For everyone who loved the 2008 Raggamuffin Festival and those who couldn't be there, EMI has released a 2-disc set containing music from the dub & reggae artists who performed live. The lineup includes a lineup of global and New Zealand reggae acts including UB40, Katchafire, Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers, Shaggy, The Black Seeds, House Of Shem, The Midnights, The Wailers, and Maxi Priest.
Volume 1's playlist includes:
The second disc includes:
Each reggae album runs roughly 70 minutes. Mr. Danjol has published links to download the tracks, ripped on March 3rd. You can download the ripped file from http://rapidshare.com/files/208677440/ragga-vol-1.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/208677472/ragga-vol-1.part2.rar and http://rapidshare.com/files/208677582/ragga-vol-2.rar or purchase the Raggamuffin 2008 album at http://www.marbecks.co.nz/detail/index.lsd?catalogID=457073.
Dancehall reggae veteran Eek-A-Mouse (AKA Ripton Joseph Hylton) was arrested on charges of rape, kidnapping, and possession of cocaine and marijuana in Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina. He was later released on bail.
The arrest occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, August 17. Kill Devil Hill police Detective MK Moye reported to local newspapers that Ripton Hylton was charged with first degree kidnapping, second degree rape, and possession of marijuana and cocaine. Further details are being witheld pending investigation.
Another Kill Devil Hill police officer, Lieutenant Gene Johnson, has been quoted as stating that Eek-A-Mouse allegedly kidnapped a 23-year-old white woman and held her in an Outer Banks motel. The artiste had performed at a local venue on Saturday evening and left the venue around 130am on Sunday morning.
Although Eek-A-Mouse's bail was originally set at $52,000, the artiste was released from North Carolina's Dare County Detention Center on a reduced bail of $17,000. Rumors have surfaced that the female in question was a police informant, hinting at the possibility that Eek-A-Mouse was framed. He will have to return to North Carolina to stand trial but will continue his US tour in the meantime.
Eek-A-Mouse, named for his squeaky voice, first hit the charts with his 1980 single Wha Do Dem. He went on to release another hit single, Modelling Queen and has continued his career through a wide range of tours and a collaboration with Damian “Junior Gong” Marley.
The man accused of murdering South African reggae artiste Lucky Dube was denied bail when he appeared with six others in court on Thursday after being arrested for stealing copper wire. Ludwe Gxowa is being held in custody although the other thieves are free on bail; he was free on bail when Dube was murdered.
The Ragamuffin Festival that's set to tour Australia and New Zealand in February ( tour dates here ) has recently announced a few new items. The festival's lineup will include UB40, Maxi Priest, The Wailers, Arrested Development, and more.
1. If you join the Raggamuffin mailing list you'll be entered in a monthly drawing to win Raggamuffin Prize packs worth over $1200.
2. A new show has been added to the tour: subject to council approval, on Sunday November 17 Raggamuffin will hit Red Devil Park, Byron Bay, Australia. The site gives a promising report that "known as the long-time home to the Blues and Roots Festival, the venue is the ideal home for Raggamuffin and this first class line-up of bands!"
This is great news after the cancellation of the Adelaide show .
3. King Tide Sydney's reggae/dub/ska act, has joined the lineup for the February 16 show at Wyndham Estate Winery in Australia.
4. A new merchandise section of the New Zealand site is offering shirts, hats, etc.
Things are heating up!
Dancehall artiste Natural Black has responded to his recent arrest and subsequent release with a new track, Dem A Try Frame Rasta .
Widely known for his previous track Songs With Feelings (from his Spiritual Food album), Natural black was surprised to be arrested and accused of purchasing a stolen car, saying "I and I no inna no tiefing business, I sing music, that me me my car and my house, so I have no reason to tief a car."
In response to initial police reports that the car's chassis number was incorrect and his subsequent release without any criminal charges, Black explained his belief that “what happens is that a set of these cars, the Kingfish, have been stolen all over, and they were just checking to see if that was one of them. The way things rest with me now mi not even going to drive a car because mi no waan nobody come tek set pon me."
