BUJU BANTON'S "MAGIC CITY" AVAILABLE ON APPLE ITUNES!
JA - Oct 26, 2005

Song Marks First Digitally Distributed Release From Artist's Own Gargamel Music Label New York, NY/Kingston, Gargamel Music, Inc. is extremely pleased to announce that international Reggae star Buju Banton’s poignant new single “Magic City” is currently available for exclusive download on Apple Itunes. The song is the first official release from Banton’s own Gargamel Music label to be made available via digital download. It is also the lead single from his highly anticipated album Rasta Got Soul.

“ITunes has leveled the distribution playing field for independent labels,” muses the artist and entrepreneur. “It’s incredibly empowering for us to be able to make our music immediately available with the simple click of a button. Fans around the world can now look forward to fresh new tunes from Gargamel Music each and every month.”

Banton’s “Magic City” has already received stellar reviews in such international publications as The Source and The Beat, which gave the single 5 out of 5 stars. Touch magazine in the UK gave the song 5 stars and called the forthcoming Rasta Got Soul album “one of the most exciting and enticing projects in years.”

The breathtaking video for “Magic City” has been added into rotation on MTV Jams, MTV U, VH1 Soul, MTV Africa, RETV, Hype TV, Music Plus, Reggae Top 10, Music Choice, Channel U UK, Trace TV France and several online outlets including AOLmusic.com, MTV.com, Launch.com and Blastro.com... SHOW POWER & UNITY IN REGGAE MUSIC...DOWNLOAD BUJU BANTON'S "MAGIC CITY" AT ITUNES NOW!
 

SMALL VICTORY FOR LIFT THE BAN ON BUJU CAMPAIGN
Kingston to New York — 25, March 2005
Gargamel Music Inc., is extremely delighted to announce that on Monday, the 21st of March, international Reggae artist, Buju Banton aka Gargamel, was granted a waiver enabling him to travel to the US after a year-long restriction. The Grammy-nominated artist will now be admitted to work in the states on a limited basis and promote his highly anticipated new album, Rasta Got Soul, due Summer 2005.

Buju Banton would like to personally thank the more than 5,000 fans, friends and family who have demonstrated their support by signing the “Lift The Ban on Buju” petitions, which began circulating in Brooklyn, New York, Kingston, Jamaica and online at ipetitions.com last July. “The past year has been full of struggle and strife,” admits Buju. “But it was the fans who kept me hopeful through it all. I am eternally grateful for all the love they’ve shown me during these turbulent times and intend to give back with a bounty of positive, uplifting, heartical roots music.”

Of course, The Lift the Ban on Buju movement will continue until Buju Banton has fully regained his freedoms. To sign the online version of the petition, log on to ipetitions.com and type in the key words: Buju Banton. Or go directly to the url at:
www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/BUJUMUSTFREE.

“Magic City,” the lead single from Buju Banton’s forthcoming Rasta Got Soul project, has received rave reviews in such esteemed international publications as The Source and The Beat (the Reggae magazine of
record), which recently gave the song a stellar 5 star review. Fat Beats Distribution, Inc. is handling distribution of the “Magic City” 7” to the world, except in Jamaica, where Gargamel Music will take on the distribution duties. The single will also be available for download on Itunes in the coming weeks.

Buju Banton’s first U.S. performance will be at the Westchester Reggae Fest on June 5th at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. For show info log on: www.linkupmedia.com
 

