QUEEN OF STAGE
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| QUEEN OF STAGE AKA SPICE |
February 28, 2009
February 27, 2009
Luciano’s was beating with an iron pipe
BY: Yasmine Peru
Studio engineer and promoter, Freckles, says he administered an iron pipe beating to righteous singer, Luciano, out of a sense of justice and not anger.
“I just needed to regain my dignity … and I did,” the diminutive, dreadlocked father of one told Chat!.
According to Freckles, he and Luciano — the singer known for his pious messages of love and forgiveness — had a dispute from May of last year over money which he says was owed to him by the singer for work done during a tour of Australia. Despite several attempts to collect all that was due to him, resolve the matter and heal the breach, this never happened. And, to add insult to injury, Freckles says he was “beaten to a pulp” by Luciano and some of his followers at Luciano’s office last year.
He recalled that he was on his way to the airport to catch a flight to Washington to pick up visas for persons going on a US tour when he got a call from Luciano.
“He asked me to meet him at his office and I went. He hugged and kissed me as brethren and then called his manager, who knew about all that had happened in Australia. The manager took the hot seat and admitted that he was the one who encouraged me to insist on getting all my money from Looshie.”
Freckles further states that he had “lined up a whole heap of things for Looshie” while on the tour, thus helping the singer to earn extra money. “I got him dub plate work and even wrote a song for him and another for Bob Andy. Looshie was supposed to pay me 30% as commission, but after I collected the money and handed it over to him, he then told me that the tour didn’t work out so well and he wanted me to take less than 30%. I agreed.”
Freckles said he told Luciano’s manager what had transpired, and the manager was adamant that Luciano should honour his agreement with Freckles.
“When the manager told Looshie that he told me to make sure to get all my money because what he was asking in principle was wrong, Looshie get all upset and shouted ‘a greedy him greedy’. At that point, I told him that I had a plane to catch and I was leaving. On my way out, one of his men chucked me and I chucked him back. Then Looshie chuck pon me … tear off mi turban. All couple of the locks from outta me beard dem tear out,” Freckles told Chat! as he recalled his beating.
He says he was chopped in the back and sustained serious injury to one of his fingers, which had the tendon severed. An operation has so far run him over $700,000 and he says he is now doing physiotheraphy twice weekly.
“I am a single parent who is totally responsible for my daughter. She goes everywhere with me,” he explained, adding that he lost a portion of money in Cash Plus, which set him back tremendously. He says he has never asked Luciano for money towards his medical expenses, but a singer who knew the story checked Luciano for assistance for him, but he was reportedly told that “the boy deserve the flogging”.
Freckles said he had put the incident out of his mind and was trying to get on with life. But then, fate stepped in. He was at the studio doing some work and a guitarist who happen to have witnessed the beating was there and brought up the story. “Everything came back to me and fire went through me,” he said honestly. “Five minutes later I left the studio and driving past the gas station … you know who I see?”
None other than the man to whom Freckles says his followers refer to as “god”. “When they were beating me, all I can remember them saying was ‘don’t let him touch god’.”
It was a triumvirate of a different kind — time, place and passion.
Freckles says he calmly drove into the gas station, parked his vehicle and walked towards Looshie and his people. “On my way I saw a piece of iron pipe and I took it up. A man turn round and hail me and all I know is that I reach up to Looshie and start put it on. Every man scatter … run way leave him and him all pass out. Then Mr Andy come to me and say ‘Freckles stop’.” So he stopped; the men reportedly threw water on the singer, enabling him to regain consciousness and then took him to the doctor.
“I was not the one to run to the media. Despite all Looshie did, I never tried to smear his character. I am a young yute trying to make life with my daughter and they didn’t show me any justice, peace or love,” he declared.
Efforts to contact Luciano proved futile.
SOURCE: CHAT!
CeCile dubbed Style Goddess
By: ALICIA ROACHE
Dancehall diva CeCile can place another notch on her designer belt. The statuesque star is one of 8 women dubbed Style Goddess by influential style agency Saint International in its luxury magazine STRUT.
The accolade for the artist follows consultations with some of Jamaica’s most influential stylists and fashionistas and will be recorded in STRUT, the newest production from the publishing arm of the agency.
CeCile, who has recorded songs such as Hot Like We, Changez and I’m Waiting, was characteristically forthright in her reaction to being given the honour. “It’s actually very nice because I do now pay close attention to my attire. It’s very important to always be looking fabulous, but respectable,” says the newly crowned fashionista.
CeCile, who enlisted the services of stylist Dexter Pottinger to ensure that her style is always ‘of the moment’ and distinctly hers shares the title of Style Goddess with, among others, fellow entertainer D’Angel, beauty queen turned politician Lisa Hanna, Rising Stars host Yendi Phillipps and famed fashionista Sophia Max Brown.
Dewight Peters, CEO of Saint International and Creative Director of STRUT justifies the diva’s place among the echelons of stylish stars.
“CeCile is her own character and I like that. She has her own sensibilities. What I really like is the fact that she recognized the importance of image in music…and she unapologetically took on the challenge of redefining her image by shedding the weight and getting a stylist which is important. She is quite slick and one of my Style Goddesses,” Peters says.
This is no surprise given that CeCile takes her style cues from Madonna, herself an iconic figure in music and fashion, and Pottinger.
“My personal style must mirror my growth as a person and as an artist. So the look should say grown up, classy and ladylike,” CeCile says. “One of my icons style wise, my stylist and friend Dexter Pottinger is a Saint product, and believe me, he is fantastic.”
Indeed, STRUT will debut at the agency’s FashionFace of the Caribbean event set for March 17 and the story of CeCile’s inspiring style transformation will make the cover of the Mag. Peters says the decision for the cover came from the need to use someone who could capture the essence of the STRUT, ‘a powerfully defined, stylish gait’.
SOURCE: www.dancehallreggaeweseh.com
Prodigal Son to perform in Sierra Leone
Gospel recording artiste Calvin Whilby aka Prodigal Son will be heading to Sierra Leone for a series of free concerts in Freetown scheduled to take place from Wednesday, March 5 to Sunday, March 8 at the Brima Attouga Kamara Mini Sport Complex.
Prodgal Son has shared the stage with such renowned artistes Jimmy Cliff, Destiny’s Child, Jermaine Jackson, Maxi Priest, Fred Hammond, Shaggy, Junior Gong, Beenie Man, Bounti Killa, Regina Belle, Calypso Rose, Barrington Levy, Luciano and more.
Performing at sold out venues spanning crowds as huge as 150,000, Prodigal has performed at events such as Antiguan Governmental Celebrations (Caribbean), International Reggae Festival of Life (Chicago, USA), Fun in the Sun, Recharge, and Sting (Jamaica), France World Cup Qualifier Match (Jamaica vs Mexico), Air Jamaica sponsored UK Tour, Israel & New Breed Tour (Jacksonville, USA) and many other international events.
His special performances in Freetown are sponsored by Ben Cerullo Ministries.
SOURCE: www.dancehallreggaeweseh.com
February 25, 2009
A WEH DEM DEH DID DEH?
By: Maria A. Hitchins
But what a ting, all of a sudden the Broadcasting Commission has found its sting,
Imagine Carnival has been in Jamaica since the eighties, but its public lewdness is only now being investigated.
Not to mention gangster, gun-toting movies on free to air stations. So to this late upsurge from the policy makers, what they expect CONGRATULATIONS?
Hold on I have more questions, what happen to the parents of this nation?
Do they now give birth and lose all relations?
