best of the Best is the longest running Memorial Weekend reggae concert, and will be hosted by Bobby Konders and Jabba, DJ Khaled, Jamusa, Ron Burke, Tony Matterhorn, 800-Bungie, Walshy, Mr. Slater, DJ Roy and Steelie.   Doors will open at 1:00pm sharp. Stage show kicks off at 2:00pm and ends at 11pm. 

 

Jamaican dancehall DJ Mavado was on Friday, March 28th granted J$200,000 bail when he appeared in a Jamaican court charged on two counts of shooting with intent and one count of illegal possession of a firearm.   Mavado, whose real name is David Brooks, was also required to submit his passport to the courts, which means that he will not be able to perform at his scheduled concert tomorrow at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad.  Kendell Richards, of RF Promotions, the promoters of the concert in which Lady Saw was also scheduled to perform, has said that the show has been postponed to April 4, at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago and April 5, at a venue to be decided upon in Trinidad. Richards said he was confident that Mavado will be able to travel by then.  Richards added that all current ticket holders will be accommodated on these new dates.            

 

T&T’s very own reggae sensation Jamelody will be among the performers at the ‘Team Jamaica on the Road Beijing’ Reggae Charity Concert on Sunday April 20^th, at the Walt Whitman theatre at the Brooklyn College. Renowned Lover’s Rock crooner Richie Stephens, and new Roots sensations Etana and Duane Stephenson, are among the event’s other performers.  Additionally, Sheryl Lee Ralph has joined the ‘Team Jamaica on the Road to Beijing’ campaign to raise funds for Jamaican high school athletes participating in the annual Penn Relays Competition in Philadelphia, and Jamaica’s track and field athletes competing in the XXIX Olympics in Beijing.  Ralph, a Tony award-nominated actress and singer of Jamaican decent, will be joining Jamaican-American international model Camille McDonald, as a spokeswoman for the ‘Team Jamaica Bickle on the Road to Beijing’ campaign.   Endorsed by BET Networks, the staging will be aired on BET and BETJ this spring.  With a fourteen year history of providing educational and athletic assistance to promising Jamaican high school athletes competing at the annual Penn Relay competition in April, this year Team Jamaica has also vowed to financially assist Jamaica’s qualifying track athletes set for the Olympics in China this August. All donations will be made in the memory of Jamaican track and field legend, Olympic gold medalist Herb McKenley.  Meantime, Melody’s debut album "Be Prepared" drops via VPRecords on April 29^th.

Revellers in Barbados may have to pay as much as $450 to jam down Spring Garden in this year's Grand Kadooment.   The hike is a result of the strict enforcement of the 15 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) charge on costumes.   President of the Barbados Association of Masqueraders (BAM), Roger Millar, said that the "hard thing" about the new regulation was that VAT had to be paid on costumes that were not sold. He said the new regulation would force bandleaders to clamp down on concessions and free costumes.  Noting that the average costume ranged from $250 to $400, he said he would not be surprised if the cost went up by $50 more. However, he did not think the hike would deter would-be revellers, because Barbadians always got "value for money".  He said local bands usually offered all-inclusive packages which included costumes, drinks and a meal. He added that bandleaders had been fighting to keep prices down, but it had become "impossible" to maintain lower prices.

 

