Nothing could spoil the irie vibes at Jamboree

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Major acts do limited performances, some dropped from line-up
By Yasmine Peru
Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Irie Jamboree 2009 will surely go down in history as the show that Sean Paul took. The platinum-selling artiste took it to a new level of boring and started the trickle out of the York College venue in Queens, New York on Sunday. It is amazing how an artiste who goes on stage with all the right ingredients for success - big hit tunes, wicked backing band, healthy body dancers and two hype men - could have fared so badly. Hit song after hit song, there was still zero connect between Sean and the audience during his close to 30 minutes on stage.
Patrons were heard grumbling that the time should have been better allotted so that the more entertaining acts would have been given a chance to really represent the reggae genre. This, after Tarrus Riley got barely seven minutes on stage, and the Big Ship was shrunk to the size of a canoe, as the entire Big Ship Family of Freddy, Laden, Chino and Stephen got less than 10 minutes altogether to perform to a New York crowd that was obviously hungry for them. Also doing a hurried set during this crunch time was the Flames Crew represented by Tony Rebel and Queen Ifrica, both of whom yearned to do full sets.
It was especially frustrating to Queen Ifrica, who having done a scintillating set at Sumfest was really expected to blaze at Jamboree. At one point she even got impatient with the stage managers who constantly beckoned to her from the sidelines. Interestingly, the same ones who let Sean Paul go on and on without interruption.
"Yes bredren, mi hear you," she said as she defiantly continued to do what she was there to do - sing her songs and entertain her fans who were clamouring for her.
Mr Vegas, who was at the venue from early and who has one of the biggest songs in New York, I Am Blessed, didn't even get a chance to touch the stage, thus disappointing his fans who had paid to see him.
Despite this, however, there was still tons of irie vibes inside the venue, as Irie Jamboree, during its seven years, has made its name and so the show is truly a one-day celebration of Jamaican culture and not solely about the performances.
It was being staged for the first time at the York College campus and clearly the venue change didn't affect the turnout as thousands filled up the campus, armed with their Jamaican flags and generously patronising the vendors.
The show got off to the usual early start and by 2:30 artistes were on stage, albeit performing to a moderate sized audience. Advertised acts including the Canadian contingent of Steele, Tasha T and Humble gave New Yorkers real reggae, and so too did Bar-Bee, who was making her debut at Irie Jamboree. Female deejay Lady G, an acknowledged veteran at her craft, was delightful and earned the respect of the crowd. The duo of Daddy Lizard and Flourgon brought the old school vibes on campus, but the only problem is that they performed much too early; they should have come on during the same segment as the 'Bandilero', Pinchers, who also did a good set. Lizard even called up his son, an upcoming deejay, who looks set to walk in his father's footsteps.
The theme for this year's Jamboree was the History of the Music and the orgnisers used representatives from every era to take patrons down memory lane. While this is a good concept which must be lauded, unfortunately the promoters went overboard and put too many artistes on the line-up, hence the unfortunate ending which saw the major acts giving truncated performances.
But those artistes who came in the middle were allowed their given time and some of the performances were truly entertaining. Bushman, an act who is rarely seen on major shows, let the conscious vibes flow and was truly appreciated. His segment was commanding and his 'forwards' were well deserved. Ken Boothe, another of the seasoned veterans, showed his mastery and so too did Mr Lincoln Sugar Minott, a singer who can always be counted on to thrill his audience. The "Jamaican in New York", Shinehead, went through his familiar paces and his home crowd loved him.
Also giving a great solo performance was Gramps Morgan, who had an album release party the previous night.
Etana, who was making her second appearance at Irie Jamboree, did an attention-getting acoustic set which brought a mellow vibe in the venue. Roots and Wrong Address were among her offerings which were well received. TOK came right after and changed the mood drastically, so much so that the audience couldn't quite digest it; but Assassin proved a winner. His was an intelligent set with thought-provoking lyrics, similar to the performance he gave at A St Mary Mi Come From in August, and like he did then, he called on the Flossing King, Flippa Mafia for a cameo. New York loved Flippa, and he didn't even have to use his champagne-popping, money-throwing gimmicks to earn forwards.
Grace Hamilton was at her raunchy best and proved a real treat. The deejay known as Spice did her breakout single No Fight Ova Man and to prove this point she did the follow-up single in which she boldly calls the names of all the artistes who are demanding her body - Beenie, Bounty, Mavado, Kartel and even the Cool Ruler, Gregory Isaacs. It was all fun, especially since the Doctor himself was in the house and the cameras kept throwing to him enjoying her performance and calling her back on stage as she teased with the opening line of Romping Shop and declared that she was leaving.
During the breaks, the organisers used the opportunity to hand out awards to artistes who have contributed to the overall development of the music.

