Sparta Celebrates Three Consecutive Sold Out Events

Over the weekend chart topping performer, Tommy lee Sparta entertained UK fans at three consecutive sold out events. All three venues were packed to capacity at his concerts in Bedford, London and Dudley with long lines outside of the venues unable to gain entry. To celebrate this achievement and to accommodate fans that were unable to see the shows, a special send off event will be held.

This additional show will be at Club Enigma in London on Wednesday. “Every time mi come England mi have a good time. Mi like the place and the energy so mi have to return soon, not only for work but for vacation. It really feel good to come at the venue and see de line wrap ‘round the building plus inside ram. A no say a one night, a three-night inna row. Them show me mad love here,’ said Tommy Lee Sparta.

The gothic dancehall star also wrapped production on his latest video at Raffles in Chelsea, London. He brags a hot collaboration with Canadian pop artiste, Alyssa English. Steve Locke of Truck Back Records produced the record, Jimmy Choo that will be available worldwide later this month. Tommy Lee Sparta’s next stop will be Germany. 

This Friday, May 10th the “Spartan King” will head to Dormund for his first performance in that territory at the Ruhr Reggae Summer. He anticipates the same excitement and success as the previous shows in: Holland, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and Belgium that were all apart of the “Sparta Tour 2013” . 

LAUNCHES OWN MUSIC LABEL 

Travelling from city to city has not impacted releasing fresh music for his audience. Tommy Lee Sparta recently unveiled his first two official LP’s on his own label, Guzu Musiq - Sparta Hits Vol1 and Uncle Demon. The children inspired song; Captain Sparta, which has accrued over 250,000 views on Youtube since its premier last month, is available on the Sparta Hits VOL1 LP. This LP has a total of thirteen tracks that were all selected by by the deejay who is now venturing into music production. 

RELEASES FIRST OFFICIAL LPs 

The Uncle Demon LP was unleashed last week with fourteen tracks that include, Bu Nu Nu. A video was shot for the Claims Records production in Sweden that will be ready in time for summer.

Etana Hosts & Wins Best Female Vocalist at IRAWMA

Etana held her own at the 32nd IRAWMA International Reggae and World Music Awards in Coral Springs, Florida this past Saturday (May 4). The VP recording artist hosted the annual ceremony, performed her latest single "Reggae" to the auditorium's full house and took home the award for Best Female Vocalist.

Marcia Griffiths, Queen Ifrica, Allison Hinds, Patrice Roberts and Nkulee Dube were also nominated in this category. "We are so proud of Etana and to be a part of her journey. Her poise and sheer determination always shine through.

She is one of the most talented singer-songwriters of her time, and we are glad that the community and the IRAWMA organization recognize her contributions to the genre," says VP Records Co-founder Patricia Chin.  

Etana recently released her third studio album Better Tomorrow on VP Records, which is currently #1 on the South Florida Reggae Album chart. Better Tomorrow is a true testament to her evolved sound and her first album to be backed by all live instrumentation. 

Her brand new video for the contagious single "Reggae," directed by Kerrin McLean, was shot at Jamaican musical landmarks including the iconic Marley-owned Tuff Gong Studios, Rockers International record shop and Kingston Dub Club. 

Watch the official "Reggae" video here: http://youtu.be/r6GMBCaagok Etana heads back to her native island at the end of the month to participate in the International Women’s Forum Cornerstone Conference held in the Montego Bay Convention Center. Etana will speak on a panel entitled Jamaican Women In Music - Raising The Pitch And Lifting The Bar alongside Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange and Jade Lee. The session begins at 10am on May 31, 2013. Fans flying Caribbean Airlines can also check out Etana in the May/June Issue of their in-flight magazine Caribbean Beat.

Reggae Dub Poet Yasus Afari Releases New Album

Jamaican reggae artist and dub poet virtuoso Yasus Afari brings his eclectic and celebrated brand of Caribbean music to the masses with his new album Public Secret, set for a worldwide release on June 11, 2013 from FOX FUSE. Afari is hailed as one of reggae music's leading lyricists and one of the world's most prolific dub poets, who consistently delivers with witty, creative and cleverly articulated content. Public Secret, his 8th studio effort, stays true to form and is destined to defy and redefine reggae dub poetry.

Exhibiting profound lyrical mastery, along with his integration of social-political issues facing mankind, Afari's works are thought provoking and audibly pleasing. His poetic justice continues with Public Secret, which exemplifies Afari's intelligence and firm stance at the helm of the dub poetry genre. The album offers 15 tracks, all written by Afari, and sees 10 original selections along with five (5) dub versions of selected songs.

Penning prolific poems on singles such as "Wine Pon Paper," "Poetree Caan Nyam," "Do Good," "Ring Pon Comedy" and "Guidance," Afari seamlessly blends his provocative, educational missives with one-drop reggae and other rhythms, giving longtime and new fans a collector's item.

"In preparing Public Secret, my goal was to create original, inspirational, uplifting and empowering music of peace, love, hope and unity, which is relevant and accessible to all humanity," states Afari. "I hope to touch people's lives and souls in a personal and profound way, so that together we can move onward and upward in bringing awareness into the public space, and love and harmony into the secret, sacred space of our individual and collective souls." Yasus Afari is hailed in the reggae world as one of the best edutainers, whose wit and insights skillfully merge serious messages with Jamaica's trademark sense of humor, resulting in laughter, learning and love. 