A report on the Billboard magazine website has stated that the family of Bob Marley has refused to license any of his music for a  biopic that the Weinstein Co. is prepping, despite the fact that his widow, Rita Marley, is its executive producer.  The reason? There is a competing Martin Scorsese documentary being produced by the Marley family-owned Tuff Gong Pictures and Steven Bing's Shangri La banner, the first theatrical documentary to license Marley songs.  The family members involved in the Scorsese project claim they were unaware that the Weinstein project would be unveiled so soon and believe that its projected late 2009 release date would interfere with the documentary's February 2010 release, which is timed to Marley's birthday.   "Martin Scorsese doesn't want to go out with a competing project, and Steven Bing has made deals with companies", that are now compromised, Blue Mountain Music president Chris Blackwell said. "The Weinstein project has put the documentary into jeopardy," the website article claimed. Blue Mountain Music is Marley's music publisher.  "All our efforts and support are currently directed toward the documentary," the untitled project's executive producer Ziggy Marley said. "We believe that this project is the best way to represent our father's life from his perspective, and any other film project pertaining to our father will be empty without his music to support it."   "When I sold the film rights to my book," Rita Marley said, "the contract did not include any rights to use my husband's music."  The Marley family's lawyer Terri Dipalo denied the latest move is a negotiating tactic to compel the Weinsteins to buy Marley music rights or to up the price for those rights. She did suggest that "anything's possible" when asked if Marley's songs might end up in the Weinstein feature. Music publisher Blackwell would like to see the biopic delayed until at least 2015 to avoid the two projects colliding. He said he talked with Harvey Weinstein on March 13 about the issue, but so far nothing has been resolved. Blackwell said that he expects a deal to be reached soon whereby the Weinstein Co. would take a stake in the Scorsese documentary and agree to postpone its biopic.  Weinstein Co. spokesman Matthew Frankel responded, "We have great respect for the Marley family and Chris Blackwell and are in discussions to look at ways to mutually benefit both projects."

In the words of the great Claude McKay, “the heights of great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, were toiling upward throughout the night.”   Mr. McKay may have said the heights of great men reached and kept, but in this day and age, women are toiling and achieving just as much as their male counterparts. One such lady is none other than the self proclaimed Money Goddess of the Dancehall, Macka Diamond. As recently as five years ago, few outside of Jamaica knew the instantly recognizable sound of the woman who is somewhat of a hero in the feminine circles for her bold declaration to Bun Him!!! Her biggest hit to date.   Macka Diamond has been in the business of Dancehall for years, going through changes so dramatic that they even affected a name change soon after the new millennium. A move which proved to be just what the doctor prescribed, because shortly after that, the sky became the limit, and it has been a steady uphill climb since.   Today it seems as if the saucy-flavored dancehall star is everywhere, literally, blaring inescapably from radio, TV, shops, bars, nightclubs, Benzes, Lexus’s  and Hummers.  Macka Diamond, who is an exceptional performer with the ability to capture new audiences everywhere she goes; an undeniable issue, seeing that  she has mainstream radio, both locally and internationally, going crazy, with the release of her two latest singles, Laptop and Best Dress.’  Madison Square Garden (7th Ave. & 32nd St.), Radio City Music Hall (Ave. of the Americas & 50th St.), and the jumbotron in the middle of Times Square (42nd St.), will come alive on the 28^th of March, when the stage will erupt into a frenzy with performances from the likes of Machel Montano, Patrice Roberts. Kat Deluna, Wyclef Jean, Pit Bull, David Rudder, Mighty Sparrow, Problem Child and Macka Diamond herself.  “Madison Square Garden, New York City, what can I say,” says an excited Macka, with an ear to ear smile,  who has now gone down in the history books as one of the few Jamaican artiste, such as Marcia Griffiths, Buju Banton and Shaggy, just to name a few, to grace the stage of such a prestigious  and coveted venue. The night is poised to be like no other, with representation from most of Soca’s A listers.   With an appealing rhythm derived from the Jamaica’s “dancehall” genre, and topped off by frequently raunchy lyrics under the pulsating waist moving beats, and aimed directly at an exploding demographic – it is clear as to why Macka Diamond is so confident and ready to take the world like a bull by the horns, because after a successful tour of Trinidad, and getting requested for Madison Square Garden, the only question that’s left to be asked is, what’s next for the Diamond Girl?

One young man who has embraced the message and music of Bob Marley & The Wailers, but who would have been too young to have attended a Bob Marley and the Wailers concert in the 1980s, is the Wailer's band’s lead singer, Elan Atias.   Elan, who just turned 30, is not your typical reggae singer.   A rich boy raised mostly in Beverly Hills by his white American mother and Israeli father, Elan sings about suffering but has never known hard times.   “I’m not trying to fill his (Bob Marley’s) shoes,” says Elan in the distinctive Jamaican-American accent he has developed. “I’m just trying to keep the message and be a part of this band.”    This is Elan’s second time around with the group.  Discovered by the band’s guitarist, Al Anderson, ten years ago when he was 19, Elan sang with the Wailers for a few years before going off to pursue a solo career.  He returned to the band recently and now combines his solo career - he released his debut album, ‘Together As One’, in 2006 - with his work with the Wailers.  Al Anderson says the young American gives the older members of The Wailers Band who’re in their late 50s like him or early 60s like Familyman a chance to appeal to the younger generation.  “We got a new kid on the block named Elan Atias and in essence,” Al Anderson said, “you could say that he is way more up on the list of interest (for fans) than a bunch of old guys that are pretty much doing the same old thing.”  Like Al Anderson, Familyman says The Wailers Band has to be careful it does not become old and stale. “We are bending some of our music, the melody and lyrics,” he says, “to join in with the young people of this age." (Taken from an article by: Leslie Goffe)