And where was the church before this, perhaps too busy in collections bliss?
From punaani to sauderin, bedroom bully to daggerin,
each generation always thinks the next one’s music is garbage,
Rock N Roll even the Tango, they have all carried this scorned baggage.
However to all the never see come see, born again critics,
point finger-ers, holy-er than though and unwavering cynics,
Unnu late, so till late a say, “WAIT A WEH DEM DEH DID DEH?”
SOURCE: www.dancehallreggaeweseh.com
Demarco makes musical strides
A young man with exceptional inborn talent is one way to describe Collin
Demar Edwards aka Demarco. It was two years ago that he stepped to the
microphone and gave what was undoubtedly one of the biggest songs of 2007,
Fallen Soldiers.
As Demarco recalls, “I made the riddim in my kitchen studio and after
listening to it I realised that it sounded like something sad, so I started
to think about friends who were no longer with us and the lyrics started
flowing. In order for it to have universal appeal, I didn¹t call specific
names and it worked”.
With a blockbuster hit on his hands, Demarco, who was more known as a
producer for his Star Kutt Records, rather than an artiste, had to get
himself ready to take centrestage. “I used to get nervous right before going
on stage, but once I’m actually on the stage I was fine”, he says.
While he’s enjoying being an artiste, Demarco confesses that he has an
intense love and enthusiasm for every aspect of the music business,
producing, songwriting, deejaying and engineering. He has his fingers on the
pulse of almost every genre of the infectious rhythms of the world. Whether
it’s reggae, dancehall, hip-hop, R&B, Demarco has written and produced for
the best of them. Top names like Olivia, Styles P and Sean Paul have
experienced his producing skills, while Bounty Killer and others have put
vocals to his lyrics.
Among his newest projects is a jazzed up cover of the Mighty Diamond¹s hit
single I Need A Roof Over My Head which will certainly appeal to younger
listeners, many of whom will quite likely not even know the original. Just
listen to the intro “This year a steel and block and cement, mi want a
roof over my head”.
SOURCE: www.dancehallreggaeweseh.com
February 23, 2009
DANCEHALL VS SOCA = 0
By: Maria A. Hitchins
Dancehall practitioners please don’t be fooled by the broadcasting commission’s recent hasty rules. This is nothing short of the age old divide and conquers.
Scheming as they pit one genre of music against another.
The Dancehall and Soca fraternities need earnestly to come together, as wha ketch di pillow will soon soak through to di feather.
Let us be clear and agree, any musical style deemed overtly risqué should be banned, Soca, Dancehall even Hip Hop lovers, should now join hands.
Dancehall artists try no forget, some a unnu only have visa in jest,
And especially these days as the North American tour dates run dry,
is the same Soca Caribbean territories help upkeep unnu money supply.
Sing “Cum-ba-ya,” light candles, form your own watchdog lobbying group, but please don’t be conned into jumping through what is really a class- cultural hoop.
Deejays, Singjays, calling all massive and crew, put your points forward and mek dem know you nah eschew.
Your careers are at stake and everyman wah eat a food, simply do your research, argue intelligently, and mek dem know, “who, wha you did go a school!”
SOURCE: www.dancehallreggaeweseh.com
Hype red carpet awards Thursday
Following the intensive voting the winners in the Hype TV Awards will be announced at a gala red carpet affair which will take takes on Thursday, February 26 starting at 8:00 pm on the grounds of Hype TV, Seymour Avenue in Kingston.
Among the artistes confirmed to perform are Ce’cile, Barbee, Stevie Face, Tony Rebel Tarrus Riley, Queen Ifrica, Vybz Kartel, Spice, D’Angel, Pprodigal Son, Teena Tamara, Omari, Chino, Laden, Black Ryno, dancers Mystic, Global Bob, Ravers Clavers and the UWI Dance Society.
Among the categories are: Female Singer of the Year which will see Etana, Alaine, Ce’Cile and Ms Triniti vying for the top prize. Group of the Year will be fiercely contested as big names, such as LUST, Morgan Heritage, Damian & Stephen Marley and RDX are in the runnings. Other caterories include Song of the Year, Producer of the Year, New Artiste, Music Video Editor and Music Video Director.
Sponsors for the awards are Supreme Ventures, Mizchif Clothing Co, Caribbean Producers, Pepsi Cola Jamaica, Main Events, Reggae Max, Prendys, Red Bull, Wray And Nephew, Kingston Hireage, Chat!, Jahmento Production, one876entertainment and dancehallreggaeweseh.com .
SOURCE: www.dancehallreggaeweseh.com
These songs where banned and Subsequently edited for airplay.
* The artistes respond in different ways.
1954 - For radio airplay the perceived drug reference "I get no kick from cocaine," is changed to "I get perfume from Spain." in Cole Porter's classic "I Get A Kick Out of You."
1955 - Former radio deejay Pat Boone begins a career by releasing "sanitized" versions of black R&B hits. Boone's versions of these songs often contain edited lyrics: such as substituting "drinkin' Coca Cola" for "drinkin' wine" in T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday" and "Pretty little Susie is the girl for me" instead of "Boys, don't you know what she do to me" in Little Richard's "Tutti Fruitti."
1956 - ABC Radio Network bans Billie Holiday's rendition of Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" from all of its stations because of its prostitution theme. Stations continue to play instrumental versions of the song.
1959 - Wanting to secure an appearance on the hit television program American Bandstand, singer Lloyd Price agrees to re-cut the lyrics to his song "Stagger Lee," removing all refernces to violence.
1966 - WLS radio commissions a local group to re-record the then hit "Gloria" because they object to the lyrics. Station management feels that the lyric "she comes in my room" is too suggestive for broadcast. Instead, they contact a local band, the Shadows of Knight, to re-record the tune. The Shadows of Knight version becomes a national top ten hit; the original stalls at number 71 on the charts.
1984 - Rick Allen and his wife express concerns over a Prince album to their local PTA meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio. This action started the mid-80s music censorship movement that eventually results in the RIAA universal parental warning sticker.
1987 -The title of Marvin Gaye's song "Sanctified Pussy" is changed to "Sanctified Lady" for a posthumous release ‘Dream of a Lifetime’.
1989 - Officials at the FBI write to gangsta rap group N.W.A. in August, informing the performers that the bureau does not appreciate their song "Fuck Tha Police."
1995 - Following protests that Michael Jackson's song "They Don't Care About Us" is anti-Semitic, Jackson changes the song’s lyrics.
2001 - In the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks many musicians change song titles or lyrics to avoid controversy. These artists include Dave Matthews nixed plans to release “When the World Ends” as his next single, Bush changing the title of their single from “Speed Kills” to “The People That We Love,” the Cranberries pulling their video for “Analyse” because of its repeated images of skyscrapers and airplanes, Dream Theater changing the artwork from their three-disc live album to remove its renditions of burning New York buildings, Sheryl Crow rewriting several lyrics for her upcoming album, and The Strokes removing the song “New York City Cops” from the U.S. Version of their album Is This It.
