The Bomber  by Sly and Robbie of The BlackWood Dub Album

Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare have been the ‘go to’ team for anyone needing a rhythm section for years and a quick look at their discography leaves you in no doubt about the quality of their bosses but their personal products haven’t been as great – the last thing I had was the execrable ‘Rhythm Killers’.
This, on the other hand, is a superb release. 

Their #1 engineer from their own Mixing Lab, Alberto ‘Burur’ Blackwood, called them up to record for him and he has produced this together with Gilroy ‘Rolex’ Stewart Sly & Robbie loved the idea of recording a dub album for the first time in years and got together with some of their favourite partners – Mikey Mao Chung & Dalton Browne on guitars, Ansel Collins on keyboards and Sticky & Skully on percussion. They headed out to the Harry J Studios and called up the Compass Point Allstars and laid down a simply stunning album.
The thing here that sets them apart from almost anyone else is the confidence of the playing and production. Everything is where it needs to be and the album has the feel of being played straight through – if you can imagine a ‘Live’ dub album.

Robbie Shakespeare’s bass is, as you would expect, the fulcrum around which the whole album turns with Sly’s drums generating the counterpoint and the work around these two creates a huge and dark maze of sound.
Frankly, this shows the rest how it should be done, setting a new marker for the youngsters coming through.
Listen to it once and it sounds powerful and fine, listen again and you can hear the finer detail and the third time it all comes together in a symphony of dub.

source : music news
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She's happy is taken from Konshens new album Mental Maintenance out now.

Reclusive New York artist Phil Frost creates vivid art pieces with his own unique and unmistakable aesthetic. While creating, he’s often alone and to intensify his creativity, he often vibes to the spirit of Bob Marley’s tunes. To signify the release of the docufilm “Marley,” Frost came out of hiding to say a word about how Marley inspires his work and his life. Take a look at prolific artist Phil Frost’s work and words in “The Inspiration of Bob Marley,” and at his website PhilFrost.com and if you are inspired by Bob Marley or just love his vibe or music, the “Marley” movie premieres at select theaters and some online video providers March 20. 4-20 for those in the know.
source : hype beast

With the apparent declining stronghold that Reggae music has within Jamaican culture, one of its premiere disciples hopes the local industry will help that change for the better. Internationally acclaimed Reggae superstar, Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley addressed the local and universal state of Reggae music during an interview on CVM’s OnStage this past Saturday. Marley, who’s spent recent months back home after spending most of 2011 overseas recording and touring, believes that Jamaicans need to once again reap the benefits that Reggae music has provided to fans and musicians worldwide. With many prominent foreign artistes such as Beyoncé, Justin Beiber and Rihanna using Reggae Riddims in recent hit songs, Marley insists that Jamaicans need to get back to their musical roots and show appreciation for the genre they helped make popular. “I think Jamaica could pay more homage to their own music themselves. You go out…you don’t hear a lot of cultural music. It’s a bit imbalanced now,” he said. “Internationally when people hear of Reggae music they still really relate to original, cultural one-drop. They don’t think of what you really hear being played here right now.”
With the globalization of Reggae music at an all-time high, Marley thinks this marks a great opportunity for Jamaican artistes to reclaim their genre and create more avenues internationally. “It kinda says that the music has grown; it’s big now that everybody’s getting involved and doing it. At the same time, we as Jamaicans need to capitalize on that,” he said.

The youngest son of Reggae icon, Bob Marley also lauded the talent pool Jamaica possesses right now, but urges that they pay attention to key commercial and promotional factors that accompany music once it’s pushed to the masses.  “Jamaica is loaded with talent and loaded with good music. What we do once we finish making the music, what we do with the music after that is where I think we need to concentrate some more on,” he said. Meanwhile, Marley has been dominating the Jamaican music scene with his two most recent releases, Set Up Shop and Affairs of the Heart, which have received strong acclaim and airplay from the Dancehall/Reggae community. The latter single and accompanying video has already been touted by many observers as the best in Jamaican music so far this year. Jr. Gong revealed that wants to compile an EP containing Dancehall songs to release in the near future while also stating that he could start work on his new album next month. Additionally, Marley revealed that his label, Ghetto Youths International will soon be promoting upcoming singles for their most recent signing, Wayne Marshall.    