         Conscious chanter I-Octane is busy in the studio working on a project which he describes as "a great album in the making."  The "Stab Vampire" singer is not giving away too much detail on the album but he says it will be something worth listening. The central theme will be the same, uplifting materials and songs that will have you thinking…of course the ladies will not be left out of the mix.   The album is not the only thing that is occupying his time the singer is gearing up to shoot a new video and it's for the single "Different Page". Since its pre-release the song has been receiving some crazy rotation on air and it is expected that the video will skyrocket the hype around it. Recorded on the rub-a-dub rhythm for Rated R Records label.  "Different Page" is yet another social commentary from the Clarendon born I-Octane. Another single set to be released by the artiste is "None A Dem Nuh Frighten We" and according to I-Octane he is pleased with the response this song has been garnering since it has started to permeate the airwaves.   Currently the singer has two new videos in rotation on the local cable and television stations. "Run Yet" is sitting pretty in the number one position on RETV Music Video charts with "Poverty" in the number two position on CVM video chart and #10 on Hype TV's top 20 singles chart.  Over Easter weekend I-Octane was in action at Fantan Mojah's splash, Invasion and Aries Jam.  Where music is concerned, it's all good as I-Octane says, "Selassie child is on the rise."

 

Jamaican dancehall artiste David 'Mavado' Brooks was arrested and charged on Wednesday, March 26th on two counts of shooting with intent and illegal possession of firearm, stemming from an incident last year.   Brooks was arrested after he turned himself over to the Kingston and St Andrew Major Investigation Task Force at their downtown offices.  Head of the Major Investigation Task Force, Assistant Commissioner of Police Les Green, said the artiste was formally charged after he was questioned by detectives.  The police said the artiste was charged in relation to an incident on Mannings Hill Road on July 27, when two persons were shot. ACP Green, however, refused to go into details about the shooting or if it was linked to an ongoing feud in the Cassava Piece area which has had residents of the community cowering in fear. He added that the investigations were continuing into the incident.  Mavado has since been taken into custody and will appear in the Gun Court on Friday, March 28th.  This is not the first time that the artiste has been arrested and charged.  In January last year he was arrested and charged with possession of ganja after he was caught with the contraband while the police were on a raid in Cassava Piece. And in 2006 the deejay was charged with two counts of wounding, assaulting police and resisting arrest after an altercation at the Constant Spring Police Station in which he was injured.

Jamaican dancehall deejay Vybz Kartel publicly apologized at the recent British Link-Up party which took place on Saturday, March 22nd for a previous assault on popular selector Jigsy at Bembe Thursdays.  Kartel who was performing at the British Link-Up dance at La Roose, Port Henderson road, Portmore, minutes after 7 a.m. on Sunday, said that an incident had occurred between him and the selector and he was now ready to make amends.   "Man a badman and when you involve inna war you realize seh you win some and lose some. So Jigsy mi lose. So mi apologize to you," the deejay announced after beginning his performing.  Jigsy, who was selecting at that point, made his way to centre stage and Kartel continued his apology. "Jigsy mi apologies to you," the deejay said before shaking the selector's hand. In return Jigsy took the microphone and said that everything was now 'cool' between both parties.  Jigsy is reported to have said that the apology was unexpected but he accepted it. "Well yuh know him did seh him neva diss me and it took a big man fi seh wha him seh in front of thousands of people. Him apologize and him a deal wid him career mi couldn't do nothing more than accept it," he said. According to Jigsy he does not know if the apology was sincere but he was pleased with the gesture and he feels better about the situation. The two have been at odds since an altercation occurred at Bembe Thursdays in December of last year. After a set littered with Kartel and Mavado songs, Jigsy was called over by Kartel and his entourage and was hit in the head several times with a what appeared to be a bottle. According to Jigsy, his chain was destroyed and he was subsequently soaked with liquor.  Kartel had later denied involvement in the incident and said that he never laid a hand on the selector and only heard of the incident after leaving the venue. The two had not spoken or seen each other since the feud occurred. After the altercation, the tension only increased between the two with Jigsy vowing never to play another Kartel song again. Jigsy also broadened his boycott to include the entire 'Portmore Empire', which is headed by Vybz Kartel. As to whether Jigsy will be playing any of Kartel' songs he still does not know as yet, commenting "it tek time to sort out mi juggling still so we'll see".

