Awarded Best Male Vocalist and Best Song at the 2008 International Reggae and World Music Awards, Tarrus Riley is the most promising of the second generation of Jamaica roots reggae singers. With an August 4, 2009 release of his much-anticipated third set CONTAGIOUS on Cannon Productions, distributed by VP Records, Tarrus Riley reaffirms that he is one of finest singer/songwriters of his generation, irrespective of musical genre.

The son of Jimmy Riley - who has had a long career as a solo artist as well as being a former member of the Uniques and the Techniques. Riley’s songs retain ties to the Jamaican roots tradition while still managing to sound distinctly contemporary. In addition, his strong stage presence gives him crossover appeal and marks him as a coming force on the international reggae scene.

The album is grounded in a roots reggae tradition that is recast with a gleaming 21st century sheen courtesy of the album’s primary producer, venerable saxophonist Dean Fraser and created by Grafton and Tuff Gong studios sovereignty including Sly and Robbie on drum and bass, guitarists Mitchum “Khan” Chin and Cat Coore, keyboardist Robbie Lyn and Dean Fraser’s impassioned sax styling.

Contagious remarkably shifts between smoothly crooned lover’s rock and artful Rastafarian declarations, provocative commentaries and dancehall’s combustible edge, its cohesion provided by Tarrus’s spectacularly emotive vocals and reliably inspiring words. As its title indicates, this highly infectious collection of 19 songs is characterized by symptoms of melodiousness, rapturous roots rhythms and hard hitting lyrical realities that are transmitted through repeated spins, resulting in a high grade musical fever from which you will not want to recover. “The reason why I called it ‘Contagious’ is because I would love for everyone to catch it,” says Tarrus. “I don’t want my music to have boundaries of race, age, nationality or religion; I represent reggae, live music, and I want everyone to catch on to its positive, good vibes.”

Standout tracks are easily spread throughout Contagious. Tarrus returns to the rapid-fire deejaying of his Taurus days on “Good Girl Gone Bad” (featuring rising dancehall star Konshens) produced by Tarik “Russian” Johnston. On “Don’t Judge”, Tarrus cautions harsh judgments often times leads to reckless actions. Random brutality, war and an array of social injustices prompts the contemplative “Why So Much Wickedness?”.  A simple yet stirring invocation to His Majesty is expressed on “King Selassie” and the title track “Contagious” reworks the majestic one-drop rhythm from Bob Marley’s immortal “Coming in From the Cold” as it details that untreatable sweet sickness.

Tarrus forthrightly addresses the wicked act of violence against women in “Start A New” (produced by Shane Brown), urging the song’s female protagonist to leave her abusive man. As a means of calling greater attention to this malady, Tarrus has established a non-funded, anti domestic violence campaign, Start A New in which he, Blak Soil, Majah , the Area Yutes Foundation, Miss Jamaica 2007 Yendi Phillips and an assortment of artists regularly visit schools and speak to children from some of the island’s most troubled communities about the violence which many of them are exposed each day.

“We put on plays, perform and talk to the kids about things that touch their lives and violence is a part of that,” he explains, “and they really appreciate that we would take the time to do that.”

Like his father, Tarrus has a sweet, nuanced tenor vocal style, he taught himself to play keyboards and several percussion instruments and began writing his own songs, many of which had strong Rastafarian and consciousness-leaning themes. His 2004 debut album Challenges was an impressive introduction to the Jamaican market deserving of a much wider audience. His sophomore effort Parables featured the most popular reggae song of 2007 “She’s Royal”, won critical praise throughout the Caribbean Diaspora and almost single handedly heralded a roots reggae renaissance

Today is being celebrated as International Reggae Day, the day on which the world is invited to celebrate the best of Jamaica’s music and creativity. With the goal of uniting people through music, IRD integrates media and technology each year as it highlights the power and impact of Jamaican music and reggae culture globally and honours important contributors to the growth and development of Jamaica’s most invaluable export - its music.

“Disc jockeys, sound systems and reggae websites, it is your energy, creativity and passion for Jamaican music which will fuel the festival’s appeal and impact,” a release from festival conceptualiser Andrea Davis said.

IRD 2009 salutes Island Records as it celebrates its 50th anniversary and artiste/tour manager Copeland Forbes for their invaluable contribution to the internationalization of Jamaican music and culture.

