First off, let me apologize for not posting over the last few weeks but I have been busy doing the only thing that tears me away from the keyboard… and that’s live Reggae.  We have been blessed with summer full of Reggae concerts and festivals starting in June with the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival (SNWMF) and continuing through an epic Reggae Rising a few weeks ago along with other various shows here in the San Francisco Bay.  Every night there seems like another show that can’t be missed such as Mykal Rose last week and a Beres Hammond show last night.  Phew…  I got to send a special shout out to the bredren of Woven Roots from Humboldt County, who put on a wicked show at Pier 23 before backing up the Virgin Island legend, Army.  I had heard some recordings but technology can be deceptive so I was pleasantly surprised with their musicianship and live dub sections.  Definitely check out their debut album, “Storms of Change.”  

Sierra Nevada World Music Festival

As I have mentioned in my earlier posts, SNWMF has taken over the irie void left by the transformation of Reggae on the River to its current manifestation of Reggae Rising.  Sierra Nevada really stepped it up this year with a stellar Roots Reggae line up highlighted by legends, Sly & Robbie, The Abyssinians, The Heptones, Ras Michael, Mykal Rose, Junior Ried, and also contemporary artists, Tarrus Riley, Anthony B, Etana, and Bushman.  This was a really special show because this was my first time seeing many of these artists since I was a kid.  Going into it, I was most excited for Mykal Rose, because I had recently listened to the entire catalogue of his work as well as his dub projects, and I was not disappointed.  Backed by his own band, Mykal tore the place down with classic Black Uhuru tracks such as, “Sensimillia,” and “General Penitentiary,” but also included his more recent work such as, “Real Jamaican” and his collaboration with Damian Marley “Shootout.”  Sly and Robbie were incredible as usual playing for what felt like 5 hours on Saturday night.  Starting with a wicked dub set then into a lover’s rock session with the backup singers, then on to a set with the incomparable, Cherine Anderson, who has one of the sweetest voices in Reggae and who also may be this genres most beautiful woman. Other shows that I was particularly impressed with was Bushman, Etana and I thought the star of the show was Tarrus Riley, who has one of the most powerful and fine tuned voices I have ever heard live.  Even with all that, my favorite moment of the festival was when Anthony B brought several children on stage and dedicated a song to the youth and the parents.  I thought that was a very nice touch and really embodied the spirit of the festival.  It was a moment that I will not soon forget so thanks to all the artists and the people of Epiphany for such a great SNWMF 2009.

Reggae Rising

Reggae Rising has come a long way and has endured lots of skepticism from the Reggae purists but there is one reason I can’t bring myself to miss this yearly gathering.  That reason is the music.  Artists come from all over the world for this one festival and look at it as a way to reward and share their craft with their core fan base here in the United States.  Some people love New Years or Christmas, or celebrate their birthday for weeks on end, but I have Reggae.  It’s that simple.  You’d think that after 18 years of going to this festival I would have exhausted my enthusiasm but my 19th was the most highly anticipated and still the greatest yet.  Joined by 17 close friends, we were blessed with show after show of great artists giving it their all.  There were one of a kind performances from: Luciano, Aswad, Gentleman, Freddie McGregor, Capleton, Marcia Griffiths, Toots and the Maytals and the list goes on.  After announcing the additions of Demarco and Luciano during the weekend of SNWMF it was clear that the people of Reggae Rising had a statement to make.  This is still the festival for contemporary Reggae.  So they were able to also get people like European dancehall star Million Stylez, Demarco, Lutan Fyah, Chezidek, Rootz Underground, Deserie, Nyorah, Queen Ifrika and many others to also bless the bill.  

