Magnum Showdown Looms

...only two will come out victors at the grand finale of the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall competition.

It’s down to the final four and the phenomenal popularity of Magnum Kings and Queens of dancehall has justified the decision of the producers and sponsors to bring authentic Jamaican music and talent to prime time television. The pulse of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall is beating in every alcove and crevice of Jamaica and over the past thirteen weeks numerous contestants have graced the Magnum stage. Now, the competition is down to its final four contestants and it’s anyone’s guess who will be crowned the ultimate King and Queen of Dancehall.

Magnum Kings and Queens of dancehall has as it’s mandate to buss new talent and the four finalist left in the competition have demonstrated a level of diversity and talent that rivals many of their contemporaries.

When you hear the cry “Rasta, Rasta, Rasta” all ears know who is on the stage; hailing from Clarendon Singer Jah, originally from St James has music running through his veins. The brother of reggae artiste Ginjah, Singer Jah credits him with being his main inspiration. Confident of his talent, Singer Jah is sure of his future in the competition and has the entire Buckner and May Pen beside him.

“I am confident of winning the competition with the almighty who will guide me through. The competition highlighted me and made people know me and without it a lot of people would not see that Singer Jah has true talent” – Magnum Competitor, Singer Jah.

Another of the four finalists is a 24 year old Taurus called Senita who calls Portmore home. Senita has a hard act to follow with his neighbours being Mad Cobra, Vibes Kartel and many other dancehall artistes who hail from the same area. The prince grew up in St Mary but now lives in Christian Gardens Portmore, St Catherine. Senita claims influences such as Tanya Stephens, Assassin, Buju Banton and Spragga Benz and heralds “I’m a Moghal” proving his majesty by proliferating a host of conscious, lyrically potent and eclectic dancehall tunes.

Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall provides equal opportunity to both men and women and as such both a king an queen will be crown on the nineteenth of April. There are two princesses left in the competition but only one will take the crown. Baby Tash one of the two is a Sagittarian hailing from Kings Street in Spanish town, the 23 year old has shown her versatility on the magnum stage providing witty and gritty dancehall lyrics to the joy of the masses.

Not to be outdone is her competitor Mona Lisa who currently resides in Negril. Mona Lisa has proven her mettle winning last weeks square of with Baby Tash in the all female clash. Mona Lisa also has music running through her veins being the brother of popular western Jamaica DJ, Mr. Peck. Lisa wants to emulate the success of Beenie Man and Lady Saw and based on her present form achieving this aim is a distinct possibility.

All the four contestants left in the competition are talented and promising artistes; all are exemplars of the aims and intentions of the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall. However, only two will come out victors at the grand finale of the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall competition on TVJ this Saturday April 19^th at 9pm.

For Further info on Magnum Kings & Queens of the Dancehall:

http://www.myspace.com/magnumkingsandqueensofdancehall

DANGER ZONE TAKES A JOURNEY

Reggae takes the voyage on Danger Zone’s Journey’s Riddim: Crossing a good mix of young and fresh artistes and Reggae veterans

Monday, March 31, 2008 - Kingston, Jamaica: Danger Zone’s Journey’s Riddim has now been officially released and like the pre-released version, which was premiered in the last quarter of 2007, the riddim has attracted support from a wide cross section of the music fraternity and been hailed as one of the best riddims presently on the airwaves. Danger Zone has added some tantalizing instrumentals to the pre-released version and the final product can only be described as immaculate. The Journey’s Riddim was produced by Della Danger, Ce’Cile and Jigsy King of Danger Zone Records.

Danger Zone artistes have five songs on the production: Cutty Corn returns with Poochie Loo, Jigsy King and Tony Curtis team up again to present Show Off, Ce’Cile and Jigsy King Plant It, Jah Cure continues his musical Journey and Ce’Cile pledges to Ride or Die. All five tracks boast the high quality and superb production that Danger Zone has become known for.

With Journey, Jah Cure continues to impress with his amazing vocal capabilities. Jah Cure seeks to teach the importance on maintaining ones focus despite the difficulties. He advises not to burn bridges while explaining to his fans that “It’s not a journey to get weak”. Who better to present this message than the singer who has been through and risen through so many adversities?

Jigsy King and Tony Curtis also teach important lessons on surviving the journey on their track Show Off. Jigsy Kings and Tony Curtis make a good team with their vocals, complementing each other perfectly. Show Off is the first release by Jigsy for 2008 and is a good follow up to Pon di Corner which commanded the airwaves last year.

One of the other gems on the Journey’s Riddim by Danger Zone is Ride or Die by Ce’Cile. Ride of Die presents Ce’Cile in a new flavour; the artiste who is known for her sometimes controversial dancehall tunes returns with a smooth and lyrically superior track.

“The Journey’s project reminds me of the Jamdown project, I say this because of people’s positive reactions to the production. I think my track Ride or Die and the video, which will drop next month, will continue to put me on another level with the fans especially the male ones” – Ce’Cile, Recording Artiste and co producer of Riddim.

