Cherine set to headline Philadelphia Caribbean Festival
Jamaican Dancehall-Soul star Cherine Anderson will be one of the headlining acts at this years 25th Annual Philadelphia Caribbean Festival.Cherine has been making major strides on the reggae/dancehall scene both locally and internationally and is gearing up to release her much anticipated debut album later this year. Though this is her first appearance on The Annual Philadelphia Caribbean Festival, she is no stranger to the City of brotherly Love having first performed at Penns Landing in 2008 when she toured with Reggae Legends Sly & Robbie.
In 2010 she performed to a near capacity crowd at the Wachovia Center in downtown Philadelphia, when she opened with Michael Franti & Spearhead for the multiplatinum-selling star John Mayer on his Battle Studies North American Tour. She most recently came through town with fellow reggae star I-Octane at The Blockley.
Buju tranasferred to Mississippi
Embattled Reggae superstar, Mark Buju Banton Myrie has been transferred from the County Jail in Tampa Bay, Florida to a correctional facility in Mississippi where he will serve his ten-year prison sentence.The internationally acclaimed singer will serve his time at the Adams County Correctional Center in Natchez, Mississippi after it was discovered that there was a shortage of beds at the Florida facility. Judge James Moody originally insisted during Bujus sentencing that he should serve his sentence in a Florida prison but due to this technicality, the Bureau of Prisons have decided to move the Grammy winning sing jay.
Buju was originally sentenced to ten years in prison for drug related charges stemming from a December 2009 incident in which he allegedly conspired to organize a drug deal in a police controlled warehouse. Buju will not be allowed to record any new material in prison but has since implied that he would pursue a Masters Degree in Economics & political science. An appeals case spearheaded by Bujus lawyers is still on the cards.
Are gospel reggae artists sounding too secular?
For years there has been a debate over whether or not these nowadays reggae gospel artists are sounding too much like secular ones. For some reason, this debate has intensified recently as Bonitto Hassock releases a Dennis Brown cover track, without your love, and Ryan Mark locks his hair.Some persons within the gospel community are of the belief that what todays gospel artists do and how they do it is irrelevant as long as they win souls for Christ. While others think that it is imperative that they uphold the tradition, sound and style laid out by gospel artists of yesterday.
In speaking with Bonitto Hassock, he said he enjoys redoing older songs whether they are lovers rock or soul music. And regardless what the public has to say he plans on releasing more cover tracks. That being said, he was very clear about his love for Christ and his desire to sing gospel, he just does not plan to limit himself.