The artistes in Island Records Reggae story and Copeland Forbes’ Reggae My Life Is story, represent a who’s who of Jamaican music including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Mighty Diamonds, Black Uhuru, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Dennis Brown, Marcia Griffiths, Toots and the Maytals, Third World, Luciano, Gregory Issacs, Burning Spear, Aswad, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Max Romeo, Ernie Ranglin, Grace Jones, Sly and Robbie, Beres Hammond and many others.

July 1 also marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of the Crown Prince of Reggae Dennis Emmanuel Brown and disc jocks are being requested to include significant mention of this artiste during IRD celebrations.

International Reggae Day 2009 is a totally virtual celebration which comes to life at midnight on July 1 at http://ireggaeday.com and through all participating media. All are encouraged to wear their Reggae “colour”- red, green and gold - on July 1, show their love for Jamaican culture and register their participation to ensure their country is represented in this global media festival.

This 18-track album and DVD encapsulates her most brilliant work over her 13 year career with VP with crucial hits from her catalogue and a bonus DVD featuring uncut and an explicitly electrifying 1997 New York City stage performance as well as her biggest music videos. Extra Raw features production by Dave Kelly, Tony “CD” Kelly, Richie D and John John of the Jammy’s camp.

Lady Saw is a foundation artist for VP Records and dancehall reggae, with seven albums in her career, high profile collaborations with Missy Elliot and Pharell Williams, and headlining slots at several international music festivals. Dubbed The First Lady of Dancehall, she has convincingly juxtaposed memorable, sometimes shocking lyrics with her deep devotion to God and family and she dares you to think there’s a contradiction in that!

She has addressed controversial topics such as unfaithful lovers (“Give Me The Reason”), female degradation (“Sycamore Tree”), infertility (“No Less Than A Woman”) and safe sex in the wake of the emergence of AIDS. In 2003, Lady Saw won a Grammy award for “Best Performance by a Duo or Group with a Vocal” for her collaboration with No Doubt, “Underneath It All”.

Tracklisting for EXTRA RAW: the Best of Lady Saw:

“Find A Good Man”

“Hardcore (It’s Raining)”

“Good Wuk”

“Give Me The Reason”

“Want It Tonight” featuring Shabba Ranks

“Healing” featuring Beenie Man

“Sycamore Tree”

“Na Nurse”

“Hice It Up”

“No Matta Me”

“Don’t Even Stress Dat”

“I’ve Got Your Man”

“Man Is The Least”

“Loser” featuring Ce’cile

“Chat To Mi Back”

“Me and My Crew (The Rae)”

“Silly Dreams”

“No Less Than A Woman”

NEW YORK, USA - The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) paid tribute to members of the US and Caribbean media communities during a special Caribbean Media Awards Luncheon recently at the New Yorker Hotel as part of Caribbean Week in New York. Anguilla was the featured destination for two of the six top awards, in addition to the afternoon’s grand prize of “Best in Show”. David Bear, former travel editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, took home the prize for “Best Feature Article in a Consumer Newspaper” for his story entitled “Casual Anguilla; Miles of Superb Beaches”.

The same article, which was nationally syndicated across the USA, was also honoured with the “Best in Show” grand prize. Anguilla also won in the category of “Best Broadcast Feature (US)” with Food Network’s Alton Brown’s “Feasting on Waves: Island Thyme”.
Producer Dana Popoff was on hand to receive the award on behalf of the show. Both features were initiated and facilitated by the Anguilla Tourist Board, North America.

On hand to receive the awards was the Anguilla delegation, led by the Hon Victor A Banks, Minister of Finance, Economic Development, Investment, Commerce and Tourism along with the Hon Donna Banks, Special Advisor, Tourism. Merlyn Rogers, Anguilla’s Acting Director of Tourism; Rose Hodge, Rainbow International Airline Anguilla, Air Express; Sherille Hughes of Paradise Cove; Alfred Thompson of Carimar were also in attendance.

“The CTO Media Awards are important because they recognise the very best in publicity for Caribbean destinations. We are particularly gratified that Anguilla performed so exceptionally and congratulate our representative Marie Walker and our PR Agency, the Portfolio Marketing Group, for their stellar performance” Minister Banks stated.

Hugh Riley, interim secretary general of the CTO, also added, “The CTO Media Awards are a vitally important part of Caribbean Week in New York, serving as our annual recognition for the national media in both the United States and the Caribbean who have been positively advocating tourism to the Caribbean. Each year, we receive hundreds of superior submissions in every media category and it’s always a difficult decision to choose just one winner from each. This year was no exception.”