Also featuring on the Journey’s Riddim is Cutty Corn with his track Poochie Loo. Poochie Loo signals the maturity of the young Cutty Corn. The artiste who came on the scene in 2008 with Lucky Day on the Jamdown Riddim and then reaffirmed his position as a reggae and dancehall staple with No Boops on the remake of the Solidarity Riddim holds his own with Poochie Loo.

An added bonus on the Journey’s Riddim is Ce’Cile and Jigsy King with what can be considered a masterpiece. Ce’Cile and Jigsy King decide to Plant It. Contrary to generic run of the mill weed songs, Plant it presents itself as a succinct ode to the herb and Ce’Cile and Jigsy King’s are at one on the track with Ce’Cile’s sexy tones and Jigsy’s gritty choral blending to make an intoxicating collaboration.

“This project will surpass the Jamdown project which we got a Reggae Academy Award for; the songs on this riddim are all hit songs. The production is of the highest quality you'll find on a Reggae riddim today and I must lift my hat to all the artistes featured on the riddim as they all delivered and undoubtedly made the Journey's Riddim a success. I know this project will be accepted by all conscious reggae music lovers, and I see a couple number ones emerging on charts all over the world” – Della Danger CEO Danger Zone Record

Also on the Journey's riddim is Lutan Fyah, Queen Ifrica, Tony Rebel, Jr. Reid and Morgan Heritage among others. The project will be released by SOBE Records/Danger Zone Records, under their new alliance and distributed through Fontanna, part of the Universal Music Group.

LUTAN FYAH SETS EUROPE ABLAZE

The fire burning DJ has set Europe ablaze with his addictive and positivity fiery tracks.

Wednesday, March 26 - Kingston, Jamaica: With stops in Germany, Italy and France, Lutan now blazes through Spain, Portugal and Scandinavia, getting a great response on his six-week Europe tour. On Friday March 21, Lutan Fyah performed to a packed crowd of over 1,000 patrons in Laval, France and later performed on Monday the 24^th in Barcelona, Spain with Jah Mason to over 1,500 reggae fans.

Lutan now moves on to Bilboa, Spain on March 26 and has dates in Madrid, Spain on the 27^th, Porto, Portugal on the 28^th and Lisbon, Portugal on the 29^th. After the show in Lisbon, Lutan will then move on to Scandinavia where he has two dates in Sweden and one each in Denmark, Finland and Norway.

Lutan Fyah has been very pleased with the response he has been getting from his fans in Europe; this response has caused tour organisers to extend the tour until April 5^th.

"There has been a great response from the fans, I am almost overwhelmed by the level of acceptance there is for my music in Europe. I hope to make this European tour an annual event as there are many places that I will not be able to go this year" Lutan Fyah, Recording Artiste.

Upon returning to Jamaica in April, Lutan Fyah will begin preparations for his tour of Africa and will release his long anticipated album 'Old Capitol'.

CECILE UPDATE - TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2008

CE'CILE CONTINUES TO SIZZLE

With the release of the Bad Gyal album in Europe and the United States around the corner, Ce'Cile continues to blaze a trail, setting new trends and maintaining her title as the Bad Gyal of dancehall.

Recent Performance

Ce'Cile has just returned to Jamaica after her performance at the Geity Night Club in St Lucia on Saturday, March 22^nd. Ce'Cile shared the stage with Lady Saw and reports are that the show was one to remember.

Europe Tour

Ce'Cile will continue her slate of performances with her European tour which begins at the end of June. The tour will see Ce'Cile performing at several high profile reggae and dancehall events including: Reggae Summer Jam in Germany (July 4), Rototom Sunsplash in Udine, Italy (July 7) and Splash Festival in Leipzig Germany (July 12). Ce'Cile will make several other stops in Europe in an effort to promote the European release of her Bad Gyal album, including France, Belgium, Switzerland, Poland and Spain.

On the Record

Ce'Cile has several 'hot' tunes sizzling up the air waves with the pre-eminent one being Ride or die on the 'Journey Riddim' self produced along with Della Danger and Jigsy King. The video for Ride or Die, directed by Dexter Pottinger, was shot in Jamaica last month and features cameos by Jamaican international actor Paul Campbell and will be released in April. Ce'Cile has also released Seven Days on a remake of the 'Duck Riddim' produced by 12 Nine Records and Resolution produced by Scatta. The videos for both Resolution and Seven Days are to be shot in April.

Album

This Summer, Ce'Cile boasts a double-release for her Bad Gyal album.

(1)The European release under the Danger Zone/Kingstone/Groove Attack imprints, to coincide with Ce'Cile's European tour, and (2) the U.S. release under the Danger Zone/SOBE Entertainment imprints, which will feature a two-disc set: one featuring Ce'Cile's reggae tunes and the other featuring dancehall tracks.

