Posts tagged Soundcheck

Two crucial figures, Leroy Sibbles and Jay Douglas, in the history of reggae in Toronto shared the stage of the historic CNE Bandshell, and it was pleasing to see the show draw a sizeable and appreciative audience.

It is with serious justification that you could term Fay-Ann Lyons and Bunji Garlin the power couple of Soca today. Think of them as the Caribbean equivalent of Jay-Z and Beyonce, perhaps.

Inner Circle continue to tour extensively, having earned a loyal fan base around the globe, as Lewis explains. ” People around the world have stuck with us, in places like Thailand, Indonesia, and New Zealand.  Their signature songs “Bad Boys” and “Sweat” still get a lot of recurrent play on the radio.

To record her triumphant new album, Brown Sugar, S’Aida headed to Stantonville, Tennessee.  The biggest creative leap forward on Brown Sugar is S’Aida’s songwriting.

He first got famous singing the praises of Coca Cola on a commercial, and he later followed that up by serenading a “Sweet Lady” on a bus.  With this album Tyrese showcases his artistic range – a range inspired by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Jodeci and Donny Hathaway.

In November of 2008, the Toronto Mass Choir (TMC) celebrate 20 years of existence.  As an icon in the realm of choral music, TMC offers an audio signature that is distinct to the diasporic location of Toronto.

News of Oscar Peterson’s death reverberated around the world, as saddened fans, musicians and dignitaries remembered a man that Duke Ellington once called the ‘Maharaja of the keyboard.

Call him what you want, “The Godfather of Soul”, “Mr. Dynamite”, “The Hardest Working Man In Show Business”, or my personal favourite, “Soul Brother # 1″, James Brown (1933 – 2006) was the architect of modern popular music.

“Diary of Jay-Z: Water For Life.” aired on November 24th, 2006, across 50 channels locally broadcast into 179 countries, the documentary is aimed at exposing the global ‘water crisis’ facing the globe.

In September, Jay confirmed the inevitable: He was coming out of retirement.  Jay quietly worked on his latest album, “Kingdom Come”, named after the 1996 DC Comics series in which Superman comes out of retirement to save the world.