Natural Black created some good from the ordeal, creating a popular dance single based on his experience. The Dem A Try Frame Rasta lyrics are:
Dem a try frame rasta
But it nah go work
The binghi man nah go a church
Dem a try frame rasta
But not this time
I never commit no crime
Dem a try frame rasta
But it nah go work
Mi never grab no chain, no pick no purse
Dem a try frame rasta
But not this time
Yu mussi sick, yu muss blind
Get fi reallise man ah shine like a star
And dem see say me and the thug yutes a par
Bout ID parade
How much we tief car
Mi tell dem de case coulda never reach far
If the judge did sentence me, she coulda never sleep well
Human rights never visit none ah these cell
With rats and roach and the dutty shit smell
Ah the truth, anno lie me a tell
Natural Black seems ready to not only persever but flourish.
"People will always have things to say, they put Marcus (Garvey) in prison, and make up story to keep him in there, dem man de go through so much and dem greater than I and I. We are prepared for the struggle, dem ah go come wid wicked tings to tear you down, the ting set already, ah just live we ah live it" he said.
More information is available at www.one876ent.com .
The Raggamuffin concert in Adelaide, Australia, featuring UB40, The Wailers, Maxi Priest, Arrested Development and Katchafire scheduled for Monday February 11 has been cancelled. ( Updated tour dates are here .)
Andrew McManus Presents has announced that the concert, originally scheduled for the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, has been cancelled due to low ticket sales.
Refunds will automatically occur for all tickets purchased with credit cards from next week. All other ticket holders will be directly contacted by Ticketek .
What's up?!
5 men were arrested in connection with the murder of South African reggae artiste Lucky Dube on Sunday morning.
On Sunday Commissioner Richard Mdluli told the press "I am convinced we have the right guys."
Lucky Dube was shot and killed during an apparent hijack attempt while dropping two of his children, ages 15 and 16, at his brother's house in Rosettenville on Thursday night. The men, aged 31 to 35, were captured in Spruitview 3 days later, following an intensive investigation by a handpicked 15-member team, led by Gauteng police commissioner Perumal Naidoo.
Today police reported that 4 of the accused will appear in Johannesburg's Magistrate's Court on Tuesday on charges of murder, attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. The 5th man will not be charged with murder but will still face charges of possession of suspected stolen property.
Ziyaphenduka promotions boss Bruce Kgapane called for violent justice after Lucky Dube's murder, saying "This is also a wake-up call to our government to consider bringing the death penalty back."
Would this response really reflect Lucky Dube's life and work? Would it help heal his family? As reports of vigilanteism begin appearing on the news wire, one has to wonder if people will remember Dube's work and words or only his death.
Poet Mzwakhe Mbuli described Dube's family as they prepare for a memorial serive, saying "they remain devastated. For them, it was their son who was murdered and he did not deserve to die in that manner."
A memorial service for Lucky Dube will be held at the Bassline in Newtown on Wednesday at 9am.
To send condolences to Lucky’s family, email Lucky@gallo.co.za or fax +27 (0) 11 340 9471.
The BBC reported that Dube's death led to loud local protests against violence in South Africa, which has an average of 50 murders daily. An average of one in three Johannesburg residents has been robbed, according to UN statistics.
South African President Thabo Mbeki responded to the mourning nation, stating that "we must ... grieve the death of an outstanding South African and, indeed, make a commitment that we shall continue to act together as a people to confront this terrible scourge of crime, which has taken the lives of too many of our people."
Arnold Mabunda, spokesman for Dube's Gallo label, described Dube as "one of the biggest contributors in the South African music industry." Lucky Dube switched to reggae music in the 1980s to sing against South Africa's former apartheid government. His 1st Reggae album, Rastas Never Die , was initially banned by the South African government, but he overcame opposition and produced increasingly powerful music until the Mail & Guardian recognized him as "South Africa's biggest selling contemporary artist."
His 20-year career continued to grow, and Lucky achieved international renown for his socially-conscious reggae with songs such as "Number in the Book" which shed light on AIDS in Africa.
During an interview, Lucky Dube explained his socially-conscious, world changing rastafarian outlook, explaining that "a lot of people would say Rasta is one who smokes ganja and one who has got dreadlocks, who goes around shouting 'Peace brother','rastafari' and stuff. But now, if that's what Rasta is about, than I am not Rasta. But I would be Rasta, if Rasta is about consciousness, awareness, togetherness and stuff, yes, I would be Rasta, yaa."
