Review of 2nd Year of the Child concert

I was not present for this event but I really like this review of the concert by Celia Sorhanido. Enjoy and make sure to click the link to view her pics!

In January I attended the 1st Dominica “Year of the Child” Concert held at Krazy Kokonuts in Roseau. It was a top class reggae event with an impressive line-up of stars including Tony Rebel, Queen Ifrica & Duane Stephenson as well as our own local talent in the form of Nelly Stharre, Fanatik Band, Aima Moses, Dr. Silk, Natural Vybz and others. Most agreed it was a success and the trouble free, “good vibes”, entertaining event raised ECD$20,000 for Camp Rescue, a charity organization providing much needed life skills to at risk youth.

When I heard that the 2nd concert was going to be a Jazz concert held at the State House grounds, I must admit I thought it was a seriously brave move and I was a little worried for the organisers. It’s one thing for the hard working and well respected Nelly Stharre to have the support of her friends in organising a reggae event at a popular venue but a whole other thing to organise a Jazz event at a venue I have never seen used for a music concert. Although we have our share of die-hard Jazz fans, the genre has not received massive popularity in Dominica as shown in the demise of the missed “Jazz Walk”.

The event was held on March 27th and was due to start at 6pm. The weather was great and people started arriving before 6pm which was an encouraging sign but took the organisers by surprise; the food and drink stalls were not ready (for most events you can normally safely expect that things will not get going until at least half an hour after the scheduled start time). From then on there was a steady flow of people and soon it was apparent that the crowd numbers were going to be good.

Arturo Tappin captured in a candid moment! (Photo by Celia Sorhaindo)


Dominican flutists opened the proceedings with the National Anthem and Athie Martin was the competent MC. The line up was: Steel pan with Athie Martin, his brother Julie & friends (DMA), Kannick (GLP), Gelina Fontaine and Ross Leblanc (DMA), Armstrong James and his “Jazz Walk” band (DMA), Jahkoostick Musical Ensemble (JAM), Nelly Stharre (DMA), Free Joseph and friends (DMA), Marie-Claire Giraud (DMA), Arturo Tappin (BRB), Cornell Phillip & Athie Martin (DMA) and Arturo Sandoval (CUB).
There was also a surprise visit from Ms Barbados Leah Marville who has a charity called The Love Campaign which helps children with HIV/AIDS.

All the bands looked like they were genuinely having a good time and the crowd seemed to be enjoying the mellow vibe too. It was probably a long time since many had heard live Jazz in Dominica.

I enjoyed them all but my personal favourite of the night was Arturo Tappin. What a cool dude with his super long locks. I just loved his “down to earth” energy. An amazing entertainer, at one point he took off his shoes, rolled up his trousers and jumped of the stage to play bare foot walking through the crowd. He was also really approachable and accommodating for signatures and photos.

It turned out to be a fab concert and I was so glad my worries were allayed.
The rain, although needed, delayed things slightly and sent some people scurrying for shelter and sent others home prematurely. There were also some minor mike/sound issues and a couple of the performances went on a little too long but overall I thought the Jazz concert was a resounding success.

What really made this event extra special was not just the great line up, it was the attention to the little details which hinted that some serious effort and thought had been invested. Bamboo flambeau’s, potted plants, draped fabric for stage back drop, seating, tables with candles and an area for local artisans to display and sell their arts & craft on the venue grounds, created just the right ambience for this type of concert. Paintings by local artists Earl Etienne, Ellingsworth Moses and Petros Meaza & CDs, body oils and hand made greeting cards were on sale but it was a shame more artisans did not take up the offer to display.

Patrons enjoying local art! (Photo by Celia Sorhaindo)

Year of The Child Organisers: Nelly Stharre, Anna Raffoul, Emile Raffoul, Cornell Phillip and Marie-Claire Giraud.

Sponsors: BET Centric, LIAT, Dominica Beverage and Brewery Ltd., Fort Young Hotel, LIME, Papillote Wilderness Retreat

Click HERE to view Year of the Child Jazz Concert Images.

Click HERE to view Celia's blog, and read the rest of the review!

Source

BET Centric and LIAT on board for second Year of the Child Concert in Dominica

BET Centric and LIAT have joined Dominica Beverage and Brewery Ltd., Fort Young Hotel, and LIME as sponsors of the second in the Year of the Child Concert Series headlined by Arturo Sandoval, Arturo Tapin, marie-claire and Jakoostick Musical Ensemble.




Footage from the jazz-themed event will be shown on SPLASH!, a BET Centric programme featuring Caribbean lifestyle and music. According to Splash’s executive producer Kibwe McGann, one of its mandates is to show the charitable efforts of Caribbean entertainers. “We recently featured Shaggy’s concert benefiting the Bustamante Children’s Hospital in Jamaica, for example. Also, one of our hosts Leah Marville, has a charity called The Love Campaign, which focuses on children living with HIV/AIDS. Year of the Child deals with charity as well as music, thus we saw that we could easily merge both products.” Leah will be joined by co-host Crystal Cunningham for the live taping that will air in late April/early May.