NEW YORK RADIO JOCK DEAD AT AGE 40 

Popular New York radio host Terrence Keith Smith, aka TK Smith died in his sleep on Sunday, March 16 2008 at his home in Long Island, New York.  Smith was born in England on June 28 1967. He migrated to Jamaica with his parents Maude and Kenneth Smith and his sister Elaine Smith in 1971. He attended Norman Manley High School and Kingston Technical High School (KTHS) where he served as Head-boy.  TK loved sports and music. Cricket was his favorite sports. He garnered fame at KTHS for scoring 102 runs for the team in an important cricket match. At the time of his death, he played for Mid Island Cricket Club in New York.  Music was in his blood. He lived, breathe and slept music. His catch phrase was "music of the past, present and future."  He specialized in music of the 70s and 80s.  Some of the personalities who influenced his career were Barry G, Errol Thompson, Winston Williams, Allan Magnus and Marie Garth.  TK migrated to the USA over twenty years ago.  He attended Kingsborough Community College in New York, majoring in Mass Communication. While at Kingsborough, a predominantly Caucasian college at the time, he championed and was successful in producing and hosting the first reggae program at the college radio station, 90.9FM, WKRB. The program was called "Midnight Reggae."  In 1998 he worked at WWRL, 1600AM in New York with the Keeling Group. In 1999 he joined Culture Jam Radio program at 93.5FM in New York and was later enlisted by Clinton Lindsay to be the new host of the Top 30 Reggae Charts that aired on the same station. He catered to the Caribbean and international communities where he strived to maintain the authenticity of reggae music. TK is survived by his sister Elaine Smith Hibbert, Paulette Vann, nephew Nicolas, uncles Teddy and Trevor, aunts Verlita, Olga, Violet, Joyce and Eunice plus many cousins and loved one Nzinga Myton. God took TK to a different musical world on March 16 2008.

TK we love you.  By Primrose McLean

 

It is with great sadness that we at West Indian Times have to report that Michael 'Mikey Dread' Campbell who was always 'The Dread At The Control' has passed away.  Mikey passed away at approximately 6:50pm Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, March 15th, 2008.  He was surrounded by his family in the home of his sister in Connecticut at the time of his passing.  We had reported in October 2007 that Mikey had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and that he was fighting with all his might to recover from his illness.  Mikey constantly remained upbeat and hopeful for a full recovery so that he could continue doing what he loved; spreading Jah music to the world.  Mikey's family including his children; 2 sons from Jamaica, a daughter who lives in Houston, TX, a son who lives in Canada, a daughter who lives in Belize, and his 4 month old son Zylen Jahlight had been close by in the last few months as he fought to stay with them. 

We will keep you updated as service arrangements are made.

West Indian Times sends our deep condolence to the family and friends of Mikey Dread.  His passing is a great loss to the Universe.  He will be greatly missed.  Mikey, may your soul rest in eternal peace.

