On January 18th 2010 talented hopefuls will converge on SOBs (204 Varick Street New York, NY 10014-4809 to be exact). From 7pm auditions will commence which could lead –no strike that- which will lead to a lucky winner heading to Greenfield Stadium in Trelawny Jamaica for their debut performance at Jamaica Jazzand Blues 2010.
This is part of the promotions for the event ant it is dubbed Band Quest. Basically organizers are looking for a talented band to perform at the festival this year. Which to me shows they are making a special effort to walk the walk and not just talk the talk in developing their Art of Music concept. Please note auditions are not walk in! Participants will be selected from online entries at BAND QUEST 2010. Hopefuls must joing the JJ&B Fan Zone in order to upload videos.
The New York audition is being presented by Link Up Media Group, Jamrock Magazine and Turn Key Productions
If you live in Florida, well Yippeeyeah…..you guys get an in person audition too! This one will be held on January 5th at the Ginger Bay Café at 1908 Hollywood Blvd in the city of Hollywood
The Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival (formerly Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival) will take place from January 24-30th. My first week back at school, oh honey I still going. LOL. C’Mon. Machal Montano Third World, Erykah Badu, Kelly Price, Tamia, Deborah Cox, Jon Secada, Gladys Knight etc etc… How could I say no. See you there!
I’m reading online about Rihanna tearing her hair up because she has to dress conservatively for her New Year’s Eve concert in Dubai. This girl is a professional ( I hope). If I was her, stick a burka on me and put a mike in my hand, ok! I mean covering up for a couple of hours and to get paid half a million dollars is something to get mad about???? Nah man I hope she is better than that.
She had that issue in Malaysia before and I would hate to think that her staff did not have a clue about the potential for some type of censorship in an Islamic state. So sorry,I am not jumping posting bullshit band wagon just cause someone said so. Rihanna can’t be THAT dumb. Peace!
From Jamaica Observer:
Irate show promoters in St Lucia and Guyana are planning to sue dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel for a series of no-shows over the weekend. Kartel and members of his Portmore Empire were reportedly booked for a concert in Guyana on Saturday night, after which they should have moved on to St Lucia to perform on the last evening of a three-day event called Love Fest.
Reports are, however, that while some members of the Empire turned up, Kartel missed his flight to Guyana, not once, but twice, after which the promoter was asked to send a charter. According to one report, this was done, but the plane sat on the tarmac on Saturday and the deejay refused to leave Jamaica. Conscious Minds Promotions in Guyana reportedly suffered tremendous losses when they were forced to cancel the show. The Sunday Stabroek in Guyana noted that "a press release advised that persons who purchased tickets for the show will receive full refunds beginning Tuesday at all ticketing locations".
The promoters are quoted as saying, "We again express our deep regret at the disappointment that our supporters must feel and pledge that we will make good with other promotions."
Meanwhile, the St Lucia promoter Andrew Hayles, in an interview last evening with the Observer, said that he had spent over US$20,000.00 on plane fare just to ensure that Kartel would be present for his show, Love Fest, which has built up a solid reputation during its eight years.
"Naturally, the Guyana promoter and myself have been communicating, since I was supposed to bring Kartel in from there. So those tickets went down the drain. Then I made direct contact with Kartel and he told me to send two first-class tickets for him and Jahvinci to travel from Jamaica. At 11:00 pm on Saturday we got the travel agent to open up her business place so we could purchase the tickets. Then plans changed and we were asked to get a charter and this was done. Then the next thing we know we hear on Sunday that Kartel had posted a statement on YouTube saying that he was not attending Love Fest in St Lucia and it was not the promoter's fault," Hayle said, still sounding bemused at all that had transpired.
A quick look at YouTube shows a 33-second clip with Vybz Kartel who identifies himself and then goes on to say "we a mek the people dem know from now that we won't be attending Love Fest in St Lucia ... but it's no fault of the promoters or the promotion which is Hot FM ... it's just circumstances beyond our control."
Hayles said he was aware that there were some "security issues and threats" and he had assured the deejay that he would have been closely guarded throughout his visit to the island.
"And then he doesn't even get in contact with us ... somebody told us that there was a statement on YouTube and that's how we knew that he was not going to take the charter. Well, we promoters have aligned ourselves, we have spread the word, we have even contacted BBC 1Xtra. And we are going to sue Kartel for our money. He charged us US$25,000.00 and he was paid his 50% deposit. We have to deal with Kartel," Hayles said.
He stated, however, that the concert would go on last night since there were other big names on the bill. However those persons who wanted a refund would be accommodated.
It was in May this year that Kartel was banned from Grenada for the event, Rap-it-Up, which was to mark the official launch of his Daggerin condoms in that island. Government officials reportedly refused to issue a work permit because of his violent lyrics.
MIAMI(AP) — Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton is facing charges that he attempted along with others to buy a large quantity of cocaine from an undercover law enforcement officer.
A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration affidavit says Banton, whose real name is Mark Anthony Myrie, traveled to Sarasota last week to make the purchase along with two others. The DEA was tipped off by a confidential informant who agreed to wear a recording device during the drug negotiation session.
