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Friday, March 19, 2010

T&T 'I Am Legend' Concert


CARIBBEAN STARS Morgan Heritage, Shaggy and Beres Hammond will grace the Queen’s Park Savannah stage in Trinidad for the third edition of I Am Legend on April 3. They will head over to sister isle Tobago on April 4, in what is being dubbed an Easter weekend experience no one should miss.
Morgan Heritage is a reggae band formed by five children of reggae artist Denroy Morgan. They made their first appearance at Reggae Sunsplash in Jamaica. They were subsequently signed by MCA and released their debut album Miracles in 1994.

After the release of Miracles the family moved to Denroy's homeland of Jamaica. In this period, three family members left the group. Once in Jamaica, Morgan Heritage began working with famed reggae producers Bobby Dixon and Lloyd James, resulting in the release of their critically acclaimed second album Protect Us Jah (1997), followed by One Calling (1998), and the spiritually-inclined Don't Haffi Dread (1999). They have released three compilation albums by “The Morgan Heritage Family and Friends”, and a live album, Live in Europe!, recorded on their 2000 tour.

They have worked with many of the top reggae bands and DJs of today including Capleton, Junior Kelly, Luciano, Gentleman and Beres Hammond.

Orville Richard Burrell (born October 22, 1968, Kingston, Jamaica), better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican-American reggae singer whom is said to have taken his nickname from his “shaggy” hair and general appearance and later from the slang term shagging. He has been noted as having a baritone style singing voice.

In 1988, Shaggy joined the United States Marine Corps as a Field Artillery Cannon Crewman with 5th Battalion 10th Marines.While enlisted in the Marines he served during Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War. It was during this time that Shaggy perfected his signature singing voice, breaking the constant monotony of running and marching cadences with his flair for inflection. It is also where he got the inspiration for his song “Boombastic.”

Upon his return from the Persian Gulf, he decided to pursue his music career and his first hit in 1993: “Oh Carolina”, was a dancehall re-make of a ska hit by the Folkes Brothers.The same year, Shaggy appeared on Kenny Dope's hip hop album “The Unreleased Project”. He worked together with producers such as Sting International, Don One (who cut his first track), Lloyd 'Spiderman' Campbell and Robert Livingston. He had further big hits, including “Boombastic” in 1995, the theme tune of a popular Levi's commercial.

Shaggy latest project is “Rise Again” (with Sean Paul, Sean Kingston, Alison Hinds, Shontelle Layne, Edwin Yearwood, Destra Garcia, David Rudder, KesDieffenthaller, Tessanne Chin, Etana and Belo), a song sponsored by Digicel, which has become the anthem in Haiti after the tragedy of the earthquake on January 12.

Beres Hammond (born Hugh Beresford Hammond) is a reggae singer known in particular for his romantic lovers rock and soulful voice. While his career began in the 1970s, he reached his greatest success in the 1990s.

Born the ninth of ten children; Hammond grew up listening to his father's collection of American soul and jazz music; including Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. He was further influenced by the native musics of ska and rocksteady, in particular Alton Ellis.

Hammond began participating in local talent contests from 1972 to 1973, which led to his first recording, of Ellis' “Wanderer”. In 1975 he joined the band, Zap Pow, as lead singer, leading to the hit 1978 single, “The System” under the Aquarius Records label. However, he simultaneously sought a solo career, releasing his debut album, Soul Reggae, in 1976. His solo ballads “One Step Ahead” (1976) and Joe Gibbs produced “I'm in Love” (1978), were both hits in Jamaica.

He left Zap Pow in 1979 to pursue his solo career, and recorded two more albums Let's Make A Song in 1980 and Red Light 1981. He formed Tuesday's Children, a harmony group that toured but never recorded.

Hammond formed his own record label, Harmony Records, in 1985 for the release of his Make a Song album, which had two Jamaican chart-toppers that were influenced by the emerging dancehall style: “Groovy Little Thing” and “What One Dance Can Do”. The latter, produced by Willie Lindo, began to break Hammond into the international market. He scored another hit in 1986 with “Settling Down”.

He left his fame in Jamaica for New York in 1987, after being tied up as thieves ransacked his house during a home invasion. There he recorded the Have a Nice Weekend album and the duet single “How Can We Ease the Pain” with Maxi Priest.

The artistes themselves are excited about the upcoming concert in TT, with each one understanding the purpose behind their performances here.

Organisers, Glenroy Watson and Joel Morris of Home Grown Entertainment explained: “ I Am Legend is more than just a concert. It’s a vibration of positive energy we hope can bring peace and love to the people of TT.”

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