The Season Has Begun!

Magnum Kings & Queens of Dancehall has returned for its third exciting season. Kicking off with a high energy launch on Tuesday November 24, 2009 at Indies Pub in New Kingston Magnum Kings & Queens takes it on the road again with auditions being held islandwide- Montego Bay, May Pen, Portmore, Ocho Rios and Kingston throughout December and January.

• Montego Bay - 5^th of December - Wexford Hotel.
• Portmore- 12^th of December,-Aphrodiziac Night club
• May Pen- 19th December -Leiba’s Esso
• Ocho Rios- 9^th of January, 2010- Amnesia
• Kingston- January 16^th - Oakton Entertainment Center

The objective of Magnum Kings & Queens of Dancehall is to discover, encourage and showcase the multifaceted musical talent of aspiring local dancehall artistes. The television show produced by Real Jam TV airs on TVJ for its third season in 2010 incorporates the dancehall fashion, lifestyle and culture.

This year the television show introduces its new host Professor Nuts, the well known and respected artiste who was the first to combine comedy, social commentary and music and is well known for his song ,‘In A Di Bus’. Missing this year will be General Degree whose music career has continued to ramp up and become more demanding of him. Always the heart of the party she is Jamaica’s favourite Fluffy lady, Ms Kitty will continue to bring her candid and direct input into the aspiring artistes and always looking out for the technical aspects of the promising king or queen, Skatta continues on with the show as well.

“My People, My People, My people!”- You will continue to hear your favourite television host Empress as she lights up another Magnum Kings and Queens stage bring her own style of DeeJaing, Singing, Comedy, Dance- she does it all while looking great too!

With Magnum celebrating its 10^th year – 10 long 10 strong - this season promises to have even more energy, more entertainment and more vibes. Gary Dixon, Category Manager for Lascelles Wines & Spirits says, “we are looking forward to bringing a whole new level to the show this year; with 10 Long 10 Strong at the forefront you can expect great surprises, great performances and our guest judges will also be adding new dimensions to the show.” Dixon could barely contain his excitement but was determined to keep the surprises for the new season a surprise. Also on board this year are Lucky Dollar stores.

The best Cure

…Reggae singer inspires at Guaracara concert

Screaming fans hold on to the hand of reggae icon
Jah Cure as he delivered a stellar performance.
Inset (from top): Prophet Benjamin, Jamelody, and
Romain Virgo. Photos: Cori Baynes

The banner of consciousness was flown high in the air and love and unity reigned supreme as thousands of screaming reggae lovers flocked to the southland for one of Jah Cure’s most memorable performances.

Entitled Cure Again, the much anticipated concert was organised by MIB Promotions and held at Guaracara Park on November 7. In addition to Jah Cure, the event also featured the talents of reggae's newest sensation Romain Virgo, as well as local entertainers Ja Melody and Prophet Benjamin. Opening the live entertainment segment of the show, shortly after midnight, was Royal Dainties, who set the mood of the event with a barrage of his conscious hits. Taking the stage immediately afterward was Ja Melody, who crooned to the women in song. He also called on the music fraternity to have more respect for local artistes and provide a live band to accompany them each time they were slated to perform at large concerts. Rounding off the local cast and the first half of the show was Prophet Benjamin, who launched a stinging musical attack on under-aged sexual activity, while at the same time urging young people, especially females, to make education their first priority.

As is customary with all MIB events, special emphasis was placed on security and the large contingent of heavily armed police officers successfully kept violence to a minimum. The momentum flowed seamlessly, as Romain Virgo opened the second half of the show. Virgo, who recently burst onto the Reggae arena, did not disappoint patrons with his 45-minute debut performance, which was packed with his most popular hits, including Cya Sleep, Rain is Falling, Love Doctor, You Murderer and Who Feels It Knows It. But the night firmly belonged to Jah Cure, who, a few hours after being arrested by police officers at the Hyatt hotel, ran onto the Guaracara stage around 3am, singing his hit, I Know Jah Jah Bless Me. When news of his arrest first hit the nation, it was rumoured that the artiste would be a no-show at the event.

But at the first sound of his voice, the massive crowd erupted into cheers and loud applause. He immediately launched into a musical journey, giving the crowd a wide variety of his music. From love songs to songs of spiritual reverence, there was something for each type of Jah Cure fan and all in attendance seemingly lapped up every minute of his performance. Some of the hits on his list included, Run Come Love Me, Searching for a Girl Like You, Cure Again, Sunny Day, King in dis Jungle and Journey. When patrons began filing out of the venue more than 90 minutes after Jah Cure first took the stage, the general opinion was that it was the best of his Trinidad performances since his recent release from prison.