Lucky's 22 albums - recorded in Zulu, English, and Afrikaans - received 20 awards throughout that time and shared a stage with Sinead O'Connor, Peter Gabriel and Sting. He was the first South African signed by the famous Motown label. Afropop Worldwide has described him as "the shining star of African reggae."
First-hand reports confirm this impression. Reggae.com webmaster and reggae guru Ras John provided this review :
If you get a chance to see Lucky Dube LIVE, don't miss it - it will be one of the most joyous and satisfying concert experiences you will ever have with Lucky's vibrant mix of Reggae and African Rhythms.
Lucky Dube was survived by his wife Zanele and his 7 children Bongi, Nonkululeko, Thokozani, Laura, Siyanda, Philani and his brand new three-month old baby Melokuhle.
This is an update to our breaking story on Lucky Dube's tragic death .
Additional updates: 5 men were arrested in connection with the murder , and memorial service for Lucky Dube will be held at the Bassline in Newtown on Wednesday at 9am. to send condolences to Lucky’s family, email Lucky@gallo.co.za or fax +27 (0) 11 340 9471.
Reggae musician Lucky Dube was shot and killed on Thursday October 18 in Rosettenville, Johannesburg.
Police report that the incident occurred during a hijacking while Dube was dropping off his son. The hijackers have not been found. Lucky Dube's son was not in the car - he went to find help but has been too traumatised to offer additional information.
Lucky Dube, born Philip Dube in Johannesburg South Africa on August 3 1964, produced more than 20 albums during his life. His early music focused on mbaqanga but then changed to reggae in 1985, resulting in albums including Rastas Never Die, Think about the Children, Soul Taker, Trinity, and Respect. He captured international attention at Jamaica's Sunsplash Festival in 1991, where audiences were reminded of Peter Tosh and went on to successfully meld his local musical roots with a reggae sound.
These lyric's from Lucky Dube's own song, Hero , are a fitting tribute to his life and work
Do you see the smiles on their faces
after you have done what you do best
do you see satisfaction on their faces
after you have blessed them with your gift
you don't think it's much
but to them it means the world
More information about Lucky Dube is available on Luckydubemusic.com , his official website. This story originally ran on the Mail & Guardian Online .
This story is continued in our follow-up post.
Additional updates: 5 men were arrested in connection with the murder , and memorial service for Lucky Dube will be held at the Bassline in Newtown on Wednesday at 9am. to send condolences to Lucky’s family, email Lucky@gallo.co.za or fax +27 (0) 11 340 9471.
Latest Raggamuffin reggae festival tour dates and locations from Andrew McManus productions:
Raggamuffin will include performances by UB40; The Wailers (Bob Marley's band); Maxi Priest; Arrested Development; and local reggae artists from New Zealand and Australia, including The Black Seeds from Wellington, NZ; Katchafire , New Zealand's premier reggae band; The Midnights , rising New Zealand reggae stars; House of Shem from Aotearoa, NZ; King Tide from Sydney, Australia, Jah Wisdom Sound System (DJs General Justice, Jah Clint, Miss Tickle); Regal Sound and the Empressions (DJs Mama Trees, Sista Che); Rebel Soul Sound (DJs Papa Aswon, Joe Black); and DJ Flex.
Promoter Andrew McManus said: "I've toured UB40 three times through Australia and New Zealand and they never cease to amaze me with just how good they are and how much their fans love them.That's where the idea of Raggamuffin came from. Reggae lovers rarely get a chance to see the music they love and that's really the driving force behind putting this event together.We hope we can do it annually."
Here's hoping!
More news on the Raggamuffin Reggae festival : the event will tour through Perth, Australia on Saturday, February 9 .
The event looks similar to what we're expecting in Rotorua, though they've swapped the New Zealand groups The Black Seeds , The Midnights , and House of Shem for a lineup of Perth reggae artistes:
These groups will play at the Caribbean Cocktail Lounge under the Grandstand.
Event details:
WACA Perth, Saturday February 9
TICKETS ON SALE WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24 from www.ticketmaster.com.au & 136 100
Reserved Seated Tickets: $117
General Admission Standing Area Tickets: $95
More information is available at Perth Now's website . Asd they wrote in their article, "It's reggae King Bob Marley's birthday in February (February 6 1945 to be exact), so what better time to celebrate!"
