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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Ziggy Marley to Perform for the First Time in South Africa: Soweto to Be Exact

REGGAE legend Bob Marley’s children are touring the country, and one of his sons, Ziggy, will perform at a concert this week.

Ziggy, Rohan and Robbie Marley will also shoot a documentary of their road trip in South Africa.
On Sunday, Ziggy, a five-time Grammy Award winner, will perform for the first time in the country at Elkah Stadium in Soweto – for free. “Performing in South Africa has always been my dream, and I look forward to a good performance in Soweto. I hope the World Cup will bring African countries a little closer together and that the world might see Africa, as a whole, in a positive light,” said Ziggy.He will share the stage with Tidal Waves, a local group he met in Bloemfontein .

The Marley Africa Roadtrip will provide insight into the family.

The three brothers will travel to remote areas on motorcycles, riding through breathtaking scenery and camping under the stars.

Ziggy will also host an intimate VIP party in Johannesburg to raise money for a Soweto-based charity.

Rohan is an entrepreneur and philanthropist, while Robbie is a motorcycle stunt rider who has appeared in several motion pictures.

On April 19, 1980, a day after Zimbabwe’s independence , Bob Marley performed in front of 100000 fans at Rufaro Stadium in Harare.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Ziggy Marley to play Wellness Festival

Reggae great Ziggy Marley will headline the Wellness & World Music Festival Oct. 9-10 in Desert Hot Springs, it was announced Monday.



The festival is intended to blend aspects of wellness, healthy living and sustainability with world music. It is unknown when tickets go on sale.
Marley will join health/lifestyle personalities; yoga trainers; and best-selling authors such as Rodney Yee, Colleen Saidman Yee and Dr. Steven Gundry, festival promoters said.
“Wellness and world music are a natural combination and the public's appetite for both is huge and rapidly growing,” said Tony Clarke, one of the festival's executive producers and president/CEO of Tresed Ventures LLC. “With this festival, we will create a synergy of the senses.”

Rohan Marley to 'Stir Up' Reggae Marathon

As plans are finalized for the ninth staging of the Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K in Negril on December 5, the Jamdammers Running Club of Kingston, organizers of the event has announced that Rohan Marley, son of the iconic Bob Marley will be among the VIP participants.
An avid football player and entrepreneur, Rohan Marley, co-founder of the organically Blue Mountain grown “Marley Coffee” will be joining participants from other countries as diverse as Brazil, South Africa and Finland as they take to the course in what has become an eagerly anticipated event. His participation will be filmed for a television series to be aired on the travel channel in the USA

TODAY: Yellowman w/ Dub Island, Duplates Reggae Riddum Band

When: Tue., June 29 
Price: $20, $15 (adv.) 



When: Music Farm 

32 Ann St.
Charleston, South Carolina 

DOWNTOWN
(843) 853-3276



They don’t call him the King of Dancehall for nothing. The legendary reggae DJ King Yellowman has made a career of overcoming obstacles. Decades after achieving fame in Jamaica, he still won’t quit. Yellowman got his start performing at the popular outdoor dances around the island before signing to CBS records in 1981. When he released the song “Zungguzungguguzungguzeng” in 1982, he reached new heights in the genre at home and abroad. His influence was even felt in the early work of Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, KRS-One, and other hip-hop giants. 


At his peak, Yellowman put new meaning to the word productivity, releasing around five albums a year and producing nearly 40 singles. But a bout with jaw cancer nearly cut his career short. When he came back with Blueberry Hill, it was clear he was ready to take on the industry all over again. His more recent work has dealt with spiritual and social concerns while maintaining the wit and wordplay he has always been known for. Dub Island and the Dubplates Reggae Riddum Band open the show at the Farm on Tuesday. —Brian Sewell

Monday, June 28, 2010

Matisyahu Announce Tour Dates [SEE DATES AND LOCATIONS BELOW]

Matisyahu will be hitting the road this summer for a coast-to-coast North American tour behind his critically acclaimed album Light, which debuted inside the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 Chart. The international reggae star will be joining Sublime with Rome and The Dirty Heads this July for a run of shows that kicks off July 10 at Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and will include stops in Chicago, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Wantagh, Atlanta, Boca Raton, Dallas and Las Vegas. The upcoming tour will also include select headlining stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Seattle and Vancouver.


