News
2,789 news, 2001-2015, page 26 of 40
All reggae / dancehall news
September 2008
- Irie Love, an EP before the album
It is not a stage name: Irie Love really is the real name of this young Hawaiian woman, christened by her Jamaican father in tribute to Third World and their…
- Spanish Clash: a double for Guiding Star
Up against the Germans of City Lock and the Swedes of Trinity at the Spanish Clash held in Valencia on Saturday 13 September, the French sound Guiding Star…
- An album for child soldiers
Behind the project "Enfants-soldats d'ici et d'ailleurs" are some thirty artists and musicians from the reggae, hip hop and soul worlds. It is a collective…
- Capleton on tour
Back in France after his Made in Jamaica Tour, Capleton returns for a series of concerts across the Hexagon. Meanwhile, the "Prophet" is working in the studio…
- A bus for the Riddim Clash
To get to the E-Werk in Cologne and attend the Riddim Clash (news of 04/09/2008), the association Cultural Jam Session has organised a bus to Germany. One or…
- The Fête de l'Huma goes sustainable
Following the example of Reggae Sun Ska this summer, which took its environmental approach to a level rarely reached (even earning praise from the Fondation…
- Malik Boulibaï is back for the new season
Yesterday saw the return of Boulibaï Vibrations, Malik Bouibaï’s radio show on France Inter, for the new season. With an appealing line-up: an unreleased live…
- Zebra is out of prison
It is the end of a long spell behind bars for Zebra, the dancehall deejay jailed in 2001 for rape, assault and battery, and sexual harassment. Sentenced to 10…
- Record sales keep sinking
Record sales keep sinking: revenue from recorded music fell by 13% in France over the first half of 2008, according to the Observatoire de la musique. The…
- The Riddim Clash goes European
After famous international battles, the Riddim Clash is narrowing down this year to an exclusively European competition. The renowned German event will stage…
- Reggae unwelcome in Malaysia
Down with music: the government of the State of Kedah (in the peninsular part of Malaysia) has decided to ban pop, rock and reggae concerts, on the grounds…
- Gustav hit Jamaica head-on
Wholly absorbed in celebrating its heroes from the Beijing Olympics, Jamaica must now tend its wounds after Hurricane Gustav. The story repeats itself almost…
- Taïro runs late
We have been waiting a long time, and we will have to wait a little longer: Taïro’s first album, "Chœurs et Ame", has been delayed. Already pushed back from…
August 2008
- Irie Ites returns for the new season
With two new projects, the autumn looks busy for the French label Irie Ites, based in Le Mans. First comes a new riddim, due out in mid-September as singles…
- Bomb attack: Vybz Kartel denies it
Following the fire that destroyed his car in the night from Sunday to Monday (news of 25/08/2008), Vybz Kartel was quick to deny the rumour that unknown…
- Kartel/Mavado: the end of the truce?
For a while, Vybz Kartel and Mavado seemed to have buried the hatchet, each carrying on with his own work without paying much attention to the other. But…
- Sad news for Spragga Benz
Just as Jamaica was enjoying a few days of calm in terms of crime, no doubt thanks to its athletes’ string of victories and the jubilation that followed, DJ…
- Victory in song
Although the women missed the chance of one last gold medal in the 4x100m relay because of a botched baton change, the men closed their Beijing Olympics…
- Eek A Mouse in hot water
Eek A Mouse is making more headlines in the crime pages than for his musical activities. After his racist remarks ahead of the Reggae Carifest Festival, from…
- Olympics: the women do it again
Veronica Campbell-Brown, who had failed to qualify for the 100m, ended up not disappointing her public after all, as the Jamaican runner has just won the 200m…
- The new Beres Hammond is already available
While the CD release of Beres Hammond's latest opus on VP Records, "A Moment In Time", is announced for sometime in October, the most impatient fans can…
- Lightning Bolt has struck again
Like Carl Lewis before him in 1984, Usain Bolt has completed the double in the two flagship sprint events, winning gold in the 200m four days after dominating…
- Champions in Action did not take place
For the second year running, rain got the better of Champions in Action, which was due to be held last Saturday at Jamworld in Kingston. Tropical Storm Fay…
- Olympics: the women drive the point home
