Tanice Morrison talks relationships and Valentine's

KINGSTON JAMAICA - Reggae songstress, Tanice Morrison is hellbent on making definitive strides, musically, in 2013 and with her statement-making single, Rather Be Me, carving out its own niche, the Reggae Soulchild is spreading her wings. She has boldly dedicated this song to all lovers on Valentine's Day.

"It is all about self-acceptance and once we learn to accept ourselves, then we can accept others -- faults and all," the entertainer said with her impish smile.

Tanice, who is a romantic at heart, firmly believes that "it's love that makes the world go round" and feels that Valentine's Day is a great time to reflect on "this thing we call love" and just how all-important and all-encompassing it is. 

"The gift-giving is great because we all like to feel appreciated, but this season of love should go much deeper that that. We need to go beyond the surface," the Rather Be Me singer stated.

"Man-and-woman relationships is a topic that we could discuss all year and barely touch the tip of the iceberg. Women are said to be more emotional than men, but we are also the stronger sex, mentally, and it is important that as women we accept and love ourselves and in turn our partners will have no choice but to follow suit," a passionate Tanice declared.

She lamented the menial role that some women are forced to play in a relationship, all because they have a domineering partner who "cows them into submission".

"Once we learn to love ourselves for who we are, we will find our own voices and make an impact in the world," Tanice said.

With the single, Rather Be Me, doing very well on radio and the video poised for entry into the video charts, Tanice Morrison is busy in the studio making more music which will no doubt help to chart her course for 2013 and beyond.

DROOP LION ALL SET FOR BOB MARLEY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Kingston Jamaica - His compelling mix of culture, roots and reality songs is set to light up Negril's MX3 on February 5, when rising Rastafarian singer Droop Lion, will engage audiences on the eve of the birthday of reggae icon, Bob Marley.

Droop Lion says he feels honoured to play a role in the week-long tribute to Bob Marley, whose birthday is February 6, and notes that he intends to put his best foot forward as he makes a spiritual connection with the reggae legend. Conscious of  his own place in the future growth and development of reggae music, Droop Lion is imbued with a strong sense of respect for all the elder statesmen in the business. He declares that he is a student, not only of Marley, but of every reggae artiste who has paved the way and on whose shoulders he now stands.

“Bob Marley is the person who has inspired a whole generation of reggae artistes, myself included. His legacy, musically and otherwise, spans the globe and this is especially significant. And there are many other singers and players of instruments who are right up there with Bob and who are also deserving of respect and gratitude. Naturally, I am more than pleased to be part of this movement to pay honour to Robert Nesta Marley,” the Free People Entertainment artiste stated.

Droop Lion has been maintaining a strong presence with thought-provoking songs like Freeway, Pray For Them, Mama Soon Come Back and Gun Powder. He notes,“ My music is down-to-earth and cultural. There's always a message in it. It's like a medicine to society's sickness."

Other artistes scheduled to perform on the February 5 event are the Messenjah Luciano, Iba Mahr, Raging Fyah, Justice Merchant, Robin Banks, Tanya P, Sugar Dee and Ali P. Backing band will be Streetwise.

CHECK OUT HIS LATEST MUSIC VIDEO BELOW

I-Octane 'Bun and Laugh' HD music video ready for download

I-Octane 'Bun and Laugh' HD music video ready for download

http://www.mediafire.com/?zqvc2et0pvdj3xg

I-OCTANE RE-SIGNED AS DIGICEL BRAND AMBASSADOR

In picture: Ray Alexander (Octane's Manager), Tahnida Nunes (Sponsorship Manager), Kerine Miller (Octane's promotions Manager), I-Octane & 'Biggz' (Octane's Road Manager) celebrate with a toast!

…following breathtaking performances at Rebel Salute, Chug It, over the weekend

Kingston, Jamaica - Reggae/dancehall star I-Octane proved once again that he is indeed a force to be reckoned with.

He proved just that when he stepped onto the Rebel Salute stage over the weekend, wowing the audience, many of whom could hardly contain their excitement for the reggae star.

In one of the best performances of the night, I-Octane reminded fans why he is one of the top emerging acts in Jamaica.

The energetic artiste was true to form and every song he performed incited a frenzy within the crowd.

With a structured set that gradually gained momentum, I-Octane fired off an onslaught of hits including his most recent single, Gal a Gimme Bun, Bad Mind Dem a Pree, More Love and We Love the Vibes.

And indeed the crowd did enjoy ‘the vibes’ as Octane’s high energy set saw fans singing along with every tune he delivered. I-Octane paced his set well, pausing at intervals during his performance to speak with fans.

According to the artiste, it is always a pleasure to perform for his fans.

"It was a good night, I fulljoyed myself. Bless up all the fans for their support and big up Tony Rebel," he said.

After an exceptional response to his set, the reggae star also made an appearance at the popular Chug It event which was held in Portmore on Sunday.