Tourism officials, Caribbean tourism suppliers and the media attended the Caribbean Media Awards luncheon, where they recognised some of the leading journalists in the United States and the Caribbean. Winners included David Swanson, Our Top 25 All Stars in Caribbean Travel & Life, for Best Feature Article in a Consumer Magazine (US); Cheray O’Neal, Home Away from Home in Black Meetings & Tourism, for Best Feature Article in a Trade Magazine (US); James Schnepf, The Golden Age of Nevis in Caribbean Travel & Life, for Best Photography (US); and Michael Robinson, Cockpit Country in Sky Writings, for Best Feature Article (Caribbean).

More than 100 submissions were received across six categories in print and broadcast media; the “Best in Show” winner was chosen from the six finalists.

Organised by CTO, Caribbean Week in New York brings together the most influential policy makers, marketing professionals and tourism industry officials to interact and discuss both tourism and investment opportunities in the region. It also serves to provide a taste of the Caribbean, to present vacation special offers, inspire travel and showcase the region’s diversity to more than 10,000 attendees who participated in a number of targeted events hosted throughout the week including a Caribbean Travel & Cultural Fair, Media Marketplace, Caribbean Marketing Conference and Caribbean Treats.

Huge debt relief for Haiti

Haiti has had almost 80 per cent of its debts cancelled, amounting to $1.2 billion.

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund said they had granted the debt relief because of Haiti’s compliance with their conditions for the country to reform its economy and implement poverty reduction measures.

Correspondents say much of the debt was run up during the thirty-year rule of Haiti’s Duvalier father and son dictatorship which ended in 1986.

Haiti is the latest of more than two dozen countries to receive debt relief under similar initiatives.

‘Hijacker’ declared fit to stand trial

A judge in Jamaica has ruled that a 21-year-old man accused of hijacking a Canadian jetliner on the tarmac at Montego Bay airport is mentally fit to stand trial.

Stephen Fray faces six charges, including robbery and assault, in the hostage standoff aboard a CanJet Airlines plane in April.

Police had previously described him as “mentally challenged” but a psychiatrist report determined the accused was capable of understanding the charges against him.

Mr Fray is due to stand trial on 13 July.

US agents seize $8 million from boat

US coast guard officials in Puerto Rico say four Colombians have been arrested by federal agents with $8 million in cash.

They said a Coast Guard helicopter disabled a suspicious high-speed boat with gunfire and the four men aboard were detained after they tossed bales containing the money into Caribbean waters.

The go-fast boat with four outboard engines was intercepted 21 June as it travelled north from Panama without a flag or navigation lights.

Officials said the find was another sign of success for the Caribbean Corridor Initiative, which investigates the trafficking of South American drugs.

US exports to Cuba soar

High prices last year helped send United States food exports to Cuba to record levels, according to newly published Cuban figures.

Food exports have been allowed since 2000 under the long-standing American trade embargo.

They reached $860 million last year, compared with $608 million in 2007.

Despite the sanctions, the US held its ranking as the island’s fifth-largest trading partner.

Venezuela remains by far the most important commercial partner of Cuba, which saw its trade deficit soar last year.

Gayle to join Australian side

Western Australia have signed West Indies cricket captain Chris Gayle to play in their domestic Twenty20 competition.

His colleague Dwayne Bravo will be playing for Victoria.

Under new tournament rules, each Australian state is allowed to selected an international player.

Economic decline predicted

The governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Sir Dwight Venner, has said that real output in member countries as a whole was expected to fall this year and next.

The bank serves the OECS sub-region.

Sir Dwight said tourism and construction is predicted to fall by more than 14 per cent and a little less in 2010.

Government current revenue is expected to fall by about 13 per cent in 2009.

Governor hits out at ‘misrule’

The British governor of the Turks and Caicos has said the UK is working to help the islands recover from “a long period of political and economic mismanagement”.

Governor Gordon Wetherel is preparing to take full control of the scandal-plagued islands from the elected administration after London said it would restore direct rule.

Mr Wetherel was quoted in a GIS release as saying the UK was already funding several advisers in an effort to put public finances in the TCI on a sound footing.

OAS ministers to discuss Honduras

Foreign Ministers of the OAS are due to meet today in special session in Washington to discuss the coup in Honduras.

US President Barack Obama has said he would work with the Organisation of American States to restore Manuel Zelaya to office.

