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Trinidad and Tobago Uncrowned Queens Carnival Soca Blog 13thStreetPromo 13thStreetPromotions Caribbean Covid 19 Pandemic

“Uncrowned Queens” To Provide Entertainment During The Pandemic

Posted on by swadedavillain

Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Keith Rowley’s October 2020 announcement that, “Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago in 2021 is not on” has not stopped local artistes and Carnival stakeholders from keeping the culture and festivities of the season alive. Among them stands Warrior Empress, who, in collaboration with Music Mill Studios will present Uncrowned QUEENS – a virtual musical concert featuring some of Trinidad and Tobago’s most promising Female Calypsonians; this event will be live streamed via YouTube from 8PM (AST) on Friday 5th February 2021.

No stranger to the Calypso arena herself, Warrior Empress (whose birth name is Allison Bernard) has been singing professionally for the past fourteen (14) years. She sang out of the Kalypso Revue from 2015 to 2019, was finalist in The NWAC Calypso Queen Monarch Competition from 2010 to 2019 – placing 2nd on two (2) occasions 3rd on another, and was also the First  Reserve at The National Calypso Monarch Finals in 2019 with her own composition ‘The You in You.”

Showing her true warrior spirit, Bernard is not one to retreat when faced with challenges. In a statement to the media Bernard said she was inspired to produce this show “on the heels of one of the governing body for the Carnival stating that they would not be holding any [Carnival related] activities… not even virtually.” With three (3) successfully produced online events under her belt: With Women In Mind’ – a Mother’s Day Concert in May 2020, ‘Vocals and Steel’ – a Father’s Day Concert in June 2020, and ‘Rise Up’ – an Emancipation Concert in July 2020, in addition to an ongoing, online weekly talk show entitled “The Feminine Drive” Bernard saw this statement as an opportunity to innovate, and “keep the spirit of Carnival alive in a new way”.

Continue reading ““Uncrowned Queens” To Provide Entertainment During The Pandemic” →

Jamaica Akiba Abaka Raw Management Agency 10 Weeks In Jamaica Theatre 13thStreetPromotions 13thStreetPromo Caribbean Oliver Samuels Fae Ellington Shebada Simone Harris Karl Williams Webster McDonald

Simone Harris, Karl Williams & Webster McDonald To Appear On @AkibaAbakaArts & Raw Management Agency’s Weekly Talk Series!

Posted on by swadedavillain

“10 Weeks In Jamaica: Theatre Conversations from Jamaica to the World!” is a lively series of weekly discussions  with Jamaica’s leading theatre artists exploring the histories and memories of–and visions for–the Jamaican stage. Produced by Boston-based international theatre production company Akiba Abaka Arts, in partnership with Kingston, Jamaica-based talent agency and production company RAW Management, the series aims to connect Jamaican theatre artists with a global platform of theatre makers looking to gain new knowledge, share best practices around progressive theatre-making, and engage members of the greater Caribbean Diaspora longing for familiar stories of home.

“10 Weeks in Jamaica” weekly conversations can be streamed live each Sunday at 4 PM; previous episodes of the series featuring Oliver Samuels O.D., Dr. Brian Heap, Dr. Deborah Hickling-Gordon, and Fae Ellington are available for on-demand viewing on the Akiba Abaka Arts YouTube page here.

   The next conversation on Sunday, December 20 at 4 PM is Queer NARRATIVES FROM THE JAMAICAN STAGE and brings together a mix of theater practitioners, academicians and playwrights with Jamaican backgrounds including: Karl Williams, an award-winning actor, director and playwright who serves as Deputy Chair of the Speech, Communications and Theatre Arts Department at Borough of the Borough of Manhattan Community College/City University of New York; Webster McDonald, a Jamaican theatre practitioner and educator who is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Theater and Dance at the University of Kansas; and Simone Harris, a Maroon activist, queer dance artist and business consultant. The conversation is moderated by Jamaican-American theater entrepreneur, actress and director Akiba Abaka.

Upcoming programs in the series include:

Sunday, December 27, 4PM EST

LEADERS OF A NEW STAGE

Speakers: Evone Walters, Andrew Barracks and Rayon McLean

Sunday, January 3, 4PM EST

AFRO-FUTURISM AND THE JAMAICAN STAGE

Speakers: Tanya Batson Savage and Michael Holgate

Check out previous episodes below, and share with a friend. Show us some love/follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @13thStreetPromo.

