ReggaeTimes

The long anticipated finale of the sixth season finally arrived last Friday. The night, which started at 8:30pm, saw the Denham Town Princess, 2008 Digicel Rising Star, Cameal Davis, opening the show with her widely popular, inspirational Believe.  As the audience sat still in eager anticipation, the judges did their round up of the season.

Nadine went first, stating: “It’s the first time we’ve had so many females in one competition, and so many strong females.”

Clyde, who had similar thoughts, commented: “I think it has been a remarkable year… I’m very happy to see how the show progressed through the year. ”

Anthony then concluded: “A nice mix of talent, but in a talent show like Rising Stars you’ve got to have that focal person and that always generates the interest.”

The final two contestants then joined Yendi on the stage for a final joint performance of Alicia Key’s Super Woman. The performance was well received by both the audience and judges alike. 

Princess Tia’s final performance as a Digicel Rising Stars’ contestant then followed. Tia performed Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror.

Brown Sugar’s final performance as a contestant came next. She sang Jasmine Sullivan’s Lions, Tigers, Bears showing truly how fearless she really is.

It came time for the big announcement after months of campaigning and intense competition the final two awaited their fate.  Yendi finally announced the Digicel Rising Star for the year 2009: “Mitzie “Brown Sugar’ Campbell!”

Princess Tia was presented with her second place, $600,000 cheque following which Brown Sugar with her $1Million cheque amidst a flurry of falling confetti. Brown Sugar then performed for the audience Tanya Stephens’ What A Day.

With the first half of the exciting night over, the girls were then quickly swept away to Mas Camp via stretch limousines where they proceeded to chill in the star packed VIP area backstage.

The line up that performed at Mas Camp included K’Alee, Romain Virgo, Daynea Deacon, One Third, Chris Martin, Cameal Davis, Cavan, Laden and the entire 2009 Digicel Rising Stars top ten. Tessanne Chin joined the Diva Adena during her performance of Black Book, while I-Octane sang Mama you alone with Princess Tia and both Etana and Tifa accompanied Brown Sugar during her performances of Roots and Spell It Out respectively. G Whizz, Assassin and D Major also made appearances on stage.

The night finally came to an end at 1:30am. The little girl from Negril who had bloomed right before our eyes every Sunday evening for the past eleven weeks had this to say as her parting words: “Yes, Digicel Rising Stars is the best experience I’ve ever had in my seventeen years, of life and I will never forget it!”

Hosted by Simon Crosskill, Digicel Deal or No Deal is an exhilarating game show where contestants play and deal for a top prize of $1 million in a high-energy contest of nerves, instincts and raw intuition. Each week, the game of odds and chance unfolds when a contestant is confronted with 26 Jamaican beauties holding 26 sealed briefcases with cash ranging from $1 to $1 Million. Without knowing the amount in each briefcase, the contestant picks one – his/hers to keep, if he/she chooses – until its unsealing at game’s end. Originally produced by Endemol, the game show premiered on Dutch TV in 2001. 

With Digicel Deal or No Deal viewers at home will also have a chance of winning cash by playing the Lucky Case Game. In this game there are 3 cases: A, B & C each randomly containing a cash value: $5,000, $25,000 and $100,000.  At the end of each show, starting at 9PM, viewers will be able to text to enter as many times as they like for six days for a chance to win one of these cash prizes. A winner will be randomly selected every Wednesday morning and the selected winner will have to tune in to the show that night on TVJ to see how much cash they have won.  Near the start of each show on a Wednesday night, Simon asks that episode’s participating contestant to select a case A, B or C, as carried by three of the show’s models, this case will be revealed and show how much cash the selected winner has won. 

The aim of Digicel Deal or No Deal is to give contestants a chance to win a whopping $1 million while at the same time providing quality entertainment to the viewing audience. The secret to the success of the show lies in the well-balanced combination of both mathematical, and psychological elements all coming together to produce a game show thriller. TVJ will premiere Digicel Deal or No Deal on Wednesday September 23 at 8pm.

The theme for last week’s Digicel Rising Stars show was Rock and Roll. The final three, all ladies, brought it in the hope that they would be the next Rising Star.

While the first performances were rock inspired and were done alone, the roll aspect of the theme saw the contestants singing along with guest artistes. Queen Ifrica song with Princess Tia, Tessanne Chin with Adena and Brown Sugar shared the stage with Etana.

“I must commend all three contestants tonight, because you all chose women and you chose outstanding women,” stated Clyde McKenzie.

Brown Sugar’s performance was not as good as was expected due to a throat infection which rendered her nearly speechless. Nadine, a judge, stated: “It was entertaining, Brown Sugar, but I tell you the truth, you should have chosen another song, you are too good a singer for that … You could have done so much better.” However, her fashion rocked, with patent leather pumps, black one-strap dress with black leggings and a gold belt, gold jewellery and bleached blonde Mohawk with red streaking.

