Pages

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Payne takes RedBones' number one poetry prize

Payne takes RedBones' number one poetry prize
published: Tuesday | December 4, 2007

Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Abebe Payne during a recent performance. - Contributed

When Abebe Payne delivered his trio of poems at RedBones the Blues Café recently, the substantial audience which turned out for the 7th Annual Writers' Awards was quiet as they listened attentively throughout.
And, there was a lot to listen to as Payne played on, but not with, words, starting out with an appeal to the police that, "Hey Babylon, de I know I am/de I brother man?" but soon followed with the search complaint "me feel you please/to have man a hol' position". "No prey pon yu sister, pray fi yu sister," Payne said in the poem's refrain.
He explored 'Forever Now' and figuratively held on to 'Joy' to end, the audience applauding as he missed the last lines and wrapped up with a smiling goodbye.
Exploration of the death
Payne's measured approach was different from that of Fuzion, who closed his set of emphatically delivered poems with an exploration of the death of the young lady who was thought to have died from dancing, saying "dutty wine dis/dutty wine dat/now dutty grave wid dutty dirt pon top", the audience breaking into appreciative laughter at points.
In the end, it was Payne who took the top prize of $2,500, with Fuzion earning himself lunch for two at RedBones as first runner-up and Akinsanya, who ended his set with 'Spectacular Senorita', taking home a bottle of wine as second runner-up. There was another prize for Fuzion, though, as his 'Mirror Mirror', a poem that took a humorous look at the practice of skin bleaching, was named 'Poem of the Year', earning him $2,500.
Latoya Saunders, Mo'Scherrie, Sage, Iyunda and Ganja completed the field of eight writers, selected from the poets who performed at RedBones' monthly 'Evening of Contemporary Literature.' They were assessed on originality (45 per cent), content (30 per cent) and performance (25 per cent).
Gina Rey Forrest, who delivered the assessment of judges: Trevor Rhone, Karen Carpenter, Carolyn Cooper and herself, said "we were a little disappointed that the women were not very effective. Simplicity of language speaks."
"Some of the performances were too loud," she said. In addition, for some "your poem was not personal to you, so it was not personal to anyone else".
The evening's guests were Max, a young man from the United States who impressed with 'A Vision' and 'My Child' ("I was when God punished us for our blind faith and we responded with blind faith") and Charlie Bobos, who declared 'We Love Poetry' and encouraged 'Use Your Experience and Get Stronger'.


Akinsanya, African appreciated at Redbones

Akinsanya, African appreciated at Redbones
published: Friday | July 8, 2005

Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
AKINSANYA AND African delivered verse to a good reception at the latest month-end edition of poetry at Redbones the Blues Café in New Kingston, which had 'brawta' from Mah and Stephen, as well as De I Am.
Akinsanya, a member of the Tuff Tuff Triangle poetry group, was up first and began an extended presentation with a dub that was written for JAMAL (the Jamaica Adult Literacy programme). "Ignorance enslave/ knowledge liberate" he began, the rhythm of the piece that encouraged learning being immediately clear "The blackboard is not your enemy," Akinsanya encouraged.
"If one should ask me how I see God, I would say through the womb of my mother," he said, doing a poem in praise of black women.
Akinsanya urged all to "do something for today's youth", then chided common slang by asking "where is my nigger at?"
A trio of poems around relationships, one giving a particular woman a 'Thumbs Up', preceded an ode to marijuana, done in dub style, Akinsanya closing his eyes and rocking to the rhythm of the poem as he declared "herb is not a drug, is vegetable matter".
REBEL CHILDREN
"This is for the spiritually, physically and economically oppressed people," Akinsanya said, urging "rebel children rebel/tell the gods in heaven there is no water in the well". He ended with a return to the women, complimenting them with "Black woman/pretty like flowers/Black man need her every hour".
African's first poem was an introductory piece of sorts, requesting all to "listen to these sounds/unlike any other sounds/bouncing like basketballs/on private and public compounds".
He went on to a poem that was written "about three, four months ago, when I heard that a friend of mine died in the east". The poem went through issues of loss, before ending "the future wasn't for you to see/Now I am not sure about me".
He surrendered to a woman poetically ("woman you pull me in/and my masculinity naturally gives in"), looked at the two sides of bad weather ("the rain is falling/mudding up river banks/some are complaining/the wise ones giving thanks") and the need to "write some poems/that are more than poems".
The Eve of Christmas Eve, Let It Be Known and a self-definition as an "intellect poet" followed, before African ended with My People, which encouraged black people to "contribute positively to your race/in another you have no space".
That was the end of the night's official programme, but there was an extra serving from Mah and Stephen, the latter playing the harmonica as Mah asked: "You say you like the ghetto/but do you really like the ghetto?" And De I Am sealed the matter with the question "Oh Mister Buck Master/Is it your blood the poor will have to shed sah?"

