Kalado signs off on a great year with Hard Knock Life

Kingston, JAMAICA:- The deejay who has made the biggest strides for 2014, Kalado, is determined to end the year on a musical high, and predictions are that his latest single, the vibrant “Hard Knock Life”, is the ideal way to do so.

Once again, the “Sex Compliment” singer has teamed up with Dre Day Productions for a song that is overflowing with reality and snugly set on a riddim that complements the lyrics and sustains the flow. The backdrop for “Hard Knock Life” is prison and the single details the harsh reality of existence in a place that “no mek fi dog”, as Kalado says, quoting from a Jamaican proverb.

But while the song lyrics are introspective, the riddim is so infectious that it is impossible to listen to it without moving to the beat and recognizing that molecule of hope amid the hopelessness. Kalado says that this song forms part of a special Christmas present to his fans, whose support has been instrumental in him having such an awesome year.

The year 2014 has seen many firsts for the young deejay, who did his first Reggae Sumfest; his first overseas reggae festival – Montreal International Reggae Festival; enjoyed a number one summer single with “Personally”; had his first visit to the Motherland and headlined his first official show in Toronto. Additionally, the “Good Good Bring Life” singer consistently delivered singles which had far-reaching impact on radio  in the clubs and at dances.  Among the singles were “Love The Life You Live”, “Living The Life”, “House Party”, “Rave Till Sunlight”, “Personally”, “Body Nuh Dead”, “Make Me Feel”, “Mi Money Good”, “Paper Trail” “Step Out”, “Sad Streets”, “Pree Money”, “Pay Dem No Mind” and “Take A Ride”.

 “It has been a great year,” a beaming Kalado declared. “Of course, there have been challenges and disappointments … like the cancellation of the European tour at the last minute, but these are some of the things that help to keep us grounded and help to build character. Life is not always smooth sailing. But I have to give thanks for the successes of 2014 and this would not have been possible without my fans and my team. This year, our goal was to build Kalado and set a solid foundation which will enable us to make money next year and in the years to come,” the “Pree Money” artiste explained.

Junior Gong, I-Octane exclusive to Cream of the Crop this holiday season

Ocho Rios, JAMAICA:- With the abundance of parties, concerts and music events that the

I-OCTANE

traditional ‘silly season’ always brings, it is inevitable that many major acts will be billed for at least two shows locally during this period. However, not so for mega dancehall artistes Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley and I-Octane; the only show they will be doing in Jamaica over the Christmas season is Cream of the Crop, the exciting December 27 concert to be staged at Pearly Beach in Ocho Rios, St. Ann

Produced by Purple Skunkz Entertainment, Cream of the Crop is all about delivering quality acts whose entertainment value is unquestioned. Grammy award winning deejay, Junior Gong, will make one of his few annual performances in Jamaica at this event and fans of the "Welcome To Jamrock" artiste are again eager to embrace him, just as they did at Rebel Salute in January.

Junior Gong

The self-proclaimed “youngest veteran”, who is full of style and flava, has been keeping his fans aware of his movements via Facebook. “Ocho Rios get ready the Cream of the Crop is coming!” he posted last week, along with a flyer from the event. He has enjoyed a tremendous year working on projects with his Ghetto Youths International crew, a successful Welcome to Jamrock cruise,  and the upcoming release of the highly anticipated various artiste CD, “Set Up Shop Vol. 2”. It was in February of this year that Junior Gong and dancehall artiste, Cham set the music world ablaze when they performed their hit single, 'Fighter', for UK's top-rated entertainment show, 'BBC 1Xtra', at the Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston.

Digicel and Busta ambassador, I-Octane, aka The Closer, continues his total dominance of the dancehall, both locally and internationally, with a steady stream of hit songs and awesome performances. His appearance on Cream of the Crop closes out a tremendous year which saw him accept and deliver on the challenge to close Reggae Sumfest Dancehall Night for the second straight year, after which he headed for the festival circuit in Europe where he stamped his unique class and continued to tour on his critically acclaimed CD, "My Journey".