Source: http://www.ericnuzum.com/banned/incidents/50s.html
February 22, 2009
February 21, 2009
Vybz Kartel riding high with Get Wild at #1 for one more week on HYPE TV CHART
February 20 – February 26, 2009
TW LW WC ARTISTE TITLE LABEL Peak Position
01 01 11 Vybz Kartel – Get Wild – Adidjaheim/NotNice Records 3wks@1
02 02 12 Bar-Bee – Love You Anyway – It’s Not A Game -Shot to Watch
03 04 10 Prodigal Son – Head Cyaan Hot So – Main Street Records
04 05 06 Vybz Kartel & Spice – Ramping Shop – Adidjaheim/NotNice*
05 07 05 Shaggy – Bad Man Don’t Cry – Big Yard
06 03 14 D’Angel - Stronger – Son Of Spoon
07 08 12 Charley Blacks – Bubble – Fresh Ear*
08 11 05 Da’ville – Missing You Right Now - Fashozy
09 06 13 Terry Linen – A Better Man – Uplifting Music - 2wks@1
10 12 08 Beres Hammond – I Feel Good – Penthouse
11 09 18 Ms. Triniti ft. Beenie Man – Burnin Burnin – Unseen Lab - Peak@#3
12 16 03 Tarrus Riley – Start A New – Juke Boxx - Greatest Gainer up4
13 10 17 Elephant Man - Sweep – Scatta Productions - 4wks@1
14 14 09 Lady Saw – Your Boyfriend – Birchill - Peak@#13
15 17 04 Elephant Man feat. Ding Dong – Dip Again – Big Ship
16 18 03 Mavado – I’m So Bless –Big Ship
17 19 02 Vybz Kartel – Last Man Standing – NotNice
18 13 15 Prince Pankhi – My Jamaican Girl – Otis Riddim Records Peak@#8
19 20 02 Tony Rebel – Another Bill Again – Son Of Spoon
20 15 21 Buju Banton -Sleepless Nights – Don Corleon - Peak@#2
TW -This Week, LW – Last Week, WC – Weeks On Chart, NE – New Entry & WKS@#1 – Weeks @#1
TOP 5 BUBBLERS
TW - ARTISTE - TITLE - LABEL
01 RDX - Ben Ova - Apt.19
02 Konshens - This Mean Money - Head Concussion
03 Mavado - Again & Again - Daseca
04 Stacious - Tired - Docmac Int’l
05 Richie Spice - Street Life - Son Of Spoon
_______________________________________________________________
TO GET HYPE TV CALL YOUR LOCAL CABLE PROVIDER OR LOG ON TO www.hypetvjam.com TO WATCH HYPE TV ON YOUR INTERNET FOR FREE.
Compilation was done based on information received from the following Sound Systems, Record Shops and Club: Derrick Harriot – Record Shop – St. Andrew, TNG Muzik-Sound System-Kingston, Love Stone–Sound System- Portland, Lazeme- Sound System- Westmoreland, Unique Super Mix–Sound System- St. Catherine, Copper Shot- Sound System- St. Andrew
February 20, 2009
A Photo of Rihanna's battered face released
A very disturbing photo of superstar Rihanna's battered face has been leaked to the public via entertainment website TMZ.com.
Now that the photo is released, industry insiders and fans are now wondering if Chris Brown will indeed face criminal charges.
However according ABC News legal analyst Dana Cole, "If there's just swelling then Chris Brown may get away with simply being charged as a misdemeanor. If that picture does in fact depict broken bones, facial fractures, contusions, then he's looking at a felony and probable jail time."
Who leaked the photo?
According to reports, only the cops who were on the scene took photos of Rihanna’s injuries so the photo could have only been leaked to the public by someone of that police division. An internal investigation has now been launched by the Los Angeles Police Department.
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Shaggy’s Bad Man Don’t Cry tops the chart
It was towards the end of last year that Shaggy excited fans with the music video release for the single, Bad Man Don’t Cry. Directed by acclaimed video director, Jay Will and starring a host of celebrities — the list is definitely a Who’s Who in sports, media and entertainment — it was hailed as the best of the best.
Not surprisingly, the video, which raced to the peak of recognised charts, copped the Video of the Year award at the recently held Excellence in Music and Entertainment Awards. It is also nominated for the Hype Awards in the same category, and insiders say it’s tipped to take home the award.
And, coming on the heels of this, the song is now firmly positioned in the number one slot on RE TV charts and sits at number 5 on Hype TV Top 20 singles chart.
Shaggy, who recently completed a successful tour Down Under, is busy at Big Yard’s New York studio working on his upcoming album.
Source: dancehallreggaeweseh.com
Innovate or become obsolete
BY Alicia Roache
*A response to the Broadcasting Commission’s Ban
The repercussions of the Broadcasting Commission’s (BC) ban have reverberated across the entertainment landscape. Since the ban came into effect over a week ago there has been much debate over its appropriateness and the possible results of the censorship.
Dancehall music and its purveyors, like radio, are at a crossroads. The entire entertainment fraternity must undergo a painful rite of passage, innovate or become obsolete. Dancehall must now grow up and out of the ‘rompin’ stage.
The BC’s ban went into effect on February 6, 2009 and effectively prevented radio disc jocks from playing all songs that promote ‘daggering’ along with any song that uses editing techniques to remove expletives or other lewd content from music. For those of you not familiar with the concept of ‘daggering’, the Commission in its release sent to broadcast licensees, the Minister of Information, the Media Association of Jamaica, the Jamaica Association of Community Cable Operators, describes daggering as a "colloquial term or phrase used in dancehall culture as a reference to hard-core sex or what is popularly referred to as 'dry' sex, or the activities of persons engaged in the public simulation of various sexual acts and positions." This ban prevents songs such as Bragga Dat’s ‘Dagga Dat Vegas’ ‘Daggerin’ and Aidonia’s ‘Hundred Stab’ from being played on air.
In addition, the Commission also specified that "There shall not be transmitted through radio or television or cable services, any audio recording, song or music video which employs editing techniques of 'bleeping' or 'beeping' of its original lyrical content."
That move says the disc jocks, prevents the playing of almost 40% of local dancehall content. This is not because these songs are all ‘negative’ in content and expression; but often times is because the disc jocks have decided to self censor, in order to make them more palatable for airplay, especially during the hours when children might be listening. For example, disc jocks will remove the word ‘gun’ from a song regardless of the context in which it is used.
However, what is troubling is the selective application which the BC has taken to the issue. Because the ban specifically refers to dancehall songs, when there are other genres, such as soca, which present the same problem, the BC has indicated that what they call appropriate is more a matter of their mood at the time of the enforcement. Because if Colin Lucas’ ‘Dollar Wine’, which has no edits can be played on radio, but RDX’s ‘Bend Over’ cannot, there is an obvious literalism and prejudice when examining lyrical imagery.
The Commission in 2006 recommended that Chuck Fenda’s ‘Gash Dem an Light Dem’ be banned. At the time, many questioned the banning of a song, which though incendiary, was at the time, an accurate portrayal of the public’s collective feeling about the crime wave and the offences against children in Jamaica. The song goes:
“Gash dem and light dem
For the negative vibes weh dem a bring
Gash dem and lite dem
Mi come fi mash up and wreck up
Dem senseless killing
Gash dem and lite dem
Boy haffi reverse wid dem bag a gun ting
Gash dem and lite dem
Stand guard and come outa di wages of sin."
(Gash Dem an Light Dem, Chuck Fenda).
Fenda at the time defended his imagery as a metaphorical burning and purging of the negatives. The Broadcasting Commission did not agree. They had a duty to ‘protect’. But in order to ‘protect’ us, the BC is telling us we have to give up some of our freedoms, including what we can express and consume and where.
This puts the music industry in a very troubling position. Traditionally, the dancehall was a voice for all: the oppressed, the privileged, the educated and the untrained, the political and religious ideologies. Now, all must toe the line. All artistes- whether hardcore dancehall or reggae, lovers rock or party music- must watch what they say.
