Singer Anthony Cruz mourns his only daughter’s untimely death
Like most 15 years old girls, Shanice Cruz was dreaming about her future, excelling in school, enjoying life, friendship and love. However her life was cut short due to senseless violence and this has been a disheartening tragedy for her father, reggae singer, Anthony Cruz and the reggae community at large. More After The Jump…
The Gully Gaad In David Brooks Mode “I Was Born To Overcome”
Mavado rang in the new year on a Godly note with this DJ Frass–produced banger. There’s an old saying that goes “In God We Trust—All Others Pay Cash,” which pretty much sums up the artist’s approach to the game this year. It’s been a minute since Mavado was back on the rock, and the Florida resident’s first stage show in Jamaica was Rebel Salute. His dress code made it clear Mr. Brooks is getting money, and when he drops lyrics like “Them Nuh Inna My League” it’s got to hurt. Out of respect for the show’s traditional all-conscious-no-slackness approach, The Gully Gaad performed as David Brooks, selecting his tunes with care. Still he was more than able to turn the place up till it buck. Fresh off the stage, David Constantine Brooks sat down with the Reggae Girl About Town to discuss his return to Jamaica, dealing with haters, and how he’s celebrating the new ganja law. Audio & Video After The Jump… (more…)
The UK Lyrics Machine Was In Rare Form at Rebel Salute 2016
We’ve said ti before and we nah stop say it—when it comes to booking a fresh lineup of artists, Rebel Salute rules every time. Where else are you going to get a full set from Macka B? Faithful listeners of Mutabaruka’s Cutting Edge radio program are familiar with Macka’s 2006 single “All About The Youths.” But the sing-song acoustic number barely scratches the surface of the UK Lyrics Machine’s creativity. His latest album, Never Played a 45 laments the changing values in sound system culture as it calls for a return to feel and vibe of traditional vinyl selections. And Macka certainly has plenty of vinyl in his catalog. Born in Wolverhampton to Jamaican parents, Macka linked with Mad Professor in 1986 and began building intricate, articulate, infallibly intelligent lyrics on a wide variety of topics. This year’s Rebel Salute found the DJ in rare form; check the reasoning—onstage and off. Videos After The Jump… (more…)
A Fresh DJ Is Coming… Watch Yah!
One great thing about Rebel Salute, you can always count on seeing a different set of artists than all the other big reggae festivals and stage shows. Year in and year out, Rebel finds a way to book artists you haven’t heard from in years (if you’ve even seen then live at all) or new stars you need to pay attention to. This year was no exception as vintage harmony groups like The Congos and The Abyssinians touched the stage as well as classic dancehall acts Pinchers and Jr. Cat. But what about the rising stars? Joining David Brooks onstage for his early Sunday morning set, Jahmiel aka “The Missionary” made a big impression. As with most overnight successes, the artist formerly known as Culture Jahmiel has been doing his thing for several years—although the artist proudly points out that he never sold out to “buss.” Back in 2011 he caused a little stir with his song “Mi Nuh Murdera” for Young Vibes Productions. Late last year he dropped a tune called “Gain The World” and hasn’t looked back since. “Life comes with stages,” he mentions in the tune. “I’m just on the other pages.” Now moving with Quantanium Productions, Jahmiel has the momentum, the musical talent, and the consistency to make big moves in the future. After his show-stealing performance Reshma B caught up with the artist for a quick reasoning. Video After The Jump… (more…)
After Closing Rebel Salute 2015, Kalonji Speaks On Truths and Rights
Say what you like about Sizzla Kalonji, but the man nah tek back no chat. After a fiery early morning performance to cap the second day of Rebel Salute 2015, the sweat-drenched dancehall legend took time out for a brief but extremely intense interview with the Reggae Girl About Town. The two spoke about Rebel Salute’s theme, the “preservation of reggae” with Sizzla asserting that countries like England and France are “trying to take reggae from black people with pen and paper and contracts.” They also spoke on the movement to legalize ganja. “Ganja free down here man,” Sizzla scoffed. “But them wan’ make money offa the ganja. And enough people them prosecute for the ganja. So the Rastaman plan to slap them some judgment. Rastaman been agitating for marijuana as a medicinal purpose and a holy sacrament and Babylon no wan’ do that. But now they want to legalize it to sell. So now the judgment is on. You must recognize Rasta, else a lightning and thunder.” The very next week Jamaica’s parliament tabled a bill to decriminalize ganja after 68 years of prohibition, with special provisions to allow Rastfarians to cultivate their own herbs in designated areas. Coincidence? The proposed law would also clear the way for a legal medical marijuana industry, so it looks like Sizzla is right on both counts. Video After The Jump… (more…)
The Rebel With a Cause Looks Back Over 22 Years of Roots & Culture
No meat, no alcohol, but plenty vibes. No hip-hop, no EDM, but nuff niceness. No stampedes, no slackness, but total niceness. Over the past 22 years, Rebel Salute has stuck to a winning formula and evolved into the people’s choice as Jamaica’s top-ranking reggae festival. Last year the Rebel Salute stage transformed Bounty Killer into Rodney Price as he delivered one of the greatest performances of his career. This year the Boomshots crew dropped by Flames Productions HQ in Kingston, Jamaica to reason with Mr. Tony “Fresh Vegetable” Rebel who explained how a humble birthday celebration grew into a musical phenomenon—complete with its own foundation that awards scholarships to educate Jamaica’s youth. Check the reasoning as Rebel tells Reshma B about the roots of Rebel Salute, right down to the great food (and brain food) availabe at the show. And if you can’t make it there in person, Rebel breaks down the best way to enjoy the show from the comfort of your own yard… Video & Full Lineup After The Jump… (more…)
Reshma B Links The Fyah Muma at Flames Productions HQ in Kingston, JA
On the last day of 2014, the Reggae Girl About Town dropped by Flames Productions HQ in Kingston, Jamaica to see wha gwan. She had a nice chat with the Fyah Muma about her new album and her hot new collaboration with Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. Ifrica also expained how she came to sing “Lioness on the Rise,” which Tony Rebel originally wrote for Marcia Griffiths but which became one of the Fyah Muma’s signature songs. Queen Ifrica also explained the real reason why her show in New York was canceled last year—and no it wasn’t really because of protests from gay community. She also takes a moment to big up all who fight for freedom of speech—the Mandelas and the Gandhis. She also talks about the growth of Rebel Salute over the years. Finally Ifrica lets everybody know how they can keep up with all the action at this year’s festival—going down in St. Anne, Jamaica January 16th & 17th—no matter where in the world they might be. Video After The Jump… (more…)
Queen Ifrica at Flames Yard Kingston, JA. Photography by Wayne Lawrence.
Born Ventrice Latora Morgan in Spanish Town, Jamaica, Queen Ifrica aka the Fyah Muma is the daughter of ska legend Derrick Morgan. She grew up in the Rastafarian community of Montego Bay, and burst onto the local music scene in 2007 with a humorous tune called “Below The Waist” that she followed up with a string of hits that established the DJ’s name as a force to be reckoned with. While putting the finishing touches on her long-awaited debut album, Ifrica recently released an EP called Road To Mobay, which includes a new song that might as well be her official anthem called “Lioness On The Rise.” As she says in the tune, “When the roll is call up / we’ll be standing tall up.” Run the track…
[audio:https://www.boomshots.com/tunes/LionessOnTheRise.mp3]After vibesing the new music, we linked Ifrica for some reasoning. Come in Fyah Muma…. (more…)