Since the release of Light last year – the album that spawned the 2010 NBC Olympics campaign theme song and crossover radio hit “One Day” – Matisyahu has been touring around the globe, playing to sold-out crowds in Australia, South America and North America. He recently appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to perform his brand new song “Circle of Life” from the recently released Disney Reggae Club Album (Walt Disney Records), a new collection of classic Disney songs brilliantly reinterpreted by some of today’s most talented reggae artists.

Lee Scratch Perry's Revelation [US Tour Dates Inside]

Lee "Scratch" Perry Revelation will be released in North America on August 10, 2010 via Megawave and MVD Audio.



Revelation is the third of a series of collaborations with UK multi-instrumentalist Steve Marshall, following the controversial Scratch Came, Scratch Saw, Scratch Conquered and Grammy-nominated The End of An American Dream. Perry continues to create unique, category-defying music.


For the uninitiated, Lee "Scratch" Perry is one of the most important figures in the history of reggae music. Not only did he help develop the early reggae sound captured in a number of important recordings, but as an engineer, producer, songwriter, and performer he pioneered a number of innovations, including dub reggae.


Recorded at Perry's mountain-top studio in Switzerland and studios in California, New York, and England, this album features Duncan & Green, Tim Hill, Keith Richards, George Clinton, Dr Sleepy, Alec Hay, Steve Marshall, elodieO & Abi Browning, and David Stewart Jones.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Hasidic New York Reggae in The Park


There once was a time when Matisyahu seemed cool. The weed-smoking hippie turned Hasidic rapper blended worlds that seemed destined never to meet and created danceable music that was unique to the American mainstream.
That was in 2006. Now that he’s been exposed as little more than a gimmick — “Have you heard of the Jewish reggae star?” — Matisyahu is coming to Moscow, the city that loves nothing more than a good has-been.
Matisyahu’s life story is probably better known than his music. Born Matthew Miller, he spent his teenager years in a hazy mist of psychedelic drugs, following Phish on tour and swaying his dreadlocks to the pound of drum-circle bongos. I bet he played Hacky Sack. Ten bucks says he had a Bob Marley poster hanging on his bedroom wall.

The Wailers infuse reggae flavor into Summerfest's opening night


No, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer -- to say nothing of Junior Brathwaite, Constantine "Vision" Walker, Cherry Smith and Beverly Kelso -- were not at Summerfest on the opening night of the 11-day music festival.
In fact, half of the people that can honestly be called "original Wailers" no longer trod this Earth, and are certainly not riding in tour buses. But that hasn't stopped a couple variations of The Wailers from working the tour circuit.
Formed as a vocal group in the explosive days of ska, The Wailers expanded to include instrumental musicians -- namely the rhythm team of the Barrett brothers -- around the time Bob, Peter and Bunny began recording with producer Lee Perry in the late '60s. More musicians came in when The Wailers recorded "Catch a Fire" and became an international touring act in 1973.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

One Love reggae festival at Hainault Forest. August 6 - 8


WHAT has Kingston, Jamaica, and Hainault got in common?

Thirty-two years ago, the legendary Bob Marley performed at the first One Love Peace Concert in Kingston.

It was held during a political civil war between the Jamaican Labour Party and the People's National Party.

And it peaked during Marley & The Wailers' performance of Jammin, when the singer joined the hands of political rivals, Michael Manley (PNP) and Edward Seaga (JLP).

This year's One Love Festival, in honour of that concert, will be a three-day affair, the number one reggae festival in the UK, and it will be held in Hainault Forest Country Park on August 6-8.

And, according to the organisers, tickets are selling at record rates.
 
