Catch A Fire With Sumfest, 'Marley' Docu, Wrangler Jeans Getting Irie, Yandel Release, Launching The #ReggaeFriday Playlist
Volume 1, Issue 7
#ReggaeFriday Playlist Launched
As we come to the end of July with plenty of summer ahead of us, what better way to share the passion and vibes of Reggae and Reggaeton music, culture and people than to share a self-curated playlist. Now available on YouTube Music, please find the playlist, here.
A frustration that I have confronted is that playlists on YouTube, Pandora, Spotify and others are siloed as Reggae or Reggaeton. But, what do you do if you enjoy both like I do? That is why I created this playlist. The playlist will be continuously updated and refreshed with new music tracks as well as some classics. I hope that you enjoy this as your weekend soundtrack.
While listening, take note of the many pop artists included in the playlist that crossover and collaborate with Reggae, Reggaeton or both genres including Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars, H.E.R. and others. These tracks don't get radio airplay, but I am betting that you'll enjoy these gems.
Catch A Fire Called Sumfest
Did you catch Reggae Sumfest? If you read our last #ReggaeFriday article you learned that Reggae Sumfest is the premier live music concert event held in Jamaica that was moved to online this year due to the impact of COVID-19. In case you missed it, here's the rundown and links to the two days of performances.
Night One kicked-off on Friday, July 24 at 8:00 pm and features acts such as Agent Sasco, Ding Dong, Shenseea, Teejay, Konshens, Ishawna, D'yani, Tanto Metro & Devonte, Chronic Law, Marcy Chin, Frisco Kid, Daddy 1 and Chakka Demus & Pliers. Click on image below to view the entire show (TRT: 2 hours 42 minutes).
Night Two followed on Saturday, July 25, at 8:00 pm and features acts such as Tarrus Riley, Freddie McGregor, Sizzla, Gyptian, Maxi Priest, Koffee plus some special performances. Click on image below to view the entire show (TRT: 1 hour 56 minutes).
Minister of Jamaica Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the virtual staging of Reggae Sumfest 2020 was a major boost for Jamaica and the local tourism sector, with more than two million viewers tuning in to watch the July 20 to 25 event.
Sumfest executive producer Joe Bogdanovich, chairman and CEO of Downsound Entertainment, said the global response was one that he never saw coming.
“Regarding viewership, the results of the festival streaming broke all records we know of. Between July 24-26, Facebook had 632,000 views, YouTube 1,642,000, Instagram 860,000, totalling 3,134,000 views. When you add global viewing parties, you get an estimated viewing total of 3,448,390 – 3,761,880 for the festival time window”, he announced.
“Certainly, our tourism product will benefit immensely from the exposure it received. Also, our music industry and performers will gain much from this exposure. It showed our resilience to have been able to achieve this even under the challenges due to the coronavirus (COVID 19),” said Mr. Bogdanovich.
"Punky Reggae" Debuts As Episode #5 of "Legacy"
Last Friday, episode five of Bob Marley's "Legacy" documentary series continues with 'Punky Reggae Party,' an insightful look back at Bob's time in and impact on London and the rest of the United Kingdom. Dating back from the mid-'70s to this present day, 'Punky Reggae Party' explores how Bob's music and ethos captured the Zeitgeist, detailing his signing to Chris Blackwell's Island Records, and the welcomed arrival of his sound and the impact he had in the United Kingdom. You can experience episode 5, here. The growing "Legacy" docu-series can be found here. Additional episodes to follow.
According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to which Mr. Blackwell was inducted in 2001, he is “the single person most responsible for turning the world on to reggae music." If you are a casual fan of Bob Marley music you are likely most familiar with the era and songs that Chris produced for his then independant Island Records label. (Today, Island Records is a part of Universal Music Group.) Mr. Blackwell isn't just an icon in reggae. He and his label discovered and produced U2, Nirvana, Roxy Music, Grace Jones, and Melissa Etheridge to the world-- just to name a few. I had the great luck to be in the presence of Mr. Blackwell years ago while he was running his Palm Pictures entertainment company-- after selling Island Records to Universal Group. At the time, I was meeting with his colleague Brian Sutnick about a partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper's Sunkist carbonated soft drink brand.
Quick update on Mr. Blackwell. At age 83, he runs Island Outpost, which he set up to operate and market a group of elite resorts in Jamaica, including Strawberry Hill in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica (where Marley recovered after being shot in 1976), The Caves in Negril, and GoldenEye Hotel and Resort in Oracabessa. GoldenEye is the previous home of Ian Fleming, where the author wrote all the James Bond books. (Who's ready to go once travel re-opens?!)
