JAH9’s “New Name” Heralds A New Age Of Roots Reggae

For years Jah9 has bestowed soul-stirring performances and carefully selected singles on the world. On February 26, the Jazz on Dub singer unveiled her debut album New Name.

By the time the programme began, there wasn’t an empty corner inside Redbones Blues Café, which was the host venue for the launch event. Music industry stalwarts, including Marcia Griffiths, Bob Andy and Mikey Bennett, among others, came out in their numbers in support of Jah9 & Rory “Stone Love” Gilligan’s first collaboration.

New Name is a 12-track compilation that sees Jah9 charging ahead of the grain with a refreshingly stylistic and lyrically potent album. New Name presents the singer at her finest, working alongside master instrumentalists like Donald ‘Danny Bassie’ Dennis on bass, Kirk Bennett on drums and Lamont ‘Monty’ Savory on guitar. You can feel the ‘old school’ edge in the compositions, as veteran selector turned producer Rory Stone Love carefully translates Jah9's "jazz on dub" aesthetic. This musical pairing is a perfect composite of tested techniques and innovative experimentation. Jah9 spawned a wave of acclaim while honing her craft amidst Kingston's bustling underground poetry and live music scene a few years ago. She came to the fore with the release of Keep Holding On and Warning, and later with Intentions, a sonorous cry against social injustice with a classic roots-dub feel. Disc jockeys quickly caught on as Jah9 touted her brand of 'message music,' fueled by the release of her 9mm album sampler in 2011. 

When asked how she would respond to eager fans who wonder, ‘why the long wait?’ Jah9, a Yoga instructor with deep spiritual roots, says she has learned to practice patience along her musical journey. “I surrender all plans to the will of the Most High,” she affirms. She describes her latest project as “an evolution of faith, which has now culminated in this public declaration of the truth I have found.” 

New Name is a call to order for foundation building and spiritual renewal. It achieves Jah9's mandate, as a singer, a poet and an activist striving towards dutiful introspection and an appetite for social justice. Invariably, an album of this ilk will afford the singer an opportunity to spread her roots deeply & widely, as she skillfully navigates her way through this musical stratosphere. New Name in now available on iTunes in a deluxe version containing extended versions of three of the existing album tracks. Hard copies are available for purchase in Jamaica at Bookophilia.

Dancehall Icons Compete for Mighty Crown

Mighty Crown "The Far East Rulers" thrilled fans in Toronto, Canada recently by inviting surprise iconic dancehall artists Brigadier Jerry and Johnny Osbourne to perform live dubplates on their sound during a hardcore sound system exhibition. The event, geared at capturing the historical essence of 'sound clashing' - called for the use of real 'steel' dub plates and surprise guest artists.

This proved to be a landmark moment on Mighty Crown's "Driving Force Tour" for numerous reasons, as Johnny Osbourne has not perfomed in Canada in over 20 years and has not performed with Brigadier Jerry in over a decade. "It was a historical moment performing on Mighty Crown with the legendary Brigadier Jerry," says Johnny Osbourne. "This performance brought me back to the good old days....Big up to Mighty Crown for respecting Foundation artists!"  

"I had a blast! The crowd gave us such an overwhelming welcome with whistles, yells and cheers....it was a sight to see," says Brigadier Jerry enthusiatically. "It's been a good while since Johnny Osbourne and I have worked together and he performed wonderfully. 

We did a combination that was even more wicked than a solo performance....this event was really, really nice and I am ready to do it again!" These two purveyors tore the place down perforning live dubplates. Can you say wicked? The moment was monumental as the two artists vyed for the crowd's attention, delivering a flawless exchange of lyrics and vocals. Osbourne belted dubplate style versions of his hits while Brigadier Jerry leveled the crowd with his unique lyrical flow. 

Mighty Crown certainly moved heads with this feat, bringing the rare combination of these powerhouse acts to Toronto. Let's just say, this epic performance sealed the deal for Mighty Crown as leaders in the sound system arena. One of Mighty Crown's goals on the "Driving Force Tour" is to show fans that through all the success and ventures, music is the root....music is their DRIVING FORCE. What a great way of celebrating their ode and passion for music with the delivery of music legends Brigadier Jerry and Johnny Osbourne! 

Mighty Crown's explosive Toronto performance recaptures the essence and deep connection of sound systems and artists. Think of it as a history lesson for the new generation of dancehall fans in attendance, as before actual dubplates these took the form of live and unique performances by artists on sound systems. See Mighty Crown on their highly acclaimed "Driving Force Tour."

Droop Lion Confirmed for Six-Week European Tour

Reggae singer Droop Lion, has clearly hitched his wagon to a star for 2013. He started off the year riding high on the acclaim he received at hardcore stage-show Sting in December 2012, and followed it up with yet another memorable performance at the recently-concluded, Follow The Arrow. Indicating that he was more than ready for the big times, Droop Lion is credited with really getting the star segment of the show started at Follow The Arrow and the crowd showed their fulsome appreciation.

As expected, his signature song, Freeway, caused quite a stir, but Droop was able to command the attention of the mixed crowd for his entire 15-minute set. And, having achieved his goal of making local audiences start singing his songs when they hear his name, Droop Lion and his management feel that the time is right for the artiste to spread his wings globally.

Come April 12, the singer with the big voice will hit the road in a meaningful way, as he gears up for his debut European tour which will see him taking centrestage as the opening act for the acclaimed reggae artiste, Capleton. Droop, who has been spending numerous hours in rehearsals, confesses that he is both excited and cautious at the same time. “Touring is what every artiste dreams of,” he stated, “and I am humbled to know that I will be embarking on my first real tour of Europe as the opening act for a reggae artiste of the caliber of Capleton. 

In some ways, touring is like facing the unknown…you have to interact with fans, many of whom don’t even speak your language, and that can be a bit daunting. But at the end of the day, music is the universal language and I will be speaking through my songs,” Droop Lion explained. A quick look at his itinerary shows that the reggae artiste has a tight schedule with all of 13 shows booked between April 12 and April 26, during which time he will be traversing through France and Italy. 

Among the venues in France for April are La Rodia in Besancon;, Salle Bernard Pfeiffer in Les Arcs; Le Transbordeur in Lyon; - Les Passagers du Zinc in Avignon; Victoire 2 in Montpellier and Le Moulin in Marseille. Italian cities which will host the reggae artiste include Rome, Lecce, Sicily, Milan and Venice. The tour is on schedule to last for six weeks and will also encompass Austria, Finland, Germany and Holland. 

Droop Lion savoured his first taste of success with the single, Freeway, which he followed up with the soothing Pray for Them, a song he says he penned after a flood a few years ago, which saw two men being washed away in the Sandy Gully. Other standout songs in his steadily growing repertoire include Lockdown, a protest song against police brutality, and the thought-provoking Long Way Down.