CLINTON LINDSAY » Entries tagged with "Diana King"
JAMAICA’S DIANA KING TO START AN ALL-LESBIAN RECORD LABEL!
Diana King is making a comeback in more ways than one. She was the first Jamaican musician to come out as gay. Since then, Diana King has spent years looking over her shoulder, living in fear, and facing the judgment of not only her own people, but her own family. Her response? Taking 100 percent ownership. The Jamaican singer/songwriter who shot to fame in the 90’s with her reggae/hip-hop/pop hits, was a late addition to this year’s Raggamuffin line-up in a move that seems to sum up her entire approach to music and life. The Shy Guy singer replaced fellow Jamaican artist Beenie Man after he was dropped for his homophobic lyrics and comments for which he refused to apologise when given the chance. At first, it was a success, but King’s been facing the backlash … Read entire article »
Filed under: BREAKING NEWS, GUEST RUNDOWNS
FAMED AMERICAN ENGINEER’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH REGGAE MUSIC!
BY BRIAN BONITTO— Top: Audio engineer James ‘Bonzai’ Caruso at the consoles. Bottom: Caruso mixing for Stephen Marley— THE walls of James ‘Bonzai’ Caruso’s Las Vegas home is decorated with gold plaques of the who’s who of music. Madonna, George Michael, Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan, Ice T, Notorious BIG, Mary J Blige, P Diddy, and Missy Elliot are just a few. But the 52-year-old audio engineer has developed an ear for reggae. In fact, his credits appear on five Grammy-winning albums and, as a result, he has become a go-to person to give tracks his Midas touch. “You could say I have the golden touch…’cause I was a musician first. I played the guitar, drums, piano and percussions. So I look at things in a more rhythmic and melodic way, as opposed to most engineers who … Read entire article »
Filed under: GUEST RUNDOWNS
BEENIE MAN BOOTED FROM NEW ZEALAND’S MUSIC FESTIVAL OVER GAY-RIGHTS ISSUES, TO BE REPLACED BY DIANA KING!
Controversial Jamaican reggae star Beenie Man has been dropped from the line-up for next year’s Raggamuffin festival amid questions about his homophobic attitudes. After concerns were raised by GayNZ.com about Beenie Man’s previous homophobic lyrics and comments, Raggamuffin organisers offered him a chance to publicly state his support for the gay community and retract his past lyrics. Raggamuffin spokesman Brotha D says Bennie Man failed to answer questions about his current stance on the gay community and based on that, he’s been dropped from the line-up. “We took the concerns of the gay community very seriously and sought to address them with Beenie Man,” Brotha D said. “Raggamuffin is a family festival and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender or sexuality. “After being made fully aware of his past comments and … Read entire article »
Filed under: GUEST RUNDOWNS
SINGER DIANA KING CONNECTS WITH HER INDIAN ROOTS!
Diana King— JAMAICAN singer-songwriter Diana King opened up about her life and music in a recent interview with the Times of India newspaper. King, 45, was a guest performer at Club Raasta in New Dehli, last weekend. In the interview, she speaks about her musical influences, running away from home at age 12, her connections to India, and her coming out as as a member of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community in 2012. “I remember Facebook was the place to be in 2012. Facebook is where everyone is declaring their lives. Had it been before that, it would probably have been in an interview like this one. I wanted to be as true to myself as I could be. But it wasn’t easy because I’m an artist and I’m in the … Read entire article »
Filed under: GUEST RUNDOWNS
JUNIOR REID HEADLINES “DUBAI REGGAE FESTIVAL” FOR NOVEMBER 7!
Junior Reid– ROOTS singer Junior Reid is the headliner for the inaugural Dubai Reggae Festival which takes place on November 7 in the oil-rich city. Reid will launch his Junior Reid: The Living Legend album two days before the event. Singer Wayne Wonder, who has previously performed in Dubai on the popular Reggae Beachfest shows, is also confirmed for the festival. So too Barbadian soca artist Rupee, Jamaican deejay Rasta Rocket, and Kriss Darling of Kenya, one of Africa’s leading reggae acts. DJ Justin (Justin Morin), a Jamaican sound system selector who lives in Dubai, is also part of the festival. Kenya Don, the promoter responsible for introducing reggae/dancehall to Dubai, was the man behind Beachfest which was first held in 2013. He described the Dubai Reggae Festival as an expansion of Beachfest. “It’s a blessing to do … Read entire article »
Filed under: EVENTS, GUEST RUNDOWNS
“DON’T EVER SELL YOURSELF SHORT” SAYS DIANA KING!
