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MEDIA RELEASE: New Voices Shine at Honey Jam Auditions

K.F. Cumberbatch
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MEDIA RELEASE: New Voices Shine at Honey Jam Auditions

This past Saturday the Dome Mall played host to the Honey Jam auditions for the 2019 programme.  Some of the music industry reps who made up the panel of judges included artists  Mahalia, Faith Callender, Rubytech, Jabari, Leigh Phillips and Alix Cage, producers Anthony Lohar and Ritchie “Mixy” Greaves, Dancer and Choreographer Aisha Commissiong, musician Andre Clark and Paul Husbands of Selectacharts.

Auditionee Amber Morano. Photography by Bajan Paparazzi. Photo provided by Ebonnie Rowe.

Standout auditionees included Krystal Browne, Amber Morano, Yahande Daniel, Anna Greenidge, Kemba Bobb-Gibson and Andreen McLean.  Two guest Honey Jam Alums, Samaria King and Ashlene Rahman serenaded the audience with beautiful renditions of “A Change Is Gonna Come” and “Only You.”

First time Judge Producer Mixy, who produced Leigh Phillips album Queen was impressed: “I believe that the auditions were truly strong this year. I’ve heard more of a variety of different songs throughout the whole audition process. I attended the auditions for years even before I was a judge, I used to sit down and watch to see the talent and I believe this year I’ve seen one of the strongest years in terms of vocal abilities and song choices as well. I’m very optimistic about what they’re going to be doing in the future.”

Ian Donovan, Dome Mall Manager and Judge Faith Callender. Photo provided by Ebonnie Rowe.

Faith Callender, a repeat Judge and Honey Jam Alum said: “Today we had some very talented ladies coming through, a variety of genres and voices. I’m looking forward to seeing them at the show and interacting with them at the workshops and so on. It’s always great to be a part of Honey Jam.”

Sponsor Ian Donovan, Dome Mall, Massy Properties: “This is the fourth year we’ve done this and it’s always a pleasure to see how much talent we have in the island. We just have so many talented young people. It’s always a pleasure in playing a small part in helping to give people the opportunity to come forward to take that step because there are a lot of people that have the talent but don’t have the confidence. With this avenue, you have the opportunity to learn and grow, receive constructive criticism . There’s a lot of talent, I really enjoyed it. It’s such a great opportunity, you have all the artist workshops, all the things that help you if you’re serious about being an artist and it’s free!”

Andreen McClean. Photography by Bajan Paparazzi. Photo provided by Ebonnie Rowe.

Audiences can expect a return of the well received segment that premiered in 2018 featuring young male artists, affectionately named “Man Jam” promised  Programme Director Ebonnie Rowe who also remarked: “I was definitely impressed with the talent that I saw at the auditions of new artists and am excited to work with them this season.  It’s really a great experience for young creatives to build self esteem and confidence, to receive mentoring, networking, educational and performance opportunities that we would like to continue providing.  To be honest, in this economic climate it’s been very challenging to raise the funds to keep the artist development programme going and we’re appealing for support. This year marks 9 years and we look forward to celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2020!”

For artists who missed the live Honey Jam auditions, Selectacharts is giving them a chance to still be considered if they send a 1 minute video clip along with their photo and bio to selectacharts@gmail.com – deadline Tuesday, September 24, 5pm. All genres of music welcome.

Bajan Dancers to Join The Brooklynettes

K.F. Cumberbatch
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Bajan Dancers to Join The Brooklynettes

The Brooklynettes were back in Barbados on Monday and Tuesday, auditioning dancers to yet again join them for Barbados Night at the Barclays Centre in New York. The six dancers going to New York are Ghelisa Mayers, Eshe Blackett, Cherish Hobbs, Amaris Clarke, Cristiana McConney and Shari Pollard.

Part of an ongoing partnership with the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, this is the second year that the dance team – the official dancers for the Brooklyn Nets – have come to Barbados looking for talent. The Barbadian dancers they chose last year were Aisha Comissiong, Zhane Padmore, Asha Weekes, Nandi Yard, Keisha Dowridge and Shameka Walters. Five of them were on hand at this week’s auditions as judges.