A stack of national and international artists will play. There will be poetry, spoken word, a Fair Trade village and a Sunday carnival procession.

Julian Marley and The Uprising Tour Europe July 2010

Julian Marley has announced the dates for the summer leg of his continually expanding ‘Awake’ tour with his band The Uprising , which will see the reggae singer-songwriter headlining venues throughout Europe the entire month of July , 2010 including the territories of Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, Morocco, Poland, Israel and Portugal.

Julian “Ju Ju” Marley’s fame has risen to new heights with the success of his Grammy Award Nominated album entitled, Awake. Marley’s ‘Awake’ world tour with his band The Uprising flourished in North America in 2009, and propelled into a burgeoning international run in 2010 which included the Raggamuffin tour of Australia and New Zealand and performance dates that took centre stage in the United States, Brazil, the Caribbean and Europe .

Julian Marley notes, “Being on tour is truly the fruits of our labour, and I give thanks to all the fans who continue to help us breathe new life into each and every live show.”

Co-produced with his brothers Stephen Marley and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Julian Marley’s third studio album , Awake was released on April 28, 2009 on Ghetto Youths / Universal Records, and took home the award for ‘Best Album of the Year’ at the International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) in New York City on May 2nd, 2010. 

Monday, June 21, 2010

Reggae legend's sons 'lively up themselves' with road trip across South Africa


They heard horror stories about South Africa but brothers Ziggy, Rohan and Robert Marley - sons of reggae legend Bob Marley - are in the country to see it for themselves.


The trio's trek, on Ducati motorbikes, is being filmed for a documentary. They haven't planned their trip and say they will travel to wherever the roads take them.
The brothers, who live in Los Angeles, have already stopped in the Free State town of Parys where they said they it was "cool to meet regular village folk away from the city".
The filming of their Marley Africa Roadtrip has already begun.
The inspiration for their motorbike epic was their father's journey across the continent 30 years ago to perform at a freedom celebration concert in Zimbabwe.
His sons say they are now reviving "a dream our ancestors and family had in mind".
"We're having fun, but with a purpose." Ziggy said.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Ska/Reggae with the Skatalites did it big for the 22nd Annual Music in the Park

San Jose Downtown’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez turned into a small Reggae City with a mini water park for the San Jose community on June 17, 2010 and had many people young and old swinging their hips, dancing and getting their musical groove on from 5:30 p.m.to 9:15 p.m. 

This weekly event had many families with children, and grand children come out to the park, to enjoy the musical entertainment and made it possible for many cool off by the water fountains. 

Daniel Espinoza who was spending some time with his grandson by the water fountains, said, “It’s really nice. It makes me feel like a child watching my grandson run through the fountains. I’m definitely here for the music as well. I want to see the Skatalites. I’ve heard them on the radio and was hoping to get a chance to see them live, and hope to pass some of my music knowledge on to my children and grand children.”

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Dubmatix European Tour (w /Brother Culture)

After touring Europe earlier this year, then Mexico last month - Dubmatix will be back touring Europe for the festivals this summer - accompanied by one of UK's premiere MC's Brother Culture.

Brother Culture and Dubmatix spent a week touring Mexico. 

NEW ALBUM: The tour is in support of the upcoming album "System Shakedown" that will be released worldwide August 17th 2010.

The new release features: The Mighty Diamonds, Gregory Isaacs, Brother Culture, Tippa Irie, Dennis Alcapone, U Brown, Ragga Twins, Omar Perry, Ammoye, Kulcha Ites and Jay Douglas.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

New illustrated French book "LE REGGAE" by Bruno Blum

France's best known writer on Jamaican music publishes an augmented, revised and illustrated edition of his classic book "LE REGGAE", which has already sold 70.000 copies in previous non-illustrated editions.


PRLog (Press Release) – Jun 16, 2010 – "Le Reggae" is the basic French reference book on reggae.


It can be seen here: LE REGGAE

It was written by Bruno Blum aka Doc Reggae, the best known French writer on Jamaican music.