Friday was highlighted by Rebelution, whose bassist Marley, who is the only person with that name who has been at that festival more often than me, as they announced that it was his 26th year.  Nyorah also stood out but had some sound issues that affected the delivery. Luciano came with his usual energy and incredible stage show as the night cap, but I thought Queen Ifrica really stole the show.  With a diverse mix of singing and chanting she represented for the sistren and really left her mark in her first visit to Reggae Rising.  Nuff Respect…  

Saturday was a marathon of unmissable performances starting in the early afternoon with Rootz Underground who had entirely new show from the last time that I saw them featuring many brand new songs from their new release, “Gravity” set to drop in the early part of 2010.  They had the same Roots Rasta vibe but added a certain hiphop/ electronic element and looked much more confident on stage so big up to the bredren of the Underground.  Dezarie followed them; putting on a very spiritual set which I thought was a nice addition to the day that can often be dominated by dancehall.  Million Stylez followed her and put on a good lyrical show but was slighted because he didn’t perform with a band.  He and Demarco were the first artists I’ve ever seen do that and I hope they are the last.  Chezidek (backed by a band) followed him and was the surprise of my Saturday with his surprising powerful and clear voice.  He also performed several wicked new tunes so definitely keep an eye out for his next project.  They switched the schedule to have Toots next instead of last which I thought was a good move to then have Lutan Fyah and Capleton close it out.  Lutan Fyah really came with his best and sounded well rehearsed was clearly a fan favorite.  Capleton of course had the entire place dancing with hit after hit but really made a statement with his silver encrusted white/Burberry robe ensemble.  I’m never disappointed by his custom threads.

Sunday was a good wind down and featured several Reggae legends.  One my favorites, Freddie McGregor, came and blessed the place along with several artists from his Big Ship Record label Laden and Chino.  The Original Wailers also came and gave everybody their dose of Marley covers but the sisten really came and stole the show once again.  Sister Carol and Marcia Griffiths both came and put on electrifying performances and I thought really exceeded expectations.  Nuff respect to the Empresses.  Capping the roots session was an extremely rare (maybe 15+ years since they last performed in the US) performance by English drum and bass duo, Aswad.  They displayed a talent and excitement that could only come from decades in the business and gave the youth a much needed dub lesson especially with the absence of Sly & Robbie.  I will never forget the 2 minute intro to the extended Dubfire version…  Gentleman and the Far East Band headlined the night for the 2nd straight year and showed why when they delivered a custom show with many extended versions and brand new tracks from his upcoming album.  He even used it as a testing ground for tracks he was considering, which I thought was really special.  I don’t think they’ll bring him back for the 3rd straight but I hope that his next tour makes it over the Atlantic.  If you ever get a chance to see him, don’t miss it.

This year at Reggae Rising was unbelievable and I thought a very successful over all execution but there were several disappointments that I would be remiss to mention.  The first was the overall organization which I thought took a major hit from the previous years.  There were countless people at will call on Thursday struggling to get tickets they had paid for and there was very poor communication between staff on how to resolve the issues.  There was also the artists playing with DJs which there is no place for.  There are dozens of bands hired for this festival and it doesn’t do the artist justice to make them play with a background track because the fan cannot help but compare it to the other acts.  No disrespect to Demarco and Million Styles because they came with it anyway so nuff respect.  Of course these are minimal criticisms because the festival was such a blast but I hope that the people of Dimmick Ranch make some organizational adjustments before next year’s festival.  I’ll have to make it special since it will be my 20th.  Who’s with me!?

Give thanks and praise to the Almighty Jah for the inspiration and grace to make this movement a reality.  Reggae has had a long road and is finally gaining the traction it needs to really succeed here in the United Sates.  Since Bob Marley and the Wailers, Reggae has struggled to thrive here but with the persistence of Sizzla, Capleton, Buju and others, the doors have been opened it has opened for artists like Sean Paul, Sean Kingston, Rihhanna, Demarco, Serani, and other Caribbean artists that now enjoy great pop notoriety.  Check back soon for my reviews of my favorite albums released this summer.  

Jah Bless & Jah Guide until we meet again.

