O'Neil Duncan - What We Need Is Love

Ce'Cile improves International stock, while keeping her 'street cred'

Few Jamaican artistes have been able to consistently churn out relevant material locally, maintaining a large and loyal fan base, while at the same time maintaining international appeal. Ce'Cile is one. Known as the 'Bad Gyal' of Jamaican music, Ce'Cile is fresh and clean with a new album called Jamaicanization, new videos and new dancehall tracks which will be essential to any popular DJ's playlist.

Over the past months, the artiste has maintained her presence locally with dancehall tracks such as Woot Woot (Smoking rhythm), Pree Mi (Blaze Fia rhythm) and, more recently, Tip Me (Green Faces rhythm). On the reggae side, she has released heavy hitters like When You're Gone (Cardiac Bass rhythm), Rise Up (Message rhythm) and Missing You (Monte Carlo rhythm). These are just some examples of the way Ce'Cile has managed to straddle both the reggae and dancehall genres.

The artiste has just recently premiered the video for When You're Gone/Missing You.

Not only has Ce'Cile been dominating the local airwaves with some hot tracks, but she has also been present on the local stage, being a crowd puller at shows such as Reggae Sumfest 2011, LIME Fashion Nite Out, LIME 'Skool Aid', and several other locals shows. However, Ce'Cile's presence is always mostly felt on the international stage.

Ce'Cile has had a constant presence in Europe and the Caribbean throughout her career, and this year has been no different. The artiste is a regular on the stage and in the clubs in countries such as Germany, France, Netherlands, Amsterdam, French Guiana, and Africa.

European tour

Ce'Cile kicked off the 'Jamaicanization European Tour' with performances at a host of festivals, including Summer Jam (Koln Germany), Juicy Beats Festival (Dortmund, Germany) Berlin Reggae Fest (YAMM Berlin, Germany) Fest in the Park (Belgium) and Amsterdam Reggae Fest (Amsterdam). Ce'Cile also made stops in French Guiana and Belize, and will continue with stops in places such as Guyana, St Kitts and St Maarten in the coming weeks.

Ce'Cile is most popular in Germany and has been one of the most dominant Jamaican artistes on the German charts for several years, and the only Jamaican female artiste on said charts.

She is nominated for Africa's Channel O awards in the category of Most Gifted Raggae Dancehall Music Video for She Say Dat (remix), a collaboration done with Kenyan artiste Wyre.

Ce'Cile shot the video with Wyre while in Kenya in March of this year.

The artiste has released Jamaicanization on iTunes and via mobile APPs. The album, which was released August 19 in Germany, has been previewed in magazines such as Grazia, and the German Playboy.

Ce'Cile is also one of the few Jamaican Dancehall artistes utilising Album Apps and her full album plus lyrics are available as application download for Android and iPhone users.

Jamicaicanization, not yet released in Jamaica, contains 16 tracks, 13 of which are new. So far, the reviews have been excellent.

Reggaeville.de states: "In fact, Jamaicanization is an album to listen to from beginning to end. It works for dancehall fanatics, it works for (more or less) mainstream audience, it works in a club as well as a background soundtrack while having breakfast, doing ironing, or whatever."

Unitedreggae.com says: "The album is, arguably, her most high-profile release to date and is also going to have a legitimate claim to being her finest piece of work to date."

Jamaicanization has also been doing well on the charts. Two of the songs on the album, Step Aside (Beep Beep) and Singing This Song, are No. 10 and 11 on the MTV German Black Charts, respectively. Ce'Cile is sitting pretty in the middle of the chart and is ahead of artistes such as Lil Wayne, Drake, 50 Cent and Mary J. Blige, Singing This Song peaked at No 4 on said charts.

Jamaican fans can go to purchase or listen to the album at iTunes US or visit www.jamaicanization.com for more information.

