Reggae Stories World-Wide ~ June 19, 2018

Each week we look far and wide for some of the latest stories affecting reggae, reggae culture, and the future of the genre.

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“Jamaica to UK, the Reggae Revolution” themes IRD’s 2018 Celebration of 50 Years of Reggae & Synergy With England.

A mention of the word reggae and folks may conjure images of red, gold and green, Rastafarians, Jamaica, music, dance and maybe even scents from puffs of aromatic weed wafting in the air.

The varied interpretation to a genre of music that originated in Jamaica 50 years ago is far more comprehensive, interpretative and definitive.

Perhaps that is why, midway in its existence, one woman decided to dedicate an entire day to showcasing some of the elements that comprise the music that also celebrates culture, family, heritage and a long list of proud achievements.

According to founder Andrea Davis, it was seeing and hearing Winnie Mandela in Kingston, Jamaica in 1992 that motivated her to herald the genre.

The South African matriarch and freedom fighter had accompanied her husband Nelson to the island for a ‘thank you’ visit after his release from 27 years of imprisonment in his homeland.

Davis was among the privileged audience invited to listen with other women in the capital city to the candid opinions Mandela lavished on the role reggae played in eradicating apartheid.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2ywiKS6

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Reggae music lovers turn up for Freedom Jam

REGGAE music lovers in Kafue were in for a treat last week Friday with a concert dubbed Freedom Jam to commemorate African Freedom Day.The concert was organised by reggae musician Martin Nkhoma, aka Jah Luther, from Jah Luther and the Band, a reggae group based in Lusaka.

This was a concert which was staged mainly to entertain the underprivileged children from the hinterlands of Kafue district such as Mtendere, Zambia, Lumumba and other surrounding townships.

The show was crowd-pulling as Jah Luther performed Uncle, a track from his album. He also performed a good number of cover songs from Bob Marley’s albums.

The concert was spiced up by other local reggae acts like the Wailing Roots, who kept the groove flowing with cover performances of Ulemu, Rude, Jailer, Peace,

Love and Harmony, All of Me, Guns and Roses, and Iron Lion Zion, among others.

​Wailing Roots, a Lusaka-based reggae band, was formed in 1994 and had their first sold-out show at Justine Kabwe Primary School in Marapodi in November the same year, and had their second performance on Christmas Day.

The band, which has been like an academy for most artistes, including Shamaq, Funti K and the late Frankiss, is a seven-member group, featuring Ras Dennis on the lead and rhythm guitar, Chrasta Blackwell on drums and Steve Jada on keyboards. There is also Ben Karitzy on lead vocals and another vocalist Freshy B.

They have marked their presence in such concerts as the Bob Marley Memorial and Peter Tosh shows. At the Freedom Jam in Kafue, they stole the show as they performed a good number of Bob Marley’s songs.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2MH1BIG​

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Harmony and healing: Trevor Hall taps into medicinal power of music

Trevor Hall lets loose a long, good-natured laugh when he hears he’s being hailed as “the yoga world’s favorite musician.”

“I don’t know if that’s true or not, but obviously a lot of my music is inspired by a lot of yogic philosophy and yogic practice,” Hall said in a recent phone interview. “But I don’t know if I’d call myself that.”
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Listening to his music, it’s not hard to understand why somebody might call him that. Beyond the messages of life-affirming spirituality embedded in his songs, his music — a blend of acoustic rock and reggae, sometimes with Sanskrit chanting — often has a soothing quality even while being propulsive, and his voice is a balanced blend of grit and honey.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2ME9Chq​
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