HIGHER LEVEL FOR NATURAL BLACK
Jamaicanstar – 17th. March 2005

By GERMAINE SMITH, Staff Reporter Cultural Crooner NATURAL BLACK is looking to be more prominent this year.
The singer has been quietly working on his third album which, though not yet titled, is complete. With it, he intends to reflect the experiences he has been through since his entry into local music back in the 1990s as a Guyanese citizen.
"I have been working with PGs Music Label for a little while now, and we have an album to come out soon," he explained in an interview recently.
Natural Black has been pointed out by some as one of the more talented Rastafarian acts. Though he grew up in Guyana, he has managed to capture different aspects of the Jamaican experience in many of his tunes. Among them are Songs With Feelings, Bad Mind, Never Leave You Lonely, and Nice It Nice.
Natural Black has already released two albums in Europe, but admittedly was not as visible last year as he was in previous years.
"It's just the happenings. I have been here and the shows are here but I have been in the studios," he stated. "To do a good production takes time, and effort, so I had to focus on it."
This time around, he wants to show his maturity with the third effort.
"It is a higher level for Natural Black, more spirituality, because my voice has developed more and I am more mature ... My confidence has developed more now and I just want to deliver it to the people."

 

NATTY KING'S ALBUM READY THIS MONTH
February 2005

NATTY KING's highly anticipated debut album titles "NO GUNS TO TOWN" is expected by the end of February. The cultural and conscious Rastafarian singer's first album will comprise 19 tracks, produced by the artiste himself and WADE BRAMMER on their Insight label. The album will be distributed by Jet Stars from London. NATTY KING's two number one hits, "No guns to town" and "Mr.Greedy" are among the leading tracks featured on the album; other tracks include "When the money done", "Thunder a roll" featuring SIZZLA, and bonus song "Cut down the price".


In place for NATTY KING a European tour in March to promote the upcoming album, the six-weeks extensive tour will have a stops in Italy, Austria, Holland, and probably a next tour for Europe is scheduled for July.
NATTY KING was nominated in the Male Vocalist Of The Year category in the Excellence in Music and Entertainment Awards 2004, and won the Jamaican Federation Of Musicians Award for Best New Singer and topped the field in the same category at the International Reggae & World Music Awards presentation, which was held in New York.
Lovers of quality music and good messages should look forward for this album.

 

MUSICAL DISTURBANCE

 

Turbulence performing at East Fest 2004 at Goodyear Oval, St. Thomas.

By GERMAINE SMITH, Staff Reporter

 

JUST LIKE HIS stage name Turbulence, Sheldon Campbell has caused a 'pleasing disturbance' in the dancehalls for most of 2004. With bouncy numbers like Need Your Name and Number, Notorious (I Could Have Been one Of The Most), and Natty Pon Mi Frontline with singer Sasha, Turbulence has cracked the sometimes steely wall of radio play and is now a feature on most stations.

 

He has raided dozens of local stages and left patrons in open-mouthed appreciation and the producers are lining up to slap his vocals down on their rhythms. He attacked the Magnum Sting stage show in December as a part of the touted 'Magnificent Seven' group and scored warm reviews, and in January he scored again with Rebel Salute in St Elizabeth. Since 2004 Turbulence's presence on the music landscape has grown exponentially.

 

"Last year 2004 was very progressive for Turbulence. The people got to hear the real me," the singer/deejay explained in an interview with THE WEEKEND STAR recently. "People who never used to know me good, by the end of last year I got the recognition from them that I deserve."

 

Turbulence's shows have been recognised by promoter and fellow artiste Tony Rebel. He told THE WEEKEND STAR that he places Turbulence in a group of artistes which he feels will take Reggae music to positive heights both here and internationally. The group includes I-Wayne, Queen Ifrica, Mr Perfect, Chesidek, Fantan Mojah and others.

"He (Turbulence) has the ingredients that will make him have the big international impact just like the others I mentioned," Rebel stated. "He can write and perform well, and he should not have a problem with doing it. It's just up to him to grab it."

 

Being in demand and being showered with praises from prominent promoters/artistes like Tony Rebel was, however, not always the Turbulence story. He had been around for ages, suffering in the land of the unknown artistes and patiently waiting for the day he would break out.  To date, he has seven albums out and has toured Europe repeatedly, yet it was only last year that Jamaicans seemed to start warming up to him.

