Christy Barber came up with an interesting concept to bring together Jamaica's beloved singers and country's powerhouse production together for some rootin' tootin' fun. Getting together with producer John Rich (of Big & Rich), and producer Dean Fraser, the project grew further into a hybrid album.
This is a great idea, hopefully appealing to both audiences of reggae and country music. Reggae's Gone Country comes out today on VP Records. It features Romain Virgo, Luciano, Beres Hammond, Busy Signal, and more.
Tracklisting:
1. California - Romain Virgo & Larry Gatlin 2. He'll Have To Go - Luciano 3. Wolverton Mountain - Richie Stephens 4. Crazy - Etana 5. The Chair - Tarrus Riley 6. He Stopped Loving Her Today - Beres Hammond 7. Suspicions - Duane Stephenson 8. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes - Tessanne Chin 9. Feel So Right - Gramps Morgan 10. King Of The Road - Freddie McGregor 11. El Paso - Sanchez 12. Flowers On The Wall - L.U.S.T. 13. The Gambler - Busy Signal 14. Straight Tequila Night - Tarrus Riley [iTunes Bonus Track]
Explore frontman Andy's dream land perception on a desert island full of "wondrous" illusion. "Reconnection" is a track off of Mamas Gun'sThe Life And Soul.
Gym Class Heroes, another Afropunk performer 2011, has a new album called Papercut Chronicles II, out October 25.
Aloha! GB can now blog. Lol. Anyway through Irene and her annoyance now I know I can blog from BlogPress too! YES. Anyway, Just an update over here: There are trees in the middle of the road and it is very windy. But while some people lost power, many others didn't. Lucky stars.* It wasn't as bad as we thought, but most of us in the area are still stuck where we are. Water party! Get your boat. Ok, maybe just your floatie.
Mos Def was a previous headliner at the Afropunk Festival, 2010.
Plans near the Atlantic? Sucks to your assmar!
Just around now, Afropunk, a music and sports festival on "the 'other' Black experience," was supposed to start their festivities in BK, NY! Just around the same time the "Brooklyn Loves Michael Jackson" celebration party was going to get underway. But alas, they were both squashed, for everyone on the East coast is preparing for Hurricane Irene.
Many people were asked to evacuate from their homes, and others were asked to stay home and not to come outside. As an incentive to get to our destinations safely and timely, last night all MTA Buses and trains were free, culminating with a shutdown that's supposed to happen...well, right about now. If you haven't left, you're just about staying. Good luck.
Everyone's going to be inside anyway, why not blog it out? East side blog it out, west side,...no no, just the east side.
Might as well dream I am there at Afropunk eating from a taco truck getting ready for a skateboard competition (was looking forward to BMX more boo hoo)... Whatever...illusion postings (among other things) coming up all weekend! One thing's for sure, I won't stop till the power does...
Typically I’d write a third person account, but since Broadway is an extended genre for me to cover, I figure I’d give it to you straight. Last Thursday on the Bryant Park lawn, 106.7 Lite FM held their Thursday "Broadway in Bryant Park" show. And from what I saw, I ruled out which shows I would and would not go to see. What moved me?....
Death Takes a Holiday was first. They started off with“Shimmy Like They Do in Paree.” Mara Davi shimmied to her hearts content, and she was shimmying mad, but all I got from the song was that she did a good shimmy. “What Do You Do” and “More and More,” were operatic, and the opera kind of makes me yawn, but I liked the latter better. In the last two songs the actors hardly moved around, which I think they did because it was just about the music, but I would have liked to see some more action.
Jersey Boys about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, was next. They sang some hits from the past, like “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” When I say the soprano, Russel Fisher, can hit notes! He hits notes with a baseball bat. It sounds like it hurts. I can only wonder how much honey he puts in his tea every few hours. They also sang “Walk Like A Man,” “Who Loves You,” and “December 1963 (Oh, What A Night),” ending with much of the cast and some basic dance grooves. The music is familiar to me, and I’d see this show, but I may feel out of place with all of the elders! Way before my time. The previews don’t lie people.
Third was The Lion King. Now I have the soundtrack and picture book from the movie lying around somewhere and I know the whole “When he was a young warthog,” “When I was a young warthoooooggggg!” bit, but I’m just not sure that part is in the play. Selloane Nkhela sang "Circle of Life" so solidly! I felt something rise up within me when she sang it. She then sang “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” with Joel Karie. I’d see the play just for her, though I consider that play watching a repeat of the movie.
Rent was next. Annaleigh Ashford and Corbin Reid sang “Take Me or Leave Me” completely in acting mode and worked the stage (I just happen to expect theatrics because though it’s just songs, its, "songs from the 'the-a-tre,' darling"). Then they brought Marcus Paul James to the stage and while I am in like with his personality, it was someone’s bright idea to make him sing “Seasons of Love” all by himself and I was like, “Where are the people?” One from every section would be enough. One alto, One soprano, one tenor, one bass! Come on! Especially the part before the end, “Measure your life in loooveeeeeee,” the part I play back over and over again when the track is on spin-- he let the audience sing that part. What a void! I know they’d all be there if I saw the play though, so that gets a go.
Wicked, the most anticipated performance of the day, was last, and I have never seen it but have heard songs from it before. “Popular” with Katie Rose Clarke was really on point, and “As Long As Your Mine,” was ok, but Teal Wicks blew it out the water with “The Wizard and I.” Her performance was spic and span. So clean you could eat off it. I’d see this play, for sure.