Duncan Sings 'Life Music'

Published: Saturday | September 3, 2011 Jamaica Gleaner

The cover of the album 'I Know', the first solo effort of O'Neil Duncan.- Contributed

Life music singer O'Neil Duncan is returning to the local music scene with a new album, dubbed I Know. The first single on the new album is dubbed What We Need is Love, which points almost directly to the album's theme.

Duncan, who is no stranger to the music business, started out when he formed a group called Accapella Flames while attending Cornwall College in the early 1990s. After moving to Cayman a few years ago to teach, he joined another group called Clarity, which went on to win the gospel song competition in the Cayman Islands in 2006. The group also had success with the release of an album in the same year. Duncan was the principal writer and arranger of eight of that album's 10 songs.

versatile artiste

Duncan has proven himself to be a versatile artiste and has shared the stage with the likes of Cece Winans, Acappella, FC Barnes and Kirk Franklyn, to name a few. Now, Duncan presents his first solo album. I Know, which is scheduled for release on October 1, is packed with a host of inspirational treats, such as the song from which the album takes its name, The Wind Blows and Go Forth.

According to Duncan, while he has been categorised as a gospel singer, he sees himself as someone who sings life music. "The first single off the album, which is called What We Need is Love, is a good listen and will show you that this music is not just for Christians but has a wider appeal. When I write a song, I am trying to reach the man, woman or child on the street who is having personal issues. I seek to be an inspiration to them, and when they listen to my songs they are supposed to feel hope and understand that someone understands the plight they are facing in their life," said Duncan.

Duncan said he chose What We Need is Love as the first single on the album because of the situation in Jamaica. "When you live in Cayman and you watch the news and read the papers, sometimes you want to cry when you see how our paradise is slowly being destroyed.

I know from experience that love can conquer all evil and that's why I chose this song to lead the album. What Jamaica really needs right now is love," said Duncan. The video for What We Need is Love was shot in Coronation Market last week by ace video director Asha of Fareye Films, and will be released locally and intentionally in a few weeks.

YANIQUE RISES FROM MAGNUM KINGS AND QUEENS

Yanique is clearly a rising star and continues to make her mark in the media…

Kingston, Jamaica August 12, 2011:- Popular host of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall Yanique Barrett has grown from strength to strength since cementing her role on Jamaica’s number one Dancehall show.

The young talent has made several big moves recently such as the hosting of Ne-Yo ’s Compound Island concert in Negril over the emancipation weekend and becoming a personality on hit Jamaican radio Fame FM. The curvaceous diva is excited about her recent career moves: “I am so thrilled at the recent happenings, the Ne-Yo concert was big and now I am on Fame FM; it’s just excitement all around”

The Champaign Life concert which was held at Jungle in Negril over the Emancipation weekend was part of a two part series which began on Friday July 29 with a ultra-VIP welcome party at Boardwalk Village and The Champagne Life concert on Saturday July 30 which featured several of Jamaica’s top artistes such as Hezron, Beenie Man, Voicemail and the big man himself Ne-Yo.

Over the last few weeks Yanique has also been heard on Fame FM hosting the popular program E-Blaze. She has interviewed top artistes such as Tiffa, Ne-Yo, D’Angel, Voicemail and several others. The newly minted radio personality is happy at the chance of working at such a great radio institution: “Fame FM is foundation radio. Every day that I go to Fame I learn something new and it’s always an exciting experience. I want to make a positive contribution to the station and I am so happy that they saw talent in me and had the faith that I could work on such a popular and reputable station”.

Yanique is clearly a rising star and continues to make her mark in the media and on the party landscape. Yanique is booked to host the International Reggae Wine Festival this weekend plus several events in the coming months and listen to Fame FM where the curvaceous diva continues to make her mark and is always blazing.

HEZRON'S REGGAE SUMFEST 2011 PERFORMANCE

Sumfest Final Night Hits The Right Note

Sumfest Final Night Hits The Right Notea hit

• Int'l Jamaican acts wow the crowd

Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:

Anticipation simmered, slowly building to fever pitch, as fans anxiously awaited Reggae Sumfest 2011 International Night 2 headliner, Nicki Minaj's first performance in Jamaica on Saturday night.