THE ANNUAL NEW JERSEY INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

NEW YORK, NY (RHONA FOX, INC.) - The 9th Annual New Jersey International Music Festival is back with a new name and a lineup to prove its new promise. With a dream team of international superstars that include Fabolous, Rick Ross, Buju Banton, Machel Montano, Beenie Man and rising crossover dancehall star Magazeen, the festival sets the stage to be the biggest show of the year when it goes down on Sunday, September 20, 2009 at the Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark, New Jersey.
Originally showcasing the best acts in Caribbean music, promoters G. City, RoadBlockRadio.com, RACE Entertainment and CCB International have revamped the now nine-year old New Jersey Reggae Fest in more than just name; they've added international flair with two of the ultimate names in music with Rick Ross and Fabolous, and the very top Caribbean entertainers with Machel Montano, Beenie Man and Buju Banton.
Keeping in-tune with its new international claim, the headliners all bring a massive fan base in their respective genres. From Fabolous, whose newest album Loso's Way topped the Billboard albums chart when it dropped in July, to Ross' Deeper Than Rap that also debuted at #1 on Billboard's albums chart in April, earning him his third straight #1 album debut, to the 'king of dancehall' in Beenie Man, the 'king of soca' in Machel Montano, and the versatile reggae dancehall megastar Buju Banton, whose recent album Rasta Got Soul also hit Billboard, debuting at #2 on the reggae albums chart back in May.
The all-star roster also features Maybach Music and Ross' label mate, rising star Magazeen, whose dancehall flavor was personally pegged by David Letterman to perform on his show during Ross' appearance in May to promote Deeper Than Rap.
"I'm coming with all my hits from the best rap album of the year," discloses Ross. "And it will be a great introduction for Maybach Music's dancehall artist Magazeen, who will putting his skills on display alongside the veterans in the game."
"My vision has always been to unite the Caribbean through music so that we can have a stronger presence out there in the world," reveals Montano. "So I'm looking forward to bringing soca and calypso to the same stage where reggae and dancehall and rap and hip-hop and R&B will be represented. Every one of those genres has influenced all of our music in some way." For further information, contact G. City at 973-573-8154, RACE Entertainment at 973-418-3019, or CCB at 973-416-5306. Tickets are now available at www.ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-277-1700, or log on to www.roadblockradio.com. Limited advanced tickets are $39.99 (before September 6, 2009) and general advanced tickets are $59.99. VIP tickets are $99.99 and Skybox group rates are available - call 973-573-8154 for details.
The Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium is located at 450 Broad Street in Newark, New Jersey. Gates open at 12 noon with showtime set for 2pm, and there is parking available. Please direct media inquiries to RHONA FOX, INC. at 212-300-3813 or publicity@rhonafoxinc.com.

Sean Paul debuts atop Billboard Rap Album Charts

Article was published in the Jamaica Observer 9/3/09

Sean Paul might be in Switzerland, but that won't stop his fourth studio album, Imperial Blaze, from continuing to blaze fire on the Billboard charts in the US.
SEAN PAUL... to be able to top the Billboard Top Rap Album charts is something that I'm especially excited about. Not because it's the Billboard charts, but because it's a dancehall album.
The album, his first in four years, has debuted at #1 on the Billboard Rap Album charts, toppling the likes of Eminem, Fabolous and Twista to top the charts.

