APPLETON MAY DAZE FULFILLS THE FANSTASY Hundreds enjoyed the first step of the Fantasy Journey Kingston Jamaica, May 7, 2012: Appleton Jamaica Rum and the team from Good Company are echoing sentiments of satisfaction following the opening night for their event series; Appleton May Daze – the remix. The series started last week Friday at a new venue – Home Sweet Home at 15 West Kings House Road in Kingston. The change of venue, the change proved to be a satisfying treat for the patrons, promoters, sponsors and affiliates. Elated promoter of Appleton May Daze Stephen Willie said: “The venue at Home Sweet Home gave us the right amount of room for our patrons to feel comfortable and at the same time get the personal friendly vibe that we aim to keep consistent each year” Hundreds of patrons came out to enjoy what was the first step on the fantasy journey. Females flocked the gates from as early as 10pm ensuring that they made the most of their charge free entry before 11pm. Patrons were very pleased with the layout of the venue and the over 40 Feet of bar space made the access a hassle free one.

The lighting and light shows were nothing short of ‘phenomenal’ a guarantee that the providers – Phenomenal Lightening promised and aptly delivered. The sound that filtered through the venue was crystal clear and high on quality; the system featured three towers provided by the masters from Technotics. Technotics boasts some of the most hi-tech features in the sound system business today, not only is the master controller able to wirelessly control the entire system from anywhere in the venue, each tower came with its own flat screen which was a delightful distraction that a lot of the patrons enjoyed. Appleton Jamaica Rum and Kirov Vodka mixes were the order of the evening and flowed from the bar as the 2-4-1 mix drink offering was a hit with the patrons.. Most of these blends where chased with Pure Heaven juices and the energy drink – Roaring Lion, both of which tantalized the taste buds of the drinkers. Jared Samuel Brand Assistant at J. Wray and Nephew says Fridays night’s event was a sign of bigger and better things: “This is the start of the series and as fans have grown to expect this is one of the best party series in Jamaica. With Appleton and Kirov Vodka on board is has to be a hit”. ZJ Johnny Khool and ZJ Ice played a tag team of hit musical selections all night to great response from those in attendance and signalled that Appleton May Daze – the remix will be quite an experience for the next four Fridays; next stop is ‘Short Temper’ and the ladies are already choosing sides #TeamShortShorts and #TeamShortSkirts.

Kirov Water Party Clips

CHAN DIZZY AND I-OCTANE SHOOT TIL KINGDOM COME

The song has been getting good airplay and is very popular in the streets.
Head Concussion artiste Chan Dizzy and I-Octane this week wrapped filming of their collaboration for Til Kingdom Come which was released in mid January.

Produced by hot Dancehall producer, Tarik Johnston aka Russian of Head Concussion Records, Til Kingdom Come blends the styles of Chan Dizzy and I-Octane effectively and according to Video Director Duane 'Biggz Di Boss' Gordon who flew down from Miami for the shoot: “It was pretty good working with both artistes. I like the song, I feel it has high energy and has a good vibe all around. What’s also good about the song is that it reflects real life situations which have to some extent affected both artistes in different ways and the video mirrors those experiences”.

Chan Dizzy who burst on to the mainstream with Nuh Strange Face in 2010, stepped it up a notch in 2011 with Hello Badmind, Dat Mi Know and Our Place. He has been consistent on the national airwaves as well as regionally with these infectious dancehall singles.

The artiste who is currently aligned to the Russian’s Head Concussion label says for 2012 Til Kingdom Come is the first step in what will be a good year: “This to me is a great start to the new year. The song has been getting good airplay and is very popular in the streets. I believe that the video compliments the track and will add value to the lyrics by giving fans a visual of what is been said. A lot of people identify with the song and I think that’s the reason it’s so popular”

The artiste who had a very successful 2011 says he has more in store for dancehall fans as he continues to release good material: “I did a track recently called Anywhere Mi Wah on the Team No Sleep riddim for ZJ Chrome, Herbalist for Russian in the High Times riddim as well as Kibba Dem Mouth for Bigimani (Big A). We also plan to shoot the videos for the three songs next week. The year looks really bright as I am putting in the work to ensure that 2012 is better than 2011 which was a good year for me.

Chan Dizzy also has to his credit the successful release of his Dizzyness mixtape last year and used that platform to travel internationally for stage shows in Canada, the US, the Caribbean and Europe.

To date, Chan Dizzy has worked with numerous producers most notably Tarik "Russian" Johnston (Head Concussion), Steven "Di Genius" McGregor (Big Ship), Jeremy Harding (2HardMusic) and TJ Records to name a few.

The artiste is very excited about the release of his new video and says fans can expect at least two more videos from him before the end of the month.

Sanjay & Beenie Man - Piece A Di Wine

Jamaica Gleaner

Quickies
Published: Friday | February 3, 20121 Comment
'Piece A Di Wine' for YVAs

Reggae/dancehall artiste Sanjay and ace deejay Beenie Man have teamed up to drop a collaboration called Piece A Di Wine. The dancehall song will be released at the Youth View Awards after-party tomorrow and will also feature on iTunes shortly after.

Sanjay hit it big in 2007 with Man Of My Word and has since consistently followed up with both dancehall and reggae songs.