Marley “One” Lovell

I wanted to give you a n installment of new music to check out as promised in the last post.  There are several albums that have recently released that I am very excited about.  As a Reggae fan I am used to getting excited by singles or new artists and rarely get the joy of three all new albums from seasoned veterans.

The first album I want to talk about is Jah Cure’s Universal Cure.  It is his first installment of new studio music since being released from prison several years ago.  We have enjoyed songs recorded while he was incarcerated but I know that I speak for all Reggae fans when I say that this album  highly anticipated.  Over the course of his career Cure has crafted some of Lovers Rock’s sweetest melodies as well as hard hitting one drop anthems.  This album is no exception.  As always there are the tracks on popular Jamaican riddims such as Sticky, Journey, Forever, Call On Me, and Green Grass but other notable cuts on the album are a heartfelt cover of Bob Marley’s “Burnin’ and Lootin,” as well as a monumental collaboration with Mavado, Junior Ried, and rapper Flo-Rida on “Hot Long Time.”  Mavado and Flo-Rida were added to this track for the album version.  Another favorite of mine is the single Mr. Jailer where Jah Cure explains to the jail keeper that he is as much of a prisoner.  He took his time but this album was definitely worth the wait.

I know that a new Sizzla album isn’t exactly a surprise since he releases no less than 3000 albums per month but this latest installment released of the legendary Greensleeves Record Label is an instant classic. Recorded with his touring band the Fire House Crew, this album brushes off recent flops (such as “Addicted”) and returns to the roots in the best way possible.  The single released several months ago was “Black Man In the White-house” where Sizzla praises President Barack Obama as an inspiration to all black people of the world.  It helps to set the tone for the positive and uplifting release from Conscious Dancehall’s biggest star.  The album is produced particularly well and experiments rather successfully with autotune pitch correction.  Personal favorite tracks of mine are “Jah Love,” “Stop It Right Now,” “Open Up The Doors,” and the token Nyabinghi chant track “Babylon Ease Off.”  This is a refreshing offering from Sizzla who has been known to take some drastic stylistic risks.  Give thanks, this will certainly stay locked in the deck for the coming months.

The reason I save this album for last is to make sure that is is fresh on your mind.  The latest releases from Sly and Robbie’s Taxi Label is the best Reggae album of the year but I might go as far as to say that it is the best pure Reggae album to be released in the last several years.  The rhythm twins are at it again and at their best as they craft smooth flowing classic sound to match to retro Bitty McLean.  After sharing this album with my parents and some older friends of mine I realized that many of these tracks are actually covers of classic soul songs which accounts for the classic vibe of the overall project.  It is also notably different musically from the hard hitting singles “Let Them Talk,” “The Real Thing,” and “Lately.”  My favorites are “Games,” “Lost Love,” “So In Love,” and “Jahovia” featuring Johnny Osbourne but honestly this is a cover to cover installment.  Seriously, press play and sit back and appreciate the craftsmanship and experience that went into making this album.  Literally thousands of songs produced and recorded by Sly and Robbie…  all leading to this.  You can check out an entire hour long concert by Bitty Mclean and the Taxi Gang on myspace.

In other news, my favorite newcomer Alborosie has been signed to Greensleeves records and will be releasing his long awaited debut album titled “Escape from Babylon.”  It’s sure to include several of his hits that have made him one of the most highly requested Deejay and producer but this Ras always seems to have a new track up his sleeve so it’s not to be missed.  Happy listening…. Give thanks.

Jah Bless   –   One Lovell

On this site I have talked at length about the profound influence that Reggae has had on the world of Hip Hop and Pop in general but something that I have yet to talk about is Dub. Dub is the foundation of Reggae and has led its own journey through music being the basis for much of the electronic music that is produced today. Dub’s tempo was doubled which created Drum n Bass which lead way to House and Techno. You can learn all about it and its pioneers in the new feature film “Dub Echos,” which looks to be one of the coolest reggae documentaries of all time. Seriously, this is not to be missed. Check out the trailer below. If that isn’t enough Dub, Rhapsody’s newest channel “Dub Wise” programmed by your truly will soon be available for free on Rhapsody.com. I’m really excited about this and will definitely let you know as soon as it is available. 