Princess Tia performed Wake Me Up by Evanescence which was really tastefully done. Her stage present and attitude were spot on and was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience and both Nadine and Clyde. Miller however, thought otherwise and stated:” I think she really made a hash of it.”

Diva Adena performed Kelly Clarkson’s Since You’ve Been Gone which had the audience in an uproar as her voice soared to new heights.  Miller stated: “Now we’re talking … because you have the voice to rock this room tonight.”

The theme for this week’s Digicel Rising Stars show which was aired on Sunday August 23 was Then and Now. Contestants had to perform one hit song from the year of their birth and another hit from 2008 or 2009.

Brown Sugar’s Now performance, a Queen Ifrica Medley, had the audience on the edge of their seats.  Nadine who enjoyed the performance complimented Brown Sugar on her versatility saying: “I like that you show your diversity” she then concluded “Your talent is vast”.

Diva Adena’s performance despite suffering from another sore throat was stellar. Her stunning Then performance of Irene Cara’s What a Feeling, left the audience amazed at her ability to integrate the new found hoarseness of her voice into the song, turning it into a positive. Clyde, who enjoyed the performance stated: “That was strong, you came across with conviction.” Anthony who agreed partially, stated: “You have to step up how you perform, you sound good, but you’re looking a bit lack-lustre.”

Princess Tia took both the audience and the judges by surprise this week with her very sexy Then performance of Giving Him Something He Can Feel by Envogue. Not only were Tia’s vocals on point, but also her moves. Princess Tia wore a black slinky dress with ruffled chiffon off the shoulder collar and gold open toe platforms was also a  hit in fashion.

Moments second performance of Good Girl Gone Bad though pleasing to both Nadine and Clyde seemed however to rub Miller the wrong way: “I think that Brown Sugar pulled it off last week, but I don’t think that you pulled it off. This is do or die, I think your chance might have just died.” he told them.

Moments outfit for their Now performance of Tarrus Riley and Konshens’ Good Girl Gone Bad was something else that caught the eye, black military-esque shirts, army stripes and epaulettes included, black jeans, black military boots and black sunglasses added something extra to the performance.

The judges overall seemed to be pleased by the contestants performances, but at the same seemed a little disappointed that only Princess Tia really wowed them with her performance, everyone else seemed to do their usual. However, Princess Tia’s second performance of Rihanna’s Disturbia seemed to turn them off as much as her first performance had pleased them.    

This week Kiki was joined in the Chill Room by two artistes who have been making hits from then till now, Tony Rebel and Mr. Vegas.

Rainforest Bobsled Jamaica at Mystic Mountain in Ocho Rios, will become the Caribbean’s first attraction open for nighttime operations. Guests will soon be able to soar into the night on the Sky Explorer to the top of Mystic Mountain, professionally lit by landscape experts to create a mystical display of the tropical forest canopy. Once at the summit, R2 Restaurant, which stands at a soaring 700 feet tall, will offer a gourmet dining experience overlooking an unparalleled nighttime view of Ocho Rios.

Visitors will also experience a pulsating ride on the Bobsled Jamaica with an illuminated track at 40 feet intervals, which creates a strobe light effect as visitors descend through the deep tropical jungle. Canopy zip liners can discover the thrill of the world’s first nighttime zip line, donning helmet lights as they zip amongst the rainforest treetops to platforms ringed with torches.

Mystic Mountain is situated on over 100 acres of land containing a diverse ecosystem including natural springs, tropical plants, trees and a variety of birds. Mystic Mountain is in the process of planning and engineering other featured enhancements and rides that will continue to set it apart from all other excursions and ensure it will remain the Caribbean’s premier tourism attraction.

Sean Paul’s fourth studio album has been creating waves all around the world. Imperial Blaze has copped the number 1 spot on the Billboard Rap Album charts knocking out contenders such as Fabulous and Eminem. This is the first time a Jamaican artiste is topping the Billboard Rap Album charts. Sean Paul’s third studio album Trinity reach only number 3 on the charts in 2005.

The success of the album thus far is evident as on its release in Japan it sold upwards of 500,000 in the first week. Sean Paul is also sitting comfortably in the number 1 spot on the Billboard Reggae Album Charts, ahead of a Bob Marley compilation, Ziggy Marley’s Family Time, and VP Record’s Reggae Gold.

Certified Gold in France, the album is number 3 on the R&B/Hip Hop Album Charts, number 5 on the Billboard Canadian Albums and is doing well on the European charts.
Aside from those charts, Imperial Blaze is also number 12 on the Billboard 200, and number 9 on the Digital Downloads charts.

Imperial Blaze was recorded and produced in Jamaica and had producers such as Jeremy Harding, Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor, Delano Thomas, Don Corleon, Craig ‘Leftside’ Parks, Arif Cooper and Jason ‘Jigzagula’ Henriques working on the 20-traack album.