The auditions were held at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination in two parts. At the end of the first day of auditions, finalists were chosen for call backs the next day.

Five of the six dancers – Eshe Blackett, Cherish Hobbs, Amaris Clarke, Cristiana McConney and Shari Pollard – are part of Trident Productions, a local talent agency representing dancers, choreographers, models, cheerleaders and musicians. Trident’s CEO, Justin Poleon, was just cast in the Madrid production of the Lion King stage musical.

Ghelisa Mayers is a member of local dance group Riddim Tribe which had three dancers – Aisha Comissiong, Zhane Padmore and Nandi Yarde – join the Brooklynettes last year.

Criscia Long, the Director of Entertainment for the Brooklynettes, spoke to Barbados Today saying, “We’re always nervous coming here not knowing about the dance community but they are bringing it. They are doing great.” The team’s coach, Ashley Singh added:

“Everyone has a fun energy and vibe. Right now the abilities in the advanced levels of dance are really high. The fact that these ladies are taking the time to come out and again, the steps are being executed really well.”

Bajan Dancer Joins “The Lion King”

K.F. Cumberbatch
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Bajan Dancer Joins “The Lion King”

Justin Poleon, local dancer, choreographer, pageant coach and CEO of The Aesthetics and Trident Productions, has been cast in the Spain production of Disney’s hit musical The Lion King. El Rey León in Spanish, it started in 2011 and it was the first ever Spanish-language production of The Lion King. It has been staged in Madrid’s Teatro Lope de Vega ever since. It is Spain’s longest running production.

Poleon is an alumnus of the local Louise Woodvine Dance Academy and graduated valedictorian from the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. He has participated in the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) numerous times, winning gold and receiving the Arden Clarke Founder’s Trophy. Poleon won Flag Person of the Year at this year’s Kadooment. He was the flag person for Fifth Element Mas.

Earlier this year fellow Barbadian Du-Wayne Hinds joined the UK production of the Lion King as part of the ensemble and as the Simba understudy.

MEDIA RELEASE: The Search Is On For All Music Genres at September 21 Honey Jam Auditions!

K.F. Cumberbatch
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MEDIA RELEASE: The Search Is On For All Music Genres at September 21 Honey Jam Auditions!
Fresh off of a successful Canadian season which saw for the first time, a Barbados artist, Leigh Phillips, take to the Canadian stage and also be able to benefit from mentoring, networking, educational and promotional opportunities in that market, the Honey Jam Barbados season kicks off with auditions coming up Saturday September 21, 5pm at the Dome Mall!   Artists are asked to arrive 1 hour early at 4pm to register.
Mahalia, Faith Callender, Rubytech, Anthony Lohar, Jabari, Leigh Phillips, Aisha Commissiong, Alix Cage, Paul Husbands and Andre Clarke, are some of the music industry reps who will make up the lineup of judges.

Artists chosen for a coveted spot in the 2019 developmental programme will also attend a series of workshops including Vocal & Performance,

Songwriting and an industry workshop.

The auditions are open to the public who are encouraged to come out and cheer on the young artists.  All genres of music are welcome, including hip hop, soca, reggae, jazz, gospel, rock, pop, rnb, dance, opera, soul, country!

All details can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/2498527033547017/  All queries can be directed to honeyjambarbados@gmail.com

To keep up to date on all activities please follow us on instagram  @honeyjambdos

Sundown Superhero Drops New Music Video

K.F. Cumberbatch
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Sundown Superhero Drops New Music Video

Barbadian pop-punk band Sundown Superhero dropped their latest music video late this morning. The video, which was shot in Toronto during their The Rum and The Reckless summer tour in June, is for the first single from their sophomore EP For What It’s Worth, “Endless Summer.”

In the video, the boys suit up and get ready to head out to their actual, in real life, day jobs; Emile (vocals, guitar) is a doctor, Craig (bass, vocals) is a pilot and Philip (drums) is an office worker. Intercut with the boys’ not so great starts to their work days, the band is seen performing. Bored, Emile texts Craig and Philip and the three meet up to go to the studio and perform in front of a crowd.

The video was directed by Nicholas Collier and shot by Jaiden Reese and Conor Forrest with director of photography Brandon Keeney.