Uprising Band committed to make positive music


The word Uprising signifies defiance and assertiveness in actions to bring forth progressive and positive change amongst humanity. The Uprising Band utilizes music as its medium to harmonize all races, class, and creed spreading the universal message of love and quality. The Uprising Band now presents hypnotic roots, rock, and revolutionary sounds to shake the world, inspire the people and keep them skanking and dancing.

Conceptualized on January 1, 2006, this dynamic and formidable group consists of five diverse members with the versatility to adapt to all musical forms. They are Rasaun ‘Black Kush’ – drums; Ruel ‘Pot A Rice’ Ashburn – bass guitar; Lloyd ‘Akinsanya’ Palmer – keyboards; Joseph ‘Junior’ Sutherland –percussion and Jeffrys ‘Keysy’ Graham – keyboards.
They have gained and continue to command the greatest respect from other artistes.  Confidence in their ability to deliver the diverse musical accompaniment they need, Uprising Band members have become competent and proficient as a result of hard work and wide expense. Their experience has resulted in a keen ear for adapting to the sounds of different musical genres.
They continue to enjoy playing interesting, entertaining, and uplifting music and intend to remain a well-respected band with the ability to do live performances at hotels, shows, concert, and pageants as well as recordings; a band whose shows are unique, entertaining, exciting and appropriate for all ages and venues.
Performances to date
• Gyptian, Nitty Kutchie and Marlon Asher, live in Suriname, ‘08
• Performance with Gyptian, Barbados, ‘08
• Performances with D’Angel, Aisha, L.U.S.T. and Delly Ranxx at D’Angel’s Up-close and personal Asylum Night Club, ‘08
• Performances with Natural Black, I-Wayne, Turbulance, Teflon, Lenn Hammond, Eazy Wayne, Hero, Nesbeth, Jah Thunder, Prophecy, Renegade, Little David, Terry Linen, Fire Passion, Sugar Minott, Stream, Kapri, Bankroft, Lutan Fyah, Notch, Demarco, at Black My Story (Jamaica) ‘08
• Performance with Gyptian in Suriname,’07
• Performance with Lady Saw, Prince Alla and Empress at The Village Café, ‘07
• Performance at the Roots FM stage show (Jamaica) with Prince Alla, Warrior King, Edi Fitzroy, among others, ‘07
• Performance with Gyptian in Turks and Caicos, ‘07
• Gyptian in concert (three country tour), Martinique, French Guyana, Guadeloupe, ‘07
• Caribbean Cultural Fest, Nassau Bahamas, ‘06
• Reggae in the Hills, featuring Sugar Minott and friends, Jamaica, ‘06
• Performances by Prince Alla, Vision and D’Bblushh at the Village Café, The Roof and Weekenz, respectively, Jamaica, ‘06
• To-Isis album launch, Jamaica, ‘06
• Smile Jamaica TVJ appearance featuring To-Isis, Jamaica, ‘06
 Their current projects involve focusing on releasing singles and albums featuring various artistes being managed by DP&B Entertainment Company Ltd., including Elijah Prophet, Hyh Volume, and Vania Colours. They are also working on projects with Winston McAnuff, Eazy Wayne, Lenn Hammond, Admiral Tibet and Fred Locks.
 The world is their stage and they can be reached at www.myspace.com/therealuprisingband

Uprising in the east


Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Uprising band

THERE WAS a time in Jamaica's music when playing in a band was cool. But the advent of the computer in the mid-1980s changed the scene and musicians took a backseat to programmers.
There are still some bands around, though most are satisfied just to back artistes on live shows. The Uprising Band out of east Kingston wants to do that and more.
The quintet, which formed in January, 2006, comprises Rashawn McAnuff (drums), Ruel Ashburn (bass), Lloyd Palmer (keyboards), Phillip Porter (guitar) and percussionist Joseph Sutherland. Ashburn, McAnuff, Palmer and Sutherland are original members.
To date, the Uprising Band has played at the Caribbean Culture Fest in Nassau, Bahamas and performed throughout the Caribbean with singer Gyptian. But Ashburn says with several established bands on the local show circuit, the calls have not been flooding in from promoters for their services.
Instead of sitting around and twiddling their thumbs, Ashburn said they decided to take things into their own hands.
"We decided to create our own space and go back to the basics," he told The Gleaner.
Uprising's 'space' is a recording studio at Windward Road in east Kingston where they are currently recording and producing veteran roots singer Prince Alla and aspiring singers Elijah Prophet, Vania, Ishmael McLaw and Matthew McAnuff.
Darren Hamilton, the band's manager, reckons Uprising has recorded close to 100 songs for their Tru Music label. Kingston City and Youthman in The Ghetto, songs by Prince Alla, have been released. Rainy Night in Summer by the Westmoreland-born Prophet, is scheduled to be released in August.
Hamilton believes the Uprising Band has the right chemistry to establish itself as a backing and recording unit, just like in the old days when bands like Now Generation and the Soul Syndicate ruled the bandstand and charts.
"We are trying to keep that unity; live as one, eat as one. Once we have that, we know that will show in the music," he said.

