EVERTON BLENDER - LIFT UP YOUR HEAD

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EVERTON BLENDER - LIFT UP YOUR HEAD

1. Create a Sound

2. Lift up Your Head

3. Where Do the Children Play? - Everton Blender, Stevens, Cat

4. My Father's Home

5. Gwaan Natty

6. Family Man

7. If You Want to Make It

8. Sun Is Shining - Everton Blender, Marley, Bob

9. Ghetto Youths

10. Westbound Train - Everton Blender, Brown, Dennis [1]

11. Ethiopia Calling

12. Bring Di Kutchie

13. Man Is Unjust

14. Sun Is Shining [Ezy Mix] - Everton Blender, Marley, Bob

Label Heartbeat

Orig Year 1994

Release Date Nov 01, 1994

Producer Richard Bell

Personnel

Danny Thompson

David Madden

Firehouse Crew

J. Moore

D. Lara

Danny Firehouse

Everton Blender - vocals

P. Hall

D. Pinckney - guitar

J. Lara - background vocals

S. Tucker

T. Green - horns

Wrongmove Crosdale

Also: Sly Dunbar, Dean Fraser, Culture Knox

First album by this concious roots singer.

All songs written or co-written by Richard Bell except "Where Do The Children Play" (Cat Stevens), "Sun Is Shining" (Bob Marley) and "Westbound Train" (D. Brown/W. Holness).

Personnel: Everton Blender (vocals); D. Pinckney (guitar); David Madden, T. Green (horns); D. Lara, J. Moore, S. Tucker, P. Hall, J. Lara (background vocals); Wrongmove Crosdale, Mafia & Fluxy, Danny Firehouse, Firehouse Crew, Danny Thompson.

Engineers: Culture Lee (tracks 1, 9); Newton Greenfield, D. Cole, R. Browne (tracks 2-3); Scientist, Jason (track 4); Culture Lee, Jason, Backra (track 5); Backra, Culture Lee, English (track 6); M. Riley, R. Bell (track 7); Newton Greenfield, English, D. Cole (track 8); Culture Lee, Newton Greenfield, R. Brownie (track 10); Culture Lee, David Cole (track 11); Backra, Culture Lee (track 13).

BIO

One of the few Jamaican singers to bridge the gap between roots and dancehall styles of reggae, the man known as Everton "Blender" When reggae fans hear the opening notes of "Lift Up Your Head" Ghetto People Song "" Blend Dem, "etc they immediately recognize these songs as cultural anthems of our time The high number of hits Everton has accrued is most impressive for an artist who has been in business for such a seemingly short time, but like many of Jamaica's biggest musical stars The road to fame was not short or easy one

Everton Williams was born in parish of Clarendon Jamaica but grew up in Kingston 13 on Maxfield Avenue Everton worked as a painter and decorator builder but he realiseraed to the strong chemicals heworked with were not good for his voice or his health in general, with God's help and direction he chose to leave his job to pursue a singing career in 1980 he met Phyllis Thompson (who would later become his wife) and moved back to Clarendon During 1985 Everton and Phyllis' first child, Isha was born

Although Everton had recorded a handful of singles for various producers, he had yet to score with a hit on the island but it was about to change in 1991, he expressed the autobiographical "Create a Sound" song Everton describes experiences in the music business and with Rasta beliefs It was released next year on the Star Trail label, and it was Everton Blender first hit Everton continued to record Star Tjärnväg which had a distribution agreement Med Heartbeat Records, 1994's Lift Up Your Head (HB 169) was Everton's full length debut and featured "Create a Sound" along with hits "Family Man" "Bring di Kutchie" "My father's home" Gwaan Natty "and the title track, which would go on to become one of the biggest anthems of the 1990s

Everton continued to record Star Trail and other labels, scoring hits including "Blend Dem" World Corruption "" Bob Marley "" Piece of the Blender "" The Man "and "Coming Harder" all collected on the 1996 album Piece of the Blender: The Singles (HB 209) By this time, Everton decided to take care of his career ochstarta his own label which he called "Blend Dem Productions, he began to finance most of their own recordings, a move that proved to increasetension between him and many who wanted to control the music production and marketing of the island, but he persevered knew that having control of his career was the right decision and his relationship with the Heartbeat became even stronger during the 1999 Heartbeat out Everton Blender's first album Blend Dem productions Rootsman Credential (HB 227) In addition to missed shots as "Ghetto People Song" "Why do we have to war" and "False Words" was Everton's own productions including "Slick Me Slick" "These Hands" and many more strong statements of Everton faith and will to SINCE successful release of Rootsman Credential Everton has toured the USA Europe and the Caribbean, established himself as one of the best touring teams from Jamaica Live at the White River Reggae Bash (HB 242) captures Everton performtheir most popular material with Blend Dem tape

As the millennium ended Heartbeat released an album of new Blend Dem productions that includes top acts riding Everton Blender produced Rhythms Dance Hall Liberation (HB 246) features Anthony B, Tony Rebel, Louie Culture Richie Spice Everton Blender daughter Isha and Everton was also executive producer on Richie Spice's debut album Universal (HB 103) and plays a role in Spanner Banner new release Real Love (HB 249)

Blender album was released in 2001 Visionary (HB 254) consisted of his trademark conscious commitment over sizzling roots and dancehall own productions with guest appearances by Bennie Man Anthony B, Tony Rebel, and Marcia Griffiths with Everton's strong performance single best album reviewsthroughout the music press in 2001 and 2002 was also marked excellent touring year for Blender, where he headlined several major reggae events

King Man (HB 258) is the latest work of Blend Dem Productions The new album is the latest game in Blender legacy of excellent reggae music to the discerning listener Expect to see Everton Blender somewhere near you as he tours later this year to support the release

DUANE STEPHENSON BIOGRAFIA

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DUANE STEPHENSON BIOGRAFIA

Duane Stephenson is more than just a reggae singer. His work exhibits the versatility of many of music’s greatest artists in the pop realm; mixing poetic lyrics that address social ills, romance and global issues with excellent phrasing, potent hooks and melodic changes - all delivered in an extremely nimble tenor that wakes the soul and challenges the mind.