LIAT is also assisting this effort by providing travel for artists to Dominica. In addition, the event will receive coverage in the airline’s in-flight magazine Zing.

According to Year of the Child Concert Committee member Anna Raffoul, these two major sponsorships bode well for the organization as they will directly result in greater exposure to the public. “Millions of BET Centric Viewers and thousands of LIAT passengers will learn about what we are trying to accomplish with this concert series. It is our hope that they will also become aware of the issues we are dealing with such as at risk youth, HIV/AIDS, education for example, and find their own way of contributing whether it is by attending a future show or donating directly to a charitable organization of their choosing.”


The concert which takes place on March 27th at the Dominica State House Grounds, will feature 4-time Grammy award winning, Cuban-born Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, Jazz Saxophonist Arturo Tapin of Barbados, Jakoostick Musical Ensemble from Jamaica and local Opera singer marie-claire who is also part of the organizing committee. Guest artistes from Guadeloupe, Trinidad and Dominica will also perform on the show dubbed “Music For Life.” Proceeds will assist the National HIV/AIDS programme in their Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) project as well as Fouche La Vie, whose mission is “to create a supportive, protective, healthy enabling environment for orphans and vulnerable children affected by or infected with HIV and AIDS in Dominica.”


The first Year of the Child Concert, headlined by Reggae artists Queen Ifrica, Tony Rebel and Nelly Stharre was held on January 9th at Krazy Koconuts. A check for ECD$20,000.00 from its proceeds was presented to Camp Rescue, an organization providing life skills to at risk youth. The five members of the Year of the Child Concert Series Committee—Cornell Phillip, Anna Raffoul, Emile Raffoul, marie-claire, and Nelly Stharre, are encouraged by the support of the Dominican public towards their efforts to enhance the lives of local children. Look out for upcoming shows throughout 2010 featuring a variety of Caribbean talent at various locations throughout the island.


ABOUT BET CENTRIC’S SPLASH!
SPLASH is a Caribbean music and lifestyle show aired on BET Centric Saturday’s at 8AM and 2AM with repeats on Wednesdays at 10PM. SPLASH! celebrates the explosion of Caribbean talent on the international stage by including engaging features and profiles on celebrities and personalities such as Shaggy, Asafa Powell, Lennox Lewis, Konshens, Hal Linton and Shontelle Layne just to name a few. SPLASH! is executive produced by Jamaican Kibwe McGann (former executive producer of BET J’s Wicked Style). The show, which has covered 9 islands withn the region, as well as South Africa, has three hosts shows hosts are: Miss Barbados World 2009 Leah Marville (who also placed 17th in the 2009 Miss World pageant and was crowned Miss World Caribbean Continental Queen 2009, she was also voted Sexiest Woman in the World 2009 by Global Beauties), international actress and model Crystal Cunningham from Trinidad who along with Leah is a Saint International model and Tamara Eniss from Jamaica, formerly of Newstalk 93 FM at UWI Mona Campus. BET Centric (formerly BET on Jazz, BET Jazz and BET J) was launched in 2009 and is available in 28 million homes in the US and an additional 8 million in the Caribbean. It is a general interest channel geared towards African-American adults.

(SPLASH! on Facebook)
BETCentric


ABOUT LIAT
Founded on in 1956, Leeward Island Air Transport (LIAT) operates a high-frequency inter-island scheduled service to 21 destinations in the Caribbean. The airline is headquartered on the grounds of the V.C Bird International Airport in Antigua.
liat.com


YEAR OF THE CHILD ONLINE


ARTURO SANDOVAL ONLINE


ARTURO TAPPIN ONLINE


MARIE-CLAIRE ONLINE

WOMANBITION 2010 word, power, sound-mission accomplished!

Today, Monday May 8th is International Women's Day and for some enthused and generous patrons in the courtyard of Star Apples Restaurant in Kingston Jamaica it could not have started on a more positive note. They were attending WOMANBITION: Word, Sound Power-It’s a Mission”, a concert organized by influential women in Jamaican entertainment with proceeds going to two well-deserved charities. As guests mingled, sat in the yard sampling the delicious fare from Star Apple or sauntered over to the bar, they were kept entertained by Tricia Spence AKA ZJ Sparks (Naw wah, I mean--lol) of Zip FM.