Now in its second year, Cream of the Crop also features Jah Cure, Tarrus Riley, Busy Signal, I-Octane, Teflon, Romaine Virgo, Jesse Royal, Loyal Flames, Berri, Ishawna, Hezron, Nature, Hero and Pzed. Set for Saturday December 27 at Pearly Beach in Ocho Rios, the event is sponsored by Guinness, Liquid Nitro, Ghetto Youths International, Global Vision Concepts, Conquer The Globe Productions, Zip FM, Irie FM and Mad Media House. 

Great things ahead for Chilando

Montego Jamaica:- Show Di Vybz/DJ Frass recording artiste, Chilando, has been focused

on setting the foundation that will ensure him a solid career in the world of entertainment. The year 2014 hasn’t been one in which the singjay and his team made a lot of noise, but there have been encouragingly bright sparks which will certainly burn even brighter come next year.

It was in July that Chilando’s single “Yes Man” on the heavy-hitting Gwaan Bad riddim did just that on iTunes, creating quite a bit of buzz for the artiste. The song, which is distributed by Zojak Worldwide, muscled its way onto the iTunes Hot Tracks list, quite an achievement for one who is relatively unknown in the grand scheme of things. Although Chilando admits that he was in fact a little overwhelmed by this, he refused to sit on his laurels, or consider himself a “big artiste”.

“Of course, I give thanks for the song getting recognition at that level and I hasten to add that the entire production team must take credit for “Yes Man” doing so well. However, it just means that we have a lot more work to do. When you are building a house, it’s important to lay a solid foundation and so too when you are building a career. I have a great management team in place… well structured… and moving ahead strategically. We are looking to make an indelible impression in 2015,” Chilando stated.

The singjay has been recording with various producers, including Armshouse Records, ZJ Diamond, ZJ Chrome, Purple Skinkz, DJ Sunshine and DJ Frass. Already commanding attention are the singles “Life Too Short” (Happy Hour riddim), “Try Diss” (Elastic Riddim) and “Stay Inna Yuh Lane” (Wul Dem Again riddim). The video for the “Life Too Short” has already been shot and is set for an official release in January 2015.

Although he has not been doing a lot of live performances, Chilando was requested to perform at the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in his hometown, Montego Bay, on December 8. He was very well received and used the opportunity to his best advantage, even having his fans singing along with him on some of his songs. 

"The event was an eye-opener because I didn't realise that so many persons know the songs. The vibe was great and it has made me even more determined to start the new year with a bang," said the singjay who already has his sights set on being the fastest rising artiste for the year 2015. 

Junior Gong, Jah Cure, I-Octane, Busy Signal among top acts for Cream of the Crop

Ocho Rios, Jamaica: - Boasting a stellar cast of A-list entertainers who are proven crowd-pullers and seasoned crowd-pleasers, Cream of the Crop, the December 27 thriller at Pearly Beach in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, is definitely one of the “must-attend” events for the bustling Yuletide season.

As the name implies, this highly anticipated concert will feature the best of the best in reggae/dancehall, and, according to the promoters, Purple Skunkz, there will be an abundance of top quality entertainment on offer. They noted that with artistes of this caliber, some of whom have not graced the local stage in a long time, the idea is to ensure that the acts will be able to give full-length performances.

“Just as we did at our hugely successful inaugural staging last year, we have kept the line-up at a very comfortable number, rather than the usual 600 artistes on a show,” a member of the organizing committee reported. “This is not the hol’ a mic and run off the stage  kind of event, it is a band show and we are working with an exceptional production team to ensure that sound, stage and lighting are at the optimum.” he continued.

It takes just a quick look at the poster for all the artistes to immediately jump out at you – Junior Gong, Jah Cure, Tarrus Riley, Busy Signal, I-Octane, Teflon, Romaine Virgo, Jesse Royal, Loyal Flames, Berri, Ishawna, Hezron,  Nature, Hero and Pzed –  a solid mix of in-demand deejays and singers, with worthy opening acts.   

