Boomshots

Tag: Sly & Robbie

  • American Reggae Acts Dominate 2017 Grammy Nominations

    American Reggae Acts Dominate 2017 Grammy Nominations

    Three Out of Six Nominees Are Based in the U.S.A.

    Earlier today The Recording Academy announced the 2017 Grammy Award nominations. Beyoncé topped all nominees with nine nods while Drake, Rihanna, and Kanye West snagged eight each. Rihanna & Drake’s dancehall cut “Work” was nominated for Record of the Year, although Drizzy’s chart-toppers “One Dance” and “Controller” were snubbed. Tory Lanez’s “Luv”—based on Tanto & Devonte’s dancehall classic “Everyone Falls In Love”—was nominated for Best R&B Song. Sia’s No. 1 single “Cheap Thrills”  featuring Sean Paul was nominated in the Best Pop Duo Performance category. As usual the Reggae category was full of surprises, with three of the five nominations going to U.S.–based acts.   More Details After The Jump…
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  • Reasoning with Sly Dunbar: “I’ve Seen All The Changes”

    Reasoning with Sly Dunbar: “I’ve Seen All The Changes”

    The Master Drummer Turns 64 Today

    Perhaps the most celebrated drum and bass duo in history—regardless of genre—Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare were both accomplished studio musicians before they met in the mid 1970s. “You know that record that goes ‘I am the magnificent!’?” says Dunbar, speaking of Dave & Ansel Collins’ 1971 smash “Double Barrel,” the second Jamaican single ever to top the UK pop charts. “I played drums on that when I was 15 years old.”  Robbie, meanwhile, was rocking with the Aggrovators, producer Bunny Lee’s ace session band.  But once the “Rhythm Twins” linked up at Channel One studio on Maxfield Avenue in Kingston, Jamaican music would never sound the same again. Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Jimmy Riley “Rougher Yet” Live in Tivoli Gardens 2008

    WATCH THIS: Jimmy Riley “Rougher Yet”
    Live in Tivoli Gardens 2008

    Rest In Power Jimmy Riley (1954–2016) Music Alone Shall Live

    Martin James Norman Riley, a distinguished singer and songwriter known to music lovers the world over as Jimmy Riley passed away around the dawning of March 23rd. Mr. Riley grew up in the musically blessed and economically stressed Waterhouse section of Western Kingston, and attended school with Slim Smith, with whom he would later record the timeless “My Conversation.” He was a member of seminal Jamaican harmoney groups The Sensations and The Uniques, and applied his rich soulful voice to classic solo recordings with Sly & Robbie including “Love & Devotion” and a cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” which topped the UK reggae chart. His musical legacy is further enriched by the fact that he is the father of the great Tarrus Riley, with whom he often shared the stage. “Tarrus always gravitated toward music,” Jimmy Riley told the New York Times in 2009. “He learned to play the piano and grew up right there in the midst of things. Most of the veteran singers were friends of mine, so he knew them all.” Tarrus and his father appeared onstage together as recently as last Spring’s Oracabessa Festival in Queens, with the elder Mr. Riley in a wheelchair, but still full of life. Check this video of Jimmy in top form. Notice when the band tries to change the riddim, Mr. Riley reminds them, “Me ah the singer!” Don’t you ever forget. Music alone shall live. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Reasoning with No-Maddz: “Breadfruit is the new Bread, Baby!”

    WATCH THIS: Reasoning with No-Maddz:
    “Breadfruit is the new Bread, Baby!”