Last but not least let me put you up on a few tracks as always. First off let me flash you back with a rediscovery of one of Reggae’s many one hit wonders. Ever heard of VC? No I didn’t think so, but I bet you remember this cut from some party in the last decade. Track by the name of “By His Deeds.” I’m not sure what happened to you VC but you will never be forgotten because this is an anthem. Big Up. The next track on our always trusted YouTube playlist is a remix of Athea and Donna’s Dancehall classic “Uptown Top Rankin,” by our favorite Reggae crossover artist Estelle. This is a crazy track featured on Joni Rewind’s album. It’s great to see her sticking to her roots. We salute you.

Alborosie is at it again… At any given time there are at least 2 or 3 new Alborosie tracks floating around the digital world. Bredren, if you’re reading this, much respect but give us a chance to support you by releasing these tracks officially. We want to let you know how much we love you and want you to continue to produce and resurrect the original rub a dub style. And PLEASE COME ON TOUR TO THE U.S.!! My favorite new tracks that I featured below are Promise, Rainy Day, Always, and Angel. Got to keep up with this hard working Ras. I also included a couple riddims you’re bound to hear at the club this summer. We got Jah Cure and Cherine Anderson on the Indiscretions Riddim and Turbulence, Mykal Rose, new comer Mitch on the Collie Monster Riddim.

Enjoy and Jah Bless – One Lovell

Winter is over and the sun is out which can only mean good things for Reggae fans. It is time to enjoy the season’s major releases that will carry us through the summer.  Speaking of the summer, I want to start off by giving quick update on Sierra Nevada World Music Festival which has added several more artists to their already impressive lineup.  The newest editions are Bushman and the legendary rhythm twins Sly & Robbie who will join the already confirmed Michael Rose, Gregory Isaacs, Etana, Easy Star Allstars, Michigan & Smiley, Tarrus Riley, Anthony B, The Heptones and many more.  They must have felt overshadowed by Reggae Rising last year who put together one of the more impressive american reggae festivals in recent memory.  But even though SNWMF is making quite a statement by nabbing Sly & Robbie who have headlined RR the last two years, Reggae Rising has finally begun to revamp their website and it looks like their line up will begin to manifest shortly, so stay tuned for that.

The song that is guaranteed to be in hot rotation as the summer gets under way is John Legend’s single, “Can’t Be My Lover,” which features two blazing verses from Dancehall legend Buju Banton.  This song was supposed to be included as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Legend’s latest release, “Evolver,” but for some reason never made the cut.  I’m not sure why, but this track has grown to be a very popular tune for a track that isn’t even legally for sale anywhere.  Amazon.com was carrying a single but after looking for it again, it has a note that explains that it had been “discontinued by the manufacturer.”  Got to love the music business… making sure the people get what they want.  Well, that’s what we have imeem and YouTube for.  Give thanks.

If you don’t like to be caught off guard when you hear everybody talking about certain new artists, then you had better familiarize yourself with Serani and Demarco.  These two artists have brought melody back to dancehall for much needed refreshment.  Serani’s track, “No Games” is likely to be the anthem of 2009, and “She Loves Me,” won’t be far behind.  This is a huge step as a solo artist after his breakout collaboration with Bungle last summer titled “Doh.”  I first heard about Demarco after a picked up a copy of his track “I Wonder” on a mix tape while in Jamaica last year.  I usually am not an advocate of auto-tune, but Demarco does it as well as it can be done.  Though he sounded great over a one-drop, he knows that his style is better suited for the dancehall, so he dropped “Sort Dem Out” for the summer of 09.  Check them out on the YouTube playlist below.