Now in its second year, Cream of the Crop made its debut at the Ocho Rios Cruise Pier in 2013, but has been forced to move into a new venue, Pearly Beach, in order to facilitate the multitudes expected to turn out to the event.

“We had over 5000 patrons last year and our projections are that we could possibly get twice that number this year. So we took the decision to use Pearly Beach, which is a another great venue and will give us the right backdrop for Cream of the Crop,” Purple Skunkz team member explained.

Cream of the Crop, set for Saturday December 27, is sponsored by Guinness, Liquid Nitro, Ghetto Youths International, Global Vision Concepts, Conquer The Globe Productions, Zip FM, Irie FM and Mad Media House. 

A busy December for Kalado – plans to let the music do the talking at Sting

Kingston, JAMAICA:- Having proven his mettle and stamped his name all over the year

2014, dancehall deejay, Kalado will be very busy during the final few weeks of this year, bringing the curtains down in  inimitable style.

With only two weekends left in the year, the “Good Good Bring Life” deejay has four opportunities to connect with fans in Jamaica and roll out his scorching hot selection of hits which have commanded the undivided attention of the dancehall. 

First up on his social calendar is the Smirnoff-sponsored, Red Line on December 21 at the Margaritaville Beach, Ocho Rios. Promoted as Red Line vs Shades On – The Beach Dance Clash, this outdoor event is overflowing with the right ambiance for Kalado to perform at his optimum and perhaps give a slight taste of his edgier side. Red Line also features reggae/dancehall artiste Teflon, along with Spice, G Star and Neffatari from New York.

Kalado’s next stop is GT Taylor's Christmas Extravaganza on December 25 at Independence Park in St Elizabeth. The ultimate Christmas night gala, this concert will see Kalado presenting each song as a special gift to his fans. "Christmas is time for family and at this time of the year, especially, our fans become our extended family. I can't think of anywhere better to be during this holiday than on a stage celebrating with those persons who have helped to make me have such a successful year," Kalado disclosed.

The following night, Kalado will represent at the greatest one night reggae and dancehall show in the world, Sting. This decades-old Boxing Day mega-concert, will see Kalado take his rightful place among the stars and superstars on a highly charged, one-of-a-kind stage at Jamworld, St Catherine. Touted as the event which can make or break an artiste, Kalado is keenly aware of exactly what he needs to do to make a triumphant entry and exit on the fearsome Sting stage on December 26. He had brief moment of fame at last year's Sting when he performed in the New Artiste segment, however, this year Kalado is eager to show Sting fans just how much he matured and has officially earned his stripes.

On December 28, the “Love The Life You Live” deejay will make his way to the other end of the island to thrill fans in Westmoreland at Ravers Bikers Paradise in the capital, Savanna-la-mar.

“I am ready,” Kalado stated confidently. “St Ann, St Catherine and Westmoreland, look out for electrifying performances from Kalado on all three stages. I have a game plan for each show, and all will feature the best of Kalado, but you know that every show is different,” he said.

“With Sting, you have to up the ante on the dressing and focus on making the most of the time that is allotted to you because there are so many artistes on the line-up and everybody claims to be the ‘baddest’. But the fans will find out who is really bad and who is trying hard to be bad. Personally, I am ready for any challenge and I intend to make my music do all the talking,” the “Pay Dem No Mind” artiste declared.

NEW MUSIC VIDEO: I-Octane - Cya do it ft. Vanessa Bling

NEW MUSIC VIDEO: Kalado - Love The Life You Live

Chilando ready to claim his space in the dancehall

Montego Bay, Jamaica: - Singjay Chilando has reached that critical point in his career

Chilando

where he is ready to jump into the all-important musical space that is being carved out specially for him. Dedicated and brimming with enthusiasm the Show Di Vybz/DJ Frass recording artiste has his sights fixed on claiming his birthright.  