Follow Sundown Superhero:
Instagram
Facebook
Official website

Watch the music video for “Endless Summer” below:

MEDIA RELEASE: Leigh Phillips Shines on Honey Jam Canada Stage!

K.F. Cumberbatch
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MEDIA RELEASE: Leigh Phillips Shines on Honey Jam Canada Stage!
Leigh Phillips performing at Honey Jam Canada.

For the first time a Barbadian artist graced the stage of Honey Jam Canada last week in Toronto.

Leigh Phillips, an alum of both Honey Jazz and Honey Jam Barbados, gave a powerhouse performance of her songs Sunrise and Coconut Oil to a roaring crowd in the packed Mod Club Concert Theatre.

The Barbados Consul General in Toronto Sonia Marville Carter was in the audience and said “Leigh was superb! It was my pleasure and honour to be able to hear her perform. Honey Jam Canada 2019 was truly awesome!”

Leigh was excited about her performance saying:

“I was so honored to represent my sisters from Honey Jam Barbados for the first time in Canada. The experience was exhilarating!!! I felt confident and beautiful on stage. The audience was really receptive and engaging to original music that they’ve never heard before so I’m really happy with the performance and that I was able to give them a Bajan experience. A lot of people came up to me afterwards and said how much they enjoyed the performance and that it was mesmerizing. Mission accomplished! Overall it was a fantastic night, all of the girls did an amazing job and they were all so truly supportive to each. That’s what Honey jam is all about: that sisterhood. A big thank you to Ebonnie and the team for having the confidence in me to make me a part of this year’s show and to provide amazing developmental and networking experiences.”

Ebonnie Rowe with Minister Marsha Caddle and Consul General Sonia Marville Carter

Honey Jam was started in Canada in 1995 as a non-profit developmental programme for aspiring artists to provide educational, networking, mentoring, promotional and performance opportunities. Founder and producer Ebonnie Rowe said:

“I’m so proud of Leigh! She was a standout at the Concert and really made an impression. I’m so glad that in the short time she was in Canada that she was also able to perform at Barbados on the Water, take part in our songwriting camp, appear in a NIKE promotion, have her songs pitched to a major label, have vocal and performance coaching, attend an info session run by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for content creators, build her Canadian followers and fan base, attended industry workshops, media interviews, press articles, networking sessions, artist talks and mentor café’s. It’s been quite whirlwind of activity but she was up for it and soaked it all in, taking full advantage of every opportunity and making the most of it. I’m confident she’s going to go far – she’s got the talent, the drive, the passion to go for it!”

Leigh Phillips with other Honey Jam Canada performers

MEDIA RELEASE: Mahalia’s Corner Marks Ten Years with a Special Season

K.F. Cumberbatch
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MEDIA RELEASE: Mahalia’s Corner Marks Ten Years with a Special Season

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Wednesday, August 28th, 2019 –It’s been ten years running for the popular music and poetry festival Mahalia’s Corner and its founders, the band 2 Mile Hill, are launching this year’s season with a throwback show on Tuesday, 3rd September at the place it all started, Marina Bar and Restaurant or the old Bump ‘n Wine as it was called a decade ago.

Kweku Jelani

The first show featuring musical guest Kweku, an open mic and performances by 2 Mile Hill is call the Origin Story. It marks the beginning of a season celebrating the evolution of a movement the band started to give young artists a platform to hone and demonstrate their craft and seasoned performers a safe space to show a different, more vulnerable side to their audiences.

In addition to the first show, the four-week festival will include a series of weekend shows at the Errol Barrow Creative for Creative Imagination, starting with featured guests Lead Pipe and Saddis on September 7th and 8th, followed by Edwin Yearwood on September 14th and 15th. Doors open at 7pm, with a start time of 8pm. The Sunday show will be a repeat of the show on Saturday. 

The Mahalia’s Corner  “Tenniversary” will climax on September 22nd at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre with an all-star cast of ten performers who have graced the Corner stage over the years: Betty B, Bobo, Ch’An, Iron Pipe, John Yarde, Khiomal, Lil Rick, Rhesa Garnes, Teff and RPB.