As the carnival season draws near, Sanjay believes this song will definitely become a club banger. "I went lyrical on the last single, Harder They Fall, and now I'm going back to the ladies. This song has all the elements to become an anthem - an infectious chorus, good lyrics, Beenie Man's swag and star power and a hard-hitting, Washroom-produced, authentic dancehall rhythm. So, ladies, just get ready fi wine," he said.

Piece A Di Wine is produced by Conroy of Washroom Entertainment for Sanjay's Portland Cottage Productions.

Sanjay, Beenie Man to drop hot track

Noted lyricist Sanjay and ace deejay Beenie Man have teamed up to drop a hot track calledPiece A Di Wine. The dancehall song will be released at the Youth View Awards after party this Saturday and will also feature on iTunes shortly after.

Piece A Di Wineis another notch in Sanjay's cap as he continues to release infectious songs that have become anthems on the ground. Sanjay hit it big in 2007 withMan Of My Wordand has since consistently followed up with both dancehall and reggae numbers which have made him a perennial staple on the local music scene.

Piece A Di Wineis another in a slew of creditable collaborations by Sanjay who in 2002 debuted withStrictly Physicalfeaturing Tami Chynn, a song which preceded collabs with Vybz Kartel, Ce'Cile and Aidonia, to name a few.

Based on his lyrical talents and niche appeal Sanjay is able to pick from the crème de la crème of Jamaican artistes with which to collaborate. Now he adds this track with Beenie Man to his repertoire.

Piece A Di Winewas produced by Conroy from Washroom Entertainment for Sanjay's Portland Cottage Productions. The track features Sanjay in his supreme lyrical element belting out lines such as: "Me have di thuggin, huggin, luvin weh she a bawl fi/So, come link up gimme a small pree/Me mek you see the light, like dis a diwali."

With lyrics like that it's no wonder Sanjay is rated as one of the top lyricists in the game and one who always has fans on edge expecting his next twist of metaphors.

Beenie Man, on the other hand, comes with his signature swag; laying down confident lines that have endeared him to the dancehall masses for over two decades. The dancehall king heralds his arrival on the track by confessing: "Gal you see that text deh, me meant it, just the way me sent it/Gal the way you wine, gal you gimme the eccentric/You want a private-I so you called it, no small fit/Obey you thirst mek me quench it."

Beenie Man and Sanjay are abalancedcombination of real dancehall flavour with lyrical depth on a solid Washroom beat.

Piece A Di Wineempathises Sanjay's lyrical prowess and dexterity and also shows that the artiste continues to release relevant material for today's dancehall audience. Sanjay believes that this song will be a club banger that will have dancehall fans moving."I went lyrical on the last single, Harder They Fall and now I'm going back to the ladies! This song has all the elements to make for a dancehall party anthem: an infectious chorus, good lyrics, Beenie Man' swag and star power and a hard hitting Washroom produced authentic dancehall rhythm!! Ladies just get ready fi wine!" he said.

CLAUDIA CLAIMS REGGAE

Fast rising singing sensation Claudia Edward has claimed reggae as her musical love and proclaims this with the release of two new singles: This Love and Loving You. Both songs are being released as she seeks to conquer new ears and claim a reggae fan base.

The St Lucian based artiste is very excited about her foray into the genre and says she expects people will warm to her style: “Reggae is in my blood and is a genre that I have been singing since I was a child. Last year I did a lot of work with dancehall star Ce’Cile who actually wrote both songs. We recorded the vocals at Big Yard Studio in Kingston getting the support from some of the best in the reggae business”.

Claudia says the response to the two tracks have been positive and motivates her to delve deeper into the reggae genre: “I have been getting a lot of reviews from not only Jamaicans but my fans all over the Caribbean and it has been wonderful the way that the songs have accepted. When I posted the songs on my twitter and on my facebook people were so excited by them and kept asking when I was going to do a reggae album”

The artiste who is a classically trained singer has been performing professionally since the age of 14, starting out as a lead choir singer and then moving into the hotel circuit. She is very popular in her home country of St Lucia and has in the past been nominated for “Best Female Artist of the year” in the “St. Lucia Fine Arts Awards. A regular on festivals in that region having performed on the St Lucia Jazz Festival in 2002, 2009 and 2010 as well as Grenada’s 2003 Spice Festival, Claudia wants to move to another stage of her career with two well produced and delivered reggae tracks.

Ce’Cile Charlton who is known for her dancehall hits Coffee, Goody Goody and Hot Like We as well as for reggae hits such as When You’re Gone and Missing You, says Claudia is a gem: “Claudia is very talented and I am happy to have worked with her. The two songs that she is releasing now are good examples of how good her voice is and I know that she will do well as a reggae artiste. While we were recording the songs I was amazed at how naturally her voice complimented the reggae beats and hearing the finished product brings pleasure to my ears.”

Claudia for her part is happy to have gotten the chance to work with Ce’Cile: “Working with Ce’Cile was a pleasure and the whole team at Big Yard really made the music that much better. I am sure that going forward I will be working much more with them as the music we produce is getting a good reception Caribbean-wide”

Claudia’s This Love is on the Everest Riddim and her second track Loving You is on the Orion Riddim. Both songs have been released to radio in Jamaica and are available on itunes.