News
294 news in 2012
All reggae / dancehall news
December 2012
- Packed line-up at Rebel Salute
For its 20th anniversary, Rebel Salute, the festival held since 1994 for Tony Rebel's birthday, will be held over two days for the first time, on 18 and 19…
- Lloyd Charmers has passed away
The singer, musician and producer Lloyd "Charmers" Tyrell died on Thursday 27 December in London, of a heart attack, reports the Jamaica Observer. Born in…
- Kiprich and Busy Signal, stars of Sting 2012
Busy's return to a Jamaican stage, Popcaan pushing Rhyno off stage, Spice and her donkey... The Sting delivered its share of striking images in this 2012…
- Watch the Sting online
The Sting is on tonight in Jamaica. The famous event will feature Busy Signal this year (for his first concert in Jamaica since his release from prison)…
- Rototom Sunsplash: taking shape
The next edition of Rototom Sunsplash will take place from 17 to 24 August 2013. The Italian festival, now based in Benicassim, Spain, will celebrate its…
- Busy Signal back in France in April
Busy Signal's next European tour will take in France. Fresh out of prison, the deejay wasted no time announcing an upcoming tour that will of course go…
- Ky-Mani Marley on tour in France
The most adventurous of Bob Marley's sons is back in France. Ky-Mani Marley will play ten concerts in France in early 2013. He will perform in Paris at the…
- Les Banyans: an album and a tour
The Toulouse band The Banyans are about to have an eventful 2013. Besides the release of their first album, "Steppin Forward" (Agis-Son label), expected on 18…
- A busy schedule for Tiwony
The coming months look busy for Tiwony. Following his street album "Dife Lyrical", a best-of of all the tracks released over the past two years, available…
- Garance Festival 2013: tickets available
Tickets for the Garance Reggae Festival 2013 are now available. Based in Bagnols-sur-Cèze since 2010, the former Paris festival will hold its fourth…
- ''Sweet Reggae Music'', the Barrington Levy anthology
VP Records, via its 17 North Parade label, is releasing a new Barrington Levy anthology, "Sweet Reggae Music". 1979-1984: this double-CD box set (with a…
- BiD gives away the album ''Bambas Dois''
It's Christmas come early: until 31 December, producer BiD is giving away the album "Bambas Dois" for free. We told you about it last year, "Bambas Dois" is a…
- Sizzla named anti-drug ambassador
Sizzla was named ambassador of the "Drug KO" anti-drug campaign run by the World Boxing Association last Saturday, at the "Rumble on Jamrock" meeting held at…
- Denroy Morgan is free
Things are looking up for Denroy Morgan. Arrested on 13 September 2011 in the Bronx by New York police in possession of 25 pounds (11 kg) of marijuana (news…
- A live album for Ziggy Marley
Recently busy with his project around the fictional character Marijuanaman (news of 09/10/2012), Ziggy Marley remains no less active on the musical side. More…
- In Jamaica, an episode for Christmas
The monthly mini-series "A la Jamaïque" treats itself to an extra: two weeks after covering the passage of Hurricane Sandy, an episode is devoted to the…
- Ninjaman: a show to find his heir
Keen to "pass on a legacy", Ninjaman is about to launch his own show, "The Ninjaman Star Search", to discover new young dancehall talents from the 14 parishes…
- Stand High Patrol and Soom-T in Morlaix
The Breton sound system Stand High Patrol will play on home ground on Saturday 22 December at the Coatelan Club in Plougonven, near Morlaix, in Finistère…
- Three releases on Scotch Bonnet
Three new releases are on the way at Scotch Bonnet Records. On 14 January, the Scottish label of the Mungo's Hi Fi sound system will put out three productions…
- Strictly Vinyl soundclash, act 3
The 3rd Strictly Vinyl soundclash will be held on Saturday 23 February 2013 at Belushi's in Paris. The event, organised by Jam Flavor and Lion Scratch, will…
- Di Blueprint, best band in the world!