Mahalia Cummings.

 2 Mile Hill’s Front Woman, Mahalia, said it’s a surreal feeling to think so much time has passed between the conceptualization of what seemed like a small idea and now. “It’s amazing to see where it is now and how much it’s grown,” she continued.

 “I feel really grateful for the support we’ve received from friends, fans, family, and artists that needed a platform to stand on and a place to grow,” Mahalia expressed. “Just knowing that it is still necessary keeps me inspired and motivated to continue.”

 She added that this Season will be full of surprises. She was particularly excited to see what new talent the Open Mic segment of the festival uncovered and also to expose a fresh crop of upcoming local stars in the Spotlight Artist segment which became a part of the showcase a few years ago.

 “My adrenaline is very, very, high going into the first show, the throwback show. I think it will set the bar high for the rest of the Season,” she said.

The ‘Queen’ Has Arrived

K.F. Cumberbatch
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The ‘Queen’ Has Arrived

Six days ago, as promised, Leigh Phillips released her first full length album – Queen – on August 15th. The album is available on all major music streaming platforms. It consists of nine tracks, three of which include features with Barbadian artist Russell Blackman and Jamaican artists Jamila Falak and Indie Allen. Barbadian musicians Isobella Burnham (bass and guitar), Jerome Waithe (guitar) and Jazz Gittens (keys) play on the album.

Speaking to Zeitgeist, Phillips stated:

“It has been a pleasure to work with so many of my friends to bring Queen to life. I have good relationships with everyone on the album outside of music. Everyone brought their A-game to the tracks, Queen was built on a love for good music and friendship. I appreciate that they all believed in my concept and were readily willing to align their brands with my own.”

Queen dropped in the middle of Phillip’s Toronto tour, which ends on August 28th and began on August 3rd. She performed tracks from Queen for the first time during the Barbados on the Water Festival in Toronto. She sang “Align” at the opening reception on August 16th and again on August 17th, when she also sang “Sunrise” and title track “Queen”, as well as her single “Coconut Oil”, “Burn” from her self-titled debut EP, Leigh, and a cover of the Annie Lennox version of “I Put a Spell on You.”

She will be performing “Sunrise” and “Coconut Oil” on August 22nd at Honey Jam Canada. She is the first Honey Jam Barbados alum to cross over to its Canadian counterpart. As part of her involvement with Honey Jam Canada, she was introduced to Universal Music Canada A&R Director Ivan Evidente by Honey Jam founder Ebonnie Rowe and was able to send him the album and meet with him.

Phillips worked with Ritchie “Mad Mixy” Greaves at Diverse Hit Studio in St. Philip to produce the album and co-produced the tracks “Sunrise”, “Tribe” and “First Kiss.”

She said that the concept of the album is that “From Sunrise to Moonlight you are a Queen” and described it as being about “raising a generation of women who know their value and understand that despite their journey, or any mistakes they’ll make, at the end of the day they’re Queens.”

“It was really about showing how self-perception affects everything. So because I’m a Queen, because I believe in my value, I approach my problems with confidence, I understand that my mistakes do not have to define me, I have reciprocal relationships with my friends and even in love I know my worth because every Queen needs a King. I wanted to make an album that had a vibe and yes, made people move, but also nourished their spirits and instilled hope.”

On Sunday “Sunrise” was featured on Fresh Air, a weekend morning show on CBC Radio One in Canada. It was the first time Phillip’s music was played in Canada.

See below for the full tracklist.

A Very, Very Slow Rise

Kofi Jones
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A Very, Very Slow Rise

Rise 2019 brought with it a truly star-studded cast, with tonnes of local and international DJs and Soca artists. Kensington Oval was transformed on the night of the show and the VIP area truly made us feel special; the food was great and there were zero waits at any of the bars despite the VIP being packed at the end of the night. I must also commend the ease of which it was for media to travel to and from VIP, backstage and truly wheresoever we pleased. 10/10 on that.

However…

Everything felt…rushed…

I’m not sure what the setback was, but DJ Salt was on the stage for what felt like way over his allotted time. Which led me to assume that maybe some acts would have to be sped up, or cut. It surely felt that way after a while.