Make sure you also keep an ear out for Jah Cure who has an all new album dropping on April 7th titled, “The Universal Cure.”  This will be his first release of new material since being released from prison last year.  His first single “Mr. Jailer,” is brilliant fusion track where he takes on the oppressor and comments on how they themselves are in prison.  Cure is poised to make a serious comeback and regain his thrown as a Reggae superstar.  Reggae fans have a lot to look forward to as artists continue to innovate and redefine our place in the greater music landscape.  I look forward to being along for the ride.

Jah Bless  -  One Lovell

]]> http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2009/03/25/admin/reggae-summer-anthems-2009/feed/ 0 http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2009/03/18/admin/heavy-d-got-the-vibes/ http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2009/03/18/admin/heavy-d-got-the-vibes/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 06:20:32 +0000 Marley Lovell http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2009/03/18/admin/heavy-d-got-the-vibes/ Greetings Reggae Massive,

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgot about you.  I have been hard at work since I was given the opportunity to re program the Reggae Essentials channel on Rhapsody.com that is available for free.  I’m also working on revamping the Dancehall station and building a brand new Dub Wise station that will be available soon.  Please check them out and let me know what you think.  Give Thanks

I see a lot of records come across my desk as i process music for Rhapsody, but this new Release from Heavy D. of Heavy D. and The Boys caught my attention.  Heavy D. has been known to dabble in Reggae as he was born in Jamaica before being raised in Mt. Vernon New York, and I had heard about this all Reggae album that he was working on.  Since D.’s career has been born in the world of Hip-Hop, I expected a dancehall based record with lots of features as that would be the natural route.  Much to my surprise “Vibes” would best fall into the sub genre of Lover’s Rock.  My first impression of the album is that it is surprisingly authentic and genuine both lyrically and musically.  It is hard to take D. seriously as crooner but he has a astonishingly good voice which is well balanced with the sound of a full Reggae band.  The album starts strong with the hard hitting single “Long Distance Girlfriend,” and also sets the tone for the subject base of the project.  He goes on to display his singing skills on “No Matter What” and the rock steady track “Queen Majesty” which are definitely worth a spin.  Heavy then measures his chords to the Dancehall legend Barrington Levy on “Love Me Like This,” while also displaying his best Deejay impression.  Then he looses me with  “All I Have” and “Hugs and Kisses” but picks it back up when he brings along Sizzla for “Private dance.”  It is always helpful to have some notoriety and experience when branching out into a new genre.  The only track really worth mentioning after that is my favorite selection from the album “Chasing Windmills.”  On this particular track, D. shines and it is clear that he stumbled upon a potential anthem.  This one is definitely in rotation on Reggae Essentials.  All in all,  I’d say that this was a great effort from Heavy D. and overall successful project.  Though there were several obvious misses, 5 of the 10 tracks will definitely be in rotation on your next Reggae mix.  This video is protected by UMG on Youtube, but here is a link to the video of the single “Long Distance Girlfriend.”  If you look closely you can see Julian Marley making an appearance and blessing the drums.

Jah Bless    -    One Lovell

]]> http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2009/03/18/admin/heavy-d-got-the-vibes/feed/ 1 http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2009/02/16/admin/damian-marley-nas-doing-an-album/ http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2009/02/16/admin/damian-marley-nas-doing-an-album/#comments Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:09:09 +0000 Marley Lovell http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2009/02/16/admin/damian-marley-nas-doing-an-album/ Greetings Irie Nation,

I must be dreaming… I just caught wind of an album that is in the process of being recorded between reggae royalty Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Rap legend Nas.  Nas’s manager Anthony Saleh told Billboard.com that the two have been recording in Los Angeles for the past few months and the album was planned to drop in the spring with a tour in the summer.  Damian has always said what a huge fan he is of Nas and the two paired up for “Road To Zion” which I think ranks in the top Reggae/ Hip-Hop collaborations of all time.  It is the first time the link between the two genres has been made both lyrically and musically and has cemented Marley as a prominent figure in the Hip-Hop community.  But a whole album!?  I’m trying not to get too excited because some projects can get recorded but never released.  One glaring reason that might happen is because both of the artists are signed to different labels.  Nas has said that the album will be a community service project, with proceeds going towards building schools in Africa.  That is righteous work indeed and should go a long way to making this album a reality.  I will have my fingers crossed but if the album does manifest, I think it’s more reasonable to expect it in the Fall or early 2010.  Check out the article on Billboard for more information.

