March 27, 2008

a little Tribute to Joe Gibbs R.I.P. mix

As a tribute I made a nice little mix of some of my Joe Gibbs Productions. May Joe Rest In Peace! check it below
(see http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080226/ent/ent4.html)

Roy Shirley- Hold them
Sylford Walker - Burn Babylon
Shorty the President - Natty pass his CGE
Clint Eastwood - Badda Than You
Barrington Levy - My Woman
Dillinger - Take a Dip
Soul Sisters - Wrecka Buddy
Lady Ann - Murderer
Prince Mohammed - Bubbling Love
Dennis Brown - Let Me Live
Dennis Brown - Ghetto Girl
Joe Gibbs - Entebbe Affair
Culture - I'm Not Ashamed
Lee Perry - The Upsetter
Sammy Dread - Dreadlocks Girl
Eekamouse - Virgin Girl
Junior Murvin - Cool out Son
Lui Lepke - Love from Jamdown
Jacob Miller - I'm Just A Dread
June Lodge - Someone Love You

March 22, 2008

HIPLIFE TAKING OVER?








In 2008 Ghana’s youth is no longer dancing to "highlife," the music that was so popular back in the sixties and seventies, but to Hiplife, the local mix of Hip-Hop, Highlife, Reggae and Dancehall. Hiplife gained prominence about 10 years ago with Reggie Rockstone, who is known as the “Godfather of Hiplife” and was the first to rap in Twi, the most common language in Ghana. Hiplife is everywhere in Ghana now; it has developed into one of the most popular music styles in the country and has broadened into several sub-genres.

Out Here Records’ Georg Milz (also of the Munich-based Daladala Soundz sound system), compiled an excellent sampler, called: "Black Stars – Ghana’s Hiplife Generation," containing some of the most popular Hiplife artists. And you'd better believe us when we boldly state that anybody out there who enjoyed the "African Rebels" and "Lagos Stori Plenti" samplers should certainly check out this new release, or better yet: buy it instantly. Black Stars is a more than welcome supplement to said samplers, continuing the high standard, both musically as informationwise, all Out Here records display and on top of that: the music is kicking arse! Picture the mighty M.I.A. making an african album, add a bunch of fun and a complete own look on nowadays popular music and you'll get a slight idea of what HipLife sounds like. If this is to vague, which it probably is, but hey: I'm trying, go check out the samples on the OutHere Black Stars page or, if you're a Myspace user, link up at Ghana's Hiplife Generation It's worth it..

March 21, 2008

NNEKA NO LONGER AT EASE

Originally scheduled for release in january 2008, the new and eagerly awaited second outing of souldiva Nnneka got postponed and postponed, but it finally seems to be finished: The album "No longer at ease" will be unleashed on the 25th of april on YoMama records.

Prior to the forthcoming album, the new single "Heartbeat" will be released as well, showcasing Nneka going further down the musical road she has succesfuly been trodding. Heartbeat is quite an impressive single: Nneka's performance is stumbling and frankly, spoiled as we are, we wouldn't settle for less. The hectic drumming gives the song its heartbeat and works perfectly together with the songlines. I've seen Nneka on stage quite a few times and it seems that she succeeded to haul the energy she and her band display on stage into the studio and on tape. If this is what the album is going to sound like, I take it that fans around the world will not be dissapointed. Bring it on, Nneka!



Go catch her live on stage whenever she in the hood!

March 01, 2008

Producer Joe Gibbs dead at 65

From the Jamaica Gleaner:
RECORD producer Joel 'Joe Gibbs' Gibson, whose partnership with singer Dennis Brown yielded a string of hit songs during the 1970s, died last Thursday at the University Hospital of the West Indies.
Gibbs' son, Rocky, told The Gleaner that his father died shortly after suffering a heart attack. He was 65 years old.
The Montego Bay-born Gibbs began producing on his Amalgamated label in the 1960s. His first major hit was singer Roy Shirley's Hold Them, but it was in the next decade that Gibbs really hit his stride.
Brown, a former prodigy, cut a series of songs for Gibbs that were rarely off the charts. These included Money In My Pockets, Should I, Stay at Home, Love Has Found Its Way and How Could I Live.
Other productions
Gibbs also produced Culture's massive Two Sevens Clash, George Nooks' Tribal War and Althea and Donna's Uptown Top Ranking which made the British pop charts in 1977. His last major hit was singer J.C. Lodge's Someone Loves You Honey, a song originally done by African-American country singer Charlie Pride.
Bass player Lloyd Parkes was a senior member of Gibbs' house band, The Professionals. He said while Gibbs was an astute businessman, he was not the great producer many believed.
"I would call him an executive producer, most of the production was done by Errol Thompson and the musicians," Parkes said.
Thompson was the engineer at Gibbs' Retirement Road studio. He died in 2004.
Gibbs is survived by 11 children.