Soca Queen Ready to ‘Roll It’ for Irie Jam

New York—NY, With dancehall kings Yellowman and Beenieman already confirmed as headline performers at the award winning Irie Jamboree music festival, the challenge for the promoters was to choose a female artiste - a queen - that could represent for the ladies. The alluring and talented Alison Hinds, the  “Queen of Soca” was the unanimous choice. 

“Once we added Beenieman and Yellowman to the line up, we knew we needed a female performer who had a strong presence on stage, who has a strong fan base and who could represent for the ladies. Allison Hinds had all the qualities we were looking for and a whole lot more to offer” Bobby Clarke, one of the principals of Irie Jamboree Inc. said. 

Alison is no stranger to the limelight. The sexy, sassy and sophisticated singer began her reign as lead vocalist of the popular Square One Band and what a fantastic journey it was for her. She quickly made her mark with “Raggamuffin” and “In the Meantime,” which earned her the Road-march and Party Monarch titles for two consecutive years. On stage, she honed her skills and developed a loyal fan base touring the Caribbean, North/South America, Africa and Europe. After taking the band to the top of the charts, she took a brief sojourn to start a family and give birth to her daughter. 

The british born, Barbadian bombshell re-emerged on a remix of Kevin Lyttle’s “Turn Me On” which became a massive worldwide hit. The success of the track paved the way for her to launch her solo career with the smash anthem “Roll It Gal,” taken from her debut album ‘Soca Queen.’ “Roll it Gal” shot to the top of the charts in the Caribbean almost instantly and garnered airplay on urban stations across the US. The video stayed at the #1 position for ten (10) weeks on TEMPO and enjoyed heavy rotation on video channels around the globe. Hinds will join Coco Tea, Sizzla, Elephant Man and rising reggae stars Serani, Bugle, DeMarco, Tanya Mullings, Little Hero and Elvis D as confirmed acts on Irie Jamboree which takes place on Labor Day, Sunday, August 31, 2008 at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, NY. 

Earlier this month, the executive team travelled to Toronto, Canada to get the word out to music lovers at the Caribana celebrations.  

“The launch events in Toronto and Jamaica were extremely successful. The trip to Canada in particular was very productive, so much so that we have started to run promo ads on a few radio stations there to encourage our neighbors to visit Irie Jamboree while they are in town for the Labor Day weekend festivities” Clarke noted. 

The official New York launch party will be held at Club Element in Manhattan on Thursday, August 21, 2008.

 

‘MELLO-GO-ROUN’ A true Jamaican Celebration Culture

By Walter Greene

The National Indoor Sports Center in Kingston was the venue for `Mello-Go-Roun’ Jamaica’s premier family show that is a successful product of the National Festival of the Arts. Hosted by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission with program Director Rene Robinson at the helm `Mello-Go-Roun’ under the theme `Tea Meeting Extravaganza’ was a huge cultural explosion with song, speech, traditional dance, folklore and so much more, witnessed by a SRO audience that was quite receptive to the talent in store.

The spotlight was on the youth, and cultural performances from most of the schools from pre-school to college level was presented in a free flowing professional presentation that was hosted by the very witty and versatile MCs Faye Ellington and Mr. Blige, aka The Baron & The Baroness.

Jamaica’s Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports Hon. Olivia Grange, sharing her view, emphasized that the Government of Jamaica is committed to returning Emancipation and Independence celebrations to the glory, meaningfulness and fanfare of yester-year said; “As a new government, we are committed to a revitalized emancipation and independence celebration and so we have embarked on ensuring that we mobilize the nation and reintroduce some of the activities and events that were considered important in celebrating and recognizing our achievements as a nation….When I was growing up, my friends and I really looked forward to the celebrations, because it gave us a chance to participate in the costumed groups as well as it gave us a chance to be involved in the street dances and patriotic events like this.”

The evening began with a revival of traditional folk by the talented Deeside Cultural Club. This was followed by an instrumental solo by Darielle-Dave Nicholson and the Liberty Learning Center with the dancers performing a `Sky Medely.’ Next up was Vaz Preparatory in a splendid dance number called “Glory Jam.” Eight little kids from St. Theresa Preparatory School then thrilled the audience with the Traditional Folk dance – Quadrille. Six year-old Tajahrie Rose brought the house to a rousing ovation with his keen interpretation of a poem entitled “Mi Daddy.” Tajahrie was the winner of the Most Outstanding Performer award in the Festival Competition.