Tricia "ZJ Sparks" Spence

Ayeola and Nelly Stharre

The night’s event was for a serious cause and Ms. Enid Courtney took the stage to speak about the contributions that the U.N.I.A nurses Corp has been making throughout communities on the island such as performing routine blood pressure checks; and offering alternative forms of medicine such as yoga and reflexology. “The wealth of a nation depends on the health of a nation,” said Ms. Courtney. Sentiments echoed by the capacity crowd. Ms. Nadia Williams of Mary’s Child took the stand to speak about the pregnant girls that are under her stewardship. At the Kingston location, there are 8 babies with 4 on the way, while in Montego Bay there are 2 with 4 on the way as well. The girls at the facilities range in age from 12-18 and are victims of rape, incest and or carnal abuse. The girls learn skills in the various centers at the facility: IT, cosmetology, home economics and sewing.

Jessica Yap and Etana

The first performance I saw was Jessica Yap who played “Don’t Worry” by Bob Marley and “Wrong Address” by Etana. The songstress, popularly known as “The Strong One’ was visibly moved and shared her sentiments with Jessica. After that instrumental performance came some of Jamaica’s top female vocalists, who shared stories of strength and inspiration with the crowd, with special focus on the girls from Mary’s House. Mary Isaacs performed “Don't Stay Away” by the Skatalites while serenading a very bashful guest on stage. For her encore performance she gave the crowd a taste of Bob Marley's "Nice Time". Keteis Ayunde started off with Miriam Makeba's "Pata Pata" her second song "In The Name of Life" was dedicated to the memory of her nephew who died from Leukemia. A moment of silence was observed in honor of the life of Ras Junior Manning, Chairman of the Ethio-African Diaspora Millennium Union Council, who passed earlier in the day.

Alaine

The multi-talented, host, TV personality and entrepreneur Empress performed some original renditions. She has the most beautiful skin-flawless! Alaine started off her set with “Rise In Love”she also advised the young ladies to get their education as that is something that can never be taken away. She also sang ”Deeper”and an acapella rendition of "The Lords’ Prayer" before closing with "No Ordinary Love”.

Perched on a chair with guitar in hand, Etana sang "Wrong Address" and wow does the crowd love her, they were singing word for word. "Roots" and ”I am Not Afraid” were well received as well. She got the enthusiastic crowd to repeat: ”independent,” “powerful,” ”mi love miself," "real wit it”-definitly capitalizing on the evening's theme. But the most poignant moment of the evening came when she sang her latest song "Free." Etana became so overcome with emotion, she had to turn her back to the crowd. For a moment she could not speak. She eventually told the encouraging crowd that she touched one of the girls and felt nothing-that she was empty. Speaking to the young girls from Mary’s House, Etana said that she wished she could give them her strength, but she gives them her music, her prayers. She said her tears were falling into the earth, going to place that are untouchable. She encouraged these children to believe in their prayers and that the Most High loves them "Just the same.” She told them that everything in Earth is theirs "You no have to sell your soul, sell your heart, sleep wit no body, beat nobody. You going to get it. Some don’t know what to do with it and they think they are better than others. Never you do it. God will take it away. Bad mindedness will bring you into the earth, Mother earth will swallow you. She cited the recent earthquakes around the earth and the unusually cold weather as signs from mother earth. "Everything is possible if you believe it." She finished her song.

When she got on stage Tanya Stephens stated that “Etana take way mi legs dem” referring to the preceding performance. “Mek Dem Talk" was her first song. She also sang a song written for people with HIV called “I’m Still Alive” and implored persons to work together to solve the problem from wherever they were. Now Tanya is known for some tongue-in-cheek lyrics and I think she effortlessly lightened the mood. With songs like “Home Alone (What Would You Do) she said you might have to promise a man bun if he's not attentive to your needs. Like children, if something doesn't work one has to try new methods, don't? Well ladies Tanya says in same way "Your manh ah yuh child so you have fi raise him, right." LOL . She sang favorites like "These Streets" and "It's A Pity" accompanied by the receptive crowd. I love how Tanya Stephens can say things that are so unconventional with a sweet smile and we just cyaan mad at her for that. Like when she jokingly stated how selfish it is of the woman who "finds one good man in a 100 mile radius and doh waan fi share: You wretch!" Oh Tanya how we love you, and your take on relationships.

Gotta give props to D'Angel who interacted with the girls from Mary's home who walked her onto the stage, and even did some impromptu dancing to her song "Blaze." Lady G wrapped up the night's performances with "Breeze Off" and "Nuff Respect"

Earlier performances came from Jah 9, Kai Wakling, Sharon Tucker, Sajoya, Nelly Stharre, and poet Natural Cherry

Though they did not take the stage other female entertainers and personalities such as Una Morgan, Barbee, Kim-Marie Spence and Dr. Carolyn Cooper were present and accounted for. And the men lent their support as well. Photographer Alty Benjamin Jr, singer Protoje, and Charles Campbell Chairman of Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JARIA)-who visited to the stage on more than one occasion to drop money, were observed enjoying the performances.