Keyboardist Wycliffe ‘Steely’ Johnson of the infamous production duo Steely and Clevie died on Tuesday from a heart failure. Steely who suffered from diabetes contracted pneumonia after removal of a benign tumour at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in New York. He was also receiving treatment for kidney failure prior to going overseas for further treatment.

Steely who started his career as a studio musician worked with several producers and was known for creating some of the best 1980’s and 1990’s jams with Cleveland ‘Clevie’ Browne. As keyboard player with the Roots Radix Band Steely backed singers like Gregory Isaacs and Bunny Wailer. The duo began producing as a team in the 1980’s after playing on Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Confrontation album.  In 2002 they produced Sean Paul and Sasha’s I’m Still In Love which was a hit on the pop charts.

Steelie Bashment who copied the name hoping to one day emulate his greatness had this to say on Johnson passing;”I am deeply saddened by the passing of Wycliffe ‘Steely’ Johnson. Talk to anyone who grew up with me, and they’ll tell you that I idolized Steely from Silver Hawk Sound. I adopted the name ‘Steelie’ with the goal to one day have my own sound and be at the top of the game — like Steely. I met Steely about 10-12 years ago in Studio 2000. He said he had heard about me; I told him I named myself after him because I respected him and what he did with Silver Hawkt.  His contribution to Dancehall music is immeasurable. His impact on my life is unforgettable. Music without him is inconceivable.”

Women in Trelawny will be treated to three days of workshops and motivational talks courtesy of the inaugural Trelawny Women’s Fest. This will be held from September 11-13 and will feature local as well as international facilitators whose intention is to motivate and uplift the attendees. An exemplary Trelawny Woman will also receive the Trelawny Woman Award.

It will begin on Friday night with the local premiere of the movie St. Kofa which was shot in Trelawny. The movie which depicts scenes from slavery and featured Jamaican dub poet Mutaburaka will be shown at the Albert George Market in Water Square.

The workshops will be conducted at the Time and Place beach in Coopers Pen. A cultural concert will bring climax to the slated activities.

This event was the brain child of Maria Moore who had the concept over 18 years ago when she first visited Jamaica as a production assistant in the filming of St. Kofa. During that period she forged a relationship with Laesch and loan thought to the idea.

August 7-9 saw the launching of an event series entitled ‘The Weekend’ and by reports, it was a great success. The décor, presentation and service were of first world standards. The interesting blend of attendees was pleasantly surprised by the refreshing atmosphere created by the decorators.

Held at the Jazz Bar at Iberostar, Friday was Jazz Night and Della Manley delivered a luscious set that had the patrons grooving to the seductive music. Sunshine Anderson was also at her best and even though it lasted no more than two hours the patrons were left thoroughly satisfied. The ambiance of great music, wines, cocktails and service was elegantly coordinated which brought sophistication to the event.

On Saturday, the ‘Luna Lounge’ became soulfully sedated as musician Craig Urchyshyn spun a web that captivated the audience despite the fact that it was his first visit. His unique skill of infusing live and recorded music carried well with the crowd and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

The Vertigo all-white beach party was a breathtaking atmosphere of tastefully selected furnishings and accessories. It was an experience for guests as the Iberostar beach was transformed to resemble South Beach with and hint of Jamaica. The oversized white beach beds, leather sofas, cabanas and soft lighting created a mood that was both relaxing and enchanting.

Washington D.C. based reggae band SOJA announced that the highly anticipated third full-length album “Born in Babylon“ will be released digitally worldwide, exclusively on iTunes on August 25, 2009. The album follows on the heels of their successful 2006 album “Get Wiser” which debuted in the Top 10 Reggae albums on iTunes and has remain in the top 100 since its release.

Originally formed in 1997, SOJA consists of lead singers, Jacob Hemphill (guitar) and Bob Jefferson (bass), as well as Patrick O’Shea on keyboard, percussionist Ken Brownell and drummer Ryan Berty.  The band has become renowned for using a unique blend of reggae, hip-hop, and rock to influence their sound, while staying dedicated to creating music with a real message and promoting a revolution. 

In July 2009, SOJA released the first single and music video for “I Don’t Wanna Wait” off the “Born in Babylon” album. When the album was made available for pre-orders, it debuted in the top 10 charts on iTunes based on the strength of “I Don’t Wanna Wait” and “Losing My Mind.”   

The band has shared the stage with notable artists such as Citizen Cope, Matisyahu, Ben Harper, Slightly Stoopid, Damian Marley, Govt Mule, Umphrey’s McGee, and Steel Pulse.

For the rest of 2009 and into 2010 SOJA plans on touring the United States extensively promoting “Born in Babylon.”  They also plan on further expanding internationally with tours.