So what does this mean for the dancehall?
It means one of two things. Innovate or become irrelevant. If the BC is the arbiter of good taste, and dancehall might disagree with this estimation, then dancehall must do what it has always done. Reinvent. Because this is not the first time its music has come under pressure and it will certainly not be the last.
When the Broadcasting Commission places a ban on Vybz Kartel and Spice’s Rampin’ Shop and all Daggerin’ songs, effectively eliminating them from the radio airplay there is a massive outcry. But we must do more than protest. Because if the dancehall does not find more ways of making money through music, then the industry that contributes 4.8 % of GDP to the Jamaican economy in 2008 will be in trouble.
No one can deny that airplay contributes significantly to determining which songs are ‘hot’ in the dancehall. Then, it is this ‘hotness’ which determines how many stages shows an entertainer performs on and therefore how much money he/she earns. The decline in music sales is a well known fact. Artistes make money from shows. And with the exception of vintage artistes, who tour based on posterity, it is this local recognition of what is hot, that allows many entertainers to earn. Artistes must therefore find other ways of making money, other ways of getting airplay.
Radio will also be affected. Disc jocks are already claiming a reduction in listenership. Because, if the hottest songs of the moment cannot be consumed on radio, then the listeners will go elsewhere- the street side mix tape vendors, the street dance, the stage show.
Radio depends on listenership in order to claim maximum advertising revenue. When listenership decreases, then advertisers will go elsewhere. They are already going to the mix tape vendors, who mix in Ads on their most popular tapes. Of course this is a very simplified estimation of what can really happen.
The point is when persons start losing income then we will see the results of what the BC’s legislation has really achieved.
The contribution that entertainment revenue makes to the development of the country is documented. Entertainment lawyer and consultant Lloyd Stanbury who spoke at a ‘Wipo-Caricom Experts Meeting on the Creative Industries and Intellectual Property’ in February 2002 claimed that there are over 4000 local performers. This is a large workforce by any standard. Stanbury also claimed that in 1997, entertainment was the 3rd largest portion (10%) of 8 categories, of the total contribution of tourism to GDP, exceeded only by accommodation (51%) & shopping (16%).
Of US$300M tourism contribution to GDP in 1997, entertainment accounted for $30M in earnings. In 2000, the music industry earned US$60-100M for the country: sales of music and music related activities and products accounted for $40- 50 million, while foreign tours and local shows accounted for $20-25 million. These earnings do not include royalties due to songwriters & music publishers.
Translation, limit entertainers’ ability to earn- limit the amount of income for the country.
This does not mean that entertainers must do as they please however. Freedom without responsibility is anarchy. This is why a new dispensation is required.
The fact is the contribution of entertainment to the Jamaican economy is no small deal. So anything that may affect its ability to earn must be taken seriously. And must be responded to quickly. While Vybz Kartel commencing legal action against the BC may be misguided, it is an indication that the issue is being perceived with the requisite amount of gravity.
But, outside of litigation, deejays must also do what is required in the short run in order to ensure that they continue to earn. They must do what other artistes internationally have done (see list); record two versions of the song, one for radio and one for the dancehall, or change titles which may seem offensive. Others go the way of allowing others to do sanitized cover versions of their banned songs. Radio jocks must find ways of mixing and remixing that allows for the songs to be played, but in a way that does not break the BC’s rules. In some cases where the song is too controversial, the jocks can play the instrumental versions.
Whatever the case, it is obvious that it will not be business as usual.
Source: dancehallreggaeweseh.com
February 18, 2009
‘KISS’ OF HYPOCRISY?
By: Maria A. Hitchins
Strange that the music selectors of this nation continue to ‘blaze a fire’ in the name of homosexuality, But yet seemingly condone and up hold ‘girl on girl’ vulgarity.
Quite prominent on the local airwaves these days, is Katey Perry’s “I kissed a girl and I like it.” And hardly a disc jockey has yet to publicly chastise this.
Instead continuing to give rise to its popularity, by rotating it on most stations daily.
Another hypocrisy, as the song is passed off as listener friendly.
“I kissed a girl just to try it, I hope my boyfriend doesn't mind it…”
Perhaps the selectors have forgot that homosexuality doesn’t only mean male on male ‘daggering’, but rather ALL same sex partnering, which makes the term all encompassing, to include Katey Perry’s sudden ‘GIRL’ fling.
But as with most things in Jamaica there exists a double standard, no selector dares to play a male singing about a fantasy with another, but girls however, are seemingly allowed to carry on in full flight, as each other’s lovers!
SOURCE; dancehallreggaeweseh.com
GOVERNMENT MOVES TO IMPLEMENT ACTION PLAN TO CLEAN UP MEDIA AND PUBLIC SPACES
Prime Minister Bruce Golding has called for a set of recommendations on the action and the direction to be taken to clean up the music that is broadcast or projected in public spaces and through the electronic media.
Minister of Culture Olivia 'Babsy' Grange and Education Minister Andrew Holness have been asked to collaborate and prepare for cabinet review the recommendations coming out of a meeting last Friday with industry stakeholders. Minister Grange said that the Minister of Transport Mike Henry will also join the collaboration because of the implication for public transportation. The playing of loud music on buses and taxis which encourages lewd behaviour of uniform-clad students has long been a sore point for government officials.
Minister Grange said the Ministry of Culture will have further industry consultation to guide legislative action. The Prime Minister said during the meeting that there was no shortage of laws governing the broadcast and publication regulations for the music industry.
"Part of our problem is that there is no shortage of laws. Some of them may need to be updated. Part of our problem is the issue of enforcement. I am prepared to go all the way in enforcing these laws. If it's the minibus operator or the radio stations who must lose their licenses, I am prepared to go all the way to enforce the laws," Mr. Golding said.
The Prime Minister chaired a meeting at Jamaica House last week Friday where advocates of the ban and industry insiders met to discuss the recommendations. Dancehall artistes Renegade and Spice were in attendance.
"The reggae artistes all seem to be advocating the ban but I reminded them that once this is done, it will set a dangerous precedence and the government then can call for weed tunes to be banned, as well as songs hitting out against government corruption, or other social and political commentary could also be banned. When I made this point, there was only silence, they had nothing to say," Renegade of the award-winning duo RDX said.
Some recommendations were made to clamp down on producers who
produce obscene music, and to clean up the content in 'public spaces' such as stage shows and dances which take place in open air venues. Some legal minds believe that some of the recommendations, especially those that restrict the production of certain kinds of music, could impinge on the civil liberties of Jamaican citizens and border on fascism.
"It runs contrary to the principles of democracy and individualism, and it is a very slippery slope once we allow certain things to be passed into law," one legal expert said.
DIVIDE BETWEEN REGGAE AND DANCEHALL ARTISTES
There seems to be a clear divide between dominant younger dancehall artistes and older more conservative reggae artistes who have long been sidelined by the dynamics of the marketplace which encourage radio personalities to play edgier music that can attract listeners in the 18 to 24, which is a lucrative demographic for advertisers. The reggae artistes believe this move will significantly level the playing field.
"I was surprised that the reggae artistes did not even attempt to listen to the viewpoint of the dancehall artistes who came to the meeting. Many of them walked out and went outside to eat danish and patties when they heard any opinion which challenged their viewpoint. It was most disgraceful," one source said.
The Broadcasting Commission has been on a serious campaign in the last few weeks to ramp up its monitoring of the island's airwaves at the behest of groups in civil society who are concerned about the moral degradation of the society and the highly sexualised behaviour of young kids.