Alty Benjamin Jr. and Kim-Marie Spence

I was definitely pleased that I attended this very worthwhile event. Kudos to the organisers Denise "Isis" Miller (who was the night's MC), Keteis, Nadia Stanley, Empress and Nelly Stharre. All artists performed free of charge. ZJ Sparks and ZJ Elektra as well as the all female security lent their services for free as well.

Sponsors for the event included: Calabash Heights International, Nature's Eyes, Rassis International, Pleasuremakers Sound & Equipment, Livity Veggie Meals, Stanley and empress Boutique, Star Apple Restaurant, Simiyah House, Mekyah Water, King Alarm, SecurePro Security and Sling Shot Productions (lighting)

Enjoy the clip of the performances and scenes!




2010 International Women's Day theme is "Equal rights equal opportunity progress for all". For more information click HERE!

Review: 2010 Jamaica Jazz and Blues Music Festival

Hey guys, I went to my very first Jamaica Jazz and Blues, and of course it was truly an adventure-hello, my name is Ayeola George right?? Expect nothing less.

So let's start with me making my way to Trelawny. I could not make the cushy, ever-so-comfortable, air-conditioned Knutsford shuttle, so I had to race downtown to get a country bus. Fortunately, I had had my baptism by fire last year, so my eyes , instead of opening in a mix of shock, amusement and admiration (for their tenacity); easily glazed over the vendors hustling all manner of travel comforts like water, napkins, hand-sanitizer, cheese bun and such. Being spoken of as a commodity, and then strategically fitted into my place to maximize the buses sitting capacity, was quite expected. Hey, I'm going native and knowing that my reward will be Machel Montano, Erykah Badu, Queen Project, Billy Ocean plus my Dominican ladies marie-claire and Nelly Stharre makes the driving at breakneck speed, the undertaking and overtaking, the loud music, the cramped position on this four-hour drive (well maybe three and sintin) somewhat bearable.

This is most certainly not a piece on the pitfalls of commuting through the Jamaican countryside, but it should paint for you a picture of my relief as I lumbered out of the bus towards the lights of the Greenfield Stadium. Walking towards the gate I hear the sounds of music in the distance. "Oh my God. No way. Already? It's barely 8PM!" Oh damn is a white man that organize de ting eh.. lol. My heart races and my feet scurry along with its beat while I hear Kelly Price wailing in the distance "Why, Whhhhyyyy???" Oh Kelly good question. Why I missing allu? Allu being Kelly Price, Tamia and Deborah Cox- the trio that make up Queen Project. I still got to hear Deborah sing "Nobody's Supposed to be Here." Tamia also did "Stranger In My House."

So by now I've gotten my pass from Carlette DeLeon of Headline Entertainment, gone to the restroom-fixed my makeup, relieved myself (but is a must), and walked back on to the field where by this time, Machel Montano is on stage. Aye-ya-ya-aye-Wo-yo-yoy....Put up unno hands up, raise up unno hands up. Ahhhh...I'm running to the stage screaming at the top of my lungs, mad over de soca. I can never get enough Machel. Never. Never, never, never. Oh now he's taking me to Afriiikaa! Affriiiikaah. Oh yes, I'm kicking up dirt, I'm jerking and twerking like a hunter on the Serengeti, I just cant do the yell. Not the caw caw, or the one loud yipe; I'm talking that repetitive loud, shrilling gurgle of a yell. Yeah, that one. I want to get it down so bad though. Maybe when I get to Africa, it will be like deja vu and I will just acquire that skill. Meantime, I got the dancing down pact.


I climb past the bleachers and make my way to the media booth. It's well-decorated, cozy and classy. I like to see it but I already don't like where it is. For one, Machel is out of my view. For two, he is out of earshot. For three I have to watch him on a flatscreen. I want to feed off his energy. This is not working for me. Ever seen those ads for Ally Bank? I'm the kid on the bike in the tiny square. I guess for media houses with multiple staff, its a cakewalk but for a one-woman show like me, it's gonna pose some serious problems.

Queen Project walks in, they are gorgeous and very tropically attired. No, no coconuts, or palm trees, or hibiscus. They are just rocking some island colours, actually more like Deborah Cox is... but they are just glowing. I tried to at least get their pic. Arrrgggh! Hot Damn what in the ???? This is so not a good look Ayeola. I still kept it though. Is my pic.

Queen Project- That would have been an awesome pic...lol

I left the press area to explore a bit, save for me being behind God's back, I like the layout. Facing the main stage, there are bleachers on the extreme right. On the ground in front of the bleachers is a seating area and to the left of those seats are some VIP booths where patrons can sit at a table and dine and such. Then, there's an open area for standing room and another set of VIP booths. In the middle of the ground there is a HUGE screen projecting the show as well as ads from various sponsors. Further back is the new talent stage which is flanked on the right by vending booths and food booths. One booth that drew my attention was Smirnoff's. Well it was more like a mini-club than booth, with DJ Nikko from Fame FM spinning the latest Dancehall hits. So in between all the Jazz sets youcould and bubble to some Kartel or Mavado or Busy and ting. Heineken was representing with an igloo but I never managed to get to it. Jamaica Tourist Board another major sponsor also had a large booth.

