META AND THE CORNERSTONES Gear Up For Album Release And European Tour

On April 30, 2013, VP Records will release Meta and the Cornerstones sophomore album, Ancient Power. The 14 track album, Executive produced by Meta Dia and Co-produced by Sidney Mills, was recorded in Kingston, Jamaica at Tuff Gong Studios. The album features collaborations with reggae artists, U-Roy, Capleton and Damian Marley. Additionally, Meta worked musicians such as Dean Fraser, Julian Marley, Mikey Chung, Wayne "C-Sharp" Clarke and Wilburn "Squidly" Cole, among others, on the album.

The first single from the album, "My Beloved Africa" featuring Damian Marley pays tribute to Meta's homeland. "My Beloved Africa" is a love letter that talks about the ancestry, rich history, beautiful and smiling faces of a resilient people.

Listeners are treated to the raw emotion of Meta's pride in what he calls, "Africa, my place of birth." The chorus, "Mama Africa you are my nice one" ties together the overall theme making this an altogether feel good, positive, reggae single that will make you dance and beam with joy. Add to that Meta and Damian's vocal similarity and you have a chemistry that makes "My Beloved Africa" a sure fire hit that made its way to #1 in France, is in rotation on BBC 1xtra and a favorite of veteran UK DJ Sir David Rodigan.

Meta and The Cornerstones will celebrate the release of the album with a performance at Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, New York, New York on April 30th. In addition to the performance, there will be a meet and greet with fans and media outlets. Leading up to the album's release, on Monday April 29th, Meta and the Cornerstones will make an appearance at Sirius XM Radio, where they will perform live before specially invited guests and media. The performance will be aired live on The Joint. On May 9, 2013, the band will kick off their European Tour at Festival Rock'n Solex in Rennes, France. The Rock'n Solex festival combines Solex racing and music and is the second largest musical event in France. In its 46th years, the festival will be held May 8 -12th. The band will then travel to the SuperMarkt in The Hague where they will have the official European album release party for Ancient Power. Meta chose the SuperMarkt in The Hague for the official European release because it was the first venue that the band ever played in Europe. The tour will continue with performances at Festival Le Bouillon on May 16th, Afro Pfingsten Festival on May 17th, Rootstock Festival on May 18th, Petit-Bain on May 30th, Espace Malraux on May 31st, Le Tamanoir of June 1st and Afro Latino Festival on June 29th.