The latest release of German DJ and producer legend DJ Koze aka Adolf Noise features samples from recordings of Michael »Mikey« Smith’s poem »Mi Cyaan Believe It« (check the original on Youtube).
Along with Linton Kwesi Johnson, and Mutabaruka, Smith is one of the most well-known Jamaican dub poets. He was killed in a political incident in Kingston on August 17th, 1983 (via Discogs) or – as Wikipedia puts it –
Smith was allegedly murdered by political opponents associated with the right-wing Jamaica Labour Party after heckling the Jamaican Minister of Culture at a political rally on August 17, 1983.
The track was released on Koze’s own label, Pampa Records. Watch the video above (via Discobelle).
The citizen’s rights group Jamaicans for Justice recently launched a three-part documentary about police killings in Jamaica.
The documentary chronicles the struggles of three women who have fought painstakingly to get justice for their sons who were killed under suspicious circumstances by members of the security forces.
– via Reggae & Jamaican Film News
On the Man Recordings blog, our friend Daniel Haaksman yesterday published an article after recently meeting his mate Andreas Johnsen in Denmark. Johnsen is a film maker who has made himself a name with documentaries like »Mr.Catra – O Fiel« (2004), »Good Copy, Bad Copy« (2007) and »Natasja« (2008):
When I received a copy of one of Andreas’ recent movies about Danish reggae vocalist Natasja, I was shocked to learn about her fate. Natasja was the voice of one of the biggest dance tunes of 2007, Enur’s »Calabria«. Shortly before the single was released and became a world hit, Natasja, who also been a professional jockey, tragically died in a car crash in Jamaica. »Natasja« very subtly tells her touching life story.
A crying baby that cries no more when daddy put on Bob Marley, an 11-year-old boy that claims being haunted by a ghost, Jamaica’s most wanted Dudus arriving in New York, a tipsy Ricky Trooper dissing the world while playing with a firearm, the Jamaican security forces invading Tivoli Gardens on their hunt for Christopher Coke, PJ Rickards sub-titling Merciless’ Sting 2000 performance, Vogue Italia portraying Jeneil Williams, Kingstonian skaters and bikers, the Last Don and Peter Dean Rickards unearthing video material from his Kingston Signals series. – These were our top 10 Jamaican (non-music) videos of 2010.
Gabriel Heatwave, founder of London’s bashment mashine The Heatwave, reppin our »Life Sweet« shirt in the UK. Thanks, man – Nice one! See you at next year’s Notting Hill Carniveal the latest.
