Via Man Recordings, I learned about another Jamaica-related documentary of Danish film-maker Andreas Johnsen, the director of »Natasja«. It is called »Man Ooman« and looks at gender relations in JA through dancehall dancing culture.
The film investigates the culture behind dancehall dancing and tries to find out how this dance became as absurd as it is today. It gives a glimpse at what kind of people the dancers are, how they live and why dancing is important to them.
Now, the second Showa riddim is about to drop. It is called the »Showa Step« and features spitters from the UK, the US and Jamaica: Wiley, Joell Ortiz and Einstein with Wayne Marshall providing the hook.
Genres collide when Dancehall meets grime and rap on the »Showa Step« riddim. Three of the best spitters from across the world have their rhymes fused by an infecious chorus from one of dancehall’s hook-masters, and they are all declared global gangstas.
See the promo clip shot in Dylan’s Prodigal studio at upper Constanrt Spring Road above.
Makes me remember the good old days back in 2006 when we used to hang out there sippin Vodka OJ with Dylan and Natalie Storm. Nice 1!
Terry Lynn announces her long awaited return via the dubsteppy new single »Fire« which will be released in early June.
Upfront, we took the chance to get to know what has happened since the release of her last album »Kingstonlogic 2.0«, how touring with Tricky was like and what her goals with her new LP are.
Terry, it has been quite a while since your last album, Kingstonlogic 2.0. Can you briefly let us know what you have been up to since its release?
Since the release of 2.0, it’s been countless touring everywhere across Europe, once across America, and in between time I’ve been here in Kingston writing, then recording new material around tour dates.
What was it like to tour the UK with Tricky?
Ha! well, kinda crazy but a wonderful experience. he’s an iconic character and it was inspiring to tour with him. we were all living on a tour bus and I’ve now certainly learned a few tricks about being on the road…
How did the collaboration originally come about?
In London, I was on the street in front of the studio, I’d arrived before him and was outside catching some air. All of a sudden this guy approached me quick from across the road when I wasn’t looking, I didn’t recognise him, and thought some crazy dude was trying to grab me hollering Terry! Terry! ha…him frighten me so I hollered at him in the street “Yo! Don’t touch me man!” – he hollered back “Bloodclaat Terry a Tricky man, a me!!” -we had a good laugh from it. Cool dude, a family dat.
So will there also be Tricky-produced tracks on your upcoming album?
Yes. The particular track we did that day was IN THIS TIME.
(A snip of that track sneaked into a TV show already:)
Talking about the new album, I would like to look back at the reactions that followed your last LP: I was quite astonished by how much press coverage you got for Kingstonlogic 2.0, even from magazines like Vogue etc. and I imagine that it could turn out really hard to follow up to that success. What are your personal goals with the new album?
I’m really grateful for all the media coverage that came, and my various teams behind the scenes that made it all happen -who I gotta say big respect to. My goal is that I wanna transcend my current environment and evolve. If my last album captured a sense of the wider world around me and the issues that affected my world, my city or my community, with this one I’m trying to balance those issues by also looking in the mirror, instead of constantly pointing outward.
The first single release taken from the new LP, Fire, is produced by High Rankin and therefore, of course, sounds very UKish. Does that reflect the soundscape of the entire album?
High Rankin is the man, but no. The song wasn’t written with the ukish in mind.
Will there be any Jamaican productions on the album, too?
Not at this point.
Anything else to add?
Chicken & Rice Jamaican Spice.
And for the record:
Red Stripe or Heineken?
Mama’s Carrot Juice.
Beenie Man or Bounty Killer?
Major Mackerel.
Bicycle, Benz or Bimma?
MINI Countryman.
Gleaner or Observer?
Star.
Mountains or beach?
The World.
Thanks, Terry! Really looking forward to hear more of that new material!
On April 2nd, TEDxIrie took place in Kingston with the intention
to show the world that Jamaica’s size doesn’t limit what we can contribute globally in all areas of human activity. (via TEDxIrie)
One of the speakers was Ebony G. Patterson – a graduate of the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts who is now Assistant Professor in Painting at the University of Kentucky. Her talk entitled »Fashion Ova’ Style: Conversations of Beauty, Gender & the Masculinity«, looked at
how her art has been influenced by young Jamaican male culture; men who bleach their skin, pluck their eyebrows and wear »bling« jewelry in defiance of racial and sexual stereotypes. (via TEDxIrie)