Uprising Band aiming to keep live music alive



Fabian O'Hara, Gleaner Writer

Members of the Uprising Band. - Contributed
It is dubbed 'The Element Of Surprise' and newcomer Uprising Band is looking to make its mark on reggae music around the world.
With just a couple years experience under their belt, the band members have been making great strides and leaving an impression wherever they go.
Band member Ruel Ashbourne told The Sunday Gleaner about one of his most memorable experiences.
"We were in Martinique and were to perform with Gyptian. Before he got onstage, we started playing and the fans just went crazy. They were pulling band members off the stage," he said.
"Even after the concert, the journey from the arena to the hotel is a good half-hour drive, and fans drove behind the bus all the way back there. Now that was just amazing; it's a feeling that I will cherish."
the band
The band, which was formed in 2004, comprises Lloyd Palmer (keyboard), Joseph Sutherland (percussion), Rashaun McAnuff (drums), Jeffrey Graham (keyboard) and Ashbourne on bass. Guitarists Kenroy Mullings and Garth Forrester are part-time members.
To date, the band has performed on many shows, among them Black My Story and Reggae On The Hills. Uprising Band has also worked with many top dancehall and reggae artistes, including Beenie Man, Natural Black and Queen Ifrica.
OK, so they play various instruments and enjoy music, but what is the band really about? What do they hope to achieve? And just how do they plan on achieving it?
"What we are aiming to do is keep live music alive. As you can see, technology has taken over and with almost all the sounds of the instruments preloaded to the computer, the need for live music players has decreased, as it's now available at the push of a button," Palmer said.
"Achieving greatness status is our aim," Sutherland chipped in, "and we are going to do so by continuing to provide the people with good, clean music, and just be as diverse and versatile as we possibly can."
The band is also looking to approach music from a different angle and give people a new outlook on life with the song Smile Jamaica by Elijah Prophet. This song, they say, shows that, despite all that's going on, there is still something to smile about.
looking at the bright side
"If you notice, most singers are talking about the gloom and doom of the country and the world at large, but there is always a flip side, a positive side, a bright side, and we need to explore that and show it to the people," Sutherland pointed out.
In 2008, the band received a Juno award for work done with Humble on a song titled Everything.
The band, according to group manager Darrel Hamilton, is focusing on their busy upcoming schedule. "We are fine-tuning for albums that we are working on, as well as tours of the US and, possibly, the Caribbean," Hamilton said.

Fresh Talent Vania Colors' musical landscape


With her colourful personality and outspoken nature, Vania Colours is never afraid to speak for the people in her songs.
Born Vania Isaacs, the kind and courteous songbird grew up in the east Kingston community, where she was called the 'natural one'.
Isaacs grew up in a disciplined home, where she could not be seen lyming after certain hours.
While attending Camperdown High School, Vania became involved in various JCDC festivals, where she gained exposure to the music industry.
This led her to perform at luncheons and talent shows.
Isaacs later decided to embark on her musical journey where she visited All Fruits Productions and the Caveman studios.
collaboration
She later collaborated with artistes such as Fred Locks, Tiger, Ras Robbi, Wippa Demus, Hyh Volume and Elijah Prophet.
In 2008, she met a member of The Uprising Band, who introduced her to the manager of DP and B Entertainment Company Limited, Darren Hamilton, who was pleased with the vocals of the songstress and, in no time, she was under his umbrella on the Tru Musik record label.
"I am music, music is me," the young singer elaborated as she beamed. "I am also for livity and upliftment," she continued.
stage presence
Isaacs has also made appearances on Rebel Salute, St Mary Mi Come From, Jamnesia, Roots Reggae Rising, Anthony B stage shows and many others.
She has also done harmonies for most of the prominent artistes in the musical arena, including Turbulance, Luciano, Pressure, Attaman, Signature, Icon, Eazy Wayne and Zachari.
She is currently working on her album titled Nature is Life with The Uprising Band, which will include 13 tracks.
A few of Isaacs' songs to date are Run Down Belly, Strong Tree, Just Do It, and I Love You So. She has also gained major airplay over local and international airwaves.