The women's 100m final at the Olympic Games, held today, was completely one-sided: Jamaica placed all three of its entrants on the podium. Shelly-Ann Fraser…
- Johnny 'Dizzy' Moore has died
Trumpeter Johnny Moore, a member of the Skatalites and a true legend, died on Saturday of cancer, which he had been fighting for many months, at the age of…
- Golden Voices Festival postponed and shortened
Last week, the Golden Voices Festival was refused permission by Toulouse City Hall to be held in Sesquières park, unsuitable for hosting festivalgoers and…
- Jamaica leaves its mark on the Olympic Games
Never before had a Jamaican been Olympic 100m champion: Usain Bolt, 21, already the world record holder ahead of his compatriot Asafa Powell, has just brought…
- Arrests at the Upssala Festival: the details
In an interview with the newspaper Upsala Nya Tidning, Yared Tekeste, the boss of the Uppsala Reggae Festival, has no words strong enough for the police…
- A French-language site for Sebastian Sturm
Sebastian Sturm already has a well-stocked official website, but it is written in German. Its French-speaking counterpart has just appeared on the web, with a…
- Vybz Kartel is back
Although he is still forced to remain in Jamaica, his papers having been confiscated, Vybz Kartel is certainly one of the most prolific artists of the moment…
- Police raid at Uppsala Reggae Festival
The invitation to the Uppsala Reggae Festival in Sweden turned out to be a trap for several artists: a police raid led to the arrest of 220 people this…
- Golden Voices Festival suspended
Will the Golden Voices Festival, with its impressive line-up, really take place in Toulouse at the end of August? Nothing is less certain. While we were…
- Buju featured in pro-Obama video
It is at the initiative of Dave Stewart (notably co-founder of the group Eurythmics and a fan of Jamaican music) that Buju Banton will appear on a pro-Obama…
- Charts: Vegas in form, Konshens climbs
Controversy, even false, has its upsides: Konshens posts the biggest climb of the week in the charts published by Hype TV, with a jump of three places, from…
- Jamaica celebrates 46 years of independence
It is now 46 years since the black, yellow and green flag replaced the Union Jack in Jamaica. On 6 August 1962, Jamaica became independent, remaining within…
- 'Love Jamaica', when Jamaica sings of love
The Jahslams label continues its exploration of Jamaican musical heritage. After Treasure Isle, Lee Scratch Perry, Jamaican female singers, and the year 1968…
July 2008
- 'Musically Mad', UK sound systems on DVD
Dub has found its reference documentary: "Musically Mad". For four years, the Swedes of Meditative Sound followed the biggest names of the English sound…
- Madonna goes reggae
Madonna has teamed up with Sly & Robbie and Cherine Anderson for one track. An admirer of the trio's work on the Britney Spears remix (Piece of me), the pop…
- Konshens affair: the commission denies it
The Outaroad site has just published a denial concerning the ban on airplay of Konshens' song Winner (news of 28/07/2008). Indeed, Cordel Green, executive…
- Mavado persona non grata
Already unwelcome in Guyana, the Jamaican deejay's freedom of movement faces new obstacles: although the charges that had hung over him and prevented him from…
- A busy summer for Busy Signal
After a successful first European tour and a memorable performance at Reggae Sumfest, Busy Signal is all set to release his long-awaited second album. Due out…
- Makasound gets ready for the new season
It will be a busy autumn for Makasound. After reissuing Tu Shung Peng's first album, the French label will also release their second opus, "Trouble Time", due…
- First official release for Bost & Bim
After two volumes of "unofficial" remixes (the now-famous "Yankees A Yard"), here comes the first official release for Bost & Bim and their label The Bombist…
- Konshens' Winner banned from the airwaves
The Jamaican broadcasting commission has just had Konshens' hit Winner pulled from the playlists of all radio stations, on the pretext that the song was not…
- The return of the pachyderm
The news has just come in and will no doubt delight all Parisian dancehall fans: Elephant Man will be back live this autumn. The "Energy God" will take to the…
- Keny Arkana replaces Collie Buddz at Reggae Sun Ska
The concert by Bermudan singer Collie Buddz, scheduled for Saturday 2 August at the Reggae Sun Ska in Cissac, has unfortunately been cancelled. As a…
- A Bob Marley statue in Serbia