Source: Trinidad Guardian

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM JAH CURE

SoBe Entertainment/Danger Zone Recording artiste Jah Cure has Just returned from performing at the show dubbed ‘It’s Cure Again’ in Trinidad and Tobago. Jah Cure’s trip to Trinidad and Tobago was not without incident however, as an unscrupulous promoter made efforts to prevent him from performing.

On Saturday November 7 while staying at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain Jah Cure was greeted by police officers along with the unscrupulous promoter who claimed that Jah Cure owed him money. The promoter with whom Jah Cure has worked with in the past was in negotiations with Jah Cure's management for another performance.

In order to settle the matter Jah Cure and members of his management team accompanied the promoter and the police to a nearby police station where the promoter's deposit was returned. The artiste was not arrested as reported by some media outlets and was able to fulfil his confirmed date at Guaracara Park on the same night. Jah Cure performed to over ten thousand people.

Jah Cure wishes to thank all his Trinidad and Tobago fans who came out to support him and guarantees them that despite this incident he will return to the twin island republic. Jah Cure and his management team would also like to commend members of the Trinidad and Tobago police force for their professionalism in dealing with the matter. Jah Cure is now home in Jamaica preparing for his upcoming dates in St Kitts, Barbados and Grenada.

JAH CURE GIVES EUROPE AN AUTUMN SURPRISE

International reggae superstar and Danger Zone/SoBe Entertainment recording artiste Jah Cure is now in Europe ready to commence a multi-city tour. The tour will begin on October 22 in Switzerland and ends in Paris on November 2 with stops in Germany, Portugal and Belgium.

While it’s not usual for a Reggae artiste to be touring Europe in the autumn, such is the pull of Jah Cure. The singer who is in Europe with his new band An.Ti.Dote has had a significant presence on the charts in Jamaica and the Caribbean since the start of the year and Europe has been calling. Della Danger, CEO of Danger Zone Records says the tour is important: “Since our last tour we have been receiving numerous requests to return as there were some places that we did not get to go the last time. Jah Cure is really popular all over Europe and we thought the year should not end without his fans on that side of the world having a chance to see him.

The tour will see Jah Cure performing in five countries from The Netherlands in the North to Portugal in the south. Jah Cure is very excited about the tour: “It is wonderful that I can again get the chance to spread the message of love and peace throughout Europe. This year has been a good year for me and this tour is my autumn surprise for my European fans" - Danger Zone/SoBe Entertainment recording artiste Jah Cure.

Last year Jah Cure performed to rave reviews at the Rototom Festival at Rivellino Park in Osoppo Italy, while also making sold out stops in Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Holland and many other European cities. This year The Cure will again bring his unique brand of reggae music to the masses. Jah Cure's autumn surprise consists of a new band, a slew of new hits and a constant message of love; with songs like Call on Me, You’ll Never Find, Hot Long Time and many others this tour will definitely be a success.

JAH CURE'S TOUR SCHEDULE

European Dates

Oct 22 – Geneva, Switzerland

Oct 23 – Zuirch, Switzerland

Oct 24 – Lisbon, Portugal

Oct 27 – Munich, Germany

Oct 28 – Berlin, Germany

Oct 30 – Mannheim, Germany

Oct 31 – Amsterdam, Holland

Nov 1 – Ghent, Belgium

Nov 2 – Paris, France

The Elusive Banker of Digicel Deal or No Deal

Ambiguous, deceptive, imponderable and illusory are just a few of the terms that can be used to more accurately describe “The Elusive Banker” of the hot new TVJ series Digicel Deal or No Deal.

The Banker’s identity is intentionally withheld from the public to heighten the suspense and intrigue. He communicates with host Simon Crosskill using an array of the latest Blackberry Smartphones provided jointly by Digicel and RIM.

The man with the real control as he often refers to himself, hails from Jamaica’s most elite clique of socialites and aristocrats and often when not seen in silhouette on set, is mentioned to be quite the jet setting island hopper. And after the stresses of the weekly dealings can be seen yachting around the Caribbean or the scenic Jamaican shoreline.

But, he warns contestants not to be fooled by his affluent lifestyle and mostly cool demeanour, as he is well educated and claims heritage from the best local and international institutions and is experienced in the twists and intricacies of financial management and Wall Street like banking tactics.

He is the hard bargaining, risk taker with little or no tolerance for players who have the nerve to think that they can outplay him and is easily angered by the brave yet foolish contestants who refuse his rarely generous offers to purchase their cases throughout the rounds.

Each week The Banker reveals a little more of his prowess and pushes contestants to their limits at times causing them to buckle under the pressure, or scoffs at their minimal gains when they refuse his offers. The Banker is the drama, the suspense and a hero all in one, even if only to him, and with an unmatched energy that exudes an unmistakable confidence, purports that he is the one true winner at all times.