Yet another Jamaican band on top of the world! After the Dubtonic Kru, winners of the 2010 edition, the four members of Di Blueprint won the final of the…
- Busy Signal, Popcaan and Biga Ranx at Summerjam
The Summerjam 2013 line-up continues to fill out. The organisers of the German festival, which will take place from 5 to 7 July 2013 at the Fuehlinger See in…
- Kiddus I, an album in January
Three years after "Green Fa Life" (on Makafresh), Kiddus I returns with a new 13-track album entitled "Topsy Turvy World", due out on 15 February 2013. The…
- Rebel Salute celebrates its 20th anniversary
The Rebel Salute festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary on 18 and 19 January, at Richmond Estate in Priory, St. Ann. There are two novelties around the…
- Eek-A-Mouse faces serious trouble
Eek-A-Mouse, real name Ripton J. Hylton, is about to face justice shortly. According to police in the American town of Kill Devil Hills, the singer was…
- LKJ's poetry rewarded
Linton Kwesi Johnson has just won the 2012 Golden PEN Award, one of Britain's benchmark literary prizes. Now 60, the "dub poet" is honoured for his entire…
- Grammy Awards: the reggae nominations
We now know which albums will compete in the Reggae category at the 55th Grammy Awards ceremony, on 10 February in Los Angeles. As usual, the event has picked…
- Soul Stereo Birthday Bash
Soul Stereo will celebrate its 14th anniversary on Sunday 23 December at the Cabaret Sauvage. For the occasion, the Paris sound system has invited its inner…
- Vibronics at the 4th Lyon Dub Station
The Double Mixte will host the 4th edition of Lyon Dub Station on Friday 21 December in Villeurbanne. The Blackboard Jungle sound system will share the stage…
- Bob Marley courses at New York University
Bob Marley will be the main theme of courses taught at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University, from 7 to 26 January 2013. English…
- Interview Sly & Robbie!
Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, Jamaica's finest bass and drums duo, need no introduction. Until Wednesday noon, Reggaefrance.com gives you the chance to put…
- Breadwinners, first album remixed
The label King Spinna Records, run by Bob Harding and Dom Sotgiu, two Blood & Fire alumni (news of 19/09/2011), announces the release of "Dubs Unlimited", the…
- Blues Party clashed... Blues Party
The clash organised last night by the radio station Party Time ended up pitting Blues Party against... Blues Party! After wondering for a long time about the…
- ''A la Jamaïque'' mini-series: Hurricane Sandy
The fifth episode of Sherkhan's series, "A la Jamaïque", is devoted to the passage of Hurricane Sandy at the end of October. Lying in the path of tropical…
November 2012
- A book on Rastafari by Boris Lutanie and Jakes Homiak
Co-written by cultural anthropologist Jakes Homiak and Boris Lutanie, already the author of "Introduction au Mouvement Rastafari" (1999) and "Jah Rastafari…
- Pressure Sounds gathers rare Yabby You tracks
The Pressure Sounds label announces the release of "Deeper Roots", an album gathering dubplates and rare 45s by the venerable Yabby You, who died on 12…
- Dub Invaders, second instalment on the way
The second instalment from Dub Invaders (a.k.a. High Tone Crew Sound System), simply titled "Dub Invaders vol. 2", will be released on 17 December as a double…
- Busy Signal to headline Sting
The Sting 2012 line-up is now known. The show, which will take place on Wednesday 26 December at Jamworld in Portmore, will bring together, as every year, the…
- The Shaggy and Friends concert will not take place
The fourth edition of Shaggy and Friends, the annual charity concert organised by the singer of Boombastic and his Make A Difference foundation, will not take…
- The documentary ''Marley'' is out on DVD
Released in cinemas in mid-June, Kevin Macdonald's documentary "Marley" is available from today on DVD, Blu-ray and VOD. This 2h24 documentary on Bob Marley…
- Broussai and Steel Pulse on the cover of Reggae Vibes
The new issue of the bimonthly Reggae Vibes is on the newsstands, with Broussaï and Steel Pulse on the cover. The magazine carries two separate interviews…
- ''Reggae Vinyls'', the finest sleeves
A reggae specialist, writer Bruno Blum is releasing, in the run-up to Christmas, "Reggae Vinyls" (Stéphane Bachès editions), a 264-page book gathering more…
- David Rodigan quits Kiss FM
The emblematic DJ of the British airwaves has thrown in the towel: in a statement, David Rodigan announced that he is resigning from Kiss FM, where he had…
- Rude Boy Story: screenings
The list of screenings of the documentary "Rude Boy Story", which traces the adventure of Dub Inc (read our Focus), keeps growing. While the band from…
- Busy Signal talks about prison
As he tweeted on 17 November, Busy Signal is back in Jamaica, after six months of incarceration in a federal prison in Minnesota (news of 24/09/2012). At a…
- A superb calendar for the association Help Jamaica!