"Reggae-dub performance poetry is an emerging art form and genre, which possesses the capacity and intention to dub out negativity from our minds, cultures, lives and the public space, and to dub in positivity into the family of nations, which is humanity," reveals Afari. "My role in this process is, and has always been, to provide awareness, visions and insights and to build bridges of friendship and goodwill, so as to make this objective of reggae-dub poetry a tangible, living reality." With a rich history of refusing to conform to social norms, Afari is determined to educate and enlighten the masses through his unique brand of entertainment. 

Now with a career spanning nearly three decades, eight albums under his belt, and two books (with a third in the works), Afari has rightfully earned international fame and acclaim as the ultimate dub poet. Public Secret will be available worldwide from all major digital retailers on June 11, 2013, and is distributed by FOX FUSE. TRACKLIST 1. Poetree Caan Nyam 2. Wine Pon Paper 3. Let's Talk New York 4. ISUS 5. Ring Pon Comedy 6. Guidance 7. Four Eyes Mek Two 8. Woman To Love 9. Yu Gud Enoh 10. Do Good 11. Guidance Dub 12. Dub Wine 13. Woman Dub 14. Dub New York 15. The ISUS Dub  

I-Octane Delivers Electrifying Performance in NY

International reggae/dancehall superstar I-Octane capped off a triumphant return to the New York stage with an electrifying performance at SOBs Hot 97’s Who’s Next showcase.

I-Octane began his day as a guest of Hot 97’s top rated morning show for a half-hour interview with hosts Cipha Sounds and Shawnee Culture where they discussed everything from his humble beginnings to the future of reggae music.

The interview was filmed for Hot 97’s TV component and can be viewed on their YouTube channel: HOT97NY.

Later that night, I-Octane started his headlining performance side stage with an acapella version of Stay Above Crime before taking centre stage to a rousing applause where he jumped right into No Love Inna Dem, proclaiming “respect to Hot 97 for the opportunity, but we need more reggae music on the station so we can further globalize it”.  

He continued to sing hit after hit, sending the crowd into a frenzy with classics such as My Life, Lose A Friend and Once More as well as his latest hits, Love Di Vibes, L.O.V.E.Y.O.U., and finally his most current hit, Gal A Gimme Bun, which is currently taking New York by storm. To show unity amongst Jamaican performers, the energetic I-Octane invited Ding Dong and Christopher Martin to the stage to perform It’s A Celebration, a collaboration between them and Konshens. 

This move prompted Hot 97 executive, Karlie Hustle, to tweet how impressed she was that Octane “brought the openers on stage with him to celebrate the art together.” As the show came to a close, Octane expressed positive vibes about his performance, stating that “Hot 97 continues to show their support of reggae and dancehall music and we appreciate their efforts to push the culture forward.”

L3 Magazine – May, 2013 Issue ft. OMI and Many More

The May issue of L3 Magazine has finally been released, and features on the front cover, one of Jamaica’s fastest rising stars, OMI! With his recently released songs “Cheerleader,” “Fireworks” and “My Old Lady” doing so well internationally, OMI has become the centre of attention not just in Jamaica, nor the Caribbean, but globally.

Racking up more than a half million views on YouTube for his video’s, Natasha Von Castle asks about his music, song writing, and his special relationship with his Mother and family.

How did OMI reply when Natasha asked “What was your Mom’s reaction when she heard the song “My Old Lady?!”

Heike Dempster sits down with Atlanta’s Mix Master David who opens up about music and party planning as well as performing in Jamaica and what it takes to be a success as a DJ. Ayeola George sits down with Cen’C Love who shares how fashion and music intertwine in her life as well as what it takes to balance family with career. Kevin Crown is a Natural Born Club Killer and he makes no apologies for his profession! 

As one of the best radio and club personalities from New York, Kevin has performed for fans around the world, but had a scary experience which caused him to play as a DJ with one arm. What was that experience? Mission Catwalk is back for a new season on TV J and we are excited about the contestants from across the Caribbean. 

On the menu this month, Jimmy Tambou serves us Eggplant Burgers with Sweet Potato fries, and Petra Lapiste quenches our thirst with Orange Mango Rum Punch. Also included in the May issue are music charts, centerfold, and an exclusive download from DJ Raize. All this and more at www.L3Magazine.com

Nordia Goes Crazy in Hot New Vdeo!

Singer Nordia Witter is very excited to officially release her remarkable new video titled, Crazy. The Collaborative effort of the super creative production teams of Zeke Films and Rick Elgood entices viewers to be in love on the tropic vacation of their dreams. The upcoming Caribbean star displayed her sultry side by the scenic coastlines of Portland.

Throughout the visually stunning high definition video Nordia parades in sweltering swim wear with barely there retro cover-ups telling a heartfelt love story. The track, Crazy was produced at Geejam studios by platinum selling producer, Dale Virgo for Canadian based, CeSoul Records.

Nordia also earns songwriting credit for the original track she serenades her love interest with, on the shores of French Man’s Cove. Model, Robert Taylor plays the leading man, who dramatizes the character of a gardener falling helplessly for a wealthy girl residing at the renowned Trident Castle. The island beauty will be featured in the soon to be released video, Gypsy with French reggae artiste, Charly B. Nordia is presently in New York working in the studio on upcoming tracks for her debut album and will be releasing the songs, Old School Love and Immortal in coming weeks.