    The Puku-Poo Posse Bugs Out With The Reggae Girl About Town

    Last year No-Maddz burst on the international scene with a debut album, Sly & Robbie Presents: No-Maddz, that Billboard magazine (with an assist from Boomshots) ranked as one of the Top 10 Reggae albums of 2015. In fact we’ve been rocking with No-Maddz from long time—ever since we first bucked up Sheldon, Heavy, Birdie, and O’Neil on the set of Better Mus’ Come it was clear that these Bongo youths were destined for greatness. So when we caught their first performance on the big stage at Reggae Sumfest—shortly after the release of their 2012 EP NBO (New Bread Order)—their reasoning with the Reggae Girl About Town was something special. Check out the vibes for yourself.  Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Download the House of Marley x Boomshots Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise Zeen

    Download the House of Marley x Boomshots
    Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise Zeen

    Our 2015 Zeen Is The Next Best Thing To Being On Board

    “All in the Same Boat,” Bob Marley sang on The Wailers’ 1971 Boomshot “Don’t Rock My Boat,” produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry, “Rockin’ on the same rock / Got to get together, loving each other.” This lyric isnpired the title for the 2015 Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise Zeen, the official guide to who’s who and what’s happening on our second annual seafaring excursion. The limited edition Zeen contains origjnal interviews and full-color photos of all 23 acts on board—Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Stephen Marley, Julian Marley, Ky-Mani Marley, Third World, Sly & Robbie, Maxi Priest, Super Cat, Bounty Killer, Popcaan, Elephant Man, Cham, Tarrus Riley, Morgan Heritage, Protoje, Tanya Stephens, and many more—plus all 10 champion sound systems. It also contains QR code links to exclusive Boomshots content—interviews and live performances direct from the cruise.  If you didn’t make it on this year’s cruise, the Zeen is the next best thing to being there. There’s even a discount code for House of Marley audio gear. Download Link After The Jump…
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  • WATCH THIS: Romain Virgo “Star Across The Sky” Acoustic Video

    WATCH THIS: Romain Virgo “Star Across The Sky” Acoustic Video

    Soulful reggae crooner slows it down in latest clip

    Since bursting onto the scene in 2007 as the youngest winner of Jamaica’s leading reggae talent search Digicel Rising Stars, Romain Virgo has gone on to dazzle stadiums and dominate charts worldwide. This boy wonder has evolved into a fully fledged ambassador for lovers rock music with a consistently strong, ever-growing catalog of tunes. Virgo recently teamed up with legendary production duo Sly & Robbie for the celestial single “Star Across The Sky” which was featured on their 2014 Grammy nominated album The Reggae Power. Fresh from a successful European winter tour, he took time out to unveil a mellow yet stirring rendition of the same hit song this week, with just a keyboard for company. This guy’s vocal range is insane! Video After the Jump… (more…)

  • Ziggy Marley Wins Sixth Grammy, But Nobody Gets To See It

    Ziggy Marley Wins Sixth Grammy, But Nobody Gets To See It

    Three Decades Later, The Reggae Award Is Still NOT Televised

    Congratulations Ziggy Marley on your latest win at the Grammys. Fly Rasta Up Up Up… Way Up/. And just to make sure the ting STAY up, it’s time to revisit an important question. Why is the Best Reggae Album category STILL not being broadcast anywhere? It’s not like the world doesn’t love Reggae music. So what’s the problem? When will the reggae massive show some Unity and command respect like the hip-hop massive did back in 1989 before the music was a billion-dollar industry. U-N-I-T-Y is strength. Time to get up stand up for the good of the music. Uzeet. This year marks not only Bob Marley’s 70th birthday but also the 30th anniversary of the Best Reggae Album category. Details After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: No-Maddz “Shotta” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: No-Maddz “Shotta” Official Music Video

    Dah One Yah Bad To The Bone

    From their bugged-out Puma commercials (which somehow managed to snatch up sneaker money while subtly taking the piss) to their star turns in the film Better Mus Come, the acting, singing, and always laughing No-Maddz lads are undeniably brilliant. But there was always a sense amongst their hardcore fans that the rest of the world just didn’t get it. The lovingly scathing social commentary of their 50th anniversary tune “Sort Out Yuh Life Jamaica”—not to mention the whole “Poo Puku Poo” madness—did not exactly make it easier for them to “buss” in a traditional sense. Not that they really seemed bothered. But ever since their slightly skewed sensibility connected with the legendary drum and bass duo Sly & Robbie, the band has evolved from an underground sensation to an outernational vibration. First came the tune “Romance,” which sounded anything but soft, and now we have a selection called “Shotta,” which manages to condemn gun violence, big up musicianship, and still make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. In short, it’s a certified Boomshot. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Bunny Rugs “Alone Again”