Talk about life imitating art. Here is Buju in a scene from the video of "Driver A"- telling the driver "I wan you carry dis round de road fi mi".
Banton, 36, faces a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, which carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence. Banton was being held at Miami's downtown detention center Monday pending transfer to Tampa, where the case is being prosecuted.
A bail hearing was set for Wednesday in Miami federal court. The attorney handling that for Banton didn't immediately return an e-mail seeking comment.
According to the DEA affidavit, Banton contacted the confidential informant last Monday about a possible cocaine purchase. The next day, Banton and other men met with the informant at Sarasota's La Tropicana de Havana restaurant, where the DEA and local police had set up surveillance.
Banton allegedly arrived at the meeting in his silver Land Rover with the license plate "Jah One," according to the affidavit.
Eventually, the group went to a warehouse authorities had outfitted with audio and video recording devices to make the cocaine deal. An undercover police officer pulled out one brick of the 20-kilogram load, according to the DEA, and one of Banton's associate's sliced it open with a knife.
Banton, according to the affidavit, "instantly wiped the blade of that knife with his finger and placed that finger in his mouth in what appeared to be an attempt to taste the cocaine." After two more meetings at local restaurants between the informant and Banton's associates, authorities arrested the associates and then took Banton into custody Thursday in Miami.
The husky-voiced Banton has been a major star in his native Jamaica since the early 1990s with brash dancehall music and, more recently, a traditional reggae sound. His career has been stunted in the United States because of his attitude toward gays, including songs "Batty Rider" and "Boom Bye Bye" which glorify the shooting of gay men.
Jah Kno Starrrrrrr......this is just messed up man.
Usain Bolt wins BBC Overseas Personality of the Year Award and in running for TIME's Person of the Year Award
The most recent recipient of the BBC’s Overseas Personality Award is Usain Bolt, who broke both the 100m and 200m world records at the Summer Olympics and broke them both again at the 2009 World Championships. He won this award last year as well.
Usain Bolt celebrates winning the gold medal in the men's 100m with a world record of 9.58 seconds at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin.
Photo source
Bolt told BBC:
"It is an honor to win this prestigious award again.”
Adding
“Hopefully I can break the record and win it three or four years in a row.”
The other contender for this year’s award was tennis superstar Roger Federer.
Sidebar: Bolt is also in the running for TIME Magazine's Person Of The Year 2009. You can vote for him HERE. So far he is # four with Iran Protesters at the top of the list followed by Barack Obama (last year's winner) and Steve Jobs of Apple Inc.
ABOUT THE AWARD
The Overseas Personality Award was first presented in 1960, six years after the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award was introduced. The first recipient of the award was Australian middle distance runner Herb Elliott. Since then, the award has been presented to 47 sports persons. American boxer Muhammad Ali and Swiss tennis player Roger Federer have each won the award three times and Australian golfer Greg Norman has won the award twice. The award has been shared on three occasions-by Ron Clarke and Gary Player in 1965, Eusebio and Garfield Sobers in 1966, and Evander Holyfield and Michael Johnson in 1996. The husband and wife skating duo of Oleg Protopopov and Ludmila Belousova are the only pair to have won the award, doing so in 1968. Belousova was the first and oldest woman to become Overseas Personality. George Moore is the oldest recipient of the award, winning in 1967 at age 44. The youngest recipient of the award is Nadia Comaneci, who won in 1976 at age 16. Boris Becker was 18 when he won in 1985, making him the youngest recipient thus far. Twenty different countries have been represented by the award winners.
Find out more about this award by clicking HERE
Who remembers Fraggle Rock??? Ido, I do...lol I don't watch it anymore (I haven't grown out of Sesame Street yet;-)
well here is Ziggy Marley and Red at the Dr. Romanelli Fraggle Rock Clothing Collaboration - A Toy Drive to Benefit the L.A. Mission at Kitson. Los Angeles, California on Wednesday Dec. 9th
Click HERE for more pics!
Rihanna got herself a new tat. It is below her right collabone and says "Never a failure,always a lesson" -backwards. She got it done at East Side Ink (NYC) at 2 AM last Monday.
According to the tatoo artist Keith "Bang Bang" McCurdy:
“Never a failure, always a lesson” tattooed backwards near her right shoulder.
That way she can read it in the mirror.I asked her why she wanted that and she
said, ‘It’s kind of my motto in life for everything.’ Instead of considering
things to be mistakes, considering them lessons.She said that she wanted to do
it in gray, rather than black, because she wanted it to be more subtle.She
didn’t want it to draw too much attention.”
Photo source
Photo sourceSkip dem...skip dem.... hah! Luv it.....It's dancing it's moving its electric....yeahayhay skip to ma lu...."
Mark Myrie better known as Buju Banton was arrested in Miami under posession charges. His been under a significant amount of pressure from gay rights advocates who most recenlty are asking for a boycott of his Reggae Album Grammy nomination.
According to The Miami Herald:
Buju Banton, the Jamaican reggae star whose anti-gay lyrics have drawn
international criticism, is in a federal lockup in Miami, facing drug conspiracy
charges.
Drug Enforcement Administration agents say Banton, real name Mark
Anthony Myrie, has been in custody since Thursday and will soon be transferred
to Tampa, where the U.S. Attorney is charging him with conspiracy to possess
with intent to distribute more than five kilos of cocaine.Banton has homes both in Jamaica and Tamarac.While legions of dancehall reggae enthusiasts view Banton as one of the most prolific voices of Jamaica's poor masses, critics say he's a gay basher whose lyrics incite violence by calling for attacking and torturing homosexuals. His song Boom Bye Bye, a dance-hall hit released in the 1990s, advocates shooting gays in the head and setting them on fire.
As late as September, Banton's local management told The Miami Herald that the criticism of the star was unwarranted because he had stopped singing the song years ago. The song remains a hit among reggae DJs.Still, such lyrics have made Banton one of the more controversial reggae artists, with angry gay activists this fall forcing the cancellation of a string of concerts by the artists during a U.S.
tour that included a Halloween night concert in Miami.Recently the firestorm
ratched up after the Grammys announced that Baton's album Rasta Got Soul,
released earlier this year, was up for an award.Gay Men of African Descent
and the National Black Justice Coalition joined with the Gay & Lesbian
Alliance Against Defamation in a petition drive protesting the nomination.
Fcuk! Cocaine?????? I hope that is a conspiracy eh. Rasta don't smoke coke! I am not sure what this means for his career, but I am a HUGE Buju fan and I hope that he releases a statement soon. This is crazy....sheesh.
It's 2009 soon to be 2010 and there is no doubt that this is the information age, where in mere seconds, news is spread via text, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and Youtube. It is digged, Stumbled upon and more. So its no suprise to see or hear celebs giving their opinions online. If fact for the most part I welcome it, as some of my posts are directly sourced from information these artists post. I think that there is a line that must be drawn at some point though and Swizz Beatz just crossed it, and so did Mashonda.
Basically he posted his fustration at being called out for cheating on his wife with Alicia Keys. According to his tweets, he was separated for two years so he did nothing wrong plus he is a good dad and no one is commending him for that. See it here below:
Then Mashonda responds basically confirming what everyone already knows and which Swizz admits to - he was still married.
Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall winner Baby Tash just released the video for "Facebook and Haffi Come Back".
Click HERE to see vid!
Yes indeed I am a fan. Not only are his songs great to listen to but there are profound messages within. So check out his new song "Warning" by clicking HERE. Hope we do more than just listen...
The 6th edition of the Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) takes place December 10-17, 2009 and will showcase 68 films from 26 countries, including 38 features of which several are world or international premieres and nearly all Bahamian premieres. The four competition categories at BIFF are Spirit of Freedom: Narrative; Spirit of Freedom: Documentary; New Visions; and Short Film. Special sections include a Caribbean Sidebar, World Cinema showcase, Hispanic Cinema Spotlight and special screenings.
Actor Johnny Depp to receive a Career Achievement award and this year's FestivalAmong the films screening at BIFF this year are the drama SKIN starring Sophie Okonedo, BIFF’s Rising Star, from Director Anthony Fabian; Steven Soderbergh’s THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE starring Sasha Grey and Chris Santos; Joshua Goldin’s dark comedy WONDERFUL WORLD starring Matthew Broderick, the comedy BAGDHAD TEXAS from David H. Hickey, Mexican action/drama SIN NOMBRE and acclaimed documentaries SWEET CRUDE and HOUSE OF NUMBERS, to name a few.
Bahamian filmmaker Kareem Mortimer’s acclaimed indie drama CHILDREN OF GOD will raise the curtain at this year’s festival as the official Opening Night Film while Lee Daniels’ critically lauded drama PRECIOUS starring Gabourey Sidibe, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Monique, Sherri Shepherd and Paula Patton will bring the week’s festivities to an end as the official Closing Night film on Dec. 17th.
The stars will be shining brighter than ever at this year’s BIFF. Festival Patron Sir Sean Connery will again be lending his full support throughout the week. On Tuesday, December 15th, Bahamian Director of Photography Gavin Mckinney will be awarded the 1st Bahamian Tribute Award. Wednesday, December 16th, Academy Award® nominee Sophie Okonedo (“Hotel Rwanda,” “Skin,”) will be feted with the Festival’s special Rising Star tribute. Festival goers will also want to keep an eye out for rock icon Lenny Kravitz, celebrated filmmaker Lee Daniels and a host of Hollywood talent in town to celebrate cinema in paradise!
The full BIFF program is available in print or online at bintfilmfest.com Booking for the 2009 Festival is now open. Tickets can be purchased at the BIFF Office, 4th Terrace East Collins Ave.
About the Bahamas International Film Festival:
The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing the local community and International festival goers with a diverse presentation of films from The Bahamas and around the world. In addition to showcasing quality films that might not otherwise be released theatrically worldwide, BIFF provides unique cultural experiences, educational programs, and forums for exploring the past, present & future of cinema. BIFF and its founder and executive director Leslie Vanderpool aims to raise the level of filmmaking, participation and education throughout The Bahamas and the world.