The U.S. release of the Bad Gyal album comes out of the continued alliance between the Danger Zone Music Group and SOBE Entertainment. The album features the remix of Waiting featuring Shaggy and Dancehall's Side featuring Beenie Man, produced by Scott Storch.

"People will get to understand more about Ce'Cile and how I think from this album. I have been signed to SOBE Emtertainment for a year and half and this alliance has proven fruitful. SOBE is an international company and along with Danger Zone, they have enabled me to do more stuff than I could have done by myself, the affiliation with Danger Zone brings so many possibilities." - Ce'Cile, Recording Artiste.

Charity

Ce'Cile has recently joined other Jamaican female artistes to form the charity: Sisters to Sisters which will hold a media-thon on April 13 in aid of the Bureau of Women's Affairs Shelter for Battered Women and the Women's Centre Foundation of Jamaica's (WCFJ) programme for adolescent mothers.

MARK KENNY: BRINGING AUTHENTIC JAMAICAN TALENT TO THE MASSES

The executive producer of the new hit reality talent series: Magnum Kings & Queens of the Dancehall has had over 18 years of experience in knowing what people want to see on their television.

Tuesday, March 25 - Kingston, Jamaica: The phenomena of Rising Stars and Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall have created a level of enthusiasm and an anticipation rarely seen in the history of television talent shows in Jamaica. Many do not know who the brainchild of these two massively popular shows is and even more interestingly, that he is not a native Jamaican.

Born in Dublin Ireland, Mark Kenny has been an ardent fan of Jamaican music and culture since the 1970s. The professionally trained pianist became a convert to reggae after listening to the group ‘Culture’ who are credited with influencing the development of Punk Rock music in the 1970s. Kenny has developed a sophisticated appreciation of Jamaica’s music and culture which is manifested in his work with Digicel Rising Stars and Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall.

Kenny began his television career in 1990 as a producer with Animedia, one of Ireland’s largest animation companies at the time. He excelled and went on to produce one of Ireland’s most popular talent shows: Your’re a Star. It was after observing his work on the Your’re a Star talent competition that in 2004, Digicel and Newcom solicited his help in bringing true Jamaican talent to the masses. This collaboration gave birth to the Rising Stars competition.

After four immensely successful seasons and becoming the most popular show on television, Kenny decided to take Jamaican television to another level and in 2007 launched Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall.

Executive producer, Mark Kenny explains: “I noticed that a lot of Deejays would audition for Digicel Rising Stars and not make it into the finals because the format does not cater to dancehall. We thought it would be a good idea to have a show that is dedicated to dancehall 100%. I also noticed that female driven dancehall and male driven dancehall is different, so it would be interesting to have a king and queen rather than both sexes competing against each other.”

Mark Kenny has a keen eye for talent and over 18 years of experience in knowing what people like to see on their television. Both Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall and Digicel Rising Stars have given numerous Jamaicans, from all walks of life and all corners of the island, the opportunity to showcase their talent and become recognised Jamaican artistes.

Kenny explains how Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall is achieving its mandate to ‘buss’ new talent: “Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall has shown that there is strong dancehall talent in Jamaica that has not had a platform for exposure. Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall is now that platform. To see the performances on stage, to see the set and the overall production is a dream achieved. Since we began airing on TVJ we have grown from strength to strength and there is enough talent out there for Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall to go on perpetually.”

After bringing two very popular shows to Jamaican television, Mark Kenny has big plans for the future. He plans to continue the success of Digicel Rising Stars while making the second season of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall, to be aired in November 2008, bigger and better. He also plans to bring other television shows to Jamaican television while at the same time exposing Jamaican culture and talent to the world.

For Further info on Magnum Kings & Queens of the Dancehall:

http://www.myspace.com/magnumkingsandqueensofdancehall

SANJAY’S LONELY BREAKS NEW GROUND

Sanjay has been getting and overwhelmingly positive response from the reggae market for his transformed image.

Kingston, Jamaica:--Sanjay’s new single, Lonely has been doing very well locally and internationally. The song on the Renaissance ‘Legal Riddim’ has been receiving good airplay both locally and internationally with regular spins on BBC 1Xtra, Big Up Radio and 876radio as well as continuous rotation on local radio stations.

Lonely has broken new ground for Sanjay as he now has a burgeoning following in Germany and England. The video of Sanjay’s Lonely is also a regular feature on reggae cable stations, boasting a more regular than usually rotation on Hype TV, RE TV, local TV stations and international reggae oriented stations in New York, Miami and Germany.

Sanjay has been getting and overwhelmingly positive response from the reggae market for his transformed image. The artiste, who cut his hair in the video for Lonely, sees this as validation for the considerable amount of work he has put in to ensure his work is always of a good quality.

“I am receiving good reviews for Lonely both internationally and locally. I am pleased with the responses so far and I would just like to let the fans know that they can expect bigger ad better things from Sanjay” – Sanjay, Recording Artiste

Watch Lonely Here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kCReimMDzkY

Download Lonely Here:

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&batch_id=UWdrUGhRdWMzS3JIRGc9PQ