I decided to take in Erykah Badu from the bleachers. She is so eccentric. She wore a top hat with grey sweater and what looked like a red scarf around her neck, some pleather pants and sky high boots and of couse nuff silver-jewelry that is. Now from my vantage, I could swear that her pants and shoes are connected. Is a shoe-pant or a pant-shoe dat? She sang expected hits like "Love Of My Life", "Next Lifetime" and "On & On"; and like so many artists that have come to Jamaica, she just had to sing some Reggae. "Na,na, naaaah...Try Jah Love". She started playing beats on an electric drum shouting "Dem try to fool the black man by telling him Jah-Jah dead. Jah noh dead." I'm trying to be serious here but the famaican accent is so killing me. "Jah noh dead"Ha. I'm sorry, ya'll. Of course she promoted her new album New Amerykah Part II: Fourth World War. It was inspired by a documentary called fourth world war. Erykah is a visionary, an activist, a soldier and her music is her weapon. She gave words of inspiration to the audience saying, "It's never too late to work on you." I was disappointed to not hear "Bag Lady" and "Tyrone" but her voice is such a beautiful instrument, I still felt blessed.

Dame Dash greets Erykah Badu in the media tent

I saw her backstage and its funny how things look so different up close. For one that grey sweater is a leather jacket, and that read scarf is actually some beads and as for the pant-shoe/shoe-pant? Is a pant and is a shoe...but dem dere was so tight it did look like one ting on stage. Know what else else was brought to light for me? Erykah Badu has a big booty. Yeah, I said it. No seriously, some serious ba-dunk-a-dunk. I know you're not expecting to read that in a review of a jazz festival, heck I wasn't expecting to see that either. As Machel would say, she have a bright future behind her bey. Lemme stop. Damon Dash showed up with his entourage and he took some pics with her.

Billy Ocean took the stage shortly before I left. Now Machel is hands-down my favorite in the entire lineup of artists but lemme tell yuh, Bully Ocean did the damn thing! He busted out hits like "Love Zone", "Colour of Love" "Stay The Night" and "Caribbean Queen." Walking out with Christina, the host of College Lifestyle TV and photographer Tiffany Lue Yen with whom I was spending the night, I bumped into Ras Kassa. I was so shocked at how tall he was, he even shock me more than Erykah. I had never met him in real life and every pic of video I have seen of him he is hunched over a camera or sitting down, so to see that I had to stand on tiptoe to look him in the face was for some reason fascinating to me. Now for his part, he could not believe how soft my head felt. I still don't get the fascination people have with how my head feels in their hands. Like the song says, everybody got their something.

What is it about de ballhead nuh? Ras Kassa is fascinated.

Ayeola and Christina striking a pose after the show.

And its Saturday.....
I'm on time. In fact, I'm early. Ha! Ashley Martin and Mario Evon open up the vibes.

Ashley Martin and Ayeola

I took most of Marion Hall's performance from the grounds eating corn and jerk chicken and coffee. What a combination, eh. She did a jazzy set and really moved the crowd with her song about her struggles with infertility "No Less Than A Woman (Infertility)". But Lady Saw, her edgy and raw alter-ego, could not stay repressed. She thrilled the crowd with some of her hits including "Sycamore Tree".

While on the field I also took in Lymie Murray's performance on the talent stage. Wow. Like seriously, why is he on the small stage?? Why isn't half the crowd eating from his palm??? Many people missed an amazing performance. Amazing. Just to clue you in, think Maxwell meets a Beres or Freddie and that's something close to Lymie.

Lymie Murray and Mutabaruka holding a meditation

By the time I climbed that mountain to the media tent, Jon Secada had already performed and was doing photo ops. "Just Another Day" my favorite song of his, was definitely loved by me and the crowd. He's up there in age, but my what a body! No wonder the ladies were swooning so. Gladys Knight performed for over an hour singing songs like "Midnight Train" and "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me". Does this lady not age?? She even came back for an encore.

Jon Secada and Ayeola

Hall and Oats to me were the best sounding of all the acts. I mean, it's like I wanted to take their sound and just wrap myself inside of it. It didn't matter what they were saying. They just blended beautifully; music was damn near perfect. The best part of their act was when Maxi Priest and Billy Ocean joined them on stage for "Love Train" and "Caribbean Queen." Oh man; a pure Kodak moment.




Third World closed the show. Now I love, love, love, love them; but when during their rendition of "Now That We've Found Love" a familiar bass line was calling to me from across the field, I made a bold dash for the new talent stage.