Originally published in 2000, it has remained unavailable for several years. This new augmented edition at Le Castor Astral (
http://www.castorastral.com/) includes a foreword by world famous Jamaican musicians Sly & Robbie, several additions in the folk, mento, Rastafari and history chapter 1, and two dozens photographs and illustrations, most of which previously unpublished. 



This 230-page pocket book features a crucial reggae discography guide for buyers worldwide, as well as a bibliography.

Born in the 1960s in Kingston, reggae soon became an international music, synonymous with freedom and rebellion. Best known through the work of huge superstar and icon Bob Marley, this major musical genre evolved through time, from Prince Buster's ska to rocksteady, dub with King Tubby all the way to the birth of rap with U Roy or Dillinger. 

Monday, June 14, 2010

Jah Cure to perform at Dominica’s World Creole Music Festival

Roseau, Dominica – Jah Cure, one of reggae’s most revered voices and artists will be among the acts performing at Dominica’s 14th Annual World Creole Music Festival, which will take place October 29 – 31, 2010.



Iyah Cure, known as Jah Cure, is a Jamaican reggae musician who was given the name Jah Cure by Capleton, who he met while growing up in Kingston.

His first hit debuted in March 1997 when he released the single, “King in this Jungle” which was a duet with Sizzla. He continued to release a steady stream of singles that won him popular acclaim. His top hits include, “Longing for Love,” and “True Relections,” plus he is the distinctive voice on Jason Maraz’s “I’m Yours (Remix).” “We are extremely pleased to welcome Jah Cure to Dominica’s World Creole Music Festival,” commented Colin Piper, CEO/Director of Discover Dominica Authority.“Securing the appearance of such a popular reggae artist as Jah Cure raises awareness for World Creole Music Festival and his unique style of reggae will complement the traditional Creole music which this event celebrates.”Highly anticipated by fans of this style of music throughout the world, the 14th Annual World Creole Music Festival will be held October 29 – 31, 2010.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Bonnaroo 2010: Nas And Damian Marley In Concert

With his lyrical prowess and affinity for controversy, Queens-born rapper Nas has a knack for staying relevant in the hip-hop world. The pairing of Nas and reggae royalty Damian Marley onDistant Relatives has the artists bridging continents and styles, and extending their relevance beyond the confines of their respective genres. Hear the pair perform live from the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn.


LISTEN BELOW:

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

CHOICE FM came under further scrutiny this week following news it had axed all reggae shows from its weekday schedule.


According to sources, the London-based station once dubbed ‘number one for hip-hop and R‘n’B’ put the “final nail in the coffin” by moving popular reggae shows to “graveyard” weekend slots in favour of more commercial music.
“Choice FM have really done it this time,” a source told Voice Online.
“It wasn’t enough that they play Kylie Minogue and Madonna on the station, now they’ve basically taken off the only genre of music that clearly identified that the station was one that profiled black music. It’s the final nail in the coffin for them. They will lose a lot of their loyal listeners because of this move.” They added.

Cedella Marley Collaborates With Disney on Compilation of Disney Songs Featuring Many Chief Names in Reggae

NEW YORKJune 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Tomorrow Disney will release The Disney Reggae Club, a compilation of famous Disney songs sung by Reggae artists like Matisyahu, UB40 and Ziggy Marley. The album introduces children to Reggae with the magical songs that they love, and it's a compilation that parents can enjoy as well.



Cedella MarleyBob Marley's oldest child, performs "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King. She is her father's daughter, making music with her siblings as a Melody Maker and performing on tour her entire life. (Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers have won two Grammys and eight critically acclaimed albums.)
Cedella, full-time mother of three, is also a children's book author with two new books scheduled for release in 2011. Her work includes Boy from Nine Mile and Three Little Birds, a vividly illustrated story based on the timeless song written by her father.
In addition to music and children's literature, Cedella is also a clothing designer, harnessing her creative energy into the fashion world. Her brand, Catch a Fire, named after her father's first album, encompasses a tailored bohemian style with vivid colors and prints. For more information on Cedella Marley and her work, please visit www.cedellamarley.com.

32nd ANNUAL HARMONY FESTIVAL: [VIDEO BELOW]




Harmony Festival 2010 from Harmony Festival on Vimeo.



Celebrating 32 years with a mission to support progressive social values, sacred community activism, trans-partisan politics, and conscious uplifting music, the producers are very pleased to announce the confirmed program line-up for the 2010 Harmony Festival, to be held the weekend of June 11, 12, and 13 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, California. 

Harmony Festival, one of first progressive green music festivals in the country, has opened new offices in Rohnert Park’s Sonoma Mountain Business Cluster sustainable communityEndorsed by the World Wildlife Fund and founded on One Planet principles, SOMO is the first North American green community, a 200-acre, mixed-use, solar-powered, zero-waste, green non-profit business incubator, and only the fourth in the world endorsed by the prestigious international One Planet Communities program. Harmony Festival CEO Howard “Bo” Sapper explains, “The model that we create and the values we express at our festival one weekend each June is mirrored 24/7 by the SOMO community. We are proud to be the newest member of this working, replicable environment. To our team, it is like ‘coming home’”.

Matisyahu, Borderline, London


It is fair to say that Matisyahu is the world's premier Hasidic reggae artist. Admittedly, he doesn't have a lot of competition for that title, but the Brooklynite is no pretender.
Blending traditional Jamaican rhythm in the style of Barrington Levy with hip-hop beatboxing, a fluent falsetto and the occasional rocky number, he appears to be using his current tour to gain a broader fan base than his vast Jewish following. Turning up at the Borderline in jeans, brown leather jacket and yellow hoodie, his look was a mile away from the traditional Lubavitch-wear of long black coat and black hat he wore when first making his name in 2004.
Announcing that this would be his first ever acoustic set, and beautifully accompanied by guitarist Aaron Dugan, Matis began with "So Hi So Lo", a track from his forthcoming third album, Light. Definitely on the hip-hop side of his oeuvre, it revealed a man with natural, insistent, driving flow and a nice line in beatboxing.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Reggae Captures Chicago's Soul [PHOTOS BELOW]


Written by and photos by TIFFANY ZACK   
Monday, 07 June 2010

The spirit of Jamaica was alive and well last Wednesday, as 64-year-old Toots Hibbert and the 2010 version of the Maytals took stage at a packed House of Blues in Chicago. The show was the first of a two-night run, with reggae band Steel Pulse, as both bands delivered the message of peace, hope, and prosperity to all.

Hibbert and the original Maytals formed back in the early 60's and have continued to impress generation after generation. Considered one of the greatest reggae influences, Hibbert's vocal stylings are stacked among legends Bob Marley and Otis Redding. Though, the original Maytals line-up has differed over the course of the last few decades, their performance with Hibbert are always rock solid and well delivered.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Reggae legend set to play at Pavilion

A musical legend will grace the stage at the Charlottesville Pavilion Sunday evening as reggae star Jimmy Cliff makes a stop on a rare United States tour. Other than Bob Marley, no other musician in reggae history has made such an impact and influenced so many others.



Like Marley, Cliff is a deserving member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Cliff had to wait longer for his induction, which took place last month. His songs are among reggae's finest contributions to popular music, including "The Harder They Come (They Harder They Fall)," "Sitting Here In Limbo," and "Struggling Man." Cliff's tunes have been covered by the likes of Jerry Garcia, Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson and many others.
Cliff returns with his new CD, "Existence," a recording that covers human relationships, environmental concerns, international politics and the conflicting elements of love, poverty and greed.
Cliff first gained international star status with his involvement in the movie named after his song, "The Harder They Come." The movie, released in 1972, not only exposed his songs to the world but also provided Cliff a starring role and introduced reggae into the American consciousness before Marley's music became popular.