On 23 August 2008, Serbia, and more precisely the small village of Banatski Sokolac (a few hundred inhabitants), is due to unveil the first monument dedicated…
- BET prepares a reggae documentary
Filming of a historical documentary on reggae began on Monday 14 July in Jamaica, for broadcast on the BET network (Black Entertainment Television) in…
- Singer Eloquent commits suicide
A dramatic episode of domestic violence lies behind the suicide, on Friday 18 July, of the Jamaican singer Eloquent, aged 27. An argument between the artist…
- Homophobia: Germany reacts
Several Jamaican artists accused of making homophobic remarks are in the spotlight in Germany, following a debate launched in the Bundestag (the German…
- Massilia Sound System loses one of its members
Massilia Sound System, a genuine institution of the Marseille music scene, is in mourning: Lux B, one of the group's MCs, died on 18 July of cancer, aged 47…
- Tifa makes her international debut
Known for her tracks Kitty police, Crawny gyal and, more recently, Bottom of the barrel, young deejay Tifa is currently touring Europe alongside her mentors…
- Roy Shirley has passed away
The sad news was confirmed at the end of the week: Roy Shirley, veteran Jamaican artist, musician, singer, songwriter and producer, has died at the age of 64…
- Elephant Man releases a mixtape
After the release of "Let's Get Physical", Elephant Man remains a Bad Boy: it is with P Diddy's label, Bad Boy Records, that the eccentric deejay is releasing…
- New Lustre Kings single
Reggae meets electro on the latest single from Lustre Kings, whose name we had grown used to seeing associated with releases on I Grade, the St Croix label. A…
- Malik Boulibaï tours the beaches
Malik Boulibaï, host of the show "Boulibaï Vibrations" on France Inter, is leaving his radio studio to roam the Atlantic coast throughout August with his…
- Marley family taken to court
His drawings have travelled the world, and yet he has seen nothing in return. Jurek Zamoyski, a Polish artist, has just brought legal action against the…
- The Carifest never happened
The American festival Reggae Carifest, which was due to take place in New York on Sunday 6 July, ended up never reaching the finish line. On Saturday, the day…
- Junior Cony and the meaning of life
After "Inna Roots Tradition" and "Junior Cony meets Shanti D & Mister Irie At the Government Shop" in 2003, we left Junior Cony in 2006 with the accomplished…
- The Césaires 2008: time for you to vote
Launched in 2006, the Césaires, which aim to showcase Afro-Caribbean culture and the black diaspora, will hold their third edition on 23 September 2008 at the…
- In the USA, one word sparks controversy
After the glorification of violence, another stone thrown into the dancehall artists' garden: misogyny. It is a single word that has set off a small…
- Cocoa Tea, Obama's first supporter
He was among the first artists to record a track dedicated to Barack Obama, candidate for the Democratic nomination in the American presidential election. Now…
- New album from Mbegane Ndour
Mbegane Ndour is far from unknown: a former member of the Senegalese rap group Djoloff, he is also the instigator of the African Consciences project, released…
- Jamaica looks for a plan to tackle violence
The PSOJ (Private Sector Organization of Jamaica), which brings together private-sector associations and companies, and the JEF (Jamaica Employee Federation)…
- Rastafari goes on show in Washington
Washington's Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History opened a temporary exhibition last month devoted to Haile Selassie and Rasta culture. At the…
- Fiesta Reggae Sun #14
There has been a lot of talk about the limited festival offer in France this summer, but not enough in support of the more discreet yet lasting initiatives…
- Mavado on the road to Beijing
We told you about it some time ago (see news of 6 June): Nike, Asafa Powell, VP Records and Mavado have recently teamed up for a campaign supporting Jamaica…
June 2008
- New releases at 17th North Parade
17th North Parade, VP's vintage sub-label, continues its programme of reissues drawn partly from the archives of the Randy's studio and shop. The upcoming…
- The Reggae Champion Arena clash on DVD
This should delight clash fans: the DVD of Reggae Champion Arena Part 1, which pitted Legal Shot against 220 Sound on 23 March, is now available on DVD. The…
- Dub Station gets some fresh air
After relocating to the provinces in May, Dub Station returns to the capital for the ninth and last edition of the season, on Sunday 6 July. For the occasion…