Third World on the big stage

Nelly Stharre was on singing "Peace and Love", my favorite. She is amazing (damn I need a thesaurus). And Walter Elmore Big stage for Nelly next year, uzeemi. It's a pity so few of the massive crowd saw her performance. She did a unique interpretation of Peter Tosh's "Vampire" that so wowed a local journalist, he was compelled to do a write up on her set.

Nelly Stharre totally rocked the stage...Who miss loss....

marie-claire followed singing "Motherless Child" in opera. She also did two songs from her upcoming album , "Care For You" and "Jah Guide". I'm so proud that these ladies represented for Dominica.

And then it was time to go home...

marie-claire brings opera to reggae

Now for the conclusion...
First off, I know I wrote a lot. Can you imagine if I had to write about Thursday night and all the other performances leading up to the main event? Hush, as they say here ( I hope I didn't use that out of context, lol). Now having been my first Jamaica Jazz and Blues, I can't compare it to the the previous location at Rose Hall. All I know is when I looked up at the sky and saw the moon and the dark sky, it probably would have looked the same from there. The cool mountain breeze probably would have been no different either. I think TurnKey Productions did a fantastic job with the layout and the stage management. The restrooms were immaculately clean, with attendants on hand to regulate the line and make sure soap, lotion, napkins were always in constant supply. Headline Entertainment staff Carlette, Jerome, Koreiann and especially Allison must be commended for their professionalism. I felt totally at ease and never did I feel less than the big media houses. They accommodated me as best they could. I got to meet persons in the media like Winford Williams and celebs like Lennox Lewis.

Ayeola and Winford Williams host of On Stage on CVM television

Boxing Champ Lennox Lewis

As far as suggestions go, I think the talent stage was very neglected. Although artists performed in between sets on the main stage, their performances were not put up on the big screen, nor were they amplified to the point where people who were in front of the main stage could hear. I know ads were played on the screens during those times and sponsors have to get their money's worth but that is something to consider. My biggest peeve of course was the media booth. It is just too far and too isolated. I don't know how organizers can make it work, but when someone has to report on a live event and on their left is a wall, in front is a glass door leading into a concrete building, to their back is a parking lot and to the right is a fence through which you can glimpse the action, no amount of dressing up is gonna replace the vibe that comes with being close to it. A flat screen TV just can't do it for me.

If I were just a spectator, I could rate it a grade A-, but for all that walking I had to do up dem steps only to miss an interview or photo opp because I was taking in the live show or vice versa, I would take that down to a B-.

So who's up for Jamaica Jazz and Blues next year? I am. No doubt. But we taking Nutsford for sure; and hopefully both Nelly Stharre and Lymie Murray will be on the big stage. Cyan wait!!!!!!!

go to the JJB official page for pics when they become available.
I will be posting the rest of my pics on Facebook sometime, just keep checking back.

Dominican opera singer, marie-claire to sing national anthem at 6th Annual EME Awards

Dominican opera singer marie-claire caps a week of appearances and performances in Jamaica at the EME (Excellence in Music and Entertainment) Awards on Thursday February 4th where she will sing the Jamaican national anthem.


She arrived in Jamaica in mid-January to record three singles for her album the evolution continues. When not recording with producer Garsha Blacks at Cell Block studios, marie-claire made several appearances at Mustard Seed- a home for pre-teen and teenage girls who she gave vocal coaching as well as words of encouragement and a listening ear. She appeared on TVJ’s Smile Jamaica, as a model for friend Mamayashi who’s designs she wears in many of her performances. The recording sessions ended just in time for marie-claire to perform at the 2010 Jazz and Blues Festival in Trelawny, where she was courted by local and international media. The following day she attended the Dennis Brown tribute concert in Kingston and hung out backstage with the likes of Beres Hammond and John Holt. marie-claire even stopped at Edna Manley College of Performing arts to absorb the wealth of musical knowledge from Mr. Ibo Cooper who is not only one of the leading professors at that institution, but a former member of Third World. marie-claire was accompanied to all these events by fellow Dominican, now Jamaican implant Nelly Stharre, who hosted the artist and contributed her songwriting skills to marie-claire’s upcoming album.

Thursday’s EME awards performance at the Jamaica Pegasus will be her last performance before jetting off to Antigua where she will shoot the video for her single “Care For You.” The video will be directed by Lawson Lewis.