Mr Obama said Mr Zelaya’s removal would set a terrible precedent if allowed to stand.

The ousted leader has said he will travel back to Honduras on Thursday.

Preval records Senate gains

The Lespwa party of Haitian President Rene Preval has won five of 11 seats contested in this month’s run-off elections for the Senate.

Preliminary results released by the provisional electoral council gave a seat each to five other parties and a registered independent.

Analysts called the result was a good one for Mr Preval, giving his Lespwa party 12 seats in the 30-member Senate.

The turn-out was very low following a call for a boycott from the influential Lavalas party, whose candidates were barred from running.

Scammers preyed on elderly Christian

An elderly American woman has been telling reporters how phone scammers in Jamaica used her Christian faith and trusting nature to scam her out of her life savings.

According to the Associated Press, 86-year-old Lois Morrow said the callers even talked about what the Bible says - and she believed them.

She sent about US$35,000 to Jamaica until she stopped a little over a year ago when she couldn’t afford anymore.

The Atlanta resident gets multiple calls a day from numbers in Jamaica, but she doesn’t answer them any more.

US officials say the scammers frequently pose as government or bank officials, saying their victims have won big money but that they need to send smaller “advanced fees” before they can receive the payout.

The current economic climate has laid bare some of the pent-up frustrations within the Caribbean Community (Caricom), according to some analysts

Seldom has the annual anniversary summit been prefaced with so many open criticisms by member countries of each other.

St Vincent and Guyana are fretting over Barbados’ immigration policy, Guyana and St Lucia complain about air fare prices of Caribbean Airlines and Liat, Jamaica hit outs at import barriers in Trinidad and Belize - the list of irritants appears to grow by the day.

Well known pro-integrationists are beginning to question openly the future of Caricom, which marks its 36th anniversary in the first week in July with its mid-year summit.

One of them, elder statesman Sir Shridath Ramphal, has pronounced Caricom at risk, and said its leaders have a big challenge at their 2-5 July summit in Georgetown.

“They must demonstrate credibly that they still believe in the integration movement, that they care about securing it against risk,” he said.

‘Mistreatment’

Disputes over trade are nothing new but the ante has been upped over a Barbados threat to deport undocumented Caricom nationals at the end of an amnesty offered to illegal migrants.

Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo, has railed against the alleged mistreatment of Guyanese in Barbados at every opportunity, St Vincent’s Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has criticised Bridgetown as well.

Outside of Barbados, it appears that no one has welcomed the amnesty.

Much of the recent criticism has focused on dawn raids on the living quarters of suspected illegal aliens.

Sir Shridath, a former Guyanese foreign minister who has lived in Barbados, used chilling imagery to get his point across.

	Former Jamaica Prime Minister P J Patterson (left) will be honoured by Caricom leaders at the summit

“‘The knock on the door at night’ is not within our regional culture; still less are intimations of ‘ethnic cleansing’,” he was quoted as saying.

It is no secret that many Barbadians have questioned whether racial tension will accompany the influx of immigrants from racially-divided Guyana.

Repercussions

The issue of intra-Caricom migration is also an issue of debate in Antigua and Barbuda where the political opposition has accused the government of inhumane treatment of Guyanese and Jamaicans.

The critics claim that the immigration policies of Barbados and Antigua violate the spirit, at the very least, of the Caricom treaty.

But not everyone is buying that argument.

Former St Kitts and Nevis national security minister Dwyer Astaphan, said the pressures of migration could have worrying repercussions on the smaller or better-performing nations within Caricom.

“Already Antiguans, St. Lucians, and Kittitians and Nevisians, like Barbadians, are developing anger and resentment over their perception that jobs and other opportunities in the lands of their birth are being taken away from them by foreigners,” he wrote.

Talk shows in some territories are filled with similar tales of concern that one head of government likened to “latent xenophobia”.

After weeks of strident rhetoric, the Guyanese president, Bharrat Jagdeo, seems to be suggesting something of a truce.

“No goodwill comes out of this if we engage in name-calling,” he said.

Economic crisis

Mr Jagdeo is hoping for a “sensible discussion” at the summit that takes account of the interests and concerns of governments and Caribbean people.

The summit is in danger of being hijacked by immigration - but there are so many other issues before the leaders, including the global economic crisis and the integration initiative pursued separately by Trinidad and Tobago and the OECS.

For the past several years, the committed Rastafarian entertainer, also called The Prophet, not only slew Babylon, but has been living the creed of his faith: “Let the children cared for, the aged
be protected and the hungry
be fed.”