This is his first time atop the rap album charts, and his second time on the Billboard Rap Album charts overall as his third studio album, The Trinity, peaked at #3 on the rap charts in 2005. It is also the first time a Jamaican artiste is topping that chart.
Sean Paul is also sitting comfortably atop the Billboard Reggae Album Charts, ahead of a Bob Marley compilation, Ziggy Marley's Family Time, and VP Record's Reggae Gold.
Imperial Blaze is heading for international success, debuting at #1 when it was released in the dancehall-hungry Asian nation of Japan last week, selling upwards of 50,000 copies in its first week. He topped the Oricon Weekly International Album Sales chart, the first time he has done so, and is holding his own on the Billboard Canadian Albums, France Albums, and European Albums with positions #5, #8 and #20 respectively.

Aside from those charts, Imperial Blaze is also #3 on the R&B/Hip Hop Album Charts, #12 on the Billboard 200, and #9 on the Digital Downloads charts.
The platinum-selling dancehall superstar, hailed by Essence.com - the online outfit of the popular North American publication Essence Magazine - as the "dancehall king", is now celebrating his first time atop the competitive rap charts.
"Anytime a song or an album makes it on a chart, I get excited, and now to be able to top the Billboard Top Rap Album charts is something that I'm especially excited about. Not because it's the Billboard charts, but because it's a dancehall album. It's made in Jamaica by Jamaicans. So I didn't top the Billboard Rap Album Charts, Jamaica did," said Sean Paul from Switzerland.

Irie Jamboree mourns passing of musical genius

By Louie Grant, Executive Director, Irie Jamboree
Thursday, September 03, 2009

Long Island, USA - Shades away from the midday hour on September 1, 2009, I regrettably learned of the passing of the legendary Wycliffe 'Steely' Johnson of Studio 2000 and Steely & Clevie fame, at the Brookhaven Hospital, here in Long Island, New York.
Johnson had been a patient at the hospital since he arrived in New York earlier this summer for an event for a select group of industry taste-makers who were invited to a listening session for the Lava Connection band, a group which, coincidentally, will be performing at this year's Irie Jamboree on Sunday, September 6. His untimely departure has therefore hit closer to home for some of us here in the New York Tri-state area.

Throughout his accomplished and distinguished career, Steely was very instrumental in hit-making efforts for a slew of top recorders in the reggae/dancehall fraternity, including Shabba Ranks, Coco Tea, Maxi Priest, Gregory Isaacs, Foxy Brown, Tiger, Aswad, JC Lodge, Admiral Bailey, Dawn Penn, Chaka Demus & Pliers, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, Stitchie and a host of international stars, including British group No Doubt. Steely debuted as a keyboardist with Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion and first played with Clevie at Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Black Ark Studios during the late 1970s.

In 1986, the duo was the house band at the Waterhouse-based King Jammy's Studio, and a year later established the Steely & Clevie label, which has since been one of the foremost producers of the reggae/dancehall recordings coming out of Jamaica.
Steely's long and absolutely hard-fought battle with kidney failure and subsequent pneumonia is evidence of the resilient and unwavering spirit which characterised his approach to life and his musical works in general. This loss will no doubt leave a void in the hearts of reggae/dancehall industry insiders, well-wishers and stakeholders worldwide.

Always a jovial, cheerful, "centre of the party fellow," yet extremely businesslike, serious and a focused soul during his creative compositions, Steely was truly a unique character with a well-intended big heart, which always had the best interest of our beloved music at its core.
The genre has been ably advanced because of people like Steely & Clevie. Steely will be sadly missed, though his creations and teachings will no doubt live on forever. Personally, I will forever fondly remember his kind invitation to me, some years ago now, to listen in on his now classic Street Sweeper riddim, while still a work in progress. I later found out this was most unlike him to extend such an invitation. I recall just how animated and involved he was in this project. It was as if he could feel every string, wind, percussion instrument... all the components of the total package.

