Ray C - She’s….well…….Racy!

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | September 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Ray-C, born Rehema Chalamila, is at the top of the list for ummm….some pretty interesting music videos. She has more wiggles in her moves than Shakira and Beyonce combined, and she looks good doing it.  That could be due to the fact that she took belly dancing lessons (which she must have done really well in).

Ray-C worked as a DJ on a show, Dr. Beat, for Clouds FM Radio station in Tanzania and took vocal training lessons. The only musician to perform Bongo, Bhangra, Taarab and R&B in one album, she is affectionately known as Tanzania’s beauty queen. To date she has released three albums, Mapenzi Yangu (My Love), Na Wewe Milele (With You Forever) in 2004, and Ray-C. All albums have gone platinum. » Read more…

Tags: , Bhangra, Bongo, DGrilty, Kilimanjaro Music Award, Kisima Music Award, R&B, Ray-C, RF Chord, taarab, Temba, TMK Wanaume

Adina Wins Stars of the Future

Written by Ameyaw Debrah | August 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

After 8 weeks of amazing singing and keen competition, the Stars of the Future grand finale was reduced to a 4-way, 2-round bout between 2 guys and 2 girls namely Anita Gyan, Adina Ndamse, Daniel Netty, and Ike Ologo. But at the close of this game of numbers, the slinky and charming Adina was the contestant that accumulated the most amount votes from the public and the judges to win the coveted recording contract and brand new car.

In the first round, Adina knocked out the competition with her delightful rendition of Rhianna’s ‘Umbrella’. However, Anita’s version of Alicia Key’s ‘No One’, and Daniel’s rendition of ‘Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes’, were not too far behind. Ike seemed to have found the pan-African in him as he did the first of his two African themed songs–Freddie Meiway’s ‘Nana’. » Read more…

Tags: , Adina Ndamse, Anita Gyan, Asem, Bibie Brew, Daniel Nettey, Doreen Andoh, Ike Ologo, Stars of the future ghana, Zapp Mