I mentioned recently on this blog that Tarrus Riley one in every category he was nominated in at the Reggae Academy Awards. Well he tops the list of nominees for the upcoming International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA).

He has seven nominations, two of which are Best Male Vocalist and Best Song, for the female anthem “She Royal”. Mavado follows with five (5) for Best Male DJ, Best Album, Best Recording Artist(s), Songwriter of the Year, and Community Service.Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Steven Marley and Sean Kingston all received four (4) nominations, while soca star Machel Montana, Kymani Marley and Junior Reid, each captured three (3). Reid is nominated for two (2) in the same category of Best Crossover for his hits with Alicia Keys (no one) and rapper MIMS (this is why im hot)

This year’s 27th IRAWMA is focused on "Health Awareness" and takes place on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at the World Famous Apollo Theater, in New York City.

Website at http://www.irawma.com/

Our regional artists are singing the praises of presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
Calvin Scott AKA Coco Tea's song is called "Barak Obama". Before him Trinni calypso stalwart the Mighty Sparrow dubbed the candidate "Barack the Magnificent."

Oh and Movado is Supporting him too..seems he’s gonna be on a mixtape that Russell Simmons and Green Lantern are gonna use to help promote Obama's campaign
And guess what track he’s using …"I'm on the rock , I'm on the rock..." (chuuuune!!!!)

Other contributors to the mixtape include Lenny Kravitz (did you know his grandfather was from the Bahamas?) Kanye West, Jay Z, Common (Trini roots) and Mos Def. 100,000 copies of the CD will be printed and given away as part of the campaign

Jay-Z and Movado have collaborated on Movado's track "On the Rock" on the Mission Riddim…the remix premiered on Hot 97 by DJ Mr Cee.

That is huge that Jay-Z, one of the biggest entertainers in the world is asking Mavado to be featured on his track…Movado says that it shows the power of Jamaican muisic…I say it shows the power of good music

I like this video montage that someone did to the song on YouTube

Shurwayne and traffic will be taking part in Jamaica's carnival celebrations on the 28th... AKA Bacchanal nightmare night... AKA jouvert….the group Bacchanal Jamaica has been having events leading up to this weekend including Bachhanal Fridays where a different soca artists performs...Destra and Atlantik were the last performers to shut it down…before that is was Kes the Band with guests Brick and Lace…other bacchanal Friday performers include Alison hinds and Surface.
Go to bacchanaljamaica.com

Click here to listen to the latest single from Rihanna 'Take A Bow' which premiered on Ryan Seacrest’s 'On Air' radio show on 102.7 KIIS FM Los Angeles. The mid-tempo R&B/Pop cut is from the re-release of 'Good Girl Gone Bad' (due May 27th)

Check out Leona Lewis (who has Guyanese roots) singing "Bleeding Love" on Oprah. She performed on Monday March 17th and was introduced by Simon Cowell

Leona Live On Oprah
Uploaded by dopeshobg

Simon discovered her on X Factor the UK version of American Idol. the song is off her debut album Spirit.

Inner Visions, Cherine Anderson and Rootz Underground all represented for the region at the Annual SXSW Music Fesstival in Austin Texas. All performances took place a Flamingo Cantina on 515 E 6th Street. Inner Visions perfomed on Wednessay the 12th and Rootz Underground and Cherine Anserson both perfomred on Sat the 15th

South by Southwest (SXSW) is a set of interactive, film, and music festivals and conferences that take place every spring in Austin, Texas. Originating as the Austin Battle of the Bands, SXSW officially began in 1987 and is centered around the downtown Austin Convention Center. Each of the three parts run relatively independently, with different start and end dates. SXSW is one of the largest music festivals in the United States, with more than 1,400 performers playing dozens of venues around Austin over four days in March. Though it is an industry-based event, SXSW Music links locally with events such as the annual Austin Music Awards show. SXSW is the highest money-making public event for the Austin economy, bringing in more revenue than the Austin City Limits Music Festival or the Texas Longhorn home games.Source

Rumor has it that Rita Marley wants Lauryn Hill to play her in a movie based on her late husband Bob Marley’s life.

"Lauryn would be ideal. She sees my life as her life." Marley told Reuters of Hill, who is married to Rohan Marley (Bob Marley's son with Janet Hunt). Rita Marley is executive producing the as-yet-untitled adaptation of her 2004 autobiography No Woman No Cry: My Life With Bob Marley, a chronicle of the musician's childhood and their tumultuous 15-year marriage through his death from cancer in 1981. Producer Rudy Langlais (The Hurricane) says the film will be an "epic romance," including the Marleys' life and the assassination attempt on the couple. But Marley says its no Cinderella story.Bob will be played by two actors. Rita says her grandson Stefan is "the spitting image" of the singer and would be perfect for the role of young Bob. However, no casting decisions will be made until later this year, says Langlais. Filming is tentatively scheduled to begin early next year with a projected release date of late 2009 – possibly before Martin Scorsese's authorized feature documentary on the performer, set for releaseon feb 6th 2010 on what would be Marleys 65th birthday.

