Reggae Month launched

There was music too, of course, and lots of speeches and conversation, but this was the visual highlight of Tuesday night's Reggae Month 2015 Media Launch in Kingston. I'll have updates and reports on reggae Month events as they unfold in February

Holt's Volts to reverberate in Trelawny

Reggae giant the late John Holt

Organisers of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival have tapped some of the best roots rock Reggae stalwarts to present a Tribute to the Late John Holt. Few singers have influenced generations of reggae acts than John Holt, the consummate lovers rock artiste. The tribute features nine acts is a pulsating Reggae party on Thursday, January 29 at the Trelawny Stadium.

Holt died in October in London at age 69, leaving a remarkable catalogue of music. That legacy will be recognised on opening night of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival on January 29. The lineup includes singers Errol Dunkley, George Nooks, Judy Mowatt, Cornell Campbell, vocal group The Tamlins and deejay Josey Wales all backed by Lloyd Parks and We The People Band, each artiste will dedicate part of their set to Holt. Also on Thursday night is soca artiste Oscar B with his band Oscar B and Vibes, promising an energetic, fun-filled performance.

According to the Jazz team, Holt's enduring career and massive cache of hit songs influenced the selection of acts on opening night. 

 

Holt hailed from Greenwich Town, a fishing community in Kingston with a rich music heritage. He set the pace for other singers from the area by winning the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour contest multiple times in the 1950s while still a student at Calabar High School.

He had numerous hits in the rocksteady era with harmony trio, The Paragons (On the Beach, The Tide is High and Danger in Your Eyes), before going on to an even more successful solo career.

As a solo act, Holt racked up hits such as Stick by Me, A Love I Can Feel, Ali Baba and Police in Helicopter. The latter announced Holt as a dancehall performer in 1981. John Holt inspired a generation of reggae singers who emerged during the 1970s, including Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Johnny Clarke and Freddie McGregor.

 

The 2015 staging of the JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival, The Art of Music is slated to take place from January 29 - January 31 at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium. This year's Festival will feature extraordinary acts such as the multi Grammy-Award winning vocalist Mariah Carey, the energetic sibling group The Pointer Sisters, 2014 Billboard Chart toppers Magic, former lead singer of Chicago and soloist Peter Cetera, R&B Soul icon Charlie Wilson, North American based Reggae band, Soja, Bajan Saxophonist, Arturo Tappin, Roots Reggae group Morgan Heritage Reggae Crooner and Richie 'Ska Teck' Stephens. 

The Journey of the Drum

The Jamaica Music Museum will be hosting its 4th Annual Grounation Series for Reggae/ Black History Month - February 2015. Grounation will explore how the role of the drums at the foundation of African Culture has conveyed philosophical and social ideas leading to the shaping of new cultures, values and aesthetics of the diaspora and peoples of the New World.

This year's presenters will include Maxine Gordon, Dr. Christopher Johnson, Dr. Kenneth Bilby and Dr. Matthew Smith . Performers will include Jamaican Master Percussionist Larry McDonald and Drumquestra, Phillip Supersad and Ozone. 

Reggae Month 2K15: More riddims, More Groundings, More on show

Anticipation continues to build for February as the annual reggae Month approaches.

The Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA)is promising a bigger and better event this year including the following events as part of the choices for "edutainment" which complement the standard Reggae Month offerings:

- Grounation Series at The Institute of Jamaica – February 1, 8, 15, 22

- Trench Town Festival “Jamming at the Bass”, Ambassador Theatre – February 1

- Uptown Mondays, Savannah Plaza, February 2, 9, 16, 23

- Lyming at Culture Yard, Trench Town, February 4

- Weddy Weddy, Burlington Ave, February, 4, 11, 18, 25

This year, in the Reggae Village at Ranny Williams Entertainment Complex, the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) will introduce four new and three repackaged events, namely:

- JaRIA LIVE: a weekly series presenting local renown and upcoming talent - February 3, 10, 17 and 24. February 17 and 24 will be dubbed Ladies' Nights. This event began last year at a different location but comes home to the Reggae Village this year.

- JaRIA Mixer: a weekly Friday "after-work jam" with games and music by a guest selector - February 6, 13, 20, 27

- Lunchtime Entertainment will be a big attraction throughout the month of February, as the best of music, dance, poetry and drama will be served along with culinary delights from the Reggae Month concessionaires.

- JaRIA Dance Vibz: a creative dance show in the Louise Bennett Theatre interweaving music and movement - February 21

- Reggae Praise, a music ministry show featuring top gospel artistes, is not a new event. What is new is that it is now holding its own, on Sunday February 8, instead of being one element of Reggae Wednesdays.

- Neither is the Jamaica Music Symposium a new event. However, it will now be a 2-day event in collaboration with the University of the West Indies on February 15 and 16.

- Movie Night on February 23 is an offshoot of the very successful screening of documentaries and a movie during Reggae Month 2014

The annual Dennis Brown tribute event is organised by The Dennis Brown Trust, Leggo Records, Sounds and Pressure and the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA). Artistes perform in tribute to Dennis Emmanuel Brown. 

Visit  www.jariajamaica.com to get information on all Reggae Month activities.

