Sizzla Kalonji to Heat Up St. Kitts Music Festival

BASSETERRE, St Kitts:- Sizzla Kalonji, one of the most prolific leaders of the conscious reggae dancehall movement, will be performing at this year’s St. Kitts Music Festival, which starts on Thursday 24th June to Saturday 26th June.

Born Miguel Collins, Sizzla has released more than 45 solo albums and more than 15 combination albums, crossing different genres of reggae music. Sizzla is among the reggae artistes credited with leading a movement toward a re-embracement of Rastafarian values in contemporary reggae music. He has recorded material that is concerned primarily with spirituality and social consciousness, through the exploration of common Rastafarian themes, such as “Babylon's corrupting influence,” the disenfranchisement of the youth, oppression of the “black ation” and Sizzla's abiding faith in Jah and resistance against perceived agents of oppression.

He owns the record company, Kalonji Records; which in a joint venture with Damon Dash Music Group and KochRecords, released the critically-acclaimed album, The Overstanding” in November 2006.

“There is very little doubt that Sizzla Kalonji is one of the most revered conscious reggae artistes,” said Faron Lawrence, chairman of the Executive Committee of the St. Kitts Music Festival. “That is why his inclusion in the 14th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival certainly was an easy decision to make, for we expect Sizzla to reinforce the fact that the St Kitts Music Festival is a spectacular musical show, which blends rich exciting music with exhilarating performances.”

The reggae legend has cemented his greatness for this generation and many generations to come with breakthrough albums like Black Woman & Child in 1997, the classic Da Real Thing in 2002, and the Rise To The Occasion in 2003 by dancehall producer Don Corleon.

He now resides in Harare, Zimbabwe after this year in May he was given a farm there, for his performance at Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe's



Now in its 14th consecutive year, the festival attracts both residents and visitors alike and is known for featuring rising local talent alongside internationally-renowned acts. It features a mix of musical styles on the popular market, including R&B, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Soca, Calypso, Gospel and Contemporary, to name a few. Past artists have included such prominent acts as John Legend, T-Pain, Michael Bolton, KC & the Sunshine Band, Wyclef Jean, Ne-Yo, Air Supply, Dionne Warwick, Billy Ocean, Sean Paul, Boyz II Men, King Konris, Stephen Marley, Regina Belle, Maxi Priest, Biggie Irie and Lord Nelson.

Located in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, St. Kitts offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history. The island’s stunning variety of tourism attractions include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s sugar plantations, visiting the Caribelle Batik factory, touring Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern Caribbean, and the more traditional vacation pastimes such as watersports, golf, shopping, tennis, gourmet dining, gaming at one of St. Kitts’ two casinos or simply relaxing on one of the island’s sandy beaches. Guests can select from accommodations ranging from intimate plantation inns to larger hotels or resorts.

For more information about St. Kitts, please contact the St. Kitts Tourism Authority toll free from the US at 1-800-582-6208 or from Canada 1-888-395-4887, e-mail info@stkittstourism.kn, visit www.stkittstourism.kn, or become a fan on Facebook and/or Twitter. For more information about the 14th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival, log on to www.stkittsmusicfestival.com.

Sizzla building residence in Zimbabwe???

According to Zimbabwe Mail, Sizzla reportedly bought a house inZimbabwe and has been "roped in to bolster suppor for the embattled former ruling party Zanu (PF) in the next elections."





The site states:

Sizzla,who has fallen in love with Zimbabwe, and known for his infamous praises of the octogenarian leader President Robert Mugabe, is reported to have bought a house in Borrowdale where he is staying while furthering Zanu (PF) agenda.

One of Sizzla’s friends and a partner in the project, Shiloh Binyamin Shimon, revealed that the reggae star was working on various projects with local artists including the one that carried pro-Zanu (PF) lyrics titled “Burn out colonialism”. The artists produced songs and jingles for Zanu (PF) prior to the 2002 Presidential elections.