ABOUT MARIE-CLAIRE
marie-claire is an Italian-trained opera singer who has performed at Carnegie Hall and who’s songs have been featured in feature films such as Lovin Jezebel and The Roommate. She spent time in front of the camera as a cast member on the second season of Chapelle’s Show on Comedy Central. Since marie-claire’s return to her homeland Dominica, she has through her girlfullofgold productions ltd, produced and hosted local music programmes, while still making time to perform at events such as LIME Creole in the Park and various private functions. marie-claire has performed at several regional events including Love Fest in St. Lucia, at Russell’s in Antigua and Jamaican venues such as Weekenz, Christopher’s Jazz Café and Red Bones Blues Café, which are like second homes.

marie-claire’s passion is to seamlessly blend opera and hip-hop, as she finds the two genres covering the same themes with their highly dramatic lyrics, just listen to her amazing voice on DJ Logic’s The Anomaly, or her songs “Red” and “Desperation.”
Now it is time to condense this blend of Opera, Hip-Hop and Reggae into a mature, sexy, and delightful album- a fitting description of marie-claire herself. The first single from the evolution continues is “Care For You” a sweet and timeless lover’s rock with and old soul. This girl full of gold is a treasure you don’t want to miss!
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ABOUT THE EME AWARDS
As its names suggests, the Excellence In Music and Entertainment (EME) Awards has as its primary function the recognition and honoring of excellence in both music and entertainment. The non-profit event, began in 2005 as a small ‘in studio’ production by famed radio personality Richard ‘Richie B’ Burgess, and has grown to be one of the leading award shows in Caribbean entertainment. At the 2008 production over 85% of awardees were in attendance. This year’s event will take place at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel and starts at 8PM.
Official Website: www.emeawards.com

PRESS CONTACT
AGSelectPR
Ayeola L. George
876-845-2936
AGSelectPR@gmail.com

marie-claire and Nelly Stharre share their talents at the 2010 Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival

Dominican artists marie-claire and Nelly Stharre were well-received at 2010 Jamaica Jazz and Blues by patrons and media houses alike, who were curious to see the performances of these two ladies from the ‘Nature Isle.’

Nelly Stharre feelin' de vibes

Nelly Stharre teaching de crowd

Nelly, the first to perform on the talent stage at Greenfield Stadium in Trelawny, kicked off her set with her original song “Peace and Love.” She also sang “Moon Men and “Life Goes On”- both original songs which were brought to life by the power of the lyrics, her effortless rendition and stirring live instrumentals that had the crowd in a constant frenzy. Patrons who took in the interactive performance shared in call and answer session with Nelly, and reassured her that they enjoyed her performance with resounding shouts and clapping. Nelly’s performance of Peter Tosh’s “Old Vampire” was creatively interpreted, even earning a mention in local paper The Jamaica Star.

marie-claire giving it her all

marie-claire, not one to stray from her Operatic roots, started with her version of the Negro spiritual “Motherless Child.” Chrisette’s Michelle’s “Love is You” was especially well received by the crowd. The classic song “Summertime” was performed with a heavy rock influence—another display of marie-claire’s musical versatility. She introduced the crowd to two singles from her upcoming album the evolution continues: “care for you” and “jah guide (happy).”

The performances of Nelly Stharre and marie-claire were filmed by several media houses, including Hype TV. marie-claire was interviewed by CNPTV based in Connecticut, Canadian radio host Sandy Daley, Lisa Ellis of MDTV (Jamaica) and Courtney Campbell of Nationwide FM.

marie-claire and fellow performer Mario Evon in the press tent

Lookout for more releases from marie-claire in the near future; including the video for the first single “Care For You,” which is being shot in Antigua this weekend.


ABOUT JAMAICA JAZZ AND BLUES
The festival, which since its introduction in 1996 was known as the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, has attracted thousands of patrons from the USA, Europe, and the Caribbean over the years. International artistes that have performed at Jazz and Blues (as it is popularly known) include Alicia Keys, Kenny Rogers, Norah Jones, Julio Iglesias, Earth Wind and Fire, Roberta Flack and Kenny G.
Artists who performed this year included Machel Montano, Erykah Badu, Billy Ocean, Robin Banks, Queens Project - Tamia, Kelly Price and Deborah Cox, Babyface, The Whispers, Joss Stone, Monty Alexander, Joe Roy Jackson, and Maxi Priest, Gladys Knight, Third World, Hall & Oates, Jon Secada, and Marion Hall (Lady Saw)

PRESS CONTACT
AGSelectPR
Ayeola L. George
876-845-2936
AGSelectPR@gmail.com

Dominica well represented at Jamaica Jazz and Blues 2009.

Dominican born, Bronx bred marie-claire; as well as Nelly Stharre, a Dominican who has called Kingston home for the last 15 years, will both be performing on the final night of the annual Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in Trewlany this Saturday January 30th.

marie-claire

marie-claire is an Italian-trained opera singer who has performed at Carnegie Hall and who’s songs have been featured in feature films such as Lovin Jezebel and The Roommate. She spent time in front of the camera as a cast member on the second season of Chapelle’s Show on Comedy Central. Since marie-claire’s return to Dominica, she has through her girlfullofgold productions ltd, produced and hosted local music programmes, while still making time to perform at events such as LIME Creole in the Park and various private functions. marie-claire has performed throughout the region, and Jamaica is a favorite stop for her, as venues such as Weekenz, Christopher’s Jazz Café and Red Bones Blues Café are like second homes. This year’s performance will be marie-claire’s second consecutive at Jamaica Jazz and Blues. Fans can look forward to her performing jazz standards as well as the singles “Jah Guide (Happy)” and “Care For You” which will be on her eagerly anticipated album The Evolution Continues. marie-claire has been in Jamaica working on the album for the last month.