Musical "Pon-Fusion" at Jojo's

Corinne Bailey-Rae brushing up against Dennis Brown? Prince and John Legend in the same show with Frankie Paul and John Holt?

Genres dissolved and made way for fun and musicianship during the latest exposition of Live music Saturdays at JojJo's Jerk Pit

The night's feature act was up and coming singer Deji, who brought a clean clear tone and genuine warmth to some of the aforementioned and standards like Peggy Lee's "Fever"

The bill also also featured singer Stratdon who put his vocal gifts and easygoing presence to good use.

all well served by Pon Fyah, the resourceful musical tandem of O'zuone on keys (including some driving bass riffs) and drummer Junior "Bird" Baillie, the latter regaling this writer with his experiences as musical director for Sean Paul (you just don't know how much of a diva Beyonce can be) as well as Mariah Carey, J-Lo, and others.

Deji

Stratdon

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.

Pure Comedic Dynamite: LAFF IT OFF review

The beauty of theatre, wherever you watch it, is that there may emerge, at any instant, a moment so well executed, so transcendent, so plain damn good, that even the most jaded viewer is taken out of their preconceptions and mental blocks and releases their disbelief.

In Oliver Mair's re-mount of the comedy revue "Laff It Off"" which opened at  New Kingston's Theatre Place on Boxing Day (Dec 26), such a moment occurs about midway through "Spelling Bee" one of the latter skits of the play.

For the first few minutes, the combination of Officer Spellman (Ricky Rowe, more on him anon) and a hapless motorist (Akeem Mignott) plays out in the expected ways. Spellman, the corrupt -and illiterate - cop has the motorist (equally corrupt and illiterate) under his thumb, caught speeding - though we are not shown the actual speed on the "gun" - and pleading to "work things out". After the paltry bribe of a patty and coco bread is flatly rejected, Officer Spellman offers his "victim" one last chance to escape the rap and a certain ticket.

"Spell chuck" [as in "truck"] is the challenge.

What ensues cannot really be described, for it must be experienced. But it is fair to say that with that one sketch, any viewer with half a brain (and a funny bone) would consider his money well spent; it is a sketch that would not be out of place on any comedy show anywhere. It is pure comedic dynamite.

Such heights are not otherwise reached, but producer Oliver Mair, doubling as actor, comes close on two occasions. First, as historic Reggae Boyz football coach Rene Simoes, he nails the combination of innocence, ignorance and unbounded optimism that serves to confound interviewer Simon Croskill (Rodney Campbell)a and then later, he does a "double" of a different kind, playing both Johnny Mathis and Deneice Williams as they voice "Its Over" (Too Much, Too Little Too Late)", one of the selections on a special infomercial CD offered to victims of the failed Cash Plus and Olint schemes.

Those aside, 'Laff it Off" is a solid and robust comedy revue, offering the expected send-ups of people (athletes, entertainers and politicians), places and events in ways that are generally satisfying, and its laughs are delivered without skirting the serious issues. "Jamaica's Finest" presents the earlier contretemps in Gordon House between members Olivia "Babsy" Grange and Lisa Hanna in the shameful light that it deserves, while "New Breed" (the clear highlight of Act I) uses the perspectives of two New Kingston street rats to highlight economic hardship and the increasing prevalence of the "gully boys" who have taken up residence in the drain running from Trafalgar Road down to Dumfries Road.

While not all its skits are "hits" most of the few misfires are still interesting, none more so than "Take A Chance." Its opening premise is overtly personal: a young guy (Mignott) torn over whether he should ask the hot girl (Emprezz Golding, in her theatrical debut) out on a date. It then morphs, rather jarringly into a wider motivational tract, complete with backdrop images of our winning athletes, Marcus Garvey and other inspirational figures. The accompanying song is sine in and of itself, but the images are so compelling that they come close to negating the need for the actors to convey the message.

Oliver Mair (standing, left) and the cast of "Laff It Off"

The cast members each had their respective moments to shine, but with his impish grin, dyed hair, impeccable movement and timing, Ricky Rowe was Prime Time. He almost (but not quite) rescued unworthy filler ("Concentrate" - check the side panel of your everyday juice box), and was invariably the best actor in whichever skit he appeared. Aside from "Spelling Bee" his other fine moment came in "Cutting Edge" a spoof of Mutabaruka's popular radio show, in which Rowe, as a still emotionally crushed, cuckolded Mr Vegas, easily bests Rodney Campbell's Muta - each "music" question inevitably drawing him back to the fateful day, and heightening his meltdown.


Director Craig McNally (also pulling double duty) keeps things moving at just the right pace, with welcome and well-handled audience interaction. The other creative nd technical aspects of the production are more than ably fulfilled. Ratingswise, Laff It Off skirts pretty close to a PG-13 bracket, but parents bring may younger children without feeling inordinately uncomfortable
   
Whatever your age, economic status or creed (there's the obligatory church sequence, well played by Campbell), you'll find that the pre-requisite to enjoying this thatrical breath of holiday fresh air is a sense of humour.



Laff It Off plays weekends at Theatre Place through January 18. For details, call 459-8382/383-0622, check the press or follow the Facebook group at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1398690393752792/