Etana Envisions A 'Better Tomorrow' In 2013

New Studio Album Available February 26 on VP Records.

Jamaican-born singer-songwriter Etana will reveal arguably her fiercest, most thought-provoking material to date on February 26, 2013. Recorded at Kingston’s legendary Tuff Gong Studios, Etana’s third studio album Better Tomorrow (VP Records) is a true testament to her evolved sound.

With a fresh perspective and baby daughter born in November 2012, Etana offers newfound clarity on Better Tomorrow. Her powerful songwriting and evocative vocals ride effortlessly over soulful reggae melodies on this 14-track collection produced primarily by Jamaica’s own Shane C. Brown of Jukeboxx Recordings.

Described as “reggae’s Jill Scott” (NPR) or “reminiscent of India.Arie” (Essence), Etana is “moving ahead from struggles of yesterday on a musical journey that uplifts the mind, body and the raw soul," as she eloquently explains on Better Tomorrow’s intro “Spoken Soul.” Etana’s indomitable spirit uplifts and inspires generations both old and new. Songs like “Queen,” ignite strength and empowerment, while “Till You Get Old (Life's Gift)” is an awe-inspiring tale of motherhood and unconditional love (produced by Stanley “Rellee” Hayden).  

Her unabashed romanticism shines on the r&b tinged “4 Play 2 Love (Start Over) and on the rhythmic sway of the album's contagious first single "Reggae.” She combats hopelessness on "Whole New World," "All I Need" and "Better Tomorrow.” The latter spine-chilling title track addresses the atrocities of children in poverty-stricken communities while instilling optimism for brighter days. Better Tomorrow expands upon her recent digital-only EP Reggae and 2011 sophomore album Free Expressions, which won praise for the being “a rarity: music that sermonizes, yet still sweetly serenades,” according to NPR.org. 

These releases also follow her 2008 critically acclaimed debut The Strong One, which featured massive hits “Warrior Love,” “Roots” “I Am Not Afraid,” “Blessing” ft. Alborosie and “Wrong Address” that topped reggae charts in The Caribbean, England and United States. Essence.com raved that her “poetic consciousness amid soul-stirring grooves rivals that of gifted neo-soulsters.” 

Pitchfork chose her debut album as their dancehall pick of the month and gushed about her “fulsome and soulful voicings” and “syrupy love songs.” Vibe magazine claimed she had already “established herself as a formidable performer and songwriter whose music and reputation precedes her.” 

During this period, Etana was nominated for Best New Reggae Artist at MOBO Awards and awarded Best Female Vocalist at both the Excellence in Music & Entertainment (EME) Awards and IRIE FM Radio Awards as well as the Best Solo Female Reggae Vocalist at the 1st annual Reggae Academy Awards.

Delly Ranx Begins 2013 Planning Live Performances

2012 was a great year for Reggae and Dancehall artist Delly Ranx, and 2013 sees the artist planning a series of live performances backed by his band the Ranx Machine. The July 2012 release of his chart topping album The Next Chapter was revered as one of the best albums of 2012.

The material, largely Reggae in genre, received widespread airplay in Canada, the US, the UK and Europe. The title track has been a chart topper in Jamaica and the album itself held the #1 spot for several weeks on Richie B’s Best Reggae Album chart.

High profile radio disc jockeys DJ Smurf and ZJ Liquid placed “Got it Forever” and “The Next Chapter” in regular rotation on their programs. The rotation has led to several of Delly’s fans requesting to see the artist perform his Reggae material backed by a live band.  

The music video for “The Next Chapter” was released in the middle of December. Shot entirely on location in Kingston, Jamaica, Delly teamed with Terminal 4 Media to create a story depicting various stages of Delly’s life. 

With an opening scene of a book’s pages turning, the video takes a first look at the artist speaking with a humorous impersonation of Larry King whom Delly calls ‘Harry King,’ then throws back to recording sessions in the studio. “The feedback that I received with the release of the album, and with the release of the video was better than I expected. 

The album is a reflection of my maturity as an artist, and the fans have gravitated to the message that we are all entering into ‘the next chapter’ in our lives,” said the artist during a rehearsal with his band. As the artist grows to include a solid Reggae catalog to add to his impressive Dancehall discography, Delly remains focused on giving the people good music for the world to enjoy. The artist will begin his series of live performances beginning in March, 2013 which will focus on intimate venues across the US, Canada and the Caribbean.

Turbulence Says He's back & “I’m Ready To Run The Business Again"

Reggae superstar Sheldon Campbell more popularly known as Turbulence is proclaiming his return on the local entertainment scene after over a year away from the Jamaican market. According to the singer who’s career skyrocketed in 2006 with the chart topping hit “Notorious”, 2013 is his for the taking. “This year looks very bright for Turbulence, I’m ready to run back the business again.

After touring in reggae markets extensively I’ve decided to return home mainly because my local fans haven’t seen me much. I have a new management team in Extreme Promotions out of the U.K and a publicist in Karl Durrant and a hit bound single which was released just a few days ago entitled “Remember” on the “African Gyal Riddim”. Once a staple reggae playlists across the word thanks to hits such as “Want A Natty” and “We Got The Love” featuring Sasha, Turbulence will be looking to add more songs to his current catalog .  

“Right now there are a lot of new singles on the way, we looking to do a music video for Remember in a few weeks to reconnect with the people in the streets”. Turbulence recently returned from a 4 show tour of Suriname where he performed alongside Fantan Mojah and Jah Cure.

I-Octane Laments About 'Getting Bun' In New Single

He confesses, "mi nah spen nuh time wid mi gyal an mi gyal a gimmi bun," something that quite a few artistes within the music industry may easily be able to identify with.

Does anyone in particular come to mind? Nevertheless, I-Octane's latest single, 'Gal A Gimmi Bun' is a song that artistes and fans in general should be able to relate to, as it touches on a topic that is like common assault in today's society.

In the single, I-Octane takes on the role of none other than an artiste who is kept busy with his work, doing shows and tours all across the world, but in the process, is denied the opportunity to spend quality time with his female companion, which ultimately leads her to become unfaithful.  

The single, which is produced by Seanizzle Records and Black Shadow, will certainly captivate the attention of listeners, as I-Octane confesses that the song, "is a true life story for many, as people all over the globe experience it." However, despite the seriousness of the situation, Octane says, "it's a really fun song," and the way in which the message is brought across, "everybody weh hear it say it mek dem laugh." 

According to Octane, "It’s been a while since an artiste come out with a song weh fun. Mad Andrew and KipRich used to do fun songs. The music nowadays is violent and hardcore. So mi just decide fi do something different and the feedback has been positive so far." 

In addition to this spanking new single from I-Octane, the artiste is also enjoying some heavy rotation on radio since the start of 2013 with singles like 'Wonderful Feeling' (Rasta Love) featuring Queen Ifrica, produced by Young Blood Records, 'Do Road Rough', produced by Markus Records and 'Stay Above Crime' which was produced by So Unique Records.