Hip hop's resident queen and HNIC (Head Nicki in Charge) opened her act on the final night of the 'Greatest Reggae Show On Earth' to a rousing response to the hit song Roman's Revenge.

It was 1 a.m. when Minaj hit the Sumfest stage, on the heels of Hezron, Protoje and Gyptian. Holding true to her image, she ignited an electrical current that permeated the air, delivering a scorching performance.

Little Nicki Minajes stood in the audience singing in unison with their idol.

Gyptian held the audience's attention from start to finish. Mama Don't Cry was a crowd favourite, but I Can Feel Your Pain was met with an even louder response. There was no pain, just joy from those in attendance.

Reminding the audience of his first song, Gyptian performed Serious Times, then introduced his new single. Closing with his international breakthrough song, Hold Yuh, Gyptian easily received the loudest ovation to that point of the show.

Hezron got the audience involved with She's My Woman, his performance was aptly appreciated both by younger and older audience members, but it was his closing mainstream hit, Forever and Always, that earned him a huge ovation.

Not for everyone

Not all artistes have great stage presence, and not all deserve to be on Reggae Sumfest; new artiste Trudy was an unfortunate example.

Chalice was to close the show in a typically professional manner. The older audience members hung around and Chalice did not disappoint them.

Earlier performances came from Ramize, Ashley Martin, Denyque, Cherine Anderson and Laza Morgan.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com

Outstanding performances bring Reggae Sumfest to a close

BY CECELIA CAMPBELL-LIVINGSTON Observer staff reporter Livingstonc@jamaicaobserver.com

Monday, July 25, 2011

MONTEGO BAY, St James — The 19th staging of Reggae Sumfest came to its climax Sunday morning at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay with some outstanding performances.

US-based rapper Nicki Minaj, on her first performance in Jamaica, managed to excite the crowd with her expletive laced songs.

It would have been interesting to see what would have happened had those same expletives come from the lips of our own Jamaican performers. Two nights before, singjay IOctane admitted on stage that he was warned by the police not to perform the ganja-loving Puff It. Yet Minaj enjoyed the privilege of one expletive after another without any form of warning or sanction.

Nonetheless, her many fans, who seemed totally carried away, didn't mind. Whatever she dished out they were more than willing to lap up. Among the winning numbers she performed were Dungeon Dragon, Bottoms Up, My Chick Bad, Your Love, Monster, Bedrock and Moments For Life. Minaj also scored with her attempts to talk Jamaican and she totally wooed the crowd with her stage dramatics and appealing presence. If there was one negative about her performance where the fans were concerned, it was the shortness of her stint, as some openly commented on how quickly she exited the stage.

Earlier in the evening, young reggae songbird Cherine Anderson delighted by showing her musical versatility. She played the guitar as she sang the lyrics to Good Love. With the guitar segment out of the way she danced her way into the media section where she gently pulled onstage an Italian male visitor. 

After Cherine's steamy performance Hezron was next. Always about the ladies, the artiste, backed by his harmonious back-up singers, easily wowed his way into the hearts of the thousands of females present with his sexy soul-filling love melodies. If churning the lyrics to songs, such as You Are Always On My Mind and Wait Until Tonight wasn't enough, he went the extra mile giving several ladies in the audience a rose much to their delight.

— Additional reporting by Simone Morgan

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Outstanding-performances-brings-Reggae-Sumfest-to-a-close#ixzz1T9W4QoEu

Ce'Cile To Release Album After Sumfest

Ce'Cile

 Leighton Levy, Gleaner Writer
It can be a challenge for even a veteran entertainer to top their last performance at an annual festival. Ce'Cile is no different in this regard, as she contemplates her performance at ReggaeSumfest tonight.