Kicking things off was Miss Rhea Layne who had a brilliant set. It was the second time I saw her perform for the season and I must say that she can command a stage and work a crowd. She was followed by Verseewild and his son Xtra Wild. It was a good performance, but honestly felt like three minutes long. I know they’re not exactly the highest sought after soca artists in Barbados, but it felt like both J’Slo and Rhea Layne had a longer set. Which wasn’t exactly unwelcome, but felt odd – a theme for the majority of the night. Mahalia and a very pregnant Nikita followed and both performed beautifully. The previously mentioned J’Slo came at this point and was fairly decent.

Remember when I said everything kind of felt rushed? LIke three lines ago? Well an entire Stiffy, performed for what felt like six minutes. While I get that he didn’t have the liveliest 2019, he still has an insane catalogue of music, right? Surely that plays a part in performance time. It’s not just that he has the catalogue, but his songs are crowd favourites and still hype up any party. I just think it was super weird, man. About his actual performance though? It was  Stiffy. The man hard! I don’t think he has ever had a bad performance.

Quick so, on the heels of Stiffy, we went straight to DJ Puffy. No break. Nothing. Just a truly crazy opening, shelly selections and a crazy, over all,D set. Which brings me to my next concern of the night:

The chemistry between the MCs felt so off.

Individually, I think Ci Ci & Kirk Brown are great, but together it just felt…off. Looking at the running order, the original female MC had to have been Dutchess, but I guess she couldn’t make it on the night? Again, it felt really off.

Moving on to the good of the night, we had Barbados’s uncle, Red Plastic Bag, followed by Marzville and Hypa Sounds. All of them were great, but I have to admit that I am honestly tired of seeing Marzville shirtless (lol). I know it’s not for me, but, cheeze-on man.

Up next we had Big Red the DJ! He had a lot of bashment songs a couple of years back so it’s cool to see hi – oh wait. Big Red the female Guyanese soca artist? Oh.

I found it mighty brave to put her on at this time. I get that you’d put international artists later down for whatever reason, but this truly brought the crowd to a low. I hardly saw any people reacting to this performance, and it was like fifteen minutes long. I don’t know if I agree with the stage manager’s decision on this one. At this point as well, it was late in the night, which had loads of patrons feeling disgruntled.

Asa Banton followed Big Red but he has an insanely popular song out right now – “Do Something Crazy” – which he performed and it really brought the energy back up to a peak.

Following this, every performer had the same rushed feel as before. Edwin, Lil Rick, Patrice, Mikey and Farmer Nappy all felt like they had around ten minutes each or so. They were all great performances and barefoot Patrice is my favourite Patrice.

One point I have to make though, is that I really didn’t enjoy DJ Dynasty’s set. It didn’t feel prepared, his chemistry with the MC felt off. Just all in all, not the best set.

The event climaxed with Skinny Fabulous, followed by Bunji and Fayann. This was the 29289th time I saw Skinny Fabulous for the year and I would pay to see him again next week. Man is just hype. Bunji is also just on another level.

I don’t think anyone can say they didn’t get their monies worth. But I think the stage needs to be better organized in the coming years. I hope the Rise next year is done a bit more slowly.

Leigh Phillips Announces Upcoming Album

K.F. Cumberbatch
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0
Leigh Phillips Announces Upcoming Album

On Wednesday local Soul and R&B singer-songwriter Leigh Phillips announced the imminent arrival of her first full length album, Queen. The album – which will be released on all major music streaming platforms next Thursday, August 15th – will include nine tracks and three features. The album was produced by Mad Mixy. Phillips shared a preview of one of the songs from the album, “Sunshine”, on her social media.

This isn’t the first time that Phillips has released a collection of music. In September of 2017 she released her debut EP entitled Leigh, which featured three tracks – “Burn”, “Alone” and “45”. The following December she was chosen to represent Barbados on Club One New Releases; a Canadian TV series which pairs Canadian and Caribbean musicians who are tasked with writing and performing new, original, music that is a fusion of their styles.

Last summer she released her first music video, for her single “Dislocated Love.”

Keep with with Leigh Phillips on social media:
Instagram
Facebook

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