 

Turbulence was discovered by the Exterminator family back in 1999, and began his career as an opening act for established Reggae giant Sizzla Kalonji. He developed rapidly under the Exterminator umbrella and has quickly amassed an enviable following. He and Sizzla at one point had a similar singing/deejay pattern, and some people even rumoured that Turbulence had grown so popular that he and Sizzla were not on good terms. Turbulence, however, quickly dismisses these reports. "Sizzla is a great youth with a great soul, and he is a good influence to me," he stated. "Me and Sizzla never have no mishaps, no conflict or no confusion ever before. We never ever exchange a negative word yet," he continued. "People I hear might compare the two of us but I don't deal with that. We are just two different people doing Jah works in our own way."  "I confess in the early days as a school youth I used to pattern him, but through voicing, my own voice started to change and my thoughts start to change too. My own identity start to come out and that's how I develop into me."

 

Now that he has the public's attention, Turbulence noted that he has less privacy and people who never paid him any attention in the past now want to associate with him. "Yu know how much shame me used to get as a young artiste?" he jokingly asked.  "Even some producer who used to listen to me before and run me weh with my song, couple of them turn round and want to voice me now. I remember those days, mi caa forget them, cause is like a tree weh grow from its roots..."

 

Turbulence noted that he has no bitterness towards the world for it, as his focus is much deeper than that. "Trust me, my focus is on the music right now. I waa reach certain levels where I know seh I can have my own studio. Mi start learn the music already certain way with the guitar. When mi master it I can get mad musically, cause when yu love music like me, yu waa get crazy with it and do new things." "The levels like Burning Spear and Toots with the instruments, that's where I want to go, and be able to help out other artistes as well, cause it not easy out there."

 

"Jah bless me with some talent, so I and I want to help people as much as I can with it."
 

Warrior King returns with Hold the Faith


Basil Walters, Observer staff reporter
Friday, February 04, 2005

Warrior King. I know the people dem hungry to hear from me

Warrior King, the popular singjay who four years ago stormed the local charts with two big hits, Virtuous Woman and Never Go Where Pagans Go, is on the verge of returning to his chart-topping ways after a two year absence from the scene. One of the finest roots and culture artistes to come along in the last five years, Warrior King is hoping to reclaim his turf with a new set due in March titled Hold The Faith.

 

The Portmore-based entertainer, who in a relatively short time captured the imagination of the public, is eager to let fans know that his absence was not a case of him resting on his laurels. On the contrary, he says his absence has been due to commitments overseas. "I've been in Europe, Japan, in America, places in the Caribbean, all over doing the Father's work," the Rastafarian artiste revealed.

 

"In 2004, we were also on tour for many weeks, we and Morgan Heritage toured Suriname in October, then we and Capleton, CoCo T, and Barrington Levy went to Boston. We left Japan in August and the European tour was mid-December, so we've been doing a lot of work," Warrior King said.

 

Looking to the future, the reggae chanter who also had moderate successes with such songs as Breath Of Fresh Air and Education Is Key, recognises the importance of having a strong presence on the local charts if he is to maintain his popularity at home. "Virtuous Woman and Never Go Where Pagans Go were the two major hit songs I had on the Jamaican scene, even though in Japan where we went last summer, we had a number one song called I Love You.

 

"However, in 2005, we want to get back on the Jamaican charts because I know the people dem hungry to hear from me. Right now, we're working on a soon-to-be-released album entitled Hold The Faith to be distributed by VP Records," Warrior King told Splash. "It is a set weh a deal wid real issues, y'know, because these are the days of judgement, so yuh have to be strong," Warrior King said.

 

Main producers for the album from which the title track has already been released as a single, are Bobby "Digital" Dixon and Sheldon "Calibud" Stewart. Warrior King said he will be touring America and Europe as part of the promotions for the album.

 

The artiste, who will make an appearance on the free concert this weekend to mark the 60th birthday of reggae icon Bob Marley, has recently started a programme whereby he gives inspirational talks in schools. The programme began a week ago in the Olympic Way area at Seaward All Age School. "That is one of my goals for 2005, to go to the schools and reason with the youths them about life, to share with them my experiences, and reasoning with them about the music and Rastafari," Warrior King said.