The dancehall bad gyal has performed on Jamaica's biggest reggae festival on a few occasions now, so the challenge is not new.


"It's always a challenge when, maybe you think the same people will be there, so you don't want to duplicate your performance," she said.


"This year, I wasn't planning anything flamboyant, calling up anybody, or having dancers. Last year, I had a nice surprise in Tanto Blacks, which went over so very well. I don't have any collaborations. As such, I don't know how to beat that, so I am just going to concentrate on getting the songs out there."
Back to basics
In other words, when all else fails, go back to basics. And that is exactly what Ce'Cile plans to do on tonight's Dancehall Night.


"When you have to do the same shows year after year, you have to have new songs and, luckily for me, for the dancehall section, I have Me Nuh Share Gyal Man, which I didn't have last year, and Rise Up, Tip Me. So I have new material which is pretty good that people have never seen me perform here yet on this big stage," she revealed.


"I hope just to concentrate on the songs this year and on my growth as a performer."
Ce'Cile believes Sumfest to be the best reggae festival in Jamaica and said it offers entertainers an opportunity to properly hone their skills, which helps when they perform overseas.
Sumfest, she said, is not a battleground, it's a performance ground where people look up to the performers, where the people support good music.


"What I like about Sumfest is that it's not like it's a fast-paced thing. You get to bring out you," she said.
"When you do well at Sumfest, people want to book you and I have done lots of shows all over the world, where you have to come up with good performances for like an hour or hour and 15 minutes. So I guess it has done a lot for us."


Sometime during the weeks following her Sumfest performance, Ce'Cile will release her second studio album. Her first - that helped spawn hits like Hot Like We - was released just over two years ago under different names for different markets: Bad Gyal in Japan and Germany, Worth It (online) and Waiting in North America. This latest effort, which contains a host of quality tracks, is to be released first in Europe by Kingstone/Groove Attack, and will be available on iTunes where fans can also find the first single, Singing This Song.


The single, which is on a reggae beat with a hint of hip hop, was originally titled Nobody, but the name was changed because she already had another song by that name. It was written in 2008 and is basically about a girl who "even though she is spoiled and she is kind of a brat, her man loves her anyway".
The song and album will be serviced to radio locally in the very near future.
"We're actually doing this in a weird way. We're sending out the album and releasing the single without sending anything to radio," she said.


"The album (Jamaicanization) is 16 tracks, 13 of which are exclusive to the album, so it's something different we're trying because a lot of fans were saying they didn't know where to find what, especially when we have so many songs. I just wanted the buying public to have something exclusive for them. We will then come to Jamaica and release singles and have a nice album launch and everything, but we're taking it outside of Jamaica because, for the most part, that is where the buying public is and where the demand for the music is."
As the name suggests, the album is about bringing people back to what is Jamaican music or "what my interpretation of what our music is," she said.


The album will feature ska, rub-a-dub, reggae, dancehall; and she wrote all the songs and co-produced 13 of them. There are also some familiar tracks, including Nah Stress Over Man (Tony Kelly/BigYard), Gwaan Live Life (Germaine Mason), and When You're Gone (Cardiac Bass). It also features collaborations with Chris Martin, Million Stylz and Agent Sasco. With Sasco, who many also know as Assassin, she did Hey, which she describes as her favourite.


"E bad, e bad, e bad, e bad, oh my God, it's so bad," she said, describing the song which has an infectious old-school one-drop beat. She also favours a song called Sweetness, which is a collaboration with Chris Martin and a ballad, Without You. The beautifully designed album cover in the national colours, contains liner notes which are bits of historical facts about Jamaica, which Ce'Cile feels will add even greater value.
"This is about my country, about me. I want people to fall back in love with Jamaica," she said.
"It's like a little tourist destination. It's just my little musical journey, I am very proud of it."

HEZRON PROMISES CAREER PERFORMANCE ON SUMFEST

Hezron has been in incubation for a while and now he is finally breaking out...”