    HEAR THIS: Bunny Rugs “Alone Again”

    A Lost Session With Sly & Robbie Comes To Light

    This morning’s email contained a rare gift for all reggae lovers to cherish: a message from Guillaume Bougard, sharing this never-before-heard recording of the melancholy ballad “Alone Again” voiced the late great Bunny Rugs backed by Sly & Robbie. “Bunny Rugs recorded ‘Alone Again’ in 2010 during a day off of a Third World tour in Europe,” Bougard explained. “Here is a rough mix that I just stumbled upon.” On his Facebook page, Bougard elaborates that “We had recorded the instrumental originally for Horace Andy but Horace didn’t like the song, so I kept it and submitted it to Rugs who liked it, despite the overall sadness of the lyrics. He managed to retain the emotion and yet instill his usual joy. Lovely. Rugs knew he did very well on that take. Listen carefully to the last 2 seconds: he says ‘Bwoy Guillaume, you have a whole a money for me now.’ When Jamaican artists think they’ve done a great take, they believe the song is going to sell well and generate big royalties for them.” No amount of money can equal the joy of a new song by Bunny Rugs, who died of leukemia this past February 6 (which is also Bob Marley’s birthday) leaving an irreparable breach in the reggae matrix. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Reggae Grammy Nominees Announced For 2013

    Reggae Grammy Nominees Announced For 2013

    The Music Industry’s Highest Honor Will Go To One of These Five Reggae Acts

    If there’s one thing reggae fans love to complain about it’s the Grammy Awards. Well today the nominees for Best Reggae Album category have been revealed, and let’s just say there’s going to be some more lively debates going on. Check out the final five after the jump—and let us know in the comments if you’d like to thank the Academy, or if they missed some of your favorites. Full List of Nominees After The Jump…

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  • HEAR THIS: Tessanne Chin “If You Love Me”

    HEAR THIS: Tessanne Chin “If You Love Me”

    Tessanne Lays Down The Law On the Fight This Feeling Juggling

    Now that the Shaggy and Beres selection “Fight This Feeling” is a certified modern classic, the good folks at Ranch Entertainment had the good sense to release a full juggling pon the Sly & Robbie riddim, first deployed on Dennis Brown’s “Sitting and Watching.” There are some nice cuts on here, but the one we’ve got stuck on repeat is by Tessanne Chin, who’s currently tearing shit up on NBC’s The Voice even though reggae lovers have known about her voice for years. Singing like the grown woman she is Tessanne calls out a trifling man who’s showing signs that he’s taking her for granted, or even worse, playing her for a fool. Listen up fellas.  Audio After The Jump…

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  • Shaggy & Friends Pon Radio Lily

    Shaggy & Friends Pon Radio Lily

    Mr. Boombastic Hits The Strictly Boomshots Show To Celebrate Out of Many One Music Album Release

    This Monday on RadioLily.com we welcomed the biggest hitmaker in dancehall history, Shaggy, to celebrate the release of his star-studded collaboration with Sly & Robbie, Out of Many One Music. Shaggy and Rob Kenner talked about the vision behind this heartical roots reggae project, sharing the stories behind classic collabos like Beres Hammond on “Fight This Feeling” and Ne-Yo on “You Girl.” Shaggy also revealed that he recently recorded a new collaboration with Super Cat and Maxi Priest, which will be included as a bonus track of physical copies of Out of Many One Music, which will not be available until later this year. The whole Ranch Music family was in the house, from DJ Kue to featured artists on the new album Jimmy Cosier, Melissa, and Samira. Shaggy even brought his bredrens from the Ruff Entry crew, Red Fox and Screechy Dan—both of whom were in rare form for the big album release. So put your hand inna the air and just—Big Up. Audio & Video After The Jump…

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