In a personal chat, The Banker mentions how much he enjoys the hopeful expectations of his weekly contestants but is never denied a laugh or is disappointed with their shaky nerves and lack of skill and intuition. “So you think you can outplay The Banker, unlikely now, unlikely ever” he says with an audible smile.

As the show progresses he will welcome Jamaica into his world and provide tips and pointers to the upcoming contestants in his weekly column The Banker’s Deal. But until then The Banker encourages viewers to tune in to the upcoming episodes only on TVJ Wednesday at 8pm, Thursdays at 11:30pm and Mondays at 12pm. Watch the twists and turns as The Banker teaches players that it is better to take his Deals than go home with No Deal.

IKAYA DROPS STRONG WORDS

Ikaya, the newest dancehall prospect on the scene, has just released a brand new track called Clean-Up.

While the lyrics of the song are tongue in cheek the targets are un-mistakable and has deftly connected. Ikaya, who is by no means afraid of starting a lyrical confrontation with any artiste, male or female, says, "The song is not really, aimed at anyone one in particular, it's just an answer to some doubters who have been whispering. It's a warning to anyone who decides to step up as my lyrics are caustic and will burn anything that comes too close."

Clean-Up, which was produced by Skatta for Out-A-Road Records, is already burning up the airwaves. The song prods several female artistes including Macka Diamond and Spice, as a line in the song says: "Mi just saw dem off like Macka caw dem naah no Spice ... . D'Angel: dem get kick outa heaven cause dem ain't no angel... ."

Skatta Burrell thinks that with Ikaya he has found the gem that dancehall has been searching for. "When I heard the lyrics for the song, I thought the rhythm was the perfect fit and that the song would be a big hit for Ikaya. It's not often that you find a female deejay that can sing, deejay and feel comfortable doing both; blending wit, humour and hardcore lyrics in one. Any deejay who plans to answer Ikaya should be warned that she already has the lyrics ready for whatever and also has several other tunes in her arsenal that can only be released in a lyrical war. She is ready!"

Clean-Up takes no prisoners and on a tight punchy track is reminiscent of the old dancehall days when witty metaphors ruled the 'ones and threes' and music did not have to be overtly slack to send its message. Following in the footsteps of her idol, 'Mumma Saw', Ikaya has definitely hit the ground running as she seeks to Clean-Up the music.

Jah Cure - Protect You Like A Soldier

Jah Cure - Protect You Like A Soldier

Intro:

Cure again…

Come to give you more again… (yeah)

(teh-dap-tap-tah, teh-dap-tap-tah-deh)…

For my ladies, do it once again…

Verse i:

They say i’m weak, in too deep

Blinded by your love i just can’t see

Jealousy won’t make me sleep

Don’t take a hold on me

I’ll testify, it’s you and i

Oh, until the end… the end… the end…

Chorus

Lay your head on my shoulder

Cry if you want to

I’ll be there to dry your tears

Protect you like a soldier

As the time gets older

Baby we’ve been fighting through the years (hey)

Verse ii:

Like ebony and ivory

Reminisce on what used to be

Circumstances make me see

What love’s supposed to be

Love’s supposed to be (yeah)

Love’s supposed to be (hey-hey-hey-hey)

Chorus

Lay your head on my shoulder

Cry if you want to

I’ll be there to dry your tears

I’ll protect you like a soldier

As the time gets older

After all that we’ve been through

Bridge:

While you cry, cry…

I will dry the tears from your eyes

Baby, baby (hey)

While you cry, cry, cry…

I’ll dry, the tears from your eyes

Tears from your eyes (hey-yeah)

All my ladies out there (yeah)

Am i coming through clear

Who can relate to this (ooh)

Baby… baby… (hey-oh hey-hey-hey hey ooh-ooie)

Chorus:

Lay your head on my shoulder

Cry if you want to

I’ll be there to dry your tears

Protect you like a soldier

I’ll be there to hold you

After all we’ve been through, through the years

Try, try, i cry, cry, baby

Cry… for you

While you cry, cry…

I will dry, dry…

The tears from your eyes (ahh)

Tears from your eyes (hey)

Cry, cry, i will dry, dry…

Tears from your eyes (hey yeah)

(whoa, whoa, oh-oh yeah)

Live up records to the world we come

Here we come again

Lay your head on my shoulder

Cry if you want to

I’ll be there to dry your tears

I’ll protect you like a soldier

As the nights get older

Baby after all we’ve been through these years (yeah)

(oh baby oh-oh wooh)

Ladies out there one for you one for you