2011 has been a great year for Hezron and this Saturday night he will add another feather to his hat with what is expected to be a brilliant performance at Reggae Sumfest’s International Night 1.

Hezron who started off the year right with the release of his hit single Forever and Always on the Whatage Label has been very present on radio receiving heavy rotation on Irie FM, Hitz FM, Fame FM and several other stations. The artiste has also been charting on Stampedes Street Charts, Fiwi Charts, Richie B’s Jamaica Music Countdown, New York Reggae Music charts and the South Florida Reggae Music charts to name a few.

The artiste also has other successful releases such as She’s All Woman, Jammin Till a Morning and Two Places featuring Shaggy and is very excited about is latest trip to the Sumfest stage and is ready to give the performance of his career: “I am ready for Sumfest and I am very honored to be able to grace the Sumfest stage this year. I know the fans have high expectations of me and I am working hard to ensure that I don’t disappoint them I am very exciting at the opportunity.

Hezron has seen is star rise this year; he has become more recognized here in Jamaica and internationally as one of the next generation of up and coming reggae stars. The artiste who is currently signed to Star Zone Management is booked by RH Bookings with image management by Nesta Publicity. Hezron says the success he has seen over the last few months is all down to team effort and hard work: “This is a team effort we have worked hard on the music that we are putting out and are ensuring that everything is done professionally. I think this team is one that I want to continue with as we are seeing some good results”.

Meanwhile, Delmar Drummond of Star Zone believes Hezron will be one to watch for the coming year as a reggae act on the big stage: “Hezron has been in incubation for a while and now he is finally breaking out. Currently he has several songs on the radio getting heavy rotation as well as videos on TV being requested by numerous persons. We are happy with the way things have been going so far and we are just working to ensure that the good music continues to flow. We know Sumfest will be great”.

Catch Hezron on Sumfest International Night 2 this Saturday along with Nikki Minaj, Gyptian, Protoje and several other top flight artistes.

-end-

Sumfest, A Big Deal For Hezron

Published: Sunday | June 26, 2011 Jamaica Gleaner 

Good news seems to come in triplets for fast-rising reggae artiste Hezron. The artiste, who completed one of his best performances on the hit series Plug N Play earlier this month,currently has several hit songs receiving tremendous airplay onmost of Jamaica's top radio stations.

To top that off, Hezron has been confirmed for the greatest reggae festival on earth, Sumfest.

Hezron, who has been riding high since the start of the year with releases such as Jammin Till A Morning, Forever and Always, Two Place featuring Shaggy and She's All Woman, says he is excited at the opportunity to perform on such a huge show: "Sumfest is a big deal! I have to make all the necessary preparations to ensure that my fans and everyone else in the audience watching my performance are pleased."

The artiste, who recently released his latest track called Jamming Till a Morning, produced by Steven 'Lenky' Marsden, has had successes on both radio and TV.

Hezron climbed to No. 1 on TVJ's Fiwi Choice Charts with Forever and Always, which was also number one on the Richie B Charts and Stampede's Street Charts. Hezron's songs Forever and Always andTwo Places have also had chart presence on several other charts throughout the Caribbean, Europe and North America.

Performances

The reggae crooner has been consistent on the stage, performing on Live on the Water Front, Western Consciousness, Plug N Play and several other shows since the start of the year. When asked how he feels about his career, Hezron says he is satisfied.

"It's a process and, having been in the business for several years consistently putting out good music, it feels good to know that people are finally listening to me. I will continue to put out the best music I can, as that is the standard to which I hold myself accountable. For the rest of the year, I just want to continue building my career and secure the progress and success I have been experiencing since the start of 2011."

JAMAICA OBSERVER ENTERTAINMENT

Yann Selo seeks reggae buss with Ce'Cile

Thursday, June 23, 2011

FRENCH-BORN world music singer Yann Selo is seeking to break into the Jamaican music market with his latest collaboration with dancehall star Ce'Cile. The song called Call Me was produced at Big Yard in Jamaica with the video shot in France.