Continue reading “Simone Harris, Karl Williams & Webster McDonald To Appear On @AkibaAbakaArts & Raw Management Agency’s Weekly Talk Series!” →

Jamaica Akiba Abaka Raw Management Agency 10 Weeks In Jamaica Theatre 13thStreetPromotions 13thStreetPromo Caribbean Oliver Samuels Fae Ellington Shebada Simone Harris Karl Williams Webster McDonald

Orville “Xpressionz”, Neila Ebanks & More To Appear On @AkibaAbakaArts & Raw Management Agency’s Weekly Talk Series!

Posted on by swadedavillain

“10 Weeks In Jamaica: Theatre Conversations from Jamaica to the World!” is a lively series of weekly discussions  with Jamaica’s leading theatre artists exploring the histories and memories of–and visions for–the Jamaican stage. Produced by Boston-based international theatre production company Akiba Abaka Arts, in partnership with Kingston, Jamaica-based talent agency and production company RAW Management, the series aims to connect Jamaican theatre artists with a global platform of theatre makers looking to gain new knowledge, share best practices around progressive theatre-making, and engage members of the greater Caribbean Diaspora longing for familiar stories of home.

“10 Weeks in Jamaica” weekly conversations can be streamed live each Sunday at 4 PM; previous episodes of the series featuring Oliver Samuels O.D., Dr. Brian Heap, Dr. Deborah Hickling-Gordon, and Fae Ellington are available for on-demand viewing on the Akiba Abaka Arts YouTube page here.

The next conversation on Sunday, November 29 at 4 PM is titled Dancehall Reggae and the Nettleford Effect.  The sounds and movements of Dancehall Reggae music scores the landscape of Jamaica’s cultural identity. Rooted in the Afro-Jamaican Kumina and Mento traditions, this form of popular music is among the country’s largest exports. The Honorable Rex Nettleford, OM, FIJ, OCC – a Jamaican scholar and choreographer, and co-founder of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica – shared philosophies on the importance of contemporary Jamaican music and its linkage to pre-colonial African societies. He expressed these philosophies through dance theatre and a rigorous support for the arts in academia, as well as in the shaping of Jamaica’s national identity.

 Sunday’s conversation brings together three beneficiaries of Nettleford’s legacy for a conversation on how Dancehall Reggae shows up on the Jamaican stage: Orville “Xpressionz” Hall, artistic director for Theatre Xpressionz and chief judge for Jamaica’s number one dance program “Dancing Dynamite”; Marlon D. Simms, Dean of the School of Dance and Artistic Director for the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica; and Neila Ebanks, a dancer, choreographer and educator considered one of the Caribbean’s most innovative performing artists. The conversation is moderated by Jamaican-American theater entrepreneur, actress and director Akiba Abaka.

Upcoming programs in the series include:

Sunday, December 6, 4PM EST

JAMAICAN PLAYWRIGHTS ANSWER GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (PART 1)

Speakers: David Tulloch and Fabian Thomas

Sunday, December 13, 4PM EST

JAMAICAN PLAYWRIGHTS ANSWER GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (PART 2)

Speakers: Dahlia Harris and Amba Chevannes

Sunday, December 20, 4PM EST

QUEER NARRATIVES FROM THE JAMAICAN STAGE

Speakers: Karl Williams and Webster McDonald

Sunday, December 27, 4PM EST

LEADERS OF A NEW STAGE

Speakers: Evone Walters, Andrew Barracks and Rayon McLean

Sunday, January 3, 4PM EST

AFRO-FUTURISM AND THE JAMAICAN STAGE

Speakers: Tanya Batson Savage and Michael Holgate

Check out previous episodes below, and share with a friend. Show us some love/follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @13thStreetPromo.

Continue reading “Orville “Xpressionz”, Neila Ebanks & More To Appear On @AkibaAbakaArts & Raw Management Agency’s Weekly Talk Series!” →

Jamaica Akiba Abaka Raw Management Agency 10 Weeks In Jamaica Theatre 13thStreetPromotions 13thStreetPromo Caribbean Oliver Samuels Fae Ellington Shebada Simone Harris Karl Williams Webster McDonald

Glen “Titus” Campbell & More To Appear On @AkibaAbakaArts & Raw Management Agency’s Weekly Talk Series!

