Colorful Times » Reggae

Ghana’s Rocky Dawuni Nominated for 2011 NAACP Image Award

DJ Pelau — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:25:31 +0000

Ghanaian reggae star Rocky Dawuni continues to lift his global profile since the release of his critically acclaimed new album Hymns for the Rebel Soul. The album has been nominated for a prestigious NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding World Music Album.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NJ6ql1Smlg

Since its release in May 2010, Hymns for the Rebel Soul has received praise and extensive radio play for various tracks on the album. African Reggae Fever and Download the Revolution were subsequently featured on EA Sports, FIFA World Cup and FIFA Soccer 2010 video games, which have sold millions worldwide.

The Roots Reggae singer has also graced various stages around the world in 2010, including the Vatican sponsored “JOSPFest” in Rome, “WE Day” in Canada and the recent “Freedom Awards” with Jason Mraz. Also nominated in the same category are Oyo (Angélique Kidjo), The Imagine Project (Herbie Hancok), The Sound of Sunshine (Michael Franti) and Vocabularies by Bobby McFerrin.

The 42nd NAACP Image Awards will be held on March 4 2011 and telecast live on the FOX channel. The awards have 53 competitive categories in the fields of motion picture, television, recording and literature. Good luck Rocky!

DJ Pelau

Marlon Regis aka Mr. Marlon aka DJ Pelau (pronounced “Peh-Laow”) is a multi-talented music stylist/writer that has always lived being surrounded by rich music via life’s travels. Whether in his youthful days on the festive, multicultural streets of his birthplace in Trinidad, or his adopted homes of Atlanta, New York City and now currently Los Angeles, the direction of his music through DJing or producing compilations first aims to connect to the people. With an unwillingness to limit himself to one particular genre or social scene, insisting each must possess some type of soul, style or conscious sense of spirit, you can expect a wide ranging onslaught of tracks from afro-house music, nu jazz, to reggae, afro-beat, brokenbeat, soca and even those hovering hybrids/mash-ups finding their way to solid definition. By trying to first understand how to always set that perfect ambiance through music, over the years his humility to adapt and please fused together with his visionary nature to shape listeners progressively with new music, has translated into his colorful, customized music selections or mixtapes finding a constant rotation at well-established stores, restaurants and hotels such as Prada, 7 For All Mankind, Sean John, Guess?, Runway Boutique, Gonpachi, Westin Resorts, W Hotels and many more…

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Buju Banton: Before The Dawn

DJ Pelau — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:05:07 +0000

FREE BUJU! If you’re unaware of Buju Banton’s trials and tribulations (literally), you cannot be considered a serious reggae fan. Since November 2009, Banton has been sitting inside Pinellas County Jail in Clearwater, Florida, and after a mistrial, he was finally granted bail until a retrial sometime in December 2010.

But luckily for his fans and music enthusiasts around the globe, Buju Banton had made these seemingly prophetic recordings of ten tracks before his incarceration, entitled Before The Dawn (Gargamel Music), which he mainly produced himself. The titles of some of these songs seem almost ironic, considering his legal situation.

‘Struggle’ isn’t just this clichéd word thrown around by so many reggae artists do in a follow-fashion pattern. For Buju, it’s as real as it gets, and on the opener, Rasta Can’t Go over a horn-filled, roots-reggae ‘One Drop’ lick, Buju professes his Rasta royalty, explaining his beliefs and travels that has a significance way beyond the style and look of the hairdo.

Many of his tunes sit feathery-soft in that acoustic, world-beat vibe of much global appeal; from the football arena concert-feel of In The Air to the Nyabinghi climb up the Blue Mountains on Life and Try Life featuring Gramps (of Morgan Heritage). Although it’s back to reggae’s roots on his lead single Innocent, and on Struggle Together, you’ll absorb the swelling, powering bass lines you’re accustomed to associating with Jamaica’s greatest export, taking you right back to the streets of Kingston.

One of my favorites though, and an obvious shift amongst these mentioned is his No Smoking At All produced by Oscar Moncada, a rock n’ roll groove that still has my head bobbing, making Buju’s marriage of rock and reggae yet another highlight of his 20-plus years in the business. With your prayers and mine, let’s hope he will soon leave this tumultuous period behind him – allowing him to smoke, drink, eat, sing and chant as freely as he pleases.

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DJ Pelau

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Reggae Legend Gregory Isaacs Dies at 59

Luke Williams — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:33:08 +0000

Gregory Isaacs left this world at 9:45 this morning, Monday 25th October 2010 in Harrow Weald, London. His wife, Linda, and his children Sandra, Maurice, and Tommy and grandchildren were with him when he passed on.

Mrs. Isaacs said her husband made a peaceful transition and she is happy that he is now pain-free. She said the coroners have been called to take his body to a rest home where he will be prepared to be flown home to Jamaica.

Mrs. Isaacs says the Jamaican Minister of Culture, Babsy Grange, has agreed to take care of all funeral arrangements. She has expressed gratitude to all who loved and supported her husband, especially during his last moments. Isaacs died of liver cancer.

At news time, word of the passing of the inimitable crooner had just reached the leadership of the Facilitators for a Better Jamaica. Founder, Sylbourne Sydial, said he had hoped that Isaacs would have risen out of his illness. He said that members of the singer’s entourage had been keeping a close watch on the balladeer over the weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6oYyG0KcvQ

The British public in general perhaps best know Gregory Isaacs for his rendition of the soulful number, “Night Nurse.” Even today, the song remains a popular request in several London night clubs, and especially on the Jamaican-British entertainment circuit.

The impact of the loss of the cool ruler is already evident on social network sites such as Twitter and Facebook. His fans have been paying tribute in their numbers. One Facebooker said Isaacs’ music “took me through my darkest days and helped me to get on with my life when all seemed impossible and futile.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIMtde5Kb-A

Goodbye Gregory Isaacs, your music will be remembered, your work here on earth is done.

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Luke Williams

HAITI: Judgement Coming on The Land?

Jack Dee — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:20:25 +0000

JUDGEMENT COMING ON THE LAND by Misty In Roots from The John Peel Sessions (1979-1986) is perhaps my favourite John Peel moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzdmTiWkq0I

MISTY IN ROOTS’ status in the canon of British Reggae is unparalleled; not just because of the band’s longevity (still going strong) but also because they have stuck to their original brief of playing spiritual, rootsy, African fusion reggae, and preaching a message of unity, one love and understanding as relevant today as in the glorious heyday of ‘Rock Against Racism’ in the late 1970s.

Photography © Newton U. Brown (2010).
One bad-bwoy photographer.

Jack Dee

I've been an IT consultant for over 15 years. Strange to get paid for doing what you love. May be in danger of being called a geek... but who cares? I actually enjoy every opportunity to drive through the concepts, design, and creative framework on even personal web-based projects. My other passion is travel: 72 cities in 35 countries at the last count.

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