Call Me is the first single off Yann Selo's sophomore album Melting Pot, which is slated for an October 2011 release. Yann Selo describes the album as a melting pot of reggae, dancehall, zouk, and R&B. The video for Call Me was directed by Arthur Valverde with Choreography by Sisley Loubet.

Yann Selo and Ce’Cile recorded Call Me.  1/1

Yann Selo, who was born in Paris to French Guyanese parents, brings a blend of different influences and builds his musical universe of varying colours based on the influence of his society and parents. The artiste is a very popular TV personality in French Guiana where he produces a show called Summer Dance Battle, a show similar to Jamaica's Dancing Dynamites.

Yann Selo recently travelled to Jamaica to select dancers for the show and will soon be selecting dancers from Suriname, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela, Russia, and Martinique for this summer's season.

So far, the French singer has worked with Christopher Birch for a song called Rain on my Window and will soon be releasing the second single off his album called You Got It with Elephant man the video for which will be shot in August 2011.

Yann Selo believes that his collaborations with Jamaican artistes will bear fruit. "I consider my music as a melting pot of different types of sounds. I am a big fan of reggae music and I believe that Jamaican artistes are some of the best in the world, which is why I decided to do these collaborations which have been very popular in Paris and in French Guiana," he said.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Yann-Selo-seeks-reggae-buss-with-Ce-Cile_9049367#ixzz1Q6IDwEV6

HEZRON BOOKED FOR PLUG N PLAY

Hezron will hit the Plug N Play stage this Friday June 10 with a live band...

Coming off the successful release of his latest single Jammin Till A Morning produced by world renowned producerSteven ‘Lenky’ Marsden last week, reggae artiste Hezron has been booked as the headline act on Plug N Play for Friday June 10.

The Star Zone artiste, who has been receiving good reviews since the start of the year, has released several tunes which have rendered him a contender on the regional and international reggae scene. Currently, his song Forever and Always has been doing well and is a regular staple on local and regional radio; being playing intensely in Trinidad, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. His collaboration with international Reggae Star Shaggy called Two Places has also given him an added push on radio and television. His other recent releaseShe’s All Woman has also been a regular on the air waves locally and internationally.

Now, Hezron has teamed up with top reggae producer Lenky to release what has been described by some in the local music industry as a summer anthem. The song’s vocals which were dropped on an up tempo dancehall beat rings true to Hezron’s philosophy of singing for the ladies but is also a song which can appeal to both sexes.

Hezron says he is happy with the way his career has been going since the start of the year and is looking forward to a busy summer: “This year has been good for me so far as I have done a lot of shows and my songs are receiving good airplay. I am especially happy with Jammin Till a Morning as it is a different flavour from what I am used to but the people love it and that’s all that really matters”.

Hezron will hit the Plug N Play stage this Friday June 10 with a live band and is planning to give a performance his fans can enjoy. The show will also feature other artistes such as Noddy Virtue and One Third.

Produced by 2 Wild Entertainment, Di Kru Productions and Steppin Razor Productions; Plug N Play Is a unique event which features great artists with a live band every Friday night at the Wyndham Hotel. The event commenced in September 2010 and has been building a strong presence ever since featuring artistes such as Max Romeo, Toots Hibbert, Capleton, Kip Rich, Ken Boothe, Gyptian, Romain Virgo, Cenci Love and many others.

Plug N Play is the ultimate way for artiste to showcase their talent by giving fans a full show of their best work. This type of event was non-existent in the Jamaican entertainment industry making Plug n' Play a refreshing change for both artists and patrons.

Check out Hezron featuring Noddy Virtue and One Third this Friday June 10 at Plug N Play at the Wyndham Hotel in New Kingston as the artiste continues to blaze a trail in 2010.