LUCIANO

Music has run deeply throughout Luciano's life. Born Jepther Washington McClymont on October 20, 1964 in Davey Town, a small community located atop a hilly region on the road to Mandeville in the central Jamaican parish of Manchester. Luciano was raised in the Adventist church and sang in the church choir. His father Arthur passed away when Luciano was just 11 years old. He left behind a guitar he had built and as Luciano recalls, "through those early years, I fell in love with the guitar and started to learn to play, which I realized was showing love and respect to my father." His beloved mother Sophie, who struggled to raise Luciano and his eight siblings, is also a gifted singer.

As the 1990s progressed, Luciano recorded for a few producers but failed to make any significant headway until he met Freddie McGregor. "Shake It Up" (a cover version of Cheryl Lyn's RnB hit) recorded for Freddie's Big Ship label became a number one hit in the UK in 1993 and was featured on Luciano's first release for VP Records "After All".

 

Fatis, who also took on the managerial role in Luciano's career, brought the gifted singer's talents to the musical forefront on cuts like "Poor and Simple", "Chant Out" and "One Way Ticket", the latter regarded as one of the finest repatriation anthems ever written and a song that continually summons enthusiastic responses in Luciano's breathtaking live performances. With the release of "Where There Is Life" for Island Jamaica/Xterminator, Luciano's deeply devotional yet accessible lyrics and the beautiful melodies of "Its Me Again Jah", "Your World and Mine" and "Lord Give Me Strength" coupled with Fatis' contemporary one drop riddims catapulted the singer to the top of the reggae charts, toppling (at least temporarily) the decade long reign of deejays rapping x-rated lyrics over digitized dancehall beats.

Luciano and Fatis (alongside preeminent musicians such as saxophonist Dean Frasier and drummer Sly Dunbar) created several exceptional releases including 1997's "The Messenger" and 1999's "Sweep Over My Soul". Although they parted ways in 1999 due to artistic differences within the Xterminator camp, Luciano consistently acknowledges Fatis' essential role in establishing the foundation for his far-reaching success.

The Messenger has since ascended to even greater musical heights with "A New Day" (2001) "Serve Jah" (2003), "Serious Times" (2004), all for VP Records, and his latest effort, Child of A King", the crowning glory of his exalted career thus far.

 

Tuesday | 24.01.2012
Presold 30.00 USD
Gate: 35.00 USD

FREDDY McGREGOR

Internationally acclaimed, Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and producer, Freddie McGregor, has been moving people with his conscious lyrics for over 40 years. Equally at home in lovers rock or roots & culture, this unstoppable wonder boasts many hits like Push Come to Shove, Africa Here I Come, Just Don't Want to Be Lonely, I Was Born A Winner, Guantanamera, his signature Big Ship and Lock Dem’ Down and Bangarang, both chart topping #1 hits from his latest album - Comin' in Tough.
Influenced by the sounds of Stevie Wonder, the legendary Bob Marley, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Bob Andy and many others, Freddie finessed his talent with early tracks like Why Did You Do It and Do Good and Good Will Follow You. In the mid-sixties he teamed up with Ernest "Fitzroy" Wilson to form the duo Freddie and Fitzroy while he continued to develop his craft. In 1975, Freddie's musical and lyrical content changed with a strong slant towards lyrics of social consciousness with tunes like Mark of the Beast, I Am A Rasta and reggae classic Bobby Babylon. In 1977 Freddie released his long awaited album Mr. McGregor, which contained reggae mainstays such as Zion Chant, Rastaman Chant and Walls of Jericho. This album marked a major milestone in his stellar career and in 1981 his tune Big Ship became one of reggae's biggest hits, earning him a permanent place in reggae music history.

In 1989, Freddie launched his own record label, Big Ship, featuring Jamaica Classics Volume One as the first major release. Part of this compilation included popular tunes like Little Roy's Prophecy and Derrick Harriot's The Loser. Today, Big Ship is the largest and most recognized reggae label in Japan handling its own production, manufacturing, distribution and promotions. To date, Big Ship has produced several reggae artists including General Degree, Cutty Ranks, Mikey Spice, Benjy Myaz and Freddie’s daughter Yeshemabeth. His album entitled Anything For You featuring the songs Uncle Sam, I See It In You and Anything for You, was nominated for a Grammy. Recently Freddie produced the historic Super Stars Extravaganza DVD, highlighting rare concert footage from the 1989 Denbigh Show Ground (May Pen, Clarendon, Jamaica). The DVD features live performances by the great Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Cocoa Tea, Barrington Levy, Frankie Paul, Carlene Davis and the legendary Tamlins.

Over the years, Freddie has consistently “given back” to the community in many ways. He produces his own concert entitled RockSteady Meets Reggae, which promotes unity within the reggae fraternity. He also donates to charities throughout the world and manages his own US and England based children's organizations; Big Ship Foundation Inc. and the Freddie McGregor Children’s Fund, both of which provides services and funding to renovate schools.

Tuesday | 31.01.2012
Presold 30.00 USD
Gate: 35.00 USD

BEENIE MAN

Beenie Man (aka Moses Davis) was born in the tough Waterhouse district of Kingston, Jamaica, on August 22, 1973. By the time he was ready for school, the toddler had already decided on a career as a DJ. He wasn't the first tot with dreams of the limelight, but Beenie actually had a true gift for gab. His shot at stardom came when he was only eight, when he took first prize at the national Teeny Talent contest. This led to a meeting with producer Junjo Lawes, who recorded the diminutive DJ's debut single, "Too Fancy." Bunny Lee then took the boy under his wing and put him to work at his Unlimited sound system. By 1983, the youngster found himself appearing on Lawes' Junjo Presents Two Big Sounds, which was recorded live and featured such DJ heavyweights as Dillinger and Fathead. Along with Unlimited, Beenie was also DJing at Prince Jammy's Volcano sound systems, had a hit single to his credit, "Over the Sea," produced by Niney Holness, and even had a debut album out. Produced by Lee, The Invincible Beenie Man, the 10 Year Old DJ Wonder's title pretty much sums it all up. He recorded some songs with Barrington Levy in 1984, two of which, "Under Mi Sensi" and "Two Sounds," would resurface in remixed form later in the '90s. But for the moment, his recording career came virtually to a close, bar the occasional single. But the young DJ remained a sound system favorite, even as he now turned his attention to his schoolwork.

 

A new attitude and a new hit single instantly turned Beenie's career around. Now working with all the island's top producers, the DJ recorded a slew of singles, many of them religiously themed, "Praise Him" and "World Dance" (which took the Best Single Award at the Jamaican Music Awards) included. The hits-heavy Defend It and Dis Unu Fi Hear were both released in 1994 and combined more culturally themed raps with a hardcore dancehall sound. Many of these singles, bar the Taxi releases, were rounded up on Gold by the British Charm label. Beenie's stardom was confirmed by his taking the DJ of the Year Award that same year. Signing to Island Records, Beenie released the seminal Blessed album, which featured another clutch of hits, including the dancehall smash "Slam."

While in the U.K., the DJ fired the British dancefloors with a jungle remix of "Under Mi Sensi." 1995 also brought a pair of collaborative albums, including Three Against War, which united the DJ with Dennis Brown and Triston Palma, and Mad Cobra Meets Lt. Stitchie & Beenie Man, a tag-team dancehall affair. Joined by Lady Saw, Beenie also scored a major hit with "Healer" that year, just one of many successful collaborative singles that included "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," which paired him with Third World. By the end of the year, Beenie was a shoo-in for the DJ of the Year Award. 1996 brought Maestro, Beenie's first "real" album, as compared to his previous hits collections. Produced by Patrick Roberts, it was a stunning effort featuring a kaleidoscope of moods. The following year proved to be his break out in Britain, when his and Chevelle Franklin's "Dance Hall Queen" bounced up the national chart. Both that single and its follow-up, "Who Am I," were number ones back at home, while the latter rocketed its way into the U.K. Top Ten. In fact, Beenie Man could now do no wrong, and a sound system's worth of his singles flew their way up the Jamaican chart that year and the next. The autobiographical Many Moods of Moses features a number of these smashes, including "Oysters & Conch" and "Foundation."

After headlining Reggae Sunsplash in 1998, Beenie signed to Virgin Records in the U.S.; The Doctor was the first fruit of this new union and was an instant dancehall classic. 1999 brought the King Jammy-produced album Y2K, which never actually mentions everyone's greatest fear that year -- the millennium bug, but does take on a host of other issues from AIDS to illiteracy. And the hit singles just kept on coming, and coming, and coming. Beenie was unstoppable, whether on his own or with other artists, and at times the Jamaican chart seemed to be the DJ's private preserve. "Hot Bwoy" with Buccaneer, "Mi Nu Walla," "Forget You," "Ruff Like We" with Redrose, "100 Dollar Bag," "So Nice" with Silvercat, "In This Together," "Skettel Tune" with Angel Doolas, and "L.O.Y." are just a sampling of the singles the DJ released between 1999 and 2000. The Art & Life album, released in the new century, showcased the DJ at his most eclectic and included guests Arturo Sandoval and Wyclef Jean of Fugees fame. The following year, Beenie reunited with Jean behind the mixing board to produce the debut album by actor Steven Seagal. Janet Jackson, the Neptunes, Lady Saw, and Lil' Kim all turned up as guests on 2002's Tropical Storm, the Beenie Man album with the most crossover appeal. 2004's Back to Basics was just that, a straight-up return to dancehall. The hit-collecting compilation From Kingston to King of the Dancehall appeared in early 2005, and Undisputed, which featured production work from Scott Storch and Don Corleon, among others, was released the next year.

Tuesday | 07.02.2012
Presold 40.00 USD
Gate: 45.00 USD