It was also revealed that Sizzla brought in the country, his trusted producer Curveman, who is staying at the Borrowdale house with the reggae star.

“I work with Sizzla and in the next couple of months we would have finished at least five albums for Zimbabwean musicians,” said Shimon.

It can also be revealed that Sizzla went out of Zimbabwe last Tuesday and might be coming back in June to work on the projects.

Zanu (PF) has turned to unpopular foreign elements to forward its agenda with reports that many Reggae faces were set to invade the country to partner Sizzla with his projects.

Click HERE to read more.

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I am all for going back to Africa, and the Pan-Africanist movement, but I don't particularly like the way that Mugabe has treated his own people. I am not sure what Sizzla is trying to achieve, whatever it is, I hope its for the upliftment of the people of Zimbabwe.

Damon Dash visits Sizzla's Judgement YardIT was early last week that Sizzla Kalonji received the call that hip hop mogul Damon Dash was in the island

I met Damon Dash at Jamaica Jazz and Blues and immediately knew that he would be seeing Sizzla if he hadn't already. After all Sizzla was on his record label. Here's a clip from Jamaica Observer about Dash's visit to Sizzla's Judgement Yard which is just down the road from my hall of residence at UWI. Hopefully I will land there next week for the Niabinghi event carded for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

From Jamaica Observer:
IT was early last week that Sizzla Kalonji received the call that hip hop mogul Damon Dash was in the island and needed to make that link. "Naturally, I opened up my house to him," the Rastafarian artiste told Splash, in reference to his August Town-based studio/house, known as Judgement Yard.

"I have invited Damon to come to Jamaica on several occasions... I told him he should think of buying houses here, do some kind of investment in the island. After all, this is Jamaica and we are about music and playing our part in helping out the suffering people in our community..."

Sizzla and Damon Dash hangs out at Judgement Yard. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)
"I couldn't come to Jamaica without seeing Sizzla," Dash interjected, adding that he had a lot of respect for Sizzla both as an artiste and on a personal level. "And I'm here to build on that positive energy," the co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records (with Jay-Z and Kareem 'Biggs' Burke) declared.

The two go back musically and there is some history, but Dash's visit to the island wasn't really about music or any contract signing with the deejay, although they are currently in production for a music video for Sizzla's soon-to-be-released single, Children Suffering. His Jamaican sojourn comes under the topic "other business".

Dash, now that he has finally made the Jamaican connection, says he is enthralled by what he has seen, and his mission here is many and varied. Think documentaries, music videos and establishing a television network here in Jamaica.

"The wind blew me here," Dash said with a boyish smile, but he wasn't trying to be funny. "I pride myself on being an innovator and I want to come here first... before everybody else catches on and realises that Jamaica is the place to be," he said.



Damon Dash and Ayeola at Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival 2010 (Photo credit: Fern elise-foster)

"I have a lot of ideas that involve harnessing the synergy between sports and music. We want to do everybody -- from Bob Marley to Lennox Lewis to Usain Bolt. It's all about Jamaica," explained Dash, who brought along an entire film crew and a female rock star as part of his entourage. He was also involved in filming the recently concluded Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in Trelawny as this will form some of the content for his television network.

Read More at Jamaica Observer site

Sizzla Released from jail

I reported earlier t hat Sizzla was arrested because of gunshots around his residence on Wednesday. The police were subsequently called, and he was taken into police custody at about 10:30pm for questioning. Sizzla was released Friday morning by the Half Way Tree police. No charges were filed.


Photo source

Sizzla in police custody

Rastafarian dancehall / reggae singjay, Sizzla, was taken into custody yesterday evening by the August Town police, after shots were allegedly fired in the vicinity of his residence in that community.


Photo source


Sizzla’s hands were reportedly swabbed (for gunpowder residue) and samples sent to a Government laboratory in order to determine whether or not he had fired a weapon recently. It seems likely that he will spend a second night (tonight) in police custody.
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Will keep you posted....