source : the examiner

Reggae music suffered another blow recently with the decision of veteran booking agent Peter Schwartz of the Agency Group, to cut back on the number of Jamaican artistes his company represents. Schwartz is a vice-president at the New York City entity which has offices in major music markets around the world. In an interview with Splash, Schwartz pointed out that he has not closed the door on reggae entirely, but said several factors forced him to stop booking some artists. “I still do represent a handful of them and I still love the music and genre, but unfortunately, many of the artists I represented in reggae have come into issues that have prevented me from continuing to build their touring careers,” Schwartz explained. “Many have lost their US visas or work permits and without those, I obviously cannot book them here,” he added. “Some have unfortunate legal issues and in the case of Gregory Isaacs, one of my hardest working reggae artists, he sadly passed away.” Schwartz did not name the delinquent acts. He said he will focus on the hip-hop acts at The Agency which include Big Boi, Method Man and Redman. During the past 15 years, Schwartz has booked tours and shows in North America, the Caribbean and Europe for Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Sizzla, Capleton, Tarrus Riley, Israel Vibration, Easy Star All-Stars and Luciano. He said the first reggae tour he booked was for former Black Uhuru singer Michael Rose. Journeyman roots group Israel Vibration — one of the best touring reggae acts — is one of the remaining Jamaican entertainers on The Agency’s roster. Dancehall’s top artists have racked up many negatives in the last decade. They have clashed with gay rights groups in Europe and North America over homophobic lyrics and had run-ins with the law at home. This led to some of them being barred from entering sections of both continents. Two years ago, the US Embassy in Kingston revoked the visas of several artists. Some have been reinstated. Schwartz does not rule out working with Jamaican performers in the future. For sure I would work with the artists again. Dancehall and reggae have been a huge part of my career,” he said.

[Contributor : Shamari]

Jailed dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel is worried that he will not get a fair trial for the range of offences including murder with which he has been charged. Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, said this is because of how the police have been treating the matters relating to him. In a letter to his friend, university professor Dr. Carolyn Cooper, Kartel said he is being painted as an evil DJ by day, don by night and a murderer, who is society’s number one cause for crime and violence.


excerpts from the letter :

 “Dear Ms. Cooper,

Good day to you and i hope you are in the best of health and the highest of spirits, but I am not.

“Ms Cooper as you know i am in jail on numerous charges and i’d like to tell you that i am an innocent man who needs your help because i’m being painted as this evil ‘D.J. by day, don by night’ murderer who is society’s number one cause of crime and violence. The police is using the media to slaughter me and as such i don’t think i will get a fair trial. They are using the media to form public opinion of me that is so contradictory to the person that I really am. They (police) have tried my case in the public & found me guilty.

“Every single piece of alleged evidence, every new development in the case is thrown on t.v. as if this is a soap opera, but i can assure you that this is no movie to me. This is about my life and my freedom and i take them very seriously.

“My charges are merely allegations, but they are giving the public the impression that i am guilty and that is not fair to me or my family.

“I have been to court on numerous occasions and saw hundreds of accused men who are charged with heinous crimes like murdering children, killing police officers, burning & shooting whole families and i have never once saw police on t.v. discussing the development of those cases, much less every week, as in my case.”

He also said the police have been using the media to slaughter him and to form a public opinion of him contradicts his real image. In the letter published in Professor Cooper’s Sunday Gleaner column, Kartel said the cops have tried his case in the public and found him guilty. He complained that every single piece of alleged evidence and every new development in his case is broadcast on TV, as though the matter is a soap opera. According to Kartel, he has been in court numerous times and he does not see where the cases of people accused of heinous crimes have been treated in the public sphere.
Source: Thegreatestnews.com