Deejay Vybz Kartel was invited to the meeting but was unable to attend because he had a previous overseas engagement that he could not miss. The deejay
"We have received over 500 emails of support from members of the public who are supporting a petition against the ban implemented by the Broadcasting Commission. The action of the commission is unreasonable, disproportionate and totally over the top. They have gone too far, this ban, as they have it now, is too broad, and has far reaching implications for dancehall music," Kartel reasoned.
LEGAL ACTION IN ADMINISTRATIVE COURT
The deejay has promised to take legal action against the Broadcasting Commission for its attempt to limit his freedom of speech. The deejay intends to instruct his lawyer to challenge the Commission's decision and plans to submit a petition against the ban. The Broadcasting Commissions public relations department said that "appeal from Commission decisions lie in the administrative court".
An administrative court is a court specializing in administrative issues, particularly disputes concerning the exercise of public power. Their role is to ascertain that official acts are consistent with the law.
In the meantime, the debate rages on.
Last week Saturday, supporters of the Broadcasting Commission came out in their numbers. The marchers were a loose coalition of advocacy and human rights groups such as Hear the Children's Cry, Concerned Jamaicans, Choose Life, Hands Across Jamaica, Xtreme Impact. The marchers converged at Ardenne High School off Hope Road in St Andrew, and then trekked down Hope Road, on to Waterloo Road, on to Southdale Avenue, then on to Constant Spring Road. The group then stopped for a while to speak and display their placards at Mandela Park in Half-Way Tree before heading back to Ardenne High School. Along the way, they were met with support from everyday Jamaicans concerned about the lewdness and slackness that too often dominated airwaves and public spaces.
The Broadcasting Commission has also promised to clamp down on gyrating at carnival activities as well as dancehall events which feature graphic depictions of sex, or outercouse.
"There is no acceptance of the television sets being plastered with people engaged in gyration and simulation of sex," executive director Cordel Green told the press last week. "The message we are sending out is that content that is not fit for the airwaves ought not to be placed there, whether it is carnival or a dance."
The Broadcasting Commission maintains that once the language in the song is sexually explicit it should not be played on air as it would breach the Regulations. The definition used by the Commission of the words “obscene” and “profane” is the ordinary meaning of the words as set out in a dictionary:
a. Obscene: Offensively indecent; highly offensive; tending to deprave or corrupt
b. Profane: irreverent; blasphemous; obscene; violate; pollute
February 17, 2009
February 16, 2009
Rihanna dumps Chris Brown
we gets to understand that Rihanna and Chris Brown love games turned "disturbia" is now officially over confirmed her 55-year-old dad Ronald Fenty.
Rihanna’s dad told Hindustantimes.com, "The relationship is over and I am pleased. She doesn't want to speak to Chris. She is being very brave about things and said that she will be back on stage performing soon," he said.
The 2007-2008 billboard hit-maker Rihanna suffered from cuts and bruises on her face after her alleged fight with lover Chris Brown.
"There is some bruising. She will be alright. I think so," he said.
Chris Brown Speaks
A short statement was released by Chris Brown’s publicist Michael Sitrick that stated:
"Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired. I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person."
February 15, 2009
NO REGGAE ACADEMY AWARDS THIS YEAR
By: Maria A. Hitchins
Box Cover, Reggae Academy Awards POSTPONED,
What was once endorsed by so many now seemingly dis‐owned,
The Chairman after much rambling finally quipped “no firm commitments’
Woeee, what an indictment,
Once again no ‘money man’ wishes to invest in the island’s music
Unless of course they discern a way to abuse it,
Shhh, fingers on my lips, as I mute my remaining mental comments,
But what a statement, staring us in the face, this ‘cultural’ abandonment,
In all of this no word from the esteemed Minister, poor reggae academy it’s now
nobody’s child, entertainment’s spinster,
Maybe they will blame this one on the recession, oh well, it’s back to street dances
and uptown sessions,
How such an auspicious undertaking has come to this, observers are baffled,
But I self concur that I earlier erred, as the awards are in fact, CANCELLED!
SOURCE; Dancehallreggaeweseh.com
Online voting ends; text voting now open for Hype TV Awards
Organisers of the inaugural Hype TV Music and Video Awards report that online voting, which has been very fierce, especially in some categories, ends Saturday, February 14.
However, coinciding with this, is the start of a new segment of the voting for this highly-anticipated, premier event on the entertainment calendar.
As of February 13, those who wish may vote for their favourite artiste, singer, deejay, singjay, dancer or producer by text message, and the process is fairly simple. The text code # is 444-2453 and each category has its own name.
For example the code for Group/Duo of the year is ‘GRP’ and to vote for any of the four nominees in that category, just send the name — LUST (for the group LUST), Morgan (for Morgan Heritage), Marley (for Stephen and Damien Marley) and RDX (for RDX).
Among the categories are: Female Singer Of The Year, Song of the Year, Producer of the Year, New Artiste, Music Video Editor and Music Video Director
Text voting ends at midnight on February 18.
A gala red carpet affair, the HYPE TV Awards takes place on Thursday, February 26 starting at 8pm on the grounds of Hype TV, on Seymour Avenue in Kingston, Jamaica.
Among the sponsors for the wards are Supreme Ventures, Mizchif Clothing Co, Caribbean Producers, Pepsi Cola Jamaica, Main Events, Reggae Max, Prendys, Red Bull, Wray And Nephew, Kingston Hireage, Chat!, One876entertainment, Dancehallreggaeweseh.com and Jahmento Production.
SOURCE; dancehallreggaeweseh.com
Broadcasting Commission’s ban can't stop dancehall, says DI
Dancehall deejay Danielle, aka DI, is not a happy camper. In fact, she is downright unhappy, but she says she is keeping her outlook positive. This after hearing the news that the Broadcasting Commission is on a mission to ban all songs that have bleeps from the airwaves.
Known for her provocative lyrics, sometimes bordering on the explicit, Danielle has always maintained that she does lyrics which move to the sensual beat of the dancehall. Actively promoting her career, she recently did a medley video with two of her most popular dancehall tunes. However, if things go the way they are looking, this video will have to be shelved, as the bleeps in the songs have now made it ineligible for television.
“Bwoy, this is such a setback,” she lamented. “We have spent a lot of time, money and effort into this video project and also on the production and promotion of the singles. No … it’s not as much as a million dollars, but it’s hundreds of thousands. And now all that money has gone down the drain.”
The singles, Pat Yuh Kitty and Beat It contain suggestive lyrics which are sexual in nature. However, with a “few bleeps here and there” the songs and the video could be played, Danielle feels.
While she does not “have a problem with the Broadcasting Commission cleaning up the airwaves” she feels that the regulatory body is being too harsh by blaming dancehall for all the ills of the society.
“Additionally, they could have given a grace period for everybody to fall in line, or even say that these songs with bleeps should only be played between 11:00 pm and 5:00 am, or something like that,” she said.
And what will be her course of action now? As an artiste, she needs to have her music and videos in the public domain.
“Well, I will turn more to the Internet and ensure that all the sites like youtube and imeem have my video, and I will be doing mixed tapes with my music. Dancehall blows up from underground onto the international scene, so I know that this ban can’t stop it from flourishing,” she declared.
February 14, 2009
Uptown daggering must go, too, prophet says
By Donna Hussey-Whyte
Self-proclaimed, placard-bearing prophet, Tychicus, who went on an islandwide crusade proclaiming the evils of daggering, is today rejoicing that his effort was not in vain. The praising the Broadcasting Commission for following his lead and banning all songs that use the words daggering.