Posted on by swadedavillain

“10 Weeks In Jamaica: Theatre Conversations from Jamaica to the World!” is a lively series of weekly discussions  with Jamaica’s leading theatre artists exploring the histories and memories of–and visions for–the Jamaican stage. Produced by Boston-based international theatre production company Akiba Abaka Arts, in partnership with Kingston, Jamaica-based talent agency and production company RAW Management, the series aims to connect Jamaican theatre artists with a global platform of theatre makers looking to gain new knowledge, share best practices around progressive theatre-making, and engage members of the greater Caribbean Diaspora longing for familiar stories of home.

“10 Weeks in Jamaica” weekly conversations can be streamed live each Sunday at 4 PM; previous episodes of the series featuring Oliver Samuels O.D., Dr. Brian Heap, Dr. Deborah Hickling-Gordon, and Fae Ellington are available for on-demand viewing on the Akiba Abaka Arts YouTube page here.

Each week the series explores a different theme based on the history of Jamaican theatre, and contemporary narratives presented on the Jamaican stage. The next conversation on Sunday, November 22 at 4 PM titled THE BUSINESS OF THE JAMAICAN STAGE (JAMBIZ) features Lenford Salmon, Company Director for Jambiz International Ltd. and national adjudicator for the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Speech and Drama competitions; Glen “Titus” Campbell, renowned international actor who became a household name among Jamaicans for his show, “Titus in Town”; Boston-based actor, director and educator Magalie Neff; and Andrew Roach, founder and director of The Jamaican Shopping Club. The conversation is moderated by Jamaican-American theater entrepreneur, actress and director Akiba Abaka.

Upcoming programs in the series include:

Sunday, November 29, 4PM EST

DANCEHALL REGGAE AND THE NETTLEFORD EFFECT

Speakers: Orville Hall, Marlon Simms and Neila Ebanks

Sunday, December 6, 4PM EST

JAMAICAN PLAYWRIGHTS ANSWER GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (PART 1)

Speakers: David Tulloch and Fabian Thomas

Sunday, December 13, 4PM EST

JAMAICAN PLAYWRIGHTS ANSWER GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (PART 2)

Speakers: Dahlia Harris and Amba Chevannes

Sunday, December 20, 4PM EST

QUEER NARRATIVES FROM THE JAMAICAN STAGE

Speakers: Karl Williams and Webster McDonald

Sunday, December 27, 4PM EST

LEADERS OF A NEW STAGE

Speakers: Evone Walters, Andrew Barracks and Rayon McLean

Sunday, January 3, 4PM EST

AFRO-FUTURISM AND THE JAMAICAN STAGE

Speakers: Tanya Batson Savage and Michael Holgate

Check out previous episodes below, and share with a friend. Show us some love/follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @13thStreetPromo.

Continue reading “Glen “Titus” Campbell & More To Appear On @AkibaAbakaArts & Raw Management Agency’s Weekly Talk Series!” →

Jamaica Akiba Abaka Raw Management Agency 10 Weeks In Jamaica Theatre 13thStreetPromotions 13thStreetPromo Caribbean Oliver Samuels Fae Ellington Shebada Simone Harris Karl Williams Webster McDonald

.@AkibaAbakaArts Partners With Jamaica’s Raw Management Agency For Weekly Talk Series!

Posted on by swadedavillain

“10 Weeks In Jamaica: Theatre Conversations from Jamaica to the World!” is a lively series of weekly discussions  with Jamaica’s leading theatre artists exploring the histories and memories of–and visions for–the Jamaican stage. Produced by Boston-based international theatre production company Akiba Abaka Arts, in partnership with Kingston, Jamaica-based talent agency and production company RAW Management, the series aims to connect Jamaican theatre artists with a global platform of theatre makers looking to gain new knowledge, share best practices around progressive theatre-making, and engage members of the greater Caribbean Diaspora longing for familiar stories of home.  

“10 Weeks in Jamaica” weekly conversations can be streamed live each Sunday at 4 PM; previous episodes of the series featuring Oliver Samuels O.D., Dr. Brian Heap, Dr. Deborah Hickling-Gordon, and Fae Ellington are available for on-demand viewing on the Akiba Abaka Arts YouTube page here.

Each week the series explores a different theme based on the history of Jamaican theatre, and contemporary narratives presented on the Jamaican stage. It runs through January 3, 2021, with the next conversation on Sunday, November 15 at 4 PM titled JAMAICAN ROOTS THEATRE, THEN AND NOW featuring three of the country’s best-know actors: Keith ‘Shebada’ Ramsay, Maylynne Lowe and Volier ‘Maffie’ Johnson. 

Upcoming programs in the series include:

Sunday, November 22, 4PM EST

THE BUSINESS OF THE JAMAICAN STAGE (JAMBIZ)

Speakers: Lenford Salmon and Glen “Titus” Campbell

Sunday, November 29, 4PM EST

DANCEHALL REGGAE AND THE NETTLEFORD EFFECT

Speakers: Orville Hall, Marlon Simms and Neila Ebanks

Sunday, December 6, 4PM EST

JAMAICAN PLAYWRIGHTS ANSWER GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (PART 1)

Speakers: David Tulloch and Fabian Thomas 

Sunday, December 13, 4PM EST

JAMAICAN PLAYWRIGHTS ANSWER GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (PART 2)

Speakers: Dahlia Harris and Amba Chevannes

Sunday, December 20, 4PM EST

QUEER NARRATIVES FROM THE JAMAICAN STAGE

Speakers: Karl Williams and Webster McDonald

Sunday, December 27, 4PM EST

LEADERS OF A NEW STAGE

Speakers: Evone Walters, Andrew Barracks and Rayon McLean

Sunday, January 3, 4PM EST

AFRO-FUTURISM AND THE JAMAICAN STAGE

Speakers: Tanya Batson Savage and Michael Holgate

Check out previous episodes below, and share with a friend. Show us some love/follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @13thStreetPromo.

Continue reading “.@AkibaAbakaArts Partners With Jamaica’s Raw Management Agency For Weekly Talk Series!” →

Jamaica, Dancehall, Reggae, Gospel Music, Dub Music, Music, Blog, 13thStreetPromotions, 13thStreetPromo, Dale Virgo, D.A. Jay, Ch4se, Ghana, Ghana Music, Gypsy Dread, Start A Fire, Closer, Caribbean, Dale Dizzle Virgo, Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, AWAL, Distribution Deal

.@DZLRecords Links Distribution Deal With @AWAL

Posted on by swadedavillain

Kingston based Record label DZL Records has been one of the institutions that has released quality music over the years. Founded by Producer Dale “Dizzle” Virgo, the label has been behind the releases of hit singles by Christopher Martin, Jahvinci, Chronixx, Kim Nain, Delando Colley, Ce’cile, and many others. The label looks to take things to another level with their recent partnership with International Music Distributor, AWAL.

Short for “Artist Without A Label”, AWAL is considered an alternative to the traditional music label. A division of Kobalt Music Publishing, AWAL provides global music distribution, A&R services, Promotions, Public Relations, and many others, and is at the forefront of technology, empowering artists, and driving transparency across the industry. DZL Records is one of the first Jamaican Record labels to take advantage of this partnership, and “Goodie Goodie” by Scantana is the first release through it.

DZL Records has been enjoying a successful 2020 thanks to their many music releases. Singles that have been circulating include Starr Dane’s “Talk Dem A Talk”, Laty Kim’s “Gi State”, Ce’cile’s “Occupied”, Delando Colley’s “Blaze It Up” featuring Dale Virgo, and Starr Dane’s “Urgency (State Of Emergency)” featuring Dale Virgo and Scantana. On the production side, Dale Virgo lent his sound to Bounty Killa and Agent Sasco’s “Freedom”, Tanaania’s “Boss” featuring Ce’cile, and handled mixing and mastering for Popcaan’s long awaited “Fixtape” project. In addition to music releases this year, DZL Records launched their “Riddim Saturdays” online series, and looks to cover more ground with their “Upful Vibes” Podcast series which is currently streaming on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

For updates on upcoming releases and more, visit DZLRecords.com, and follow the label on Twitter and Facebook at @DZLRecords, and on Instagram at @DZLRecords876.

Continue reading “.@DZLRecords Links Distribution Deal With @AWAL” →