Duane Stephenson’s work as a songwriter reflects contributions from a diverse group of industry veterans including a collaboration on “Better Tomorrow” with Jamaican mega-producer Handel Tucker creator of hits for Maxi Priest, Diana King, Shaggy and The Fugees. “Better Tomorrow” is an uplifting ballad with world music influences and an optimistic message. An accompanying video was directed by Ras Kassa the Guru director of Damian Marley’s Welcome To Jamrock and other innovative videos with Sean Paul, Richie Spice and Tarrus Riley. The” Better Tomorrow” video features uplifting scenes of people striving to overcome obstacles and a sincere message of encouragement to those in the artistic community with scenes that include a ballet dancer, as well as varied musicians including a full string section.

Duane’s current album BLACK GOLD released on VP Records, is nominated for the 2010 Album of the Year at Jamaica’s EME (Excellence in Music & Entertainment) Awards. “Rescue Me” the initial single from the BLACK GOLD album has maintained a top three chart position for several weeks, reaching #1 and the BLACK GOLD album has reached #1 on the Jamaica Music Countdown. These songs are written with originality and profound intention as Duane explains, “When we do an album, we do music that people can relate to because any situation you find yourself in, chances are someone else has found themselves in that situation. It is real life situations, so the real life emotions come out, that is how it is.”

Duane wrote “A Step for Mankind” with The Wailers to benefit the United Nations World Food Programme. The track has become the anthem for global hunger eradication. The song is featured on Oniric Record’s Solutions for Dreamers: Season 3 which directly benefits the WFP, the song is most importantly a call to action for everyone to stand up against hunger and truly help mankind take a step in the right direction. Duane was introduced to the Wailers through their work with the UN World Food Programme.

In October, 2010 Duane was invited by the World Food Programme to honor Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the The George McGovern Leadership Award Ceremony as part of his work to raise awareness on the need for more action in addressing the issue of world hunger. As for the scope of his contribution as a reggae artist and humanitarian, he explains: “What I am doing is part of a larger mandate. The more you can do to make the world a better place for everybody, it is really a pleasure to do the little bit that I am actually doing, the feeling is great.”

In the fall of 2010, Duane teamed up with The Wailers, led by Aston “Family Man” Barrett performing as a special guest on tours throughout North and South America. in Brazil he shared equal billing with Ky-mani Marley, Big Mountain, Pato Banton and The Wailers for the One Life Tour. Recent shows have garnered a positive response with sold out performances for this compelling songwriter and versatile singer. Festival performances in 2011 include the Rotterdam Reggae Festival in The Netherlands, Rockers Rockers Rockers in France, Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in the United States.

Duane Stephenson’s second single from the BLACK GOLD release, “Sufferer’s Heights features vivid lyrical images in sung with conviction, backed by lush female harmonies, and punctuated by intricate horn lines. Through these lyrics, Duane reminds the listener that although we may have financial concerns, there is a profound lack in the world’s under-served, “sufferer” communities, with the refrain, “things could be better, things could be worse….In a sufferer’s heights, the youths can’t find no dinner, and pure old clothes they dress up inna.”

His debut recording, FROM AUGUST TOWN released on Cannon/VP Records and produced by reggae maestro and saxophonist Dean Fraser was heralded by Billboard magazine as one of six albums, “collectively galvanizing a roots reggae revival” with “lyrics that convey romantic longings and the anguish of ghetto realities with equal conviction.” Pitchfork.com cited the album as “undoubtedly a highlight of not just 2008, but perhaps the past few years.”

His new album’s title BLACK GOLD has its metaphorical roots in several areas, including the “representation of self-worth as a black person, and by extension Africa,” as Duane explains, “BLACK GOLD is also oil and we see how precious it is and how much abuse goes on to obtain it; people are suffering and yet we are spending millions on guns, bombs; instead of buying steel to make a house you buy it to make a gun. The song and album title also speak to the value of our music, because it is black gold.” As Duane reflects on the songwriting process for his second album, he notes, “I started to travel, meet new people and have new experiences; there is so much growth mentally, emotionally, and musically, I tried to encompass that growth into the songs on BLACK GOLD.” And as for the messaging on the album he explains, “A record must have a purpose, and my ultimate purpose is to speak about what is happening but to ultimately leave people with hope.”

Collaborations on BLACK GOLD abound with some of reggae’s most innovative lyricists and such as dub poet Mutabaruka who speaks truth to power on the acoustic track, “Truth Is” or sparring for a woman’s affection with Gramps Morgan on the country music-influenced, “Rescue Me” or addressing issues facing Jamaica’s young girls with the outspoken Queen Ifrica recording the cover of Dennis Brown’s “Stay at Home.”
The collaboration with maestro Dean Fraser began when Duane Stephenson was the lead vocalist of the band To Isis, a role he filled for ten years before releasing his solo debut. Duane first approached Dean to produce a To Isis album. Fraser, who has contributed to more than 1,000 albums in his career including chart-toppers by Luciano and Tarrus Riley, saw the raw talent in Duane, whose first hit song FROM AUGUST TOWN, chronicled the life experiences he had growing up in this area of Kingston, where he had watched many fall from violence and the ills of poverty.