Jessi Ripoll Primary School was magnificent in their Jamaica meets Bollywood dance performance “Desranquilla.” Dub Poetry was celebrated in a hilarious performance of “Me Waa back mi Madda” by the Little London Primary School and lithesome Kahadijah Caine, also from Jessi Ripoll Primary School, sizzled in a dance sequence called “Memories” Traditional Folk by Green Island High School. An amazing duet “Night Creatures” was performed by D’Oro Dance Ensemble and teenage songbird, Kimiela Issacs winner of the JCDC Top Female Performer belted out the Blues classic “At Last” to a thunderous standing ovation.

It was then time for Maypole by Harbour View Primary which was followed by the boys of Munro College in a take from The Lion King “He Lives In You.” This was the segment dedicated to Songs from the Movies & Theatre Music. Ascot High performed “Tie Souls” with a narration of Dr Martin Luther King’s `We Shall Overcome’ speech in the background. The seriousness of this segment was linked by an extremely funny Jamaican Dialect Solo by Simone Henry entitled “Pon Di Wall.” This piece was truly an extraordinarily laughable yet serious slice of Jamaican life.

More of Jamaican Folk Singing came from Mannings High School students and Glenmuir High entertained with “An we go a courting.” Creative Folk C performed a sensational dance number Umojah “Sensasia.” The boys of Elthan High drew loud applause for their energetic dance number “Ready Fi Dem” and the Dub Poetry from Ensemble Males Clan Carthy High “Construction” Was well received. Rounding out the talented teenagers was the exuberant Tivoli Dance Troupe in their vibrant and colorful “Festival Fiesta.”

The grand finale, with all of the performers on stage, was the singing of the new 2008 Festival Song `Rise& Shine’ by Roy Rayon.

 

The Blacklist: 100 Greatest Power Moves

Beginning Sunday, Nov. 9, TV One will premiere an original, five-hour special chronicling the unforgettable moments, cultural movements and personal achievement that have advanced the black race and helped change the course of American history over the past century in The Blacklist: 100 Greatest Power Moves. Arsenio Hall, the groundbreaking television host who literally changed the face of late-night television, will host the special, which will air over five consecutive nights, covering 20 “Power Moves” each night, culminating with the top 20 — and the #1 moment — on Thursday, November 13.

The Blacklist will encompass Power Moves from a wide cultural and historic perspective, from unwavering civil rights leaders to Nobel Prize-winning literary giants to independent-thinking film directors to a pop star who “Beat It.” The special will highlight African-American pioneers and awe-inspiring moments such as: the 1968 Olympic Medalists proudly raising their fists in the air in support of Black Power; Thurgood Marshall’s induction into the Supreme Court; the birth of Motown records; Bill Cosby becoming the knowledgeable, advice-giving father figure for the American television audience; Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” becoming one of the top selling albums of all time; the emergence of Rap music as a voice of the inner city; Malcolm X’s stance of self-preservation “By Any Means Necessary”; the steadfast determination of the Little Rock Nine as they helped to desegregate the school system; and, of course, Barack Obama’s historic bid for the Presidency.

With a unique blend of reverence, “tell it like it is” attitude and a little bit of humor, this highly entertaining series promises to give a historical perspective, as well as, an inspirational walk through of the best and most celebrated moments of the African-American experience. The Power Moves will be presented with a fast-paced display of memorable imagery, the most-up-to-date graphic technology and soulful music, transporting the viewer to times and places that should never be forgotten.

Through in-depth interviews, viewers will hear firsthand accounts of many of these Power Moves from those who witnessed or took part in these moments or personal achievements, lived to talk about it and reflect on their impact on the American culture. The special will include commentary from scholars Michael Eric Dyson, Dr. Molefi Kete Asante and William Jelani Cobb; cultural critics Chuck D, Michaela Angela Davis and Emil Wilbekin, Hip Hop pioneer Russell Simmons, rising politician Kevin Powell; and a host of celebrities and comedians for a lighter and somewhat irreverent view of the Power Moves.

“Viewers love list shows, and at TV One we wanted to create one that would not only capture attention, but would provoke discussion online and around the water cooler about the events, people and moments that have truly impacted American culture and even shaped our world, society and identity,” said TV One President and CEO Johnathan Rodgers.

A popular stand-up comedian, Arsenio Hall hosted Fox’s The Late Show in 1987 and the syndicated late-night series, The Arsenio Hall Show, from 1989-1994. Changing the face of late night television by capturing young, multi-ethnic viewers across the country, the show provided a forum for cutting edge comedy, politics and the television debut of such pop superstars as Mariah Carey, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Boyz II Men, and countless others. Although entertainment was a priority for Hall, he also conceived of his show as a space where audiences, especially youth, could be educated.

The Blacklist: 100 Greatest Power Moves is produced for TV One by Dark Matter Entertainment. Executive producers are Jason Bolling and P.J. McSwain.