“Daggering gone, carnival must go too,” Tychicus told Chat! Yesterday. “Everything is now falling into line — just like Barack. It is now the dispensation of time,” he said.
“I am glad to see what the Broadcasting Commission has done, but it makes no sense they leave it there. You have two romping shops — one uptown and one downtown. It makes no sense you remove downtown and leave uptown. So they need to ban carnival also. Junior Reid prophecy come true, that ‘babylon release the chain but using their brain’.”
This, he explained is evident, as authorities have seen it fit to ban daggering which originated in the ghetto but saw nothing wrong with carnival which is for the ‘uptowners’. Nor do they see anything wrong with songs like ‘bend over, bend over’ and other calypso tunes which carry similar messages and has the same impact as daggering.
Tychicus said not only is he on a mission to rid the nation of carnival now, but to also introduce to persons good clean dance moves.
“I want to introduce to Jamaica face-to-face dancing, not backways. God is a God who always moves forward not backwards, so even in that, you know that something is wrong.” This, he said as he pulled out another placard bearing the words, ‘Learn to dance, Tychicus taking clean dancing to the world’.
He has three dances which he wishes the nation to move to.
• ‘Customer care’ — “In this dance you are taking care of your partner. You are not dancing with her in vengeance as men do when they are daggering. It’s a dance where you face your partner and look out for her.”
• ‘Front liner’ — This dance he explained is the opposite of ‘back it up’, where you are directly facing your partner, looking in each others face and dancing together.
• ‘Ten speed blender’ — “You rotate your body like a blender and not the hard slams of daggering,” Tychicus said. “I want people to know that they can dance and have fun without doing the evil dances.”
This one he said, he planned on entering into the 2009 JCDC festival.
While displaying his moves, Tychicus said he never went to school to learn how to dance but was taught by the Almighty himself.
“He has taught me to dance to positive songs. The Christian fraternity criticises me a lot for going into the dancehall, but what is inside of you is what will come out. If you are holy, then holiness will come out in your dancing, and if you are filthy, filthiness will come out. The bible said let the wheat and tares grow together until the day of harvest. I go into the dancehall to change the way people dance.”
And he said, people are changing.
“The younger people are gravitating towards what I am doing and the new dance. But the older folks put up a resistance. What I am doing is different from what they are used to and so people are moving towards it,” he said.
SOURCE CHAT!
VYBZ KARTEL HOLDS FIRM IN THE NUMBER ONE POSITION.
February 13 – February 19, 2009
TW LW WC - ARTISTE - TITLE - LABEL - Peak Position
01 01 10 Vybz Kartel – Get Wild – Adidjaheim/NotNice Records 2wk@1
02 03 11 Bar-Bee – Love You Anyway – It’s Not A Game -Shot to Watch
03 05 13 D’Angel - Stronger – Son Of Spoon
04 04 09 Prodigal Son – Head Cyaan Hot So – Main Street Records
05 06 05 Vybz Kartel & Spice – Ramping Shop – Adidjaheim/NotNice*
06 02 12 Terry Linen – A Better Man – Uplifting Music - 2wks@1
07 10 04 Shaggy – Bad Man Don’t Cry – Big Yard
08 11 11 Charley Blacks – Bubble – Fresh Ear*
09 08 17 Ms. Triniti ft. Beenie Man – Burnin Burnin – Unseen Lab - Peak@#3
10 07 16 Elephant Man - Sweep – Scatta Productions - 4wks@1
11 15 04 Da’ville – Missing You Right Now - Fashozy- Greatest Gainer up4
12 14 07 Beres Hammond – I Feel Good – Penthouse
13 09 14 Prince Pankhi – My Jamaican Girl – Otis Riddim Records Peak@#8
14 13 08 Lady Saw – Your Boyfriend – Birchill - Peak@#13
15 12 20 Buju Banton -Sleepless Nights – Don Corleon - Peak@#2
16 18 02 Tarrus Riley – Start A New – Juke Boxx
17 17 03 Elephant Man feat. Ding Dong – Dip Again – Big Ship
18 20 02 Mavado – I’m So Bless –Big Ship
19 NE 01 Vybz Kartel – Last Man Standing – NotNice
20 RE 01 Tony Rebel – Another Bill Again – Son Of Spoon – re-entry
TW -This Week, LW – Last Week, WC – Weeks On Chart, NE – New Entry & WKS@#1 – Weeks @#1
TOP 5 BUBBLERS
TW - ARTISTE - TITLE - LABEL
01 RDX - Ben Ova - Apt.19
02 Konshens - This Mean Money - Head Concussion
03 Mavado - Again & Again - Daseca
04 Stacious - Tired - Docmac Int’l
05 Richie Spice - Street Life - Son Of Spoon
_______________________________________________________________
TO GET HYPE TV CALL YOUR LOCAL CABLE PROVIDER OR LOG ON TO www.hypetvjam.com TO WATCH HYPE TV ON YOUR INTERNET FOR FREE.
Compilation was done based on information received from the following Sound Systems, Record Shops and Club: Derrick Harriot – Record Shop – St. Andrew, TNG Muzik-Sound System-Kingston, Love Stone–Sound System- Portland, Lazeme- Sound System- Westmoreland, Unique Super Mix–Sound System- St. Catherine, Copper Shot- Sound System- St. Andrew
February 13, 2009
"Terry Linen" has been sued by his management team
Since late last year, it had been rumoured that "Terry Linen and his management team had called it a day".
ReggaeMusicFm spoke to Linen's manager, Africa of Uplifting Music International Ltd., about the situation and he explained:
"Terry has repeatedly been accepting bookings for shows overseas without notifying me. He took a show for England last weekend and returned on Sunday but failed to forward my 20 per cent as per our agreement. He has another booking for Cayman Islands as well this weekend but there has been no discussion about my portion of the appearance fee."
Sean Shelton, attorney-at-Law for Uplifting Music International Limited, has confirmed that Terry Linen has signed a three (3) year Artiste Management and Record Production Agreement with Uplifting Music International Limited which ends on November 21, 2010. It is a three (3) album deal of which only one (1) album has been completed.
Uplifting Music International Limited is seeking several court orders against Terry Linen, one of which is to compel Terry Linen to fulfill his obligations under the contract.
Uplifting Music International Limited is represented by Attorneys-at-Law, Sean Shelton and M. Martina Edwards of the law firm, D. O. Kelly & Associates.
Bar-Bee on top
Singer Bar-bee is receiving a lot of love where her single Love You Anyway is concerned. It is now sitting pretty atop Richie B’s Jamaica Music Countdown Reggae singles chart. On the Hype TV To 20 Singles Chart the single is also threatening to dethrone the current number one.
Incidentally the video for the single is perched in the number one spot also on CVM TV’s Hitlist Video Countdown chart.
A jubilant Bar-Bee says she could not be happier about the direction her career is going.
Since its release Love You Anyway has been getting rave reviews both on the local and international scene.
On Saturday, Valentine’s Day, Bar-Bee will have a chance to sing the love lyrics to her fans in Negril when she will be in performance at the Bourbon Beach alongside Nadine Sutherland and other local acts.
SOURCE: dancehallreggaeweseh.com
February 12, 2009
February 11, 2009
Kartel plans...LEGAL FIGHT AGAINST BAN - Deejay to challenge Broadcasting Commission's decision
Krista Henry, Staff Reporter
Controversial deejay Vybz Kartel is spearheading a movement to challenge the Broadcasting Commission's recent ban placed on all daggering songs and songs that require bleeping.