Tune in to hear our musical tribute to Mikey on Vibes 24/7:  Listen To Vibes 24/7 Live   or http://www.westindiantimes.net/vibes247.htm

 

Black Entertainment Television (BET) has joined the ‘Team Jamaica on the Road to Beijing’ campaign, partnering with Team Jamaica Bickle and VP Records on the ‘Team Jamaica on the Road to Beijing’ Reggae Charity Concert, to be held at Brooklyn College on April 20th. The network will be filming the event, which features Reggae artists Richie Stephens, Etana, Duane Stephenson, and Jamaican sports legend Donald Quarrie, and a host of other music and sport ambassadors, for airing on both BET and BETJ.   Proceeds from the charity staging will not only assist Team Jamaica Bickle with providing much needed support to the Island’s promising high school athletes competing at Penn Relays in April, but will also fund Jamaican athletes competing in the XXIX Olympics in Beijing this August.  “This “BET is providing an international platform for our Reggae artists while at the same time, bringing world wide attention and support to our athletes,” states Team Jamaica Bickle Founder/President Irwine Clare. “I must thank BET for their willingness to support such an important venture.”   ‘Team Jamaica Bickle on the Road to Beijing’ Reggae Charity Concert will be held on Sunday, April 20th at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College. For more information, ticket inquiries, and donations, contact Team Jamaica Bickle at 718 523-2861. Visit Team Jamaica Bickle on the Internet at www.teamjamaicabickle.com.

 

In Barbados, Eddy Grant celebrated his 60th birthday on Wednesday, March 5th and his family and friends threw a surprise party for him.   Ringbang rhythm echoed all night long in Bentley's Restaurant in the Spirit Bond Mall, Wharf Road, as the man from Plaisance, Guyana, mingled with his guests.   The locally based superstar was taken by surprise, expecting the night would consist just of a family dinner.   However, when he went upstairs he discovered about 75 friends and family members there to share his special night with him.   They came from Suriname, India, London and other places.   Throughout the night greetings and best wishes to Grant from his many celebrity friends were read out, including those from Bill Wyman, bass player of the Rolling Stones, top comedian Lenny Henry and Calypso Queen of the World Calypso Rose. There were also speeches by Gabby, Tony Grazette, Jeff Kinch and others.   Tilia Wilkinson sang two songs for the birthday boy – On My Knees and That Name, while Gabby ended off the night's proceedings with Boots and Emmerton.   Grant's sister-in-law, Pauline Mager-Miller, kept the night flowing, taking guests from laughter to tears.  Grant, who scored his first No.1 hit Baby, Come Back, as a member of the British group The Equals in 1968, has charted in that country in every decade since the 60s. He relocated to Barbados in 1981.   In 1972 Grant opened Europe's first black-owned recording studio, Coach House. His last album, Reparation, was released in 2006.

Following a year-long investigation by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), the Canadian authorities have shut down Audiomaxxx. com Ltd., a major alleged music counterfeiting operation in Winnipeg, and filed criminal charges against four individuals.  Raj Singh Ramgotra, the principal behind Audiomaxxx, was among those arrested during a raid on Wednesday, March 5th at the organization, which for three years has allegedly manufactured pirated compact discs and hard core pornographic videos, and distributed them throughout Canada, the U.S., Europe and Jamaica. More recently, Audiomaxxx's offerings have also included allegedly pirated digital downloads.  In addition to the arrests, police seized an enormous volume of suspected counterfeit goods. This includes more than 200,000 music CDs and DVDs, numerous movie DVDs and hundreds of thousands of blank discs. Police also seized five CD/DVD burning towers, each with 12 burners, which together are capable of burning well in excess of 10,000 CDs and DVDs a day. The raid also netted several computers and hard drives, two commercial CD printers, four color copiers and other office equipment.   Audiomaxxx's alleged piracy affects not just famous artists, but also new and independent artists - largely in the reggae, soca and hip-hop community - who are struggling to build careers. For example, Vancouver's Utopia Records, one of the many independent labels to voice concerns, has seen new artist albums appear on the Audiomaxxx website on the day an album is released in stores or even before the legitimate launch date.

In Jamaica, a gun salute at a dance in Lilliput St. James left Damion Campbell, 25, dead and the promoters of the event in trouble with the law.    The incident happened about 2 o'clock on the morning of Saturday, March 8th when a patron began a gun salute during one of the songs being played.   The man who carried out the gun salute is allegedly on the run and residents in the area are tight lipped about the incident.  The police said the event was staged without a permit and the promoters will be prosecuted.   In the face of Saturday morning's incident, Commanding Officer for the St. James Police, Superintendent Steve McGregor, said other persons who stage public events without the requisite permits will face the full extent of the law.   He said the police would be taking a zero tolerance approach to these events