While it's no surprise that the Marley family tops the Billboard reggae charts this week, there are some very interesting developments going on:
Here are this week's Billboard.com top reggae albums:
Exciting news for kiwis and UB40 fans: the first ever Raggamuffin festival, scheduled for February 2, 2008 will include reggae superstars UB40 and 8 other local and international bands.
The 10-hour Raggamuffin Festival will be held at the International Stadium in Rotorua, New Zealand. It looks like the festival will be followed by additional shows in Australia and New Zealand.
UB40 be joined by:
Event Venues general manager Peter McLeod summed up the bands by declaring that "we think we 've got a damn good line-up, we 're certainly going to blow it out of the water." In addition to the artistes, Rotorua International Stadium has been described as one of the top outdoor event venues in New Zealand.
Thousands of fans from all over New Zealand and the world are expected to attend the event. Rotorua was chosen to host the Raggamuffin reggae festival due to its central location and capacity for large audiences. At least 20,000 reggae fans are expected to attend Raggamuffin.
UB40 are truly a voice for reggae worldwide. They've sold over 70 million albums worldwide. Some new outlets are calling them "the world's most popular reggae band." Their 51 hit singles beat out any other British band or musician (apart from Status Quo) including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and U2.
Their best-known songs include One In Ten, Many Rivers To Cross, Cherry Oh Baby, I Got You Babe, Don 't Break My Heart, Rat In Mi Kitchen, Kingston Town, Red Red Wine and their last album Who You Fighting For was nominated for a Grammy as 2006 's Best Reggae Album.
Tickets for Raggamuffin will go on sale October 1 from New Zealand's Ticketmaster site. They'll sell for will cost $95 until Christmas, then for $109. www.ticketmaster.co.nz , ph 0800 111 999. (Gate sales will be more expensive.)
Rotorua District Council events manager Emily Pritchard said they're "expecting demand for tickets to be very high… anyone who has any interest at all in reggae, soul, dub, hip hop or funk will be beating a path to Rotorua International Stadium on February 2."
Bahamian Promoter, Trevor Alexander Davis, was arrested in New Providence Bahamas yesterday, in connection to Chuck Fender’s August 20 th kidnap attempt.
The Chief Executive Officer and founder of Alpha Sounds Entertainment, was arraigned in court on charges of aggravated assault and armed robbery of goods valued at nearly 5,000 United States dollars.He was not required to plea on charges during yesterday's hearings.
His legal team requested more time to gather case information, but the request was denied by Chief Magistrate Roger Gomez, the presiding judge. In his defense Davis stated that he was not present at the attack on the day in question.
On August 20 th of this year Chuck Fender was accosted by Davis and a group of men who attempted to kidnap and rob the Reggae artistes and his band members.
Chuck Fender retaliated and the kidnap attempt was aborted by the promoter and his entourage. Fender then reported the case to the Bahamian Police before leaving the island nation.
Trevor Davis was held in custody until his hearing which is set for August 30 th , 2007.
Justice Is Swift In Bahamas.
http://www.riddimja.com for more reggae news and info
ReggaeWire News Network
Bahamian Promoter, Trevor Alexander Davis, was arrested in New Providence Bahamas yesterday, in connection to Chuck Fender’s August 20 th kidnap attempt.
The Chief Executive Officer and founder of Alpha Sounds Entertainment, was arraigned in court on charges of aggravated assault and armed robbery of goods valued at nearly 5,000 United States dollars.He was not required to plea on charges during yesterday's hearings.
His legal team requested more time to gather case information, but the request was denied by Chief Magistrate Roger Gomez, the presiding judge. In his defense Davis stated that he was not present at the attack on the day in question.
On August 20 th of this year Chuck Fender was accosted by Davis and a group of men who attempted to kidnap and rob the Reggae artistes and his band members.
Chuck Fender retaliated and the kidnap attempt was aborted by the promoter and his entourage. Fender then reported the case to the Bahamian Police before leaving the island nation.
Trevor Davis was held in custody until his hearing which is set for August 30 th , 2007.
Justice Is Swift In Bahamas.
http://www.riddimja.com for more reggae news and info
ReggaeWire News Network
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