The association Help Jamaica! is selling a 2013 calendar to fund its work. Founded in Germany in 2008, this non-profit organisation builds and supports…
- The Jamaican Legends, a dream quartet on tour
As part of their European tour, the Jamaican Legends quartet will play in France next week. Made up of the unmissable duo Sly Dunbar (drums) - Robbie…
- General Levy & Joe Ariwa in Toulouse
A renowned artist of the UK scene, General Levy will play a concert on Friday 7 December in Toulouse, at the Connexion Live. The author of the track…
- Sting 2012: the bill takes shape
A month before the 29th edition of the event, to be held on 26 December at the Jamworld Entertainment Centre in Portmore, the line-up remains incomplete, even…
- New remixes from Bost & Bim
Two new 45s from Bost & Bim have just come out on their label Pirates Records. Specialists in remixes (see the series "Yaankees a Yard"), Bost & Bim first pay…
- Ranchie McLean has passed away
The bassist and guitarist Bertram "Ranchie" McLean died last Wednesday at St Andrew hospital, aged 64. According to his son Antonie, McLean had undergone…
- King Shiloh and The Disciples at Dub Station #37
The 37th edition (already!) of the dub event will look impressive. Saturday 15 December at the Trabendo will have a foretaste of the Christmas festivities…
- Sherkhan continues his Brain Freeze Project
With Natural Electric, which he describes as "electric reggae beatbox", the French producer Sherkhan adds an instrumental track to his "Brain Freeze Project"…
- Snoop Lion works for Jamaican children
While awaiting the release of his first reggae album "Reincarnated" (produced by Major Lazer), Snoop Lion once again shows his attachment to Jamaica. The…
- New compilation Maximum Sound 2012
As last year (news of 31/08/2011), the label Maximum Sound is releasing a compilation, "Maximum Sound 2012", in which the producer Frenchie gathers his best…
- European Reggae Contest 2013: registrations open
Registrations for the European Reggae Contest 2013, a talent competition organised by the Rototom Sunsplash festival, are now open. Candidates have until 14…
- Summerjam 2013 unveils the start of its line-up
The Summerjam organisers have revealed the names of the first artists on the bill for the event, which will take place from 5 to 7 July 2013 at the Fuehlinger…
- A new turn for Lady Saw
Lady Saw recently announced her intention to give up dancehall and devote herself to gospel. That, at least, is what the "Queen of the Dancehall" revealed via…
- 3D night with Jahtari, Mungo's Hifi and Hammerbass
A 3D night (as in Digital Dub Dancehall) is on the cards on Friday 21 December at La Bellevilloise in Paris. Put together by RAW (Revolution Around the…
- Reggae Sun Ska opens ticket sales
Reggae Sun Ska has just announced the opening of ticket sales for its 2013 edition. This 16th vintage will once again be held in the Médoc, at Pauillac (33)…
- Ragga Dub Force: 25 years and a star-studded line-up
Ragga Dub Force has decided to do things in a big way to celebrate its 25th anniversary, on 12 January 2013, under the big top of the Cabaret Sauvage in…
- ''Far Eye'', the new album from Rockers Disciples and Daba Makourejah
Four years after the release of the promising ''Crossroads'' (with the singer Chola), the French band Rockers Disciples are putting out a new opus, "Far Eye"…
- New website for Perfect
Perfect had warned early yesterday via his Twitter account that "big news" was imminent. Last night, the singjay unveiled his new official website, where you…
- Spyda Sound System, available for free
The Spyda Team is offering its new compilation, a special-edition net-tape of 22 tracks combining dancehall, hip-hop and reggae. Mickee 3000 and Caporal Nigga…
- Soom-T and Solo Banton at the next Skank It Up
A new dub, dubstep and drum'n'bass night branded Skank It Up at the Glazart in Paris, on Friday 30 November. For the occasion, an impressive line-up has been…
- Roots Knotty Roots now available online
Out of print for eight years, the very rich database of "Roots Knotty Roots", the collectors' Bible, is now available on the Internet. The gigantic "RKR"…
- Pioneering selector Duke Vin has passed away
The reggae family has lost one of its legends with the death of Duke Vin (real name Vincent George), who died on 3 November in London at over 80 years of age…
- Boy Better Know wins the Red Bull Culture Clash
No victory for Channel One (pictured) last night at the Wembley Arena in London at the Red Bull Culture Clash 2012 (News of 25/10/2012). At the end of this…
- New Lee Perry compilation from Pressure Sounds
After "High Plains Drifter", available since February, the English label Pressure Sounds has just released "The Sound Doctor : Lee Perry And The Sufferers –…