Nelly Stharre

If you look up the words ‘Reggae Revolutionary’ you may just see a picture of Nelly Stharre. She is captivating mix of confidence, humility, honesty and passion. A fixture on the Jamaican musical landscape for the past 15 years, Nelly is no stranger to performing on the big stages in the land of Reggae. Not one to forget her Dominican roots, Nelly makes frequent sojourns to the Nature Isle to refresh, reconnect and share with her Jamaican husband and children the Caribbean’s ‘Garden of Eden.’ She even produced (through her company Calabash Heights) a DVD called Dominica The Secret Garden to share its natural treasures and culture with the world. Both Nelly Stharre and marie-claire contributed to the staging of the first in a series of charity concerts in her homeland commemorating the Year Of The Child. At Jamaica Jazz and Blues Nelly Stharre will perform songs from her album Soul Country.

Both marie-claire and Nelly Stharre will be backed by local Jamaican musicians and without a doubt will do Dominica proud.

ABOUT JAMAICA JAZZ AND BLUES
The festival, which since its introduction in 1996 was known as the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, has attracted thousands of patrons from the USA, Europe, and the Caribbean over the years. International artistes that have performed at Jazz and Blues (as it is popularly known) include Alicia Keys, Kenny Rogers, Norah Jones, Julio Iglesias, Earth Wind and Fire, Roberta Flack and Kenny G.

Artists performing this year include Machel Montano, Erykah Badu, Billy Ocean, Robin Banks, Queens Project - Tamia, Kelly Price and Deborah Cox, Babyface, The Whispers, Joss Stone, Monty Alexander, Joe Roy Jackson, and Maxi Priest.

Saturday’s show at Greenfield Stadium will feature Gladys Knight, Third World, Hall & Oates, Jon Secada, and Marion Hall (Lady Saw).

Both ladies have been featured on The Lime in our 20 Questions segment. Get to know marie-claire and Nelly Stharre and to listen to some of their music.

Pics from Year of the Child concert in Dominica

From all accounts the 2010 Year of the Child concert organized by Dominican Reggae artist Nelly Stharre and Friends was well received and well attended. Patrons were entertained by Reggae Heavyweights Queen Ifrica and Tony Rebel as well as Nelly Stharre of course and other local talents like marie-claire, Maxine Alleyne-Esprit, Aima, Ras Judah all backed by Fanatik Band. Here are some pics:

Ras Judah Backstage

Aima being interviewed by Dane from RE TV. Dane I see you rocking your TWICE hoodie. Luvs it!

Tony Rebel backstage with RETV

Queen Ifrica and Larry Larocque of DominicaNewsOnline.com

Nelly Stharre doing her thing.

Photo source

See more pics on DominicaNewsOnline.com

20 Questions: Nelly Stharre

When I look at this pic, I ssee Fire, I see conviction, I see purpose, I see strenghth. I see Nelly Stharre. Lets get to know her (and of course we'll start with some fun stuff)!

Nelly Stharre Have You Ever?

Quit a Job?
No, most of my adult life I kept away from the nine-to-five and stuck to music and food…(pause) but never quit.

Call in sick when you weren’t then really got sick?
Not at a job, but every chance I got. I was in the sick room at school, especially for Spanish class;-)

Jump into the sea and get attacked by sea ants?
Never seen sea ants…

Ever given a hickie?
Back in my days we called them love bites-it sounds so much more Afromatic than hickeys……If the readers are interested in this question, well let me just say to you: YOU TOOO FASSST

Come close to dying?
Yes.

Eaten food off the floor?
Yes as a child. You blow it and all the germs go away.

Ever stolen anything below or above 30 dollars?
Maybe candy from my mothers draw but nothing major, even though I got some rahtid licks for it when she came to school and taught me a lesson. Never stole from her again!

Click HERE to read more about Nelly Stharre, and see her 20 answers (to my 20 Questions nuh :-)

Event: Year of the Child concert at Krazy Koconuts

Jamaican Reggae acts Tony Rebel and Queen Ifrica; as well as Dominican Nelly Stharre are the headliners of the Year Of The Child" concert which takes place at Krazy Koconuts in Dominica on Jan. 9th 2010. The theme is "Building our nation one child at a time!" Local artists such as marie-claire, Aima, Maxine Alleyne, Dr. Silk, Atunyah and Ras Judah are expected to perform. They will be backed by the Fanatik Band. Proceeds from the event will go to Camp Rescue Londonderry.



Don't miss it. There is gonna be a suprise artist, but my lips are sealed just know it will be well worth your while!