All in all, I give Rent, Lion King and Wicked a go. Death takes a Holiday, I'll skip. And I'll take a few of my senior citizen friends to see Jersey Boys. Oh wait, I have none. Well, I guess that will have to wait.
THE END.
--Girl Blue (TR)
(Photo Credit: Monica Simoes, Joseph Marzullo/WENN)
Nicki Minaj brought her powerhouse personality to "Good Morning America" on ABC early this morning, and had a park venue filled with Nicki lovers to show for it. Cotton candy wigs and hot pink bobs floated on the heads of audience members as concert goers came early, some 8 hours, to see the flashy fox. The setting was Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, and the weather showed clear skies.
Nicki, showing up around 7:30 A.M. in a tight aqua green ensemble and blonde bob, repeatedly tested out the bridge to “Super Bass” with her back up singers and had an all out dance fest with the audience before showtime. The crowd saw Nicki dance “full out” and get wild pre-show, and fed off the energy.
Despite warnings to hold cell phones and signs down, the audience couldn’t contain their excitement as Nicki reappeared at showtime for her piece of “Where Them Girls At,” sans David Guetta. Since concert takeoff, she has changed her ensemble to printed leggings, a clear plastic skirt, a green bra, pink jacket, and an 80’s crimped blond do.
Robin Roberts interviewed her next. Asking Nicki, “You grew up in New York City. What does it mean to be here in Central Park?” The Pink Friday platinum star said she grew up and went to school here, and ended with a screw face saying, “I’m New York to the fullest!” Robin then flowed the convo saying, “Especially when you brought it right there, that’s when they knew!” and reached out for dap before Nicki said, “No! You have to do it like with [force]!” and they had a pseudo-hood exchange (lol!)
Nicki then performed “Superbass” and “Moment for Life.” Nicki attempted to end the show with that, signing off for the rents on TV at "Good Morning America," but moments before she departed the crowd started chanting “Roman! Roman!” and the rapper/songstress just had to step into one of her alter ego’s to perform her verse of “Romans Revenge” which started off clean but ended raw. Just how we like it!
Departing the stage with, “Pink Friday! Roman Reloaded!” Nicki bounced off and the show was caput. As an artist with loyal fans, though, most knew the setting will resume at the next Nicki Minaj performance, (IZOD tonight perhaps?), and then at the next show. Moment for life indeed.
Hi guys. I really do want to take the time out to thank everyone that is reading or has read my blog until now. If you told me to start a blog I thank you. If you are reading it after you suggested it I thank you twice. I have no idea who is reading it sometimes, anyone I know, but I'm sure I'd find out if I wrote something that pissed someone off.
Or not. This is a forum. I mean if I can't do it on my blog--where can I do it? I certainly can't do it on your blog! :) Anyways that's also what stories are for.
Anyone who was following has seen the growth first hand. The live feed of blogger life. I thank everyone who has seen any of my videos. Shout’s to Rap Radar, All City Chess Club, and every one that posted my Lupe Video. A logo is the next logical step. Logo dolo. Lol.
Big shout out’s to my first interview Steph Jones. I didn’t know what I was going to do or where it was going to go, but it went, and I liked it. Big shout out’s to my first print interview Reesa Renee. I tried to figure out why, besides an afro, I see some similiarites. It's because she's a Virgo. Virgo Babies stand up (not to mention, she got everyone and their mama reading it! Thanks 2x ). Shout outs to all the artists who have allowed me to ask them questions. And the background publicists too.
As for my blog, it is an exercise in using the internet to my advantage, and having a forum to share the truth in a creative fashion. Sometimes I don’t want to write. Writing is trite. Showing a video is the bizness. Sometimes, that is how I am feeling. Sometimes, I just want to have some fun. I like to create things that when I look back at them, make me smile and laugh. The blog has helped me with that.
I’m working really hard to provide for everyone an insight into what it is being a writer. Insight into the different musical acts I have grown to love. I originally thought that the site wouldn’t be optimal showing people from all genres. I remember looking at a site and one post was about Britney Spears, the other about Dolly Parton, the other about Jadakiss. Not the real names, but you get my point. It made no sense. So why do I do it? I do it for all the non-one-dimensional people out there. Look at all of the songs that you have grown to love throughout your existence. Were they all one genre? And if they were, did you have “guilty pleasures” in another genre that you wouldn’t admit to? I bet you did.
What I imagined for my blog was to have different artists from all different genres all over the world who gave me the feeling that I have “Seen the Light.” Some other plane type music. Along with that, I wanted a forum for many one question interviews with famous people from all different walks of life. Outside of what is going on with me, I want it to be a display of the lifestyle that I am living and want to live, as Jonas says, “Living the Dream.” They didn’t make that up I'm sure. I am not done. I have just begun.
This is a site dedicated to the people you will be hearing on the radio in a few months, or a year. Or two years. Or the people that, like M.I.A., really have mainstream success when he or she least expected it; that would be like, two years after dropping her umpteenth album KALA, having "Paper Planes" hit radio and causing a stir. So much for underground.
I question if I would let this go if it didn’t work out. But I’d rather change it up than let go. It’s my borne! If I could create my story right now, it would be girl in the background, girl steps forward, girl shines, girl makes money shining, girl helps others in the background. That’s what I see life to be. Thanks to all that have helped out with this.
And the ones that are reading this. Just wait. It gets better. Because if the best part of your life is your childhood, you see your peak as behind you, and shucks, I feel bad for you. For the most part, adulthood lasts longer. As for me on the other hand, the best is yet to come.
