Droop Lion tastes success on debut European tour

Kingston, Jamaica: - The year 2013 is certainly looking to be the breakout year for rising reggae entertainer, Droop Lion. The Freeway singer made his exciting debut in Europe in April, to much acclaim, and the series of shows continues throughout the month of May.

Continuing with a performance in Amsterdam on May 15, Droop Lion moved on to Rotterdam, Reims, Colmar, Paris and Guyancourt, soothing fans with a combination of his trademark “big voice” and his riveting lyrical content. The Rastafarian artiste has been eliciting rave reviews from critics and fans alike all over the continent, as he has kept his vow to let his music do the talking.

“It is a joy to be here in Europe on tour singing for the people and building up a fan base. Being on tour gives you a new appreciation for the power of Reggae music and it ignites a new passion within to be the best Reggae ambassador that you can possibly be,” Droop Lion noted.

“The energy level is incredible – both on the road while travelling in the tour bus from one city or country to the next and also when we reach the venues to perform. Everyone is in harmony and Jah is definitely our guide. Give thanks to Capleton for inviting me to be a part of this mystical, musical experience and also to the Prophecy Band for providing the music,” the young Lion stated.

Droop Lion’s European trip climaxes on May 25 with a stop in Helsinki, where he is scheduled to wrap up his nine-city tour at the Wildlife Festival, held annually in Finland. Wildlife Helsinki takes place from the 24^th to the 26^th and, this year, the Prophet Capleton is the headline act for the Saturday night. Droop Lion has been the opening act for Capleton on this tour.

The reggae singer makes his return to Jamaica at the end of May and will go straight into studio to continue the production of his debut album, on which he is collaborating with ‘A’ list producers, musicians and artistes.

Droop Lion savoured his first taste of success with the single, Freeway, which he followed up with the soothing Pray for Them, a song he says he penned after a flood a few years ago, which saw two men being washed away in the Sandy Gully. Other standout songs in his steadily growing repertoire include Lock down, a protest song against police brutality, and the thought-provoking Long Way Down.

CHART WATCH - HYPE TV TOP 20 DANCEHALL/REGGAE MUSIC CHART - MAY 10TH, 2013

Duane Stephenson takes on Brazil with the Wailers

Duane Stephenson

The continent of South America is regarded as rich, fertile soil for the planting of reggae music, so it was with a “special joy” that singer, Duane Stephenson, packed his bags and journeyed with the Wailers to Brazil at the end of April.

An eight-city tour, which started in Curitibra and spanned through the capital Brasilia, Salvador, Porto Alegre, and on to Brazil’s famous Rio de Janiero, among other cities, was the perfect way for Duane to spend 12 musically exhilarating days. Duane had received his South American baptism on a previous sojourn to that continent, which had also included performances in parts of Central America, all of which helped to lay the foundation for his memorable return visit.

Despite putting in some hard work at building his career there, even Duane himself has confessed that he was surprised at the vibrant welcome he was given by his growing fan base in the Americas.

“At all of the shows, I did my own solo set which lasted for 35 minutes each, and I must say that the response was fantastic. Although the official language of Brazil is Portuguese, the fans knew my songs and were singing word-for-word. It’s a wonderful feeling to plant seeds and go back and reap the fruits,” a very appreciative Duane explained. 

  

He added that the album that is still doing amazingly well for him in that territory is his debut, August Town,  however, reggae music lovers in Brazil have started to rock to some of the singles from his sophomore offering,Black Gold.

According to Duane, his best memory of this trip was his performance at the Bahia Café Hall in Salvador to a sold-out audience that just could not get enough of his music.

“This is not just great for me, it feels good and looks even better for reggae music. Singers like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Jimmy Cliff are the real icons down there, but Ky-mani Marley also has a huge fan base and Tarrus’ music is becoming increasingly popular. So, it is shows that reggae definitely has a future and so too dancehall because artistes like Shaggy, Sean Paul and Busy Signal are being embraced by South American fans. It’s up to us to nurture this emerging market,  stamp our name on it musically and really help it to grow. In the long run, we will all benefit,” the reggae singer declared.

VYBZ KARTEL NEWS: POPCAAN AND TOMMY LEE BETRAYED ME - WORLD BOSS

Vybz Kartel has denied allegations that he was attacked behind bars.

Addi Di Teacha said, "I want the fans to know that I am physically okay. I have never been stabbed, kicked, punched or beaten and I did not try to commit suicide. Jail is undoubtedly, unquestionably the worst place to be on this planet called Earth, but as it relates to my encounters with the correctional officers at the institution, I have no complaints,"

Vybz Kartel also said he has had great support from his family and his common-law wife (Shorty) and babymother during his tribulation; but he is disappointed in some of his former colleagues.

The embattled DJ said, "Despite being denied bail recently, and being betrayed by Popcaan and Tommy Lee whilst going through the darkest hour of my existence, I am unparalleled in my determination to remain positive. I do a lot of reading and writing and usually try to exercise."

"I would like to thank all my fans who have been behind me in my time of peril and unjust prosecution. Thanks for your continued support of my music, making me the recipient of Youth View's Deejay of the years 2011 and 2012 as well as Portmore Awards 2012, plus voting countless songs to the number-one spot on the reggae/dancehall charts worldwide," he added.

Kartel has been in custody since September 2011 and he is to return to Court on May 27.

ZJ ELEKTRA CREATED A STIR IN CONNECTICUT

ZJ Elektra from (ZIP103FM, Jamaica) represented for the Jamaican massive and Caribbean Community at large at her latest stint "Man a Suffer 2 Long" in Hartford, Connecticut last Saturday, May 4.  Elektra's elektrafying set created a stir at the West Indian American Center. Live performances were also done by I-Octane and Higher Boukie

I-Octane delivers electrifying performance in NY

International reggae/dancehall superstar I-Octane capped off a triumphant return to the New York stage with an electrifying performance at SOBs Hot 97’s Who’s Next showcase. 

I-Octane began his day as a guest of Hot 97’s top rated morning show for a half-hour interview with hosts Cipha Sounds and Shawnee Culture where they discussed everything from his humble beginnings to the future of reggae music.

The interview was filmed for Hot 97’s TV component and can be viewed on their YouTube channel: HOT97NY. 

Later that night, I-Octane started his headlining performance side stage with an acapella version of Stay Above Crime before taking centre stage to a rousing applause where he jumped right into No Love Inna Dem, proclaiming “respect to Hot 97 for the opportunity, but we need more reggae music on the station so we can further globalize it”.

He continued to sing hit after hit, sending the crowd into a frenzy with classics such as My Life, Lose A Friend and Once More as well as his latest hits, Love Di Vibes, L.O.V.E.Y.O.U., and finally his most current hit, Gal A Gimme Bun, which is currently taking New York by storm.  

To show unity amongst Jamaican performers, the energetic I-Octane invited Ding Dong and Christopher Martin to the stage to perform It’s A Celebration, a collaboration between them and Konshens. This move prompted Hot 97 executive, Karlie Hustle, to tweet how impressed she was that Octane “brought the openers on stage with him to celebrate the art together.” 

As the show came to a close, Octane expressed positive vibes about his performance, stating that “Hot 97 continues to show their support of reggae and dancehall music and we appreciate their efforts to push the culture forward.”

CHART WATCH - HYPE TV TOP 20 DANCEHALL/REGGAE MUSIC CHART - APRIL 26TH, 2013