“Spirits in the Material World: A Reggae Tribute to The Police.” Is the brainchild of Shanachie Records' General Manager Randall Grass. Most of the 12-track disc was produced by reggae band Inner Circle at its Circle House Studio in Miami. Look out for contributions from old school reggae acts like the Wailing Souls ("One World"), Gregory Isaacs("So Lonely") and Inner Circle ("The Bed's To Big Without You"). Current hitmakers like Tarrus Riley(King of Pain) also lend their vocals to the project. Non-regae acts include former UB40 singer Ali Campbell and American singers Joan Osborne and Cyrille Neville (of the Neville Brothers)

The album was released in the United States on February 19.

To listen to "Bed's Too Big" go to Inner Circle's Official Site

To listen to the remix with reggaeton artist pitbull go to their myspace page

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So here are some pics from the First Ever Reggae Academy Awards! I was gonna caption each pic. but you know what .....go to the official site where they are all captioned and show some love!

Tarrus Riley was the big winner at the inaugural Reggae Music Academy Awards which were held on Sunday Feb. 24th in Kingston, Jamaica at the National Indoor Sports Centre.
He won in every single category in which he was nominated. They were for Best Reggae Song, Best Solo Male Vocal Performance, Best Reggae Recording, Breakthrough Reggae Artist, Most Popular song, Best Reggae Video (Directors award) and Engineers award as well…all for his hit lovers rock, ode to woman: “She’s Royal"

Grammy award winner Stephen Marley, who was absent from the show, won two awards one for Best Reggae Album (Mind Control), and best producer . His brother Ziggy was there though and performed "Love is My Religion".

Their father Bob was posthumously honored with the Reggae Icon and Reggae Trailblazer Awards along with his one-time manager, Chris Blackwell. Accepting the award on behalf of her late husband was Rita Marley, who thanked the academy for this recognition.

Etana won best solo female Reggae Vocal Roots category. …….the Best DanceHall performance duo or Group winners are Brick and Lace and funny enough I’ve been listening to their tune "Love is Wicked" all week……by the way there is a soca remix of the song with Kes the band out of TnT …….who else…… Shaggy won for best Dancehall album (Intoxication )and the Best Dancehall video for "Church Heathen" well really the director won but it was his song, …………..Collie Buddz won for Best Intertnational Artist and Daville and Sean Paul won for their collaboaration on "Always On My Mind"……...Best Riddim was the "Guardian Angel Riddim"…love it…Favorite Artist was Beenie Man.... aight yall go to the official page of the Academy to see the rest of the winners !!!!!!

Rihanna recently helped Lisa Gershowitz Flynn, a 41 year-old, mother of two, in New York find a donnor for her bone marrow transplant…..

According to People 2000 new donors were added to the bone marrow registry since Rihanna's public plea, and more than 5,000 calls and e-mails poured into DKMS, a Tubingen, Germany-based international donor network that Rihanna has worked with in the past.

Flynn stated she was touched by Rihanna's efforts. She was diagnosed in November 2007 with acute myelogenous leukaemia, a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Last month doctors had told Flynn she needed to find a marrow donor within four to six weeks.

Macka Diamond was hired by the City of Praise Church to be the speaker at a conference focusing on spicing up the women's sex life…

Check out conference title....…"Angel by Day, Monster by night "

According to her publicist Karl Lamond, the pastor of the church pleaded for her appearance..It seems that ladies in the church are losing their husbands because they are being too timid in the bedroom, and I guess he thought she was the best candidate.

Im sure they taught her a ting or two

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So let's start of on a high note nuh....Here's a video I saw browsing the Net the other day, Its Elephant Man's rah rah medley featuring Burro Banton and T.O.K

Buju Banton has released the 10th Anniversary Edition of his Inna Heights album ---a definite classic..
And its getting rave reviews in the press.
Lets go back to 1997 when songs like "Destiny", "Love Sponge", "Hills and Valleys", "Give I Strength" were all on one album....one that you could listen to over and over and never get tired of it…

Well this time round, the two disc package includes three unreleased tracks from that era plus the whole album has been digitally re-mastered and there’s a bonus DVD containing 40 minutes of rare live footage from Reggae Sumfest, from 1996.....so go out and cop that one

I-Tunes Amazon or check out his official site

So...Its been over a month since my last post...Whats my excuse...shit..... life nuh....It's crazy trying to keep up with everything going on ......I am a blogging virgin.... but true to my slogan ...I HAVE to bring the news fresh every time so expect waaaaay more frequent updates ...seen!!!

ok...so forgive me eh....

Puss Puss Luv Yuh....

Mwah!!!!!