Until his death, Fleming was the longtime lover of Blackwell's mother, Blanche. Mr. Blackwell developed the property into a community of villas and beach cottages, each with its own private access to the sea, and Goldeneye is considered the most exclusive of the Island Outpost resorts.
Dress Like Bob Marley With Wrangler
The Marley Family is announcing the Wrangler? x Bob Marley collection that was created through a collaborative process with Wrangler in celebration of what would be the icon's 75th Birthday in 2020. To shop and buy from teh collection, click on the image below.
The 11-piece collection launched earlier this week and features heavy reggae influences and revivals of Marley's favorite Wrangler styles, including one men's and one women's denim jacket, four men's and three women's tees, and two unisex lasered shirts.
Wrangler has worked with the Marley family over the past year to design a unique collection that commemorates a music icon who has inspired generations of people through his commitment to fierce idealism and powerful songwriting. In celebration of the collaborative collection, Wrangler will donate $25,000 to The Bob Marley Foundation, The Bob Marley Foundation, is a Jamaican nonprofit organization focusing on Education, Music & Culture, Environmental Protection, and the health and well being of the Rastafarian community.
"Marley" Documentary In Theaters (and Virtual) Today
The acclaimed 'Marley' documentary will be screening in virtual and select traditional cinemas worldwide. This is unique and separate from the YouTube docu-series. Watch the official trailer to 'Marley' here.
Directed by Oscar-winning Kevin Macdonald, the documentary features a combination of legendary music concerts, rare footage, and interviews with Bob Marley, Rita Marley, Cedella Marley, Ziggy Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Chris Blackwell and many more. Blue Fox Entertainment will release the film theatrically. Watch the official trailer to 'Marley' here.
UK launches Its First Official Afrobeats Chart
Afrobeat-- term coined by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti in the 1960s-- has gained greater recognition as of last week in he UK. On July 21, the UK’s first ever official Afrobeats chart was launched. A list of the top 20 Afrobeat artists from the last 12 months has also been revealed, including J Hus and Burna Boy.
As far as we can tell industry go-to source Billboard does not track this, so UK is ahead of the game. Billboard certainly covers Afrobeat artists including Davido, D'Banj, Wizkid and Tiwa Savage-- but no list.
In my opinion, Afrobeat is a sibling of both reggae and reggaeton sharing so much similarity and beat, energy, attitude, lifestyle, and more. In a more professorial response towards the music genre, Afrobeat is a music genre which involves the combination of elements of West African musical styles such as fuji music and highlife with American funk and jazz influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting rhythms, and percussion.
#ReggaeFriday Weekend Soundtrack
A must pick up for the weekend's #ReggaeFriday soundtrack is the full-length album released by reggaeton artist Yandel today. The Puerto Rico native releases Quien Contra Mi 2 with 22 tracks and collabs with 28 different artists. They include J Balvin, Snoop Dogg, Ruben Blades, Anuel, Ozuna, Nicky Jam, Natti Natasha, Farruko, Darell, Myke Towers, El Alfa, Manuel Turizo, and Rauw Alejandro in a new version of Yandel’s original hit “Denbow.” To watch/listen to "Denbow" click on image below:
Absent from the roster is Wisin, with whom Yandel is already planning a new album. Yes, if you follow reggaeton, Yandel is one half of the duo Wisin & Yandel.
Quien Contra Mi 2 (Who Against Me?) is a follow-up from his 2003 debut solo album Quien Contra Mi-- a 12-track tour de force that included collabs with genre stalwarts Alexis, Fido and Tego Calderón.
Most of the new album, he says, was written and produced in his home and nearby studio in Orlando during the last four months of Covid-19 lockdown.
Quien Contra Mi 2 opens with an intro that’s a manifesto and a history of Yandel and his struggles from childhood in a Puerto Rican ghetto, but also a pump-up message for younger listeners. “I wanted to tell my story, to pump up the kids who are just starting. And, since people always say I’m so quiet, well, here’s something different," he says.
"Enjoy the entire album as your only soundtrack this weekend. It's that good."
For me, this new Yandel album lacks some of the distinctive hooks or memorable tracks. It feels that the album was rushed to market without spending a little extra time with producers in post-production. Don't get me wrong. I am not bashing it at all. Quien Contra Mi 2 is an album that you could consume in whole on a regular basis without it draining on your nerves like other albums. For those who do not understand Spanish start on track 2, then let it run.
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My #ReggaeFriday posts are part of a self-created commitment (and a self-indulgence) that started in early June 2020 with the intention to expose, elevate, celebrate, and expand an appreciation towards the people, culture and music of reggae and reggaeton. Adding a dash of Afrobeat for additional flavor.