Armed with two scorching hot singles, “Life Too Short” (Chimney Records) on the popular Happy Hour riddim and “Stay Inna Yuh Lane”, which rocks neatly on the big, bad, Wul Dem Again riddim, the entertainer is reaching the ears of the critical mass and they are loving him. Additionally, Chilando (pronounced Chy-lando) is surrounded by an efficient management team which is focused on instilling the core values of hard work, while playing down the hype associated with career success.

A Montegonian who has already found quite a bit of favour within his parish, Chilando Spencer has been honing his craft for over a decade, and during the last four years has enjoyed a modest degree of national recognition. Between the summers of 2010 to 2011, Chilando worked with various young producers and production houses across Jamaica, including Mad Scientist (Burn Out Records), Da Wiz Records, Phantom from Inspired Music Concepts, El Toro Productions from Russia, Hard Streets Records and Digital Sham from Digitalize Records. This effort paid off and by the following year, he had new releases on the road.

Singles such as “Nuh Tek Box Up”, “Girls Dem Rush Wi”, “Swagg Tun Up”, “Roll like a Thunder”, a collab with popular Jamaican soca artiste Mad Dog, “Girl Am Missing You” featuring Eyonja, “Everyday I Pray” with Gaza Maxwell and Jahvaska, “Money Cyah Done”, “Gwan Gyal” “Gone So Easy” and “Watch Dem” have helped to shine the spotlight on Chilando, not only in Jamaica, but also in the Caribbean and North America.

Born on July 18, 1989 and raised in Montego Bay, St James, Chilando did his first recording at the age of 13. After graduating from William Knibb Memorial High in 2007, Chilando took his music career to a new level and quickly found his way into the hearts of the people. He connected with solid performances, infectious singles, captivating music videos and a mix tape titled “The Challenge” which is available online for download.

Click on the link below to listen to his 2 latest singles

“Life Too Short” and “Stay Inna Yuh Lane”,

Slick Facebook scam proving a nightmare for Kalado

Kingston, Jamaica: - Rising Dancehall artiste, Kalado is one of the latest victims of a slick scam which has resulted in false advertising, loss of revenue for the deejay, and has proven to be a promotional nightmare. These deeds, his management says, are facilitated by the setting up of fake Facebook pages in Kalado’s name by persons who are not authorized to do so and who have ulterior motives. 

According to his management company, Montrevail Agencies, persons have been impersonating Kalado on social media, while others have been posing as his booking agent and confirming dates and collecting money from unsuspecting promoters.

“The creators of these fake Facebook pages are very slick and quite often the pages appear to be authentic, which makes it even worse for us. They have been misleading persons who are interested in working with Kalado and also his fans. One young lady was able to scam a promoter out of $80,000 and could have caused untold damage to the artiste’s reputation because he was being advertised for a show that we knew nothing about,” Kalado’s manager, Nancy Davis, explained.

According to Ms. Davis, requests have been sent to Facebook to have the pages shut down, “but as soon as one goes down another comes up”. She emphasized that Montrevail Agencies is the only authorized booking agency for Kalado.

“Our numbers are  876-365-2116 and 514-375-0388 and we can be reached via email at montrevail@live.com,” also the official website for Kalado is www.officialkalado.com and Officialkalado for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. she stated.

Meanwhile, Kalado is busy on the promotional trail with his DreDay-produced single, “Love the Life You Live” which shows the versatility of the artiste and is sure to help him end the year 2014 on a high note. The thought-provoking single and the just-released music video have made a solid impression on not just the dancehall, but the entire music-loving public and for this, Kalado and his team, say: Mission Accomplished.

Parts of the video were filmed in Zimbabwe, Africa, against a backdrop that is simply breathtaking. Adjectives such as “awesome” and “fantastic” have been used to describe the video, which had its official Jamaica premiere last weekend. Other shoot locations include Canada and Jamaica, making this music video a truly multi-national project.

“The message is that we all should make every effort to love the life we live, wherever in the world we happen to be. Thanks to everyone who made this possible and there’s a lot more where this is coming from,” a grateful Kalado said.