Building That Belgium Reggae Vibe

Ran into veteran reggae music promoter Copeland Forbes a short while ago, huddled with Danielle Pater.

Who's that, you may ask? Well, she's the artistic director for Reggae Geel, which is set to take place in Belgium in August.

  "You have to prepare from now" the reggae industry stalwart shared.

The tag line of the event is "catch a vibe" and this Belgium-Jamaica link is to secure the line-up.

One of Europe’s oldest reggae festivals, Reggae Geel was founded in 1978. Throughout the years Reggae Geel became a trendsetting and authentic festival. Every year we bring the best of what Jamaica has go to offer to the ‘Belse Bossen’ in the city of Geel. What once started as a party in open-air is now a leading festival with over 30,000 visitors each year.

The previous roster included Damian "Jr Gong" Marley, Raging Fyah, Chronixx, Bunny Wailer, Sanchez, Protoje, I-Octane, "Daddy" U-Roy, Jesse Royal and more.

Early Departures: Keesing Live and Morgan Heritage, RETV Unplugged

The Keesing Live shows may be the best live concert series you haven't heard of.
That's no fault of the organizers Alternative Music (singer-producer-whatever's required Charmaine Limonious and engineer-producer Bobby Stewart). They frenetically promote and work the shows before and after each date amid their already crammed professional and personal schedules.

And amid a live scene that's still partly on life support (with corporate funding going more to parties and hit parade overseas act showcases) its a bona fide miracle: the show starts on time - always, artists are accommodated decently and professionally and, a one might expect, lighting, staging and audio are always spot-on (maybe a few minor glitches but nothing to mar the production.

And so it was at the most recent Keesing outing, with visiting Nation of Islam leader Farrakhan in the audience, there were commendable deliveries from Kelissa (with of-the-moment reggae hero Chronixx unobtrusively providing background vocals off stage), the live return of history-making Rising Stars winners One Third (first group to win the competition) and the blind - but certainly not disabled - singer, Kandi, who admirably raised the curtain.

other duties prevented this writer from catching the curtain-closers, legendary Jamaican pop storytellers Ernie Smith ("Duppy or Gunman") and Pluto Shervington "Your Honour", "Sweet Jamaica") who jokingly remarked in the pre-stage lounge that there's "too much blood in my rum stream"

if quality musicianship and a tight production ship are your style of live entertainment, then you owe it to yourself to help make Keesing Live a less-kept secret.

A few days after, over at the Countryside Club (fast returning to its previous stature as a live venue of note) the singing Morgans, aka Morgan Heritage, held court, speaking to media - well, primarily to IRIE-FM and TVJ, but with others of us "let in" on it; they addressed a wide range of topics, from the ravages of Chik-V to the ravaged state of Jamaican music.

Again, time and other logistical pressures kept from getting the "Full Morgan" but they have been touring behind their most recent album, "Here Come the Kings" as well as pursuing their respective individual projects

To Leo, Da Victory...singer Conquers Quad

"I planned to leave long time, but you hold me"

That was just one of the endorsements that rang out at Kingston nite spot the Quad (now in a transition phase) following a sometime impromptu yet always engaging set from singer Leonardo McFarlane(full name Leonardo Carmichael McFarlane), more than ably supported by Pon Fyah (Ozou'ne, Chris and Damion on keys, drum and bass respectively).

The affable crooner, who until recently had been in the Triangle area of North Carolina, told the audience he wanted to comemmorate Black History, but having not been present for the month, gave a "lifetime's worth of classic reggae, soul and r&b tunes, done in a variety of styles by the ever-inventive band.

The crowd refused to let him go, and the impression was so distinct that the artiste earned himself a return engagement come Thursday night, along with the likes of veteran Ossie D.

Life Of Riley: Tarrus Live at 38A

"She's Royal" is just one of those songs.

One of those that you enjoy hearing the hundredth time, and even the thousandth time, as much as the first. That goes double for seeing Tarrus Riley perform it live, as he did on Sunday night at the very happening 38a entertainment centre, on Trafalgar Road.

With the reliable Dean Fraser and the top-notch Black Soil band in support, Riley could do no wrong, especially for the ladies, who screamed on cue and sang their anthem word for word.

Liveplug-Emx was on hand (we spoke briefly with the singer afterwards - more on that in another post) and captured a few highlights

for more pics - go to our Facebook page - facebook.com and click Tarrus Live