By David Light— She’s unconventional, a pioneer in a male-dominated industry, but overall she’s the soulful voice of reggae that has endured since the early ’90s. Jamaica’s Diana King has done it all during her time in the spotlight. Hitting global superstardom after appearing on Notorious B.I.G.’s tune Respect, she then created the hit track Shy Guy for the Will Smith blockbuster Bad Boys. This Saturday she’s performing at the monthly Reggae Beachfest at XL Club, the Habtoor Grand, Dubai. Here we speak to Diana to find out more about her life in music. During your career, how do you think reggae and dancehall has evolved with regards to the acceptance and promotion of female artists? It’s still a male-dominated business. There are a few holding their own like Tanya Stephens and Etana. Tessanne Chin who recently won The Voice in … Read entire article »
Filed under: GUEST RUNDOWNS
MICHAEL GOLDBERG, THE WRITER OF JAMAICAN MOVIE “COOL RUNNINGS” DIES AT 55!
Top: Michael Goldberg Bottom: The cast of “Cool Runnings” MICHAEL Goldberg, the American who wrote the screenplay for the 1993 hit movie, Cool Runnings, died last Thursday in California from cancer, philly.com website reports. Goldberg, whose other film credits include Should’ve Been Romeo, Little Giants, Bushwhacked and Snow Dogs, was 55. The Pennsylvania native was best known for Cool Runnings, a comedy based on the exploits of Jamaica’s bobsled team to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. Starring John Candy as coach of the novice bobsled team, the movie was a smash hit at the box office, grossing over US$15 million. It made cast members Leon, Doug E Doug, Rawle D Lewis, and Malik Yoba instant stars. Last year marked the film’s 20th anniversary. The movie’s soundtrack featured songs by several Jamaican artists including Jimmy Cliff, who covered … Read entire article »
Filed under: GUEST RUNDOWNS
DIANA KING’S INFLUENCE CREATES A NEW ABBY DALLAS!
Diana King— By Curtis Campbell— The road to recognition for even the most talented artists can be a long, slow grind. Often, even ultra-talented artists end up spending years working as session musicians and background singers before they are able to emerge as stars in their own right. Such is the case with Abby Dallas, the winner of the Jamaica 50th Anniversary Popular Song Contest with her song, Real Born Jamaican. Like many women on the competitive male-dominated reggae scene, she found getting her … Read entire article »
Filed under: GUEST RUNDOWNS
ARE FEMALE ARTISTS MAKING A COMBACK?
BY RICHARD JOHNSON—– JAMAICAN female artists have been tasting international fame for nearly 50 years. Singer Millie Small was one of the first to do so when her cover of My Boy Lollipop shot to the top of the British and American charts back in 1964. In 1989, singer Marcia Griffiths released the Bunny Wailer-penned Electric Boogie which raced up American charts, reaching number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it her most successful single. Top: Marcia … Read entire article »
Filed under: GUEST RUNDOWNS
DANCEHALL MUSIC BREAKS NEW INTERNATIONAL GROUNDS WITH “RHYTHMIC BEATS!”
David M—- By Curtis Campbell—— David M joins Shaggy, Sean Paul in rhythmic music foray Dancehall music is breaking new ground on the international scene with artists finding hit records on internationally flavoured beats called rhythmic beats. Rhythmic beats have an uptempo dance music sound, made popular in dancehall by Sean Paul on singles such as She Doesn’t Mind and Got To Love You. With the sound of dancehall infiltrating rhythmic beats, David M has teamed up with Beenie Man to create a collaboration called Here Comes Your Life. The song features background vocals … Read entire article »
Filed under: GUEST RUNDOWNS
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