Jah Bless – One Lovell

Can you imagine a whole album like this!

]]> http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2009/02/16/admin/damian-marley-nas-doing-an-album/feed/ 0 http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/21/admin/itation-records/ http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/21/admin/itation-records/#comments Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:08:59 +0000 Marley Lovell http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/21/admin/itation-records/ I got to Big Up Itation Records out of the Bay Area in California. Itation started in Vermont as a Sound System and transformed into a record label in 2007 and moved to my home town of Oakland CA. As a record label they debuted with the “Higher Meditation” Riddim which features cuts from Sizzla, Jah Mason, Freddie McGregor and more, and recently released the “Show Love” riddim which features Lutan Fyah, Natty King, and the Bay Area’s own Nyorah. Both of these releases are available at iTunes.com, ebreggae.com, and the Itation Records site. Make sure you check out ItationRecords.com and find out about their events, artists, and releases. Respect

]]> http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/21/admin/itation-records/feed/ 0 http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/21/admin/green-lion-crewcom/ http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/21/admin/green-lion-crewcom/#comments Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:09:05 +0000 Marley Lovell http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/21/admin/green-lion-crewcom/ The next few posts will highlight the best the Internet has to offer in Reggae services. GreenLionCrew.com is a production team and sound system offering mixtapes, show production and more. Based out of New Hampshire, GLC has a weekly radio show on WUNH Durham 91.3 called the Green Lion Reggae Show as well as a weekly Reggae night (Stormy Wednesdays) at the Red Door music venue. Check out GreenLionCrew.com and support the movment.

]]> http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/21/admin/green-lion-crewcom/feed/ 0 http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/20/admin/learning-how-to-share/ http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/20/admin/learning-how-to-share/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:29:14 +0000 Marley Lovell http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/20/admin/learning-how-to-share/ Music is all about sharing. It’s about the artist sharing with their fans who then are compelled to share it with their friends. I have always been the type of person that loves to share good music with friends and family, and hopefully connect with people on a deeper level because of it. That is the basis for HipHop-Reggae.com. These are the two genres that I am enthusiastic about and I want to organize it and share it with you. The latest advancement in music sharing is the free streaming music that is available on imeem.com. Imeem allows you to browse a large library of music that has been uploaded by fans and allow you to stream the song in it’s entirety. In addition to that, you are also able to add songs to customized playlists and embed them into your own site. This allows me to share music with you easily and effectivley. Here is a playlist that I put together of all of the Bost & Bim Reggae remixes that were available. This playlist is also available on the Reggae Remixes page. I encourage you to make playlists that are relevent to the site, and I will link to them. Get involved in Jah Movement

]]> http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/20/admin/learning-how-to-share/feed/ 0 http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/18/admin/bost-bim/ http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/18/admin/bost-bim/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:55:07 +0000 Marley Lovell http://hiphop-reggae.com/blog/2008/04/18/admin/bost-bim/ As you can see I have added loads of content that highlights my inspiration for the Hiphop-Reggae.com movement. These tracks are some of these artist’s best work and it is evident that when the opportunity is there, great music can be produced. The French production team of Bost & Bim aka Bombist is responsible for the bulk of the remixes on the Reggae Remixes video page. The following is a interview with the masterminds behind these mash-ups. I should disclose that the interview is in French but I thought it is still interesting to see them in their element.

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