I also treasure the many interesting stories he told of his own formative years in the business. This Street Sweeper project virtually introduced and even relaunched several artistes' careers, boasting several chart toppers of the day, including the hit collaboration Hot Gal by a young Sean Paul and Mr Vegas, both of whom are scheduled to perform at this weekend's Irie Jamboree 2009. The two have not performed together on a New York stage for quite some time now. Who knows, maybe they will oblige us this one, in the name of 'Steely' Johnson - à la Beres and Buju, a few years ago.
To his musical partner, Clevie Brownie, the Johnson family, fiends and peers, we have lost a troubadour of the music. Long live Steely.you are sadly missed

Ruffiann releases debut album after 21 years

By Basil Walters, Observer staff reporter
Monday, August 31, 2009

After 21 years, a change of focus and her fair share of hits, Ruffiann comes with her maiden set Save the Juvenile. The female deejay/singjay, formerly known as Lady Shabba, in addition to having her own Sugar Pan Productions label, is also a part of Max Romeo's Charmax outfit under which the album is produced.
RUFFIANN...This is my first album and it's pure freshness on it
Given her association with the veteran singer/producer, Ruffiann, who is experiencing a musical makeover of sorts, promised her fans pure freshness. "The album ready ready, ready, and a lot of people waiting for it for they want to see the next side of Ruffiann," the obviously excited entertainer told the Observer.
"A long time mi out deh, yuh nuh, 21 years. This is my first album and it's pure freshness on it," the highly enthusiastic artiste born Sharon Peterkin added. Among the "freshness" about which she exudes are collaborations with Max Romeo on two of his hits, Let the Power Fall On I and War Inna Babylon.This is how she gives account of the new phase of her musical career. "Max Romeo inspired me tremendously, but there ae other artistes out there who also had an impact . Shaka Demus and of course Shabba Ranks. Right now I'm just doing some conscious music, positiveness for the people dem."
Also on the Save the Juvenile project (the title song of which is her most recent hit) is her self-produced No Wuk No Deh from her Sugar Pan Production label. And the video for the song has recently been released and has been getting some rotations. Other tracks include Reservation For Two, Ma Ma's Boy and Protection.
However, the one anticipated to raise some eyebrows is the song which features her along with DJ Smooth from New York on the Nat King Cole classic Unforgettable.
"People are going to be surprised that I come back different doing some positive music. Who know me back in the days even as Ruffiann would know that Ruffiann was a raw, hardcore artiste. But now, they are going be surprised to know that Ruffiann come conscious, positiveness and ting," she concluded

Passa Passa Turns Six

Dancers showing Their Moves

Dancers Show Their Moves In the Street

The popular street dance ‘Passa Passa’, is celebrating six years of entertaining patrons on Spanish Town Road in Kingston Jamaica. Originally started to ease the violence between neighboring communities of Denham town and Tivoli Gardens, Passa Passa has grown to be one of the must “attend” Party for everyone who is an avid party lover whilst in Jamaica.

Passa Passa is held every Wednesday and attracts dancehall fans from all walks of life. On any given Wednesday you could see artist like Shaggy, Macka Diamond, BeenieMan, Movado or anyone who is anybody from the dancehall fraternity. On February 26th Spanish Town Road was jammed with “Passanians” reveling in the festivities celebrating the milestone. The ‘Gully God’ Movado, was given the honor has the main act when he took the microphone to deliver some of his crowd pleasing lyrics which erupted the massive in a screaming frenzy. There was an invasion of artists on hand who also showed their appreciation to their respective fans, which included the likes of Macka Diamond, D’Angel, Assassin among others.

The resident dancers were “in de building” to partake in the celebrations and to showoff their latest creations in dancing. Awards were given out to a number of dancers and dance groups, which are actually the main ingredients of Passa Passa itself.
The night also afforded the patrons to show off their best outfits. The night was another colorful and successful one, and from the look of things there are a lot more Wednesday nights to come.

Kartel And Movado as one?

VYBES KARTEL & MOVADO

Popular DJs and Arch rivals Vybes Kartel and Movado, the ‘Gully God’, have teamed up, not literally, to fight the banning of ‘Daggerin’ lyrics by the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica. In separate incidents, the two have recorded songs to ‘voice’ their disgust at the commission for the banning.

Kartel said that the purpose of his anti-ban song was to express his disagreement with the commissions’ hasty decision. He also said it is an infringement on the public’s civil rights to choose what to listen to and an artist’s choice to express. Julian Jones- Griffith, manager for Movado said that the song truly expresses the DJ’s thoughts about the commissions and that “they can’t stop him”. We at Dancehall 360 Degrees hope that out of this situation some good can come, one way or the other.