Duane Stephenson was surrounded by music as a youth, his uncle Michael Rutherford was the lead singer of a popular group known as Sunny Bradshaw and the Big Band. During his childhood he was encouraged to participate in music studies and attended Cathy Levy’s Little People and Team Players Club, a performing arts school based in Kingston, Jamaica. Being a member of this club allowed Duane to travel extensively throughout Jamaica, The Caribbean and the United States where he performed for US president Bill Clinton.

Duane Stephenson creates music that uplifts and enlightens with a greater mission for the betterment of humanity. Watch for his music and message, in celebration of his latest release BLACK GOLD.

REBELUTION BIOGRAFIA

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REBELUTION BIOGRAFIA

Last month a CD came delivered by a band out of Santa Barbara, California, called Rebelution. With a mixture of fun reggae, jazz, pop and a little Latin magic, Peace Of Mind quickly became addictive. With the jazzy funk of the first single “Sky Is The Limit” to the almost Santana-ish “Comfort Zone” to the darkly hypnotic “Lady In White”, Rebelution have filled Peace Of Mind with twelve engaging songs that never cause the listener to zone out.

So what exactly is Rebelution? Glide decided to find out with a phone call to lead singer and main songwriter Eric Rachmany, who was home in San Francisco enjoying some nice weather before his band went back out on the road. Formed in 2004 while all four band members were attending college, Rebelution first hit big in Hawaii, releasing their first album in 2007. They have been growing in popularity ever since, selling out more and more venues as they travel the country spreading their modern reggae rock.

Your latest release, called Peace Of Mind, has three separate CDs that contain different versions of the same twelve songs. What was your thinking for doing that?

Well, we’ve always kind of had this idea to put out an acoustic album. When the band was first getting started we would sometimes play acoustic shows at a little Italian restaurant in Santa Barbara, which is where we got started. None of us are actually from Santa Barbara but we all met in college and we just really enjoyed playing acoustic music. I mean, I love playing acoustic even more than on the electric guitar so I’ve always wanted to put out some sort of acoustic record. Our manager had a great idea. He said, why don’t we put out an acoustic version of this new album and then an all instrument dub version of the album as well. That way we can give the fans something really cool and it won’t just be twelve songs, it’ll be thirty-six songs that they can listen to. We figured it was the right thing to do because it’s been awhile since we’ve put out a record. Our fans were hungry for it so we said, let’s go for it.

And so far it’s been great. We tried some new stuff on this album and everybody in this band listens to a wide variety of music so this album is really a demonstration and an example of the wide variety of music we all listen to and are influenced by.

Did you have just the twelve songs for this CD or were there more that you had to pick from?

Actually, there wasn’t cause I’m a really slow songwriter. Those twelve songs are pretty much the only songs I’ve got (laughs). It just takes me so long to write songs. I really don’t know what it is, whether it’s the lyrics or whether I have to get in the right mode to song write. I just seem to take a lot of time. But there was a lot of effort put into this album. It’s not like we had a hundred songs and I had to bring them down to a few to make the album, to make the cut. We thought about this album for a long time. Literally, since the last album came out in 2009, we were working on this album.

Where do you get your inspiration from? Do you pull from your personal life or are you trying to build a story?

It’s a little bit of everything. Ever since we became a touring band, I’ve seen different things on the road and met different people and certainly a lot of this album was me writing in the perspective of somebody else, putting myself into someone else’s shoes, and writing on behalf of their perspective. In that regard, this album was really fun to write because I wasn’t talking about me-me-me all the time. Instead, I can write in first person but I’m really writing in the eyes of somebody else. That’s something I’ve done in the past but I really got into it on this album. It made it more exciting to pretend that you were somebody else and write based on their experiences. A lot of that is people I know or met on the road and different things I see on the road. It was definitely inspiring.

You said Rebelution was born in Santa Barbara while you were at college. What were you studying?

I started out with music and that is how I met our bass player and our drummer. We kind of formed a band after meeting each other in classes. Then I switched and I studied Religion and then I took a lot of music classes on the side and then of course played in Rebelution as we were all going to college. But we all finished, somehow we all did it (laughs)

During those days did you know your band was going to go all the way or was that a wish you weren’t sure would come true?
I was fortunate enough cause since I was the last one to graduate I had seen the band take off a little bit in my Senior year of college. I sort of told myself and said to the band, “As soon as I’m done with school I’m willing to give this a try and start touring around the country and really hustling and getting our stuff out there”. I had a good feeling about it just because of the response we were getting while I was still in college.

We had a really good fanbase in Hawaii while I was still in college. Some kid picked our song up from MySpace and he sent it into the radio station and it became a hit out in Hawaii. So I’d seen some success with it already and I knew that I was going to give it a try no matter what.

That must have been exciting to have Hawaii pick up your music first?

After Santa Barbara it was Hawaii that took to our music first and that’s the power of the internet and the way that the music industry works today. You can have your music heard all over the world. Coming from a small college town in Santa Barbara it’s such a trip. I owe a great deal of success to that sort of social media outlet.

Do you think it is easier today with how the music industry has changed?

I think that there is opportunity where that wasn’t the case back in the day. I think back in the day there was a lot of money being fueled into these artists by big major record labels. It still happens today but nowadays we have this opportunity as an independent artist to put our music out online, put it on itunes. We’ve toured tremendously throughout the years since we started this band. That’s our kind of our success and I think it’s possible for any band to do that too.

And you also get immediate feedback and can see where you have so-called hot spots to go and play.

Right, exactly. That’s been the case with us. We would have never known we had fans in Hawaii if it wasn’t for the way that the industry works today.

How did you discover reggae music?

In high school I was listening to a lot of reggae, Bob Marley and a few other artists, and I got heavily into it. Then toward the beginning of college I just kind of found a little reggae scene going on in Santa Barbara. Of course, our bass player came from kind of a background of listening to reggae and his name is Marley. He grew up listening to a lot of Bob Marley and reggae. We just found that commonality and started covering songs. That is how the band started, as a cover band, and it took about a year till we started writing original tunes. We figured out we could do this and gained the confidence to be songwriters and performers and musicians.

Have you been to Jamaica yet and played?

No, not yet but we definitely have some connections (laughs). We kind of have a different take on reggae but so far everyone that has heard us from Jamaica really enjoy it. There are a lot of legendary artists that really enjoy our music and that’s a really good feeling to know that they enjoy it.

Who has been your biggest influence as a musician?

There is a guy named Don Carlos. He is a pretty legendary artist out of Jamaica and I’ve been fortunate to have toured with him over the summer and got to chat with him. He knows he’s been a big influence on me and Rebelution. He is a great guy and we’ve been really fortunate to link up with him. When I was listening to a lot of reggae, he was one of those guys I became inspired by so I always mention his name. But I really get inspired by a lot of different music. I like World Music, I like singer-songwriter acoustic, I like blues and pop and rap and hip hop, everything. It’s not limited to one person or one style.

When you were writing these songs, did you have one in particular that sent a tingle down your spine?

It’s hard because every one I have an attachment to obviously. It’s an art form and I really try to put my all into it and try to convey an emotion and a feeling within everything I write. But there is a song called “Moonlight” from our last album, Bright Side Of Life. It’s one of those songs I get to pick up the acoustic. People often ask you what would it be like if you were trapped on an island and you could bring three things and that’s kind of my mentality with that song. It’s like what I would do and who I would bring and what I would try to accomplish in that situation. That was a fun song to write and kind of means something.

“Lady In White” on the new CD seems to be getting a lot of attention for its subject matter.

That’s one of the songs that I wrote on behalf of somebody else. Cocaine is an incredibly addictive drug and nobody in the band does any hard drugs but I tried to imagine myself in the shoes of somebody who has an incredible addiction to drugs. It’s a tug-of-war between being sober and being addicted to this drug. If it wasn’t “Moonlight”, this probably is the other song I felt a real attachment to even though I’ve never had any sort of drug addiction. But just putting myself in somebody else’s scene like that was just really fun to write. Although it’s a heavy song, I really enjoyed being a part of that one.

And then you have a song like “Comfort Zone”, which is almost a complete opposite.

It’s hard to just pinpoint one theme on the album. But it is called Peace Of Mind and “Comfort Zone” I think really fits in with the album title because it really is about finding that zone of comfortability. That’s sometimes a challenge being on the road as a band. Everybody has to find that kind of zone where they feel comfortable and can pursue what they have to pursue and that’s kind of like one of the themes of the album.

So what are Rebelution’s plans for 2012?

We’re going to finish off this winter tour, the Peace Of Mind tour. Then we’ll do a few shows here and there and we’re talking about maybe going international at some point this summer. Then hopefully play some outdoor shows here in the States as well. Summertime is the best. You’re able to perform outside in venues where it feels good in a t-shirt and shorts and flip flops. That’s our environment (laughs)

So what can people expect who have never seen Rebelution live onstage before?

You know, our live show is constantly changing because we’re learning new ways to incorporate different things into our set. We’re constantly evolving. As we’re coming out with new songs and new albums, we’re throwing in new songs and new renditions. I think people really enjoy singing along to our lyrics. And that’s what feels the best is seeing people happy and smiling and you can see our music being identified with them. We try to keep the energy pretty high and get the crowd involved and that’s kind of always been the Rebelution style.

NAZARENES BIOGRAFIA

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NAZARENES BIOGRAFIA

Since their debut album Orit in 2001, the Nazarenes have brought forth some of the most refreshing sounds in reggae music. Brothers and lead singers Mehdane Tewolde and Noah Isaac Tewolde possess two of the most distinguished voices in contemporary reggae. Their soulful, wailing, haunting voices pay homage to reggae’s youth, a time when its artists drew heavily from the best of America’s soul singers, and evoke memories of the brothers’ childhood days in Ethiopia where they listened to reggae and R&B.

Before joining together as a duo, both Medhane and Noah honed their skills as solo artists performing with various groups throughout the 1990s. Medhane toured with different Jamaican artists in both Europe and Africa. Noah released an album and three singles with Virgin Records in 1994.

Despite their notable solo success, it is the brothers’ combined efforts that account for their unique, penetrating sound. In their music, soul greets reggae, reggae returns to its ancestral home, and the world of music becomes a better and spiritually richer place. To listen to the Nazarenes is to embark upon a spiritual journey, shepherded by two of the most distinct voices in the business. Their trademark harmonies and impeccable vocals are captivating. And while their mesmerizing music stands on its own, so too would their voices a capella.

Their debut Album ”ORIT” was released in Gothenburg Sweden in 2001 by Insteel Sounds; and the much anticipated second album ”SONGS OF LIFE” was released in fall 2004 distributed by Heartbeat/Rounder Europe, and later released in USA and Canada during summer 2005. The third album “ROCK FIRM” was released in late 2008. 2012 finds the Nazarenes poised to release yet another innovative album – this time with the help of St. Croix-based reggae label – I Grade Records. The Nazarenes first teamed up with producer Tippy I of I Grade for one song on the acclaimed compilation, “JOYFUL NOISE.” The result of this first collaboration – an unforgettable song entitled “Everlasting” – inspired both the Nazarenes and Tippy to embark on recording a full-length album. Scheduled for an April 2012 release, this new album, entitled “MEDITATION”, presents a powerful fusion of worlds and sounds, blending the Nazarenes’ hauntingly powerful vocals with cutting edge, live-instrumentation deep roots. Song collaborations with Midnite and Lutan Fyah, and production provided by I Grade and the Zion I Kings production teams, make for a modern classic.

The Nazarenes’ voices are their instruments, and through them the Caribbean’s music rejoins it’s ancestral continent as Eritrea and Ethiopia’s rich past finds a voice in in today’s roots music movement. Reggae’s diaspora returns home in the voice of the Nazarenes, firmly planted in reggae’s rootical and rebellious sound. In the Nazarenes, beauty, pain, love, pride, and hope come together.

MIDNITE BIOGRAFIA

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MIDNITE BIOGRAFIA



time is not counted from daylight but from Midnite...
Hailing from St Croix, Virgin Islands

Lead singer Vaughn Benjamin's electrifying voice seems an amalgamation of many great voices in reggae-soulful, chanting, edgy. Vaughn's potent lyrical style and his brother Ron Benjamin's exquisite production, vocals, dub, arrangements, keyboard & bass musical arragements form the nucleus of this musical - rootsy heavy sound, which includes:
Christian Molina (drums), Edmund Fieulleteau (guitar), Edwin Byron (guitar) and Ras L (keyboards).

Midnite weaves the cultural lyrics of "old school" roots music with modern day experiences to create a unique listening encounter. Roots Reggae - naked and raw is an apt description for Midnite's musical style, in which they forgo the frills of extensive remixes, overdubbing and other musical refinements.

"Unpolished" is the title of their debut album which includes such classics as "Don't Move", "Mama Africa", and "Love the Life You Live". Originally released in 1997, while the band was located in Washington, DC.

In 1999, Midnite linked up with Wildchild! Records for their second release "Ras Mek Peace". Incredibly, this album was recorded using only two channels and was mastered without any reverb, filtering, compression or equalization. Songs like "Hieroglyphics", in which graffiti is likened to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, showcase the intelligent songwriting that pervades all of Midnite's works.

Following the release of Ras Mek Peace, Midnite returned to live in St. Croix so that they could work with the local musicians and make recordings at their African Roots Lab without any outside interference. The fruits of these labours can be found on their third album "Jubilees of Zion", which was released on their independent Afrikan Roots Lab record label. The expansive, hypnotic rhythms continue, alongside the messages of peace, universal brotherhood, and cultural resistance to Babylon.

In June 2002, Midnite made their Northern California debut at the 9th Annual Sierra Nevada World Music Festival. That same month saw the release of Midnite's fourth album "Seek Knowledge Before Vengeance". Released on their Afrikan Roots Lab record label, this album raises the bar of cultural roots reggae, as we know it today.

Midnite explodes in live performances with sets that often exceed 3 hours. Their vigorous, weighty sound, driven by the punchy bass lines creates a vibe that penetrates straight to the heart. These epic musical communions have earned Midnite an enormous following throughout the reggae community.

By breaking all the rules, Midnite is setting a new standard. Armed with a firm foundation in Jah Rastafari, their natural talents, and a strong and uncompromising musical vision, Midnite champions a unique sound that is on the cutting edge of modern roots music.

DENNIS BROWN BIOGRAFIA

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DENNIS BROWN BIOGRAFIA

Dennis Brown was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1957. Hailed as a child prodigy and called the "Michael Jackson of reggae," Brown was just 12 years old when he recorded his first album, No Man is an Island, which included the hit single of the same name. Largely hailed as "reggae's king" following Bob Marley's death in 1981,

Brown recorded nearly 80 albums over his 30-year career. His addiction to cocaine contributed to his early death on July 1, 1999.

Early Career

Born as Dennis Emmanuel Brown on February 1, 1957 in Kingston, Jamaica. Dubbed by Bob Marley as his successor and called the "Crown Prince" of reggae, Brown was just 12 years old when he created his first hit single, "No Man is an Island." He recorded the song at the famed Studio One Records in 1969, as part of his album of the same name.

Brown had begun working toward a music career three years prior to the release of No Man is an Island; at the age of 9, he had begun singing with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. During concerts, the young Brown stood atop beer boxes so that he could be seen. In 1968, He had caught the attention of Studio One sound system operator Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, and soon began recording at the studio, where Bob Marley had carved out his sound several years before. During an amazing two-day session, Brown recorded two albums: No Man Is an Island and If I Follow My Heart.


Commercial Success

In 1971, Brown released Super Reggae & Soul Hits, which featured a more mature sound and pushed Brown to stardom. His silky, smooth voice endeared him to listeners and record executives, and as his stature grew, so did the demands from record producers who wanted to tap into his success. Over his nearly 30-year career, Brown churned out 80 albums for some 40 different recording labels. His hits include "Some Like It Hot," "Cassandra," "Westbound Train," "My Time," "How Could I Leave" and "Ghetto Girl." His 1972 single, "In My Pocket," landed among the U.K.'s Top 10.

Brown's career mirrored the changes in reggae music, from lovers' rock to dancehall, to digital. With each change, the easy sounding musician seemed to effortlessly transition. In 1994, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for the album Light My Fire.

Following Bob Marley's death in 1981, many assumed that Brown, who for a time moved to London after signing with A&M Records, would pick up the torch as reggae's leading man. The result, however, was a mediocre stab at pop reggae and the release of three poorly received albums.

Later Years

As Brown transitioned into the 1980s, his drug of choice changed from marijuana to cocaine. He was never able to kick his cocaine habit, which contributed to his early death on July 1, 1999 in Kingston, Jamaica. Just two months before he died, Brown, who fathered 13 children during his lifetime, had been arrested in Brazil for possession of drugs.

Despite his personal issues, Brown continued to make the recording studio his second home until his death.


During the final year of his life, he released three records, and had been working on a fourth when he passed.

In an interview with National Public Radio, Damien Marley, Bob Marley's son, spoke about Dennis Brown's legacy: "He was one of those persons who made it cool to smile in reggae music. When I listen to his music, I can hear that he really loved singing. It almost sounds like he smiles while he's singing."

DONNA MARIE BIOGRAFIA

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DONNA MARIE BIOGRAFIA

Donna Marie was born in the UK, although her formative years were spent in Jamaica. It was while living in Jamaica that she demonstrated her talent singing lead in her local Pentecostal Church choir. After leaving the choir she joined a band performing lead and backing vocals. By 1989 Marie began recording as a soloist with the Pioneers, heralding her emergence in the UK as a lovers rock singer. She released her first single, ‘On The Outside’, which was a cover version of the theme to the Australian soap opera Prisoner Cell Block H. She then released four neglected albums with the group before concentrating on sessions with Delroy Wilson, which resulted in the enticing ‘Dance With Me’. Marie maintained a credible profile within the industry for a number of years, including notable sessions with vocalist Don Campbell. By July 1994 her performance at the Intermezzo nightspot in London inspired Jeff Peart of the Boiler Room production team to sign the singer. With Peart and the crew she recorded Now, which featured the chart-topping song ‘Think Twice’, a version of the Celine Dion hit. Marie’s interpretation of the song sold particularly well in South America, topped the Italian charts and held the number 1 position in the reggae charts. In 1995 she continued to maintain a high profile, appearing alongside Bunny Wailer at his prestigious concert in Finsbury Park, London, as well as performing with Beres Hammond in the UK and Shabba Ranks in Jamaica. In 1997 Marie toured Brazil and other parts of South America, where her arrival was greeted with rapturous enthusiasm. She featured on television shows, the streets were adorned with banners detailing her tour and her face appeared on the front of the daily nationals. The unprecedented welcome showed Donna Marie as the Queen of Reggae in South American eyes.

MISTY IN ROOTS BIOGRAFIA

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MISTY IN ROOTS BIOGRAFIA

With a career spanning four decades, Misty in Roots are one of England’s finest reggae groups. The band was one of the most powerful live reggae acts to emerge from 1970s London, and they were a major force in the Rock Against Racism movement. They are back in style in 2002 with a great new album on Real World Records.

This British based Roots Reggae Band MISTY IN ROOTS have played together for the past 20 years, first coming together in 1975 and working as a backing band for the late, great Nicky Thomas - one of Jamaica's all time greats who had achieved national chart success with songs such as "Living In The Land Of The Common People". Nicky Thomas was the inspiration from which MISTY developed.

By 1978 MISTY IN ROOTS began to develop their own orthodox roots reggae sound. Their powerful lyrics inspired by the economic decline, a growing awareness of their African culture and a spiritual awakening inspired tracks as "GHETTO OF THE CITY", "SODOM & COMMORA" AND MANKIND" all off which can be found on the band's first album 'LIVE AT THE COUNTER EUROVISION'.

During the period 1977/78 the political situation in the U.K. was a breaking point. Black consciousness was at its peak and racism roamed the streets of London. Unemployment was affecting both black and white youths and through this depression a new musical alliance was born, young white youths totally fed up with the status quo turned to playing punk music whilst at the same time identifying strongly with the British reggae acts as MISTY IN ROOTS, STEEL PULSE and ASWAD. With the coming of the ‘Rock against Racism’ movement the musical fight-back had begun and for the first time black and white musicians were playing together on the same platform bringing about a totally new concept in musical awareness.

MISTY IN ROOTS one of the most powerful live reggae acts to have come out of London and noted for their powerful roots reggae sound and uncompromising lyrical vibrations, became the major force in Rock Against Racism, playing more concerts than any other band in the movement. This opened up a whole new audience for the band who quickly developed a very strong cross over audience, playing with acts such as Tom Robinson, The Ruts and Elvis Costello.

Despite MISTY'S huge success as a live act the band did not release their first album until 1979. The album LIVE AT THE COUNTER EUROVISION, which was recorded live in Belgium during the band's 1978 tour, is today still proclaimed by many critics as the best live reggae album of all time. MISTY followed LIVE AT THE COUNTER EUROVISION with a string of limited edition singles such as "OH WICKED MAN", "RICH MAN’, SALVATION", "HOW LONG JAH" and "SEE THEM AH COME".

The band’s second album WISE AND FOOLISH released in 1982 took on more mellow, jazzy and soulful tone.

By 1982 MISTY IN ROOTS was a force to be reckoned with but because of their determination to remain independent the band took a major step into Africa spending nine months in Zimbabwe and Zambia. The period spent in Africa had a major impact on the development of MISTY’S following two albums EARTH and MUSI O TUNYA, both of which were directly inspired by the band’s experiences in Africa.

EARTH released in 1983 was moving musical documentation of the devastation caused to mother Earth by mankind because of greed, cruelty and ignorance. The album consist of classic tracks as "FOLLOW FASHION", "EARTH", "POOR AND NEEDY", "OWN THEM CONTROL THEM" and "SERVANT TO JAH".

MUSI O TUNYA released in 1985 was a reflection of the band’s love for Africa. MUSI O TUNYA (THE SMOKE THAT THUNDERS) is a beautiful place where Zimbabwe and Zambia meet and the great Zambezi river gives up all its might to form one of the most beautiful sights of Southern Africa. The falls MUSI O TUNYA are known in English as Victoria Falls.

During 1987 MISTY IN ROOTS took their first trip to West Africa, the spiritual home of their ancestors, it was indeed a pleasant experience to set foot in the region after four hundred years in exile.

1989 saw the beginning of a friendship between MISTY IN ROOTS and KAZ RECORDS which resulted in the release of the album FORWARD which saw MISTY reach the heights once again.

Now as we approach the millennium we can look back over the works of MISTY IN ROOTS and see how immense the combined talents of this cooperative group, producing uplifting righteous music for all to hear. And how right they were staying with their roots and not following trends such as dancehall music, which has withered away with the new growth of 1990s uprightful conscious roots music - right back where MISTY IN ROOTS were coming from nearly twenty years ago.

I KONG BIOGRAFIA

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I KONG BIOGRAFIA

Reggae legend I Kong has been through more than his share of life’s experiences over the last few decades, and the new Tropical Records release of the extended 19 song Forgotten Man CD will prove to be one of the best opportunities for Kong’s positive messages of true love, world peace, and total unity amongst humans to the world.

The I Kong vibe and energy is unmistakable on this extended CD album entitled, The Forgotten Man (Release date: July 14, 2009), this is the latest release by I Kong in what is a lengthy and prolific career that began decades ago and today, I Kong has now reached a place being a part of reggae history. And, personally, Kong is at total peace with everything which is evident in the songs on the new CD.

I Kong’s musical journey began in Jamaica, where he first heard legend Bob Marley music which gave the inspiration to be able to convey his own message in his own music and then to the music world.“Kong is legend. His music is amazing and his new material is the best music he has done to date,” says Don Lichterman, the head of Tropical / Sunset Records. “The most incredible part of me hearing the final work on this new CD is that our first single is actually the 19th and final song on the CD. That is not only a great testament to putting together a great full length album, this is also a great roots reggae CD that every world music fan will have as part of their collection. And, Kong is a legendary artist that will be around forever in the history of music.”

Lichterman (Don) goes onto say that he picked up the Forgotten Man CD and then added four (4) brand new songs recorded by the legendary reggae artist. I Kong also originally released The Way It Is in 1978, which is the only album recorded by Errol Kong, the nephew of the famous Jamaican producer Leslie Kong. Now, almost 30 years after that album release, these nineteen tracks (expanded for this reissue) are being worked as a new album by the upstart Tropical Records. The album's lead track and first single is a brand new song by I Kong entitled, "Are You Lonely For Me Baby," is a quintessential reggae song that is sure to be a standard.

After years of making music and playing endless amounts of live shows being on the road, let alone multiple successful albums in the reggae music scene, and his endless durable work ethic, Kong spent a lot of time writing his music back on the Jamaican island. And, after working with his old record labels and distribution companies in the music industry along with his management and booking agents, he finally found his home at the Tropical Record label (a main subsidiary of Sunset). And no matter how legendary and how strong Kong’s songs are in his career, let alone his ongoing growing popularity every year, getting paid for that work seemed to be a problem for this artist. Lichterman says, “the one thing he will get at Tropical is paid for his work and the way we structured this deal is that he will get paid day one (so to speak) for that work.” Lichterman then goes onto to say that “sales today, mean nothing to me” because he “expects” that eventually, “every artist at Sunset will be multi platinum status and the last couple years have been a complete set up for the rest of our lives.”

Prior to this deal last month, Kong started his own company to handle his own business affairs. He created and founded the Kong Music label with Gee Cee Management founder, George Campbell. And, Lichterman embraced the model for the independent reggae musician. And, the label head proceeded to sign a few artists (Original Black Pantah) through the new label deal. “Considering the landscape of distribution today and considering the reach of the internet for music artists and us Indy labels, Kong is one of those artists that need to be out and available to everyone in the world.”

The label has the CD set up at major retail stores and is getting ready to begin work on radio play this week. I Kong is featured in the newsletter given out to over 80,000 people at the Bonnaroo Music Festival next week (Bonnaroo Beacon Newsletter). The CD is set to hit stores on July 14th. The downloads and ringtones will also be available wherever they are sold online.

And, Kong’s obvious messages on the Forgotten Man nineteen (19) song extended CD is of total self-confidence, financial independence, and his great self-confidence that has gradually taken on new meaning for Kong. And, as Kong’s career continues to grow and blossom even to this day, he will reap of release a solid reggae CD to the world.

DENNIS ALCAPONE BIOGRAFIA

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DENNIS ALCAPONE BIOGRAFIA

Biography

Born Dennis Smith in Clarendon, Jamaica on August 6, 1947, he initially trained to become a welder and did a stint in the Jamaica Public Services. Inspired by various sound systems that he had visited, including those of Prince Buster and Bruce Reid, Dennis Alcapone teamed up with two friends to set up the El Paso Hi-Fi sound system in 1969. The venture proved immensely successful and its popularity soared rapidly. Dennis’ unique performances caught the attention of producer Clement ‘Coxsonne’ Dodd, who had just lost one of his best artistes, the iconic U-Roy, to rival producer Duke Reid
U-Roy was dominating the Jamaican music charts and Dodd was on the lookout for a suitable replacement who would knock U-Roy off his perch. With Dodd’s studio music archives at his command, Dennis got to work and soon began to churn out versions of hit singles by Alton Ellis, John Holt, Delroy Wilson, The Heptones and Carlton & The Shoes. Alcapone's ‘Forever Version’ of the hit single ‘Love Me Forever’ titled his debut album, which compiled many of these hits.
However, Alcapone was not working exclusively for Dodd. He made a number of well-received singles, among them ‘Spanish Amigo’, a version of Ken Boothe’s ‘Old Fashioned Way’ for producer Keith Hudson. By now, several producers were trying to lure Alcapone away from Dodd to work for them. Finally, in 1971, Alcapone moved out of Dodd’s stable and joined forces with Bunny Lee, a partnership that saw the release of several memorable hits. ‘Ripe Cherry’, a version of ‘Cherry Oh Baby’, ‘Horse and Buggy’, a version of ‘Mule Train’ and ‘Lorna Banana’ a duet with fellow DJ Prince Jazzbo, all dominated the music charts. It was here that Dennis came out with one of biggest hits, ‘Guns Don’t Argue’, a version of Eric Donaldson’s ‘Love Of The Common People’. Many of the singles made in partnership with Lee were brought together in the1971 album ‘Guns Don’t Argue.
Dennis soon parted ways with Bunny Lee and joined the label Treasure Isle, headed by producer Duke Reid, from where he continued to belt out hit after hit. ‘The Great Woggie’, a version of The Technique’s ‘You Don’t Care’, was released in 1971 and followed soon after by another hit, ‘Teach The Children’. This last song was so popular that it was adopted by Jamaican radio literacy shows for a very long time.
By 1972, Dennis Alcapone’s fame had reached the shores of Europe and he embarked on a successful tour of Britain later that year. He was awarded Best DJ Of The Year by Swing magazine and soon toured Britain once again, this second tour proving to be even more successful that the first. Over a three-year period, between 1970 and 1973, Alcapone released a staggering 130 singles. He worked with several prominent producers, releasing hit versions of several classic numbers. ‘This is Butter’, ‘Out the Light’, ‘Go Johnny Go’, ‘Fine Style’, ‘King of Kings’, ‘Africa Stands’ and "My Voice Is Insured for Half a Million Dollars," were just some of the spectacular hits released during this period.
In 1974, Alcapone shifted to London, a move that saw his career graph begin to decline. The album ‘Belch It Off’ did not enjoy any significant success. A move to the U.K label Magnet resulted in the release of the album ‘King Of The Track’, which compiled hits produced with Bunny Lee and some new tracks produced in collaboration with Count Shelly. Magnet soon lost interest in the project and back home; a new set of DJs had taken over the Jamaican music scene, effectively relegating Alcapone to the backburner of public memory.
His collaboration with the Third World Label saw the release of three albums, Dead Capone, Six Million Dollar Man and Investigator Rock. However, none of them made much of an impact. The album ‘Universal Rockers’, released by music label RAS also did not do any better, and Alcapone took a sabbatical from music.
He returned to the stage in 1988, taking the WOMAD festival by storm a year later. Returning to Jamaica in 1990, he began to work once more with Bunny Lee. His releases during this period however, had little impact on the Jamaican music scene. However, his 1997 album ‘21st Century Version’, released in collaboration with The Mad Professor, received a fair amount of acclaim. He continues to record and appear live.

Debut Year
1970

Discography

• Forever Version (1971, Studio One)
• Guns Don't Argue (1971, Attack/Trojan)
• Soul To Soul DJ's Choice with Lizzy (1973, Treasure Isle/Trojan)
• King Of The Track (1974, Magnet) aka Musical Liquidator
• Belch It Off (1974, Attack)
• Dread Capone (1976, Third World)
• Investigator Rock (1977, Third World) aka Peace and Love
• Six Million Dollar Man (1977, Third World) aka Universal Rockers
• My Voice Is Insured For Half A Million Dollars (1989, Trojan) (compilation)
• Babariba Skank with Lizzy aka Wake Up Jamaica
• 21st Century Version (1996, Ariwa)


Awards
Best DJ of The Year- Swing Magazine


Trivia/ Quotes
Dennis got his nickname ‘Alcapone’ after watching a gangster movie with his friends. The name stuck and he subsequently adopted it when he joined Dodd’s studio.

CHEZIDEK BIOGRAFIA

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CHEZIDEK BIOGRAFIA

Chezidek the Herbalist, environmentalist, the Itralist the Rastaman who blaze up the chalice and defend the Cannabis. The man who says “Leave De Trees” from the album “Inna Di Road” ( Greensleeves). The man who also gave you albums as: “Harvest Time” and “The Rising Sun” (VP Records) Firm Up Yourself (Cousins Records) and soon to be release “In This Time” (Tads Records).

From the little town of St. Ann’s Bay in the parish of St. Ann, Jamaica, born Desbert Johnson, “Free Like A River” Chezidek “Call Pon Dem” with righteousness continually, through inspiration from the most high King Selassie I Jah Rastafari, the Honorable Marcus Garvey and other freedom fighters in Jamaica and around the world, some through music and some through speeches.

Since getting a break on the Jamaica music scene in 2004, (though he has been recording for years before) he never cease the message of life, singing songs of love, justice and equality for all of humanity the environment and all creatures of creation . Performing on major events all over, such as The 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Reggae Sundance in Holland, Uppsala Reggae festival in Sweden, Rebel Salute, Reggae Sunsplash, Sting and Sierra Nevada World Music festival in California and many other major reggae shows where he has created an enormous fan base.

Chezidek has performed in France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Holland, Spain, Norway, Belgium, Canada, UK, USA and the Caribbean.