The artiste is not only pleading with his fellow entertainers to unify against the ban implemented by the Broadcasting Commission, but he is also enlisted the assistance of his lawyer, Michael E. Deans, in an attempt to get a judicial review.
"Whether yuh seh 'Gaza' or 'Gully', you need to stand up against the commission. The artistes need to lobby for dancehall and reggae music and for people's freedom of choice," he said.
The deejay further said: "The ban is dangerous to the culture of the dancehall. Soon, the next step might be that we can't do social commentary songs, weed songs, songs about the inconsistency of government. I believe what they are doing is bordering on intellectual slavery and dictatorship with traces of communism."
When THE STAR spoke to Deans, he said he was looking into Kartel's legal options.
"Vybz Kartel is a very deep, introspective and intelligent person who is concerned about his freedom of speech and is outraged and rightfully so."
Kartel came under public scrutiny recently because of the content of his collaboration with Spice, Rampin' Shop. The song is said to be sexually explicit and has been publicly bashed by a number of persons, including a newspaper columnist.
Following these attacks the Broadcasting Commission announced its latest stance against 'daggering and bleeped songs' last Friday.
This move, however, is not one that Kartel will easily accept. "This (the ban) is not a stand against music but dancehall music, and in effect, ghetto people who are fighting for their livelihood. If you listen to the radio, all you're hearing is hip-hop music which 90 per cent are all edited versions of the original. It's a double standard if Candy Shop, Lollipop and I Kissed A Girl can be played so, too, can songs like Rampin' Shop, it's a straight double standard."
He called on the fans of dancehall music to call the Broadcasting Commission to lodge complaints against other forms of music with violent and sexual content in soca and hip hop. And if all this fails, "...we ask Jamaicans to boycott radio," he said.
Kartel is accepting petitions against the ban at cmillsy@yahoo.com or they can be sent to the studio of the Portmore Empire at 14 Kirk Avenue, Havendale.
February 10, 2009
IN DEFENSE OF DAGGERING
The Broadcasting Commission's decision to ban daggering is laughable at best. The commission issued a release to the media last week to the effect that programmes managers "should take immediate steps to prevent the transmission of any recorded material relating to daggerin' ... ", a move that would effectively ban the word 'dagger' from the airwaves. Further, the commission said that radio, television and cable companies should not air songs or videos containing daggerin' lyrics or scenes.
We stand on the lip of a worldwide recession that is threatening to send Jamaicans into the clutches of back-breaking poverty? And this is what the government is advocating? I am tempted to believe that this a red herring to distract the nation from the difficult times that lie ahead. Because after all, which century are we in? The Middle Ages. Why stop there? Why not ban the word 'wine'? And that offensive three letter word, sex? We should close down all the massage parlours and go go clubs, and ban all that is delightful to man then. Ms. Tyson et al should have a big book-burning, condom-searing bonfire in the middle of HWT Square.
I have never been a big fan of the daggerin' songs and have always been surprised at the number of sexually explicit songs that actually make it onto the radio. But why go about it in such an asinine way? Each song should be examined on a case by case basis instead of an across the board ban. The Broadcasting Commission now needs to be consistent in its stance and the public should bombard them with emails and letters if they slip up. The BC should also frown on the beaming of flesh-flashing carnival revelry of young and old into the living rooms of the nation this Carnival Sunday, certain rap and R & B songs, and the airing of commercials that use explicit sexual references to hawk consumer goods. If they intend to be fair and consistent about what they choose to ban, then I say go for it.
In the wake of Nikki Z's firing from ZIP FM, it is clear that nothing can fly under the radar anymore. This latest thrust by civil society is just an indication of mainstream society's shifting priorities and taboos. Daggering is just the updated version of rent-a-tile, or rubbing from the 1970s, so it clear that this is an attack against dancehall, or a subgenre of dancehall which has earned a reputation for bad language and bad behavior.
Civil society still hasn't learned anything after all these years. If you ban something, you are promoting the idea to impressionable kids that certain dancehall artistes have something useful to say, when it doesn't really matter that much in the struggling middle class lives of Jamaicans battling to keep their jobs, and pay their mortgages. How will the ban of daggering help to slow the financial meltdown and decay of our society? All they are doing is to ensure that daggering lasts an additional six months in the psyche of the people instead of allowing it to die a natural death, usurped by some new exciting craze from the teens themselves.
Here's a terrible but true idea: what if dancehall doesn't matter that much to our society. Ask yourself:
What if dancehall's lyrics shifted from tough talk and crude jokes to socially conscious music and nothing changed? What if the controversial gun-toting lyrics quieted down, but the crime figures of rape, carnal abuse and domestic violence did not even register a blip in response to this new dancehall? What if dancehall were defanged, and became all soft ballads, kid-friendly bubblegum pop music and positive lyrics, and there was still carnage and death in the streets, and the society was still going to hell in a handcart. What then?
This whole thing is a damn Shakespeare novel, Much Ado About Nothing.
In her February 1 column in The Sunday Gleaner, Esther Tyson said the Ramping Shop song impacts negatively on youth and called for a shutdown of corporate support for dancehall artistes and events until the genre cleans up its act. I think Ms. Tyson totally missed the mark. What corporate interests need to do to try to use the enormous popularity of dancehall -- the language, the dances, and the clothes, the stars -- to spotlight some of the political issues that most directly affect its fans and try to inspire change.
Consumers have learned to live with all sorts of semi-voluntary censorship, including the film rating system, the self-regulation of basic cable networks and the Broadcasting Commission's monitoring of media broadcasts. This is not the first time that the Broadcasting Commission had tried to get rid of songs with bleeps in them, a ridiculous notion when you consider that dancehall fans, in particular, know that their favorite songs will reach radio in expurgated form with polysyllabic swear words, sexual references and trigger-pulling deleted. How can someone voluntarily remove a swear word and then you still ban the song? That smacks of the worst species of stupidity, the self-righteous kind.
In the 1980s, I remember the NFFAP tunes like Two Year Old and Shabba's Love Punaany Bad and their amazing popularity in the streets. The banned songs were clearly a part of the rebellious subculture and were celebrated as such and these songs achieved incredible popularity because of the ban. Dancehall has been dismissed as noise, and accused of glorifying crime and sexism and greed, but it still lingers on. Critics say it has popularized an anti-snitching informer-fi-dead ethos that undermines the police and allows criminals to operate with relative impunity.
Just like with previous dancehall controversies, there is a villain with a villainous song, and this time it is, drum roll please, the Ramping Shop. Vybz Kartel has always had an uneasy relationship with the mainstream media because of his maverick attitude and biting rhymes. I don't agree with everything that he has to say, but I do defend his right to say it. So I believe that this debate is not really about Vybz Kartel, it is about dancehall's vexed position in the Jamaican mainstream. The boundaries of public and private space keep changing along with the multiplying standards that govern them. The Gleaner newspaper had a headline two weeks ago that screamed: Sex in Recession. This sort of thing means that mainstream culture in becoming more crude, and it's harder to keep the sordid stuff out of the media. The traditional gatekeepers are becoming increasingly irrelevant as the Internet and other media hold sway, and that vexes a lot of powerful people.
But with all the hullabaloo about a song in the media, the real question remains: Why is this what sells?
What does it really say about our society? Daggering is clearly not the problem. Jamaica is besieged by the twin tigers of violence and unemployment and it is clear that we have a societal problem, but we must examine creative ways of changing the behaviour of our people and this can only be done by changing the environment and the conditions in which they live, by beefing up our schools, by equipping our police force and by reaching out to the disenfranchised and downtrodden. Anything less is futile.