I-Octane could do no wrong for the eager crowd. Seeing the musical thirst of the audience, I-Octane wasted no time in showcasing his vocal ability, electrifying the beach with his heart pounding performance.

To top off a great weekend and week, I-Octane, after a successful two year partnership with telecommunications giant Digicel, has been re-signed as one of their brand ambassadors. He did a 15 minute set in front of a small audience along with the Riddim 2000 band at the re-signing event held inside the Big Yard Studios.

SELECTOR - ZJ ELEKTRA

Reggae singer, Tanice Morrison, bats for empowerment

Kingston, Jamaica - Talented singer, songwriter and music teacher, Tanice Morrison, can be as quiet as the proverbial church mouse, but when she has something to say, she articulates loudly, clearly and passionately.

As a female in the male-dominated world of reggae music, and also as a class-room teacher, one of Tanice’s burning concerns is empowerment, or rather the lack of it. Therefore, with her microphone in one hand (and a stick of chalk in the other), Tanice has started an inspiring musical journey of upliftment.

Among her current singles is one whose title is self-explanatory, Rather Be Me. The chorus gets straight to the point as it cries out, “Love me or leave me/ I’d rather be me.”

“We live in a world where the youth especially are trying to find themselves and everybody wants to be like the other person. Unfortunately, in the quest for self-knowledge they somehow end up losing their values, their sense of morals and, ultimately their souls. We need to learn to love ourselves, place value on who we are, set goals and then aim to achieve them. In the video for the single, we tried to make this message as impactful as possible, especially for young people who are having issues about their looks and who are trying to fit into society,” Tanice explained.

For the song and music video, she teamed up with the choir from Vauxhall High School, an institution at which she taught, and Tanice noted that the youngsters made such a huge impression on her that she will definitely be doing more work at that level with children.

With regard to women in the business stepping to the fore and making definitive statements, musically and otherwise, Tanice was quick to point out that a lot more needs to be done. “As females making this journey together, we need to unite and make our voices ring out loud. We need to give each other strength because it is by nurturing each other that we will be able to stand alone and stand firm without this kind of unity and empowerment, female artistes will always be lower paid than their male counterparts and the imbalance will always exist,” declared Tanice, whose mother, Keturah Duffus was a Studio One artiste.

Tanice, who recalls being surrounded by a lot of music at an early age, entered several  competitions including the Red Label Wine Song Competition (1997), where she advanced to the finals as the sole female contestant.

While in college, she was introduced to highly respected musician, Jon Williams, for whom she recorded some radio jingles, one of which was Red Stripe Light’s first radio advert. In 2002, another opportunity came for her to audition for Sir ‘Coxsone’ Dodd at Studio One Records and this translate into her recording her first original song, Old Hurt, which was officially released on the Studio One label in 2003.

Arriving at a crossroads in her professional life, Tanice reluctantly retired from the classroom in order to focus exclusively on making music for the world to appreciate. Over the last couple of years, she has matured vocally and lyrically and she is wasting no time in proclaiming the message in her music.

In 2010, she released an album, No Limitations, which, as the title suggests, is a full course meal which explores the totality of this vibrant and multi-talented singer christened Tanice Morrison.

CHECK OUT HER MUSIC VIDEO BELOW

I-OCTANE LAMENTS ABOUT 'GETTING BUN' IN NEW SINGLE

Kingston. Jamaica - He confesses, "mi nah spen nuh time wid mi gyal an mi gyal a gimmi bun," something that quite a few artistes within the music industry may easily be able to identify with. Does anyone in particular come to mind?

Nevertheless, I-Octane's latest single, 'Gal A Gimmi Bun' is a song that artistes and fans in general should be able to relate to, as it touches on a topic that is like common assault in today's society.

In the single, I-Octane takes on the role of none other than an artiste who is kept busy with his work, doing shows and tours all across the world, but in the process, is denied the opportunity to spend quality time with his female companion, which ultimately leads her to become unfaithful.

The single, which is produced by Seanizzle Records and Black Shadow, will certainly captivate the attention of listeners, as I-Octane confesses that the song, "is a true life story for many, as people all over the globe experience it."

However, despite the seriousness of the situation, Octane says, "it's a really fun song," and the way in which the message is brought across, "everybody weh hear it say it mek dem laugh."

According to Octane, "It’s been a while since an artiste come out with a song weh fun. Mad Andrew and KipRich used to do fun songs. The music nowadays is violent and hardcore. So mi just decide fi do something different and the feedback has been positive so far."

In addition to this spanking new single from I-Octane, the artiste is also enjoying some heavy rotation on radio since the start of 2013 with singles like 'Wonderful Feeling' (Rasta Love) featuring Queen Ifrica, produced by Young Blood Records, 'Do Road Rough', produced by Markus Records and 'Stay Above Crime' which was produced by So Unique Records.