This year’s beneficiaries from the proceeds of his annual fundriser, A St Mary Mi Come From, which will be held on Wednesday, August 5, at the Gray’s Inn Sports Complex, Annotto Bay; include the St Mary Infirmary, Hamilton Mountain Basic School, Islington High School, St Mary Police Netball and Football Clubs, the proposed recording studio for St Mary and the Buff Bay Primary School in Portland.

“Capleton is a brother who is ever close to his roots,” guest speaker Professor Verene Shepherd said at the launch of A St Mary Mi Come From at the gardens of the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston last Wednesday evening.

“He uses his income,” Professor Shepherd continued, “to uplift the people of St Mary, and now he is crossing borders. He has never forgotten his roots, never neglected his people. Never downplayed his rural origins in a land that plays the social ranking game.”

Professor Sheperd said she accepted the invitation to be guest speaker because Capleton stands for equal rights and justice for all, black consciousness and humanitariansim and non-partisan politics.

“The fourth reason I agreed to speak this evening is that I like the way Capleton (Clifton George Bailey III) embraces philanthropy, using his talent and his earnings not for big business, hotels and overseas bank accounts, not even to increase his own material resources - important as that is - but to uplift the people of St Mary.”

Having said all of that and much more, the university academic asked, “What has the community given back to Rastafari?”. Added Professor Shepherd, “There is something that Jamaica can do. I call on the Senate and the Parliament of this country to do the right thing….I urge you to follow the example of the US Senate and not only issue a formal apology for the obscenity that was Coral Gardens, but pay compensation for those elders’ pain and suffering and loss of dignity.”

After the formalities, there were guest performances from some of the acts appearing on the show in special tribute to the icons and pioneers. Among these were J-Dan, Iyah Blaze, Empress Robertha, Stream, Soul to Soul and Capleton.

Source: Jamaica Observer

Thompson hits back

The Prime Minister of Barbados David Thompson has hit out at what he called the “reckless and grossly unfair” comments in the Caribbean about his country’s immigration policies.

At the weekend, Mr Thompson said that eight people, including four Guyanese, had been deported from Barbados since 1 June, when an amnesty for illegal Caricom migrants took effect.

Critics have claimed that the Barbadian authorities have been ill-treating undocumented immigrants, particularly Guyanese.

Mr Thompson said he was bewildered by the claims and insisted that his government did not condone human rights violations.

Dominican leader invited to Caricom meeting

Foreign ministry sources in the Dominican Republic say President Leonel Fernandez has been invited to attend this week’s Caricom summit in Georgetown.

Heads of government will consider the Dominican application to join Caricom.

Some member nations are known to be uneasy about admitting the Caribbean’s second largest nation.

OAS condemns Honduran coup

The Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States has condemned the coup d’Etat in Honduras.

The country’s Supreme Court said it had ordered the army to remove leftist president Manuel Zelaya, who was trying to change the constitution to extend his presidency.

An emergency meeting of the OAS permanent council, comprising ambassadors, met within hours of the Sunday’s ouster and issued a statement calling for Mr Zeleya’s return to office.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, has condemned the coup in Honduras as has Cuba, Venezuela and the United States.

Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez warned that he’d take military action if anyone harmed his ambassador in Tegucigalpa.

Haitian legislators issue threat

Some of Haiti’s parliamentarians have vowed to block newly elected senators from taking office, in a protest against the exclusion from the ballot of candidates of the country’s biggest political force.

Results of balloting to fill 11 seats in the Senate are expected to be released soon.

Election authorities had barred candidates from the Lavalas Family party of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from the ballot, allegedly for procedural reasons.

Lavalas accused the electoral council of bias and of conspiring against it - a claim the council denies.

Five sitting senators, including two from Lavalas, have said they will boycott the validation process of the newly elected lawmakers.

Haiti’s constitution requires incumbent Senators to validate the powers of incoming colleagues before they can be sworn in.

Warning over monkey farm

Residents of a Puerto Rican town are vowing to fight a planned monkey-breeding facility for fear that the animals will escape and overrun their community.

The facility, which will supply monkeys to pharmaceutical companies for research, was cleared for construction in Guayama last week.

Hundreds of residents of the area are said signing a petition asking the governor of the US territory to halt the project.

The project organisers, a Mauritius-based company, insist that the probability of a monkey escaping is “zero”.