Delly Ranx & Buju Banton "Thunder Roll"

Grammy Award winner Buju Banton and International Reggae artist Delly Ranx have teamed up for "Thunder Roll". The Pure Music Production track was recorded while Buju Banton was released on bail and awaiting trial. Since Delly and Buju are close friends it was a natural collaboration and as Delly said "it's always nice when friends team up and make a great song"

The song being so personal, Delly Ranx decided to give a portion of all proceeds to Buju Banton's commissary and encourages fans and music supporters to join him and give. "Thunder Roll" will be available on all major digital outlets such as amazon and itunes. It will featured on Delly Ranx's upcoming EP "One Away Soldier". On the title track Delly Ranx sings "mi nah go be nuh wicked man like Junior" referring to the informant who testified against Buju.

Delly Ranx is presently hard at work in the studio putting the finishing touches on his "One Away Soldier" EP which is slated to be released this fall, followed by a promotional tour. When asked on what this EP meant to him he replied "It means that the people are accepting great music again".

All New Digicel Rising Stars Live Shows Begin This Sunday

This is it! The Digicel Rising Stars’ Live shows are finally here! The 12 finalists have been selected by the Judges and the first batch of six will perform live on TVJ this Sunday July 3 at 8PM.

The show’s Producer, Sharon Schroeter, says fans can expect an exciting season: "Every year our aim is to make the show bigger and better and this year is no exception. We have brand new themes and challenges which we feel will push the contestants to really show their true potential and of course our new judges are excited to see what the contestants can bring to the live stage."

New resident Judge, Tessanne, can’t wait for the Live Shows: “I'm soooo excited about the start of the live shows , this is where the real competition starts and I think we're gonna see the Top 12 in a whole new way, whether good or bad will be up to them.

I think it's going to be, for me, very important to see how they react and interact with a live audience and also, very importantly, with a live band. It's a very crucial time for the Top 12 to prove why they deserve to be here and I'm looking forward to seeing some excellent performances and evidence of some growth thus far.”

Resident Judge Bambino is also looking forward to seeing the contestants on a live stage: “I can't wait to see how contestants perform on live shows, it’s a totally different arena than auditions and they really have to impress the viewers to get votes, so personality has to shine. They are all good singers so now we will see how they perform under pressure.”

With a new host, Resident Judges and themes, the Chill Room will be also be getting a complete make-over as RIM Blackberry will create a more hi-tech and interactive setting. An example of what Blackberry will be offering is the integration of social media such as Facebook and Twitter, so fans online can be a part of the live action each week. Schroeter explains: “We have over 30,000 fans on Facebook alone and thousands of Twitter followers and they are always commenting and asking questions during the show, so this year, with the help of Blackberry, we will integrate those fans’ questions and comments into the Chill Room.”

All New resident judges, host, Chill Room, weekly guest judges, themes and challenges and new contestants make Season 8 of Digicel Rising Stars the “Must Watch” TV show for 2011. Meet the first six finalists: Jermaine Burford, Delando Colley, Latoya Jackson, Annette Fraser, Stephanie Barnes and the 5 member male group, V.O.H. on TVJ at 8PM Sunday July 3 on the first live show of Jamaica's biggest talent show, Digicel Rising Stars.

Third World Began European Tour Over The Weekend

Third World's European tour got off to an amazing start with a performance at the Afro-Latino Festival in Bree, Belgium on Saturday, June 25 2011. The annual Afro-Latino Festival features international and renowned artists from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and southern Europe.

Over a three-day period, guests are entertained by the best music on three stages in large indoor luxury tents equipped with dance floors. This years' line-up not only included Third World but also Jamaica's own, Bushman and Jimmy Cliff.

Fans braved the chilly and misty weather to see the band performed not only their favorite songs but also songs from their new album, Patriots. Their set included singles "Committed," "Reggae Ambassadors," "96 Degrees," and "Try Jah Love." From their new album, they performed singles such as "Spirit Lives," "Front Door," "96 Degrees (Remix)," and "Revolutionary People" (for the first time in Europe).

After their performance, the band signed copies of their album for fans and took pictures. Fans were happy to have a moment to express, in a one on one dialogue, their love of the band and how much they enjoyed their performance. Band members took their time to sign flags, T-Shirts and flyers. And were gracious when asked to pose for photos.

On Sunday, June 26, 2011, the band traveled to Almere, Netherlands for their performance at Festival Afrique-Carib. In addition to Third World, the line-up also included Bushman, Young Cosje, 2Famous - both from Suriname - and Tony Swing from Dominican Republic. Prior to their performance, Third World's sound engineer and Patriots co-producer, Dean Pond and band member Stephen "Cat" Coore judged Holland's 2nd Steel Pan Panorama competition called, When Steel Talks. . .Everyone Listens - Junior Panorama Knock Out. The competition included contestants from the UK and Germany. After announcing the winner, Cat Coore greeted each team to offer words of encouragement and his overall take on their performance.

Thereafter it was lights, camera, music! To the screams of fans, the group opened their ninety-minute set with "Spirit Lives." Throughout the packed outdoor venue, fans danced and sang along with the band. Children were hoisted on the backs of their parents to get a clear view of the show. The diverse crowd cheered when drummer Tony "Ruption" Williams delivered his solo djembe performance and Cat Coore's Cello solo, which included a rendition of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song." The cheers from the crowd ushered the band back on stage for an encore performance.

In addition to their performances, Third World has been invited by the "Soapbox" and "No Limit" organizations to conduct a workshop on June 30th. The organizations are comprised of youngsters from the black neighborhoods of the southeast part of Amsterdam called the Bijlmer, where most people living there have an African, Surinamese and/or Caribbean background.

Both organizations are involved with the Keti Koti Festival and usually arrange debates and seminars that focus on "black arts and culture" as well as "black" social and political issues. The organizations main focus is to invite those who they deem as positive role models for youths. Recently they had a workshop with the crew and cast of "Fela - The Musical" and they have organized a master class with the well-known Film Director and Producer, Spike Lee.

The tour will continue with performances in Amsterdam - July 1, 2011: The Keti Koti Festival; The Netherlands - July 2, 2011: THIRD WORLD Live at Bolwerk; Spain - July 9, 2011: La Mar de Musicas; Holland - July 14, 2011: Metropool, Hengelo; Holland - July 17, 2011: Zwarte Cross Festival; France - July 29, 2011: Le Garance Reggae Festival; France - July 30, 2011: New Morning Café and The Netherlands - July 31, 2011: Amsterdam Reggae Festival.