I am
Claude Mills
Writer, one876entertainment.com
cmillsy@yahoo.com
Broadcasting Commission slaps daggering
By Yasmine Peru
Media watchdog group, the Broadcasting Commission, has made an effort to slap ‘daggering’ with what can perhaps be termed the ‘wickedest slam’.
In its most recent communiqué, the commission notes that it “has examined a number of songs popularly referred to as daggering songs” and found these recordings to be “explicitly sexual and violent” and contrary to sections of the Television and Sound Broadcasting Regulations and against certain tenets of the Children’s Code for Programming. As a result, the commission has decreed that radio, television and cable stations must not transmit any recording, live song or music video which promotes the act of daggering, makes any reference to or is suggestive of daggering.
The commission in its statement defines daggering as “a colloquial term used in dancehall culture as a reference to hardcore sex or what is popularly referred to as dry sex, or the activities of persons engaged in the public simulation of various sexual acts and positions”.
With this move, the Broadcasting Commission is hoping to thrust a dagger which will penetrate the very heart of ‘daggering’. But, will it? Quite likely not. The simple truth is that the only thing new about daggering is the term itself. Secondly, it is neither radio nor television which have popularised ‘daggering’, it is the streets — the nightly dances held in the streets and clubs, the sound systems which blast the music for all and sundry to dagger to and yes, the Internet. From Mr Vegas’ Daggering to new artiste Bragga’s hugely popular Dagger Dat (which gal ova deso a ask if a Bragga dat/Come ova yaso mek mi dagger dat) the Internet is replete with daggering songs and videos.
In fact, daggering is so popular that it has a website all for itself. Just check out daggering.com. “Welcome to Daggering.Com, the ultimate daggering videos site on the web. From crazy daggering scenes at Passa Passa, Bembe, Weddy Weddy and other popular outdoor events to homemade daggering videos, we have it!”
And they make good on their promise.
SOURCE Jamaica Observer
I-Octane looks ahead to even more awards
Life is all about growing and improving …and no one knows that better than cultural singer I-Octane who copped the award for Most Improved Artiste at Richie B’s Excellence in Music and Entertainment Awards which was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel last Thursday.
It was an enthusiastic and jubilant I-Octane who thanked the organizers and all his fans who voted him into the top spot.
Having clinched that award the singer is now looking forward the next award coming up on the horizon and that’s the Hype TV Video Awards. In that one he in contention for Reggae Video of the Year with the red-hot Different Page video.
Ever since its release the song has been opening a lot of doors for the singer propelled no doubt by the excellently produced video.
In this category I-Octane’s video will be challenged by Shaggy’s Bad Man Don’t Cry, Jah Cure’s Journey; Terro 3000’s This Is How I Feel and Natural Black’s Just Like In The Movie.
“It’s just pure positive energy. The product is good, so I am expecting the best,” was the confident response from the artiste on his chances of copping the award.
SOURCE dancehallreggaeweseh.com
Spice copped four awards
Spice copped four awards already and she should have more to come. She walk away with the EME Female Deejay of the Year and for the Youth View Awards she pick up three in the following categories; Favorite Female Artiste, Young Hot & Hype Female Artiste and Favorite Female Dancehall Artiste.
We can definitely watch to see if there is more for her to collect in the Hype TV Awards on February 26th, 2009.
SOURCE dancehallreggaeweseh.com
February 09, 2009
Danger Zone’s ‘Journey’s Compilation’ impacting the world
International reggae/dancehall labels Danger Zone and SoBe Entertainment are creating quite an impact with the infectious reggae compilation, ‘Journey’s’, featuring some of the genre’s biggest names on 15 of the hottest tracks to hit the music scene in a long time.
Distributed by Tad’s Records Inc and digitally by Zojak Worldwide, the compilation remains a top seller since its release last year, and in fact remains one of iTunes international top reggae sellers and is a constant feature on the music store’s top 100 reggae charts.
CEOs of Danger Zone Music Group, Delmar ‘Della’ Drummond and Edward ‘Nine’ Warren are reveling in its success, confident that Journey’s will go down in history as one of the best reggae compilations of all time.
According to Zoe Espitia, CEO of Zojak Worldwide, the digital distributors of the compilation, last week the album hit number 83 on USA’s iTunes top 100 reggae charts. In addition, Zoe said Japan’s iTunes charts just featured the album last week on front page.
“It is a very good production by Danger Zone Records. A lot of the songs on the compilation are doing good as singles on their own,” Zoe stated.
The Zojak CEO added that Danger Zone artiste CéCile’s ‘Worth It’ album (the digital version of ‘Waiting’) is doing really well. “It hit number 17 on the US iTunes 100 Reggae charts. In fact, she was the only female artiste on the chart out of 100 and that’s no small feat. That is really fantastic to see, I have not seen that in a long time. On the UK iTunes charts, she hit number 3,” Zoe stated.
Tad’s Records Inc, which is responsible for the overall distribution of the album, had similar accolades for the ‘Journey’s Compilation’.
According to Tad Dawkins Snr., CEO of Tad’s Records Inc, “the ‘Journey’s Compilation’ has all hit songs, especially the Jah Cure, Tony Rebel, Queen Ifrica and of course, CéCile. It is doing very well.”
He added, “CéCile’s ‘Waiting’ album is also doing very well, it hit the charts and the songs are getting good airplay. On Irie, Hitz. The ‘Waiting’ remix with Shaggy is a favourite of Ron Muschettte.”
Dawkins added that his company is presently doing a lot of promotion for the compilation, which includes worldwide networking, posters, etc.
“I am anticipating that both albums are going to do quite well,” Dawkins added.
Executively produced by Danger Zone Records and Sobe Records, the 15-track ‘Journey’s Compilation’ features: Jah Cure with the title track, CeCile ‘Ride Or Die’, Morgan Heritage ‘Traitor’, Queen Ifrica ‘Rise Ghetto Youths’, Tony Rebel ‘Hope The Law’, I’Octane ‘Sow Life Seeds’, Jigsy & Tony Curtis ‘Show Off’, Lutan Fyah ‘Travelling’, Anthony B ‘No Love’, Junior Reid ‘Girl’, Cutty Corn ‘Poochie Loo’, Pinchers ‘Swear’, Lukie D ‘Meant To Be’, Jigsy & CéCile ‘Plant It’ and the Journey Version closes it off.
Complimenting the compilation are some chart ridding music videos that have been in constant rotation on all the music video programmes and cable stations, among them CéCile’s ‘Ride Or Die’ and Jah Cure’s ‘Journey’.
Several of the ‘Journey’s’ singles have also climbed Richie B’s Jamaica Music Countdown charts, and Clinton Lindsay’s South Florida and New York charts.
The Journey rhythm is produced by Jigsy King, Della Danger and CéCile.
Representing Jamaican music on the international scene for a decade, Danger Zone has produced some of the hottest riddims on the scene, among them Payback, Solidarity, Sting 93 and Jamdown, which won the Best Reggae Compilation Album at the 2008 Reggae Academy Awards, giving Della Danger the Executive Producer's Award.
Danger Zone Records is known for putting out quality music and over the years has released numerous tracks and tunes that have won the hearts of both local and international reggae fans.
Link Danger Zone at www.dangerzonemusicgroup.com, or www.sobeentertainment.com
SOURCE dancehallreggaeweseh.com
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