Category: Entertainment News

Marcy Chin talks new sound and ‘Gimmie More’

Staff

“I wanna go trending,” Downsound Records artiste Marcy Chin tells The Gleaner regarding her new project, Gimmie More. The ‘trending’ phenomena is criticised by some older artistes, who deem it a superficial measure of success, but Chin has her personal reasons for wanting to see big numbers for the colour-popping, dance-filled video directed by Dezignr Studios. “No matter how anyone wants to spin it, numbers matter,” she stated. “People, especially labels, are looking for the numbers. They’re looking at how many people are looking at you. So, yes, the double-edged…

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From Israel to London

Staff

THE smell of ganja permeates the air as Israel Voice requests fellow singer Singing London to share the mic recently at Vinyl Fridays, a weekly dance at the St Andrew Park home of guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith. A slender man with dreadlocks, Singing London obliges with an original song that rocks the dance. He and Israel Voice represent the journeymen artiste who have been part of Jamaica’s sound system movement for decades. They have no hit songs but love for the music has kept them in the game. From August…

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Sean Paul, Cobra go Hulu

Staff

Music from Jamaica is once again extensively included in a series airing on an international streaming platform. The Dropout, a Hulu series, debuted on March 3 and featured Sean Paul’s Temperature and a cover of Mad Cobra’s 2001 hit Press Trigger. Both tracks were featured in the second episode of the eight-part miniseries starring Amanda Seyfried. Elizabeth Holmes, who develops health-care technology that puts millions of patients at danger, loses everything in the blink of an eye in The Dropout. Temperature was released in 2005 as part of Sean Paul’s…

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Macka bats for Yagga Rowe

Staff

MACKA Diamond feels its time for Jamaica to stop treating former Jamaican and West Indies cricketer Lawrence “Yagga” Rowe as a pariah for leading two rebel tours to South Africa during the 1980s. “Let me see the hands of those who are without sin. Imagine, after some 40 years one of our best cricketers is still treated like a bastard. Is this the example we want to teach our children that we have no room for forgiveness? What is appalling is that we see Jamaica as a Christian country but…

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‘Shen’ awaits word

Staff

THE jury is still out on whether or not the authorities in The Bahamas will grant permission for the March 19 concert featuring Jamaican act Shenseea to go ahead. The organisers of the event, advertised for the National Stadium in Nassau, have been lobbying that country’s Ministry of Health and Wellness in order to prevent the event being cancelled. According to the organisers, they can match the COVID-19 protocols which have been put in place for major venues, including the hotels on the island which have been granted permission to…

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Lanae ‘Whines’ to 11 million views

Staff

FUSION dancehall artiste Lanae is beaming with pride since the video for Whine hit an impressive figure of 11 million views on YouTube since its release. “I feel extremely grateful for the recognition the video is getting. I was happy when it hit 100k so imagine how I feel now at 11 million! And this is just the beginning,” said Lanae. She is now turning her attention towards her latest song Nothing fi Show, produced by Snowcone, which will be released this month. “I’m super excited for this one —…

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Vershon, DECOD3 not giving up

Staff

AMERICAN-BASED female singjay DECOD3 is challenging Jamaicans, both local and overseas, to hold on tight to their dreams and put God in the midst of their plans. “Trials and tribulations is part of life’s journey. The Bible warns us that this world is not a bed of roses, so let us put God in our everday doings and never let go of our dreams. Our dreams may come — sometimes when we least expect them,” she said. DECOD3, who had dreams of working out with Vershon, got that opportunity when…

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St Kitts-Nevis: Iconic calypsonian, Ellie Matt releases autobiography

Staff

Elston Matthew Nero, better known in the Music world as KING ELLIE MATT, has released his autobiography, entitled ‘Under De Breadfruit Tree’. The intriguing book takes the reader through a detailed journey of his musical genius and life story in general. He was the founder and leader of the popular band ‘Ellie Matt and the GI’S Brass,’ which was a force to be reckoned with throughout the Caribbean and worldwide. Ellie Matt who was born in Newtown in St. Kitts, tells the story of how he became a self-taught musician,…

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Caribbean love: Shenseea gives Denise Belfon her flowers

Staff

Jamaican dancehall star Shenseea showed Trinidadian soca star Denise ‘Saucy Wow” Belfon some love at a party to celebrate the release of her new song “Lick”. In the song, Shenseea sings the popular chorus from Belfon’s song “Work’, which went viral on Tik Tok last year for the Put Yuh Back In It challenge. “Lick’, which will be featured on Shenseea’s album Alpha due out March 11, is a collaboration with Grammy-award-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion. When the song first dropped Caribbean fans accused Shenseea of stealing Belfon’s work. Shenseea…

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Shaneil salutes black beauty

Staff

SINGER Shaneil Muir is gearing up for the release of her latest single Black is Beautiful, just in time for Black History Month which is commemorated each February. Black is Beautiful is produced by College Boiz and is scheduled to be released on Friday by UK-based 365 Records Limited. “I’m a very observant person, and when it comes to writing music I like to ensure that I relate effectively to everyone who listens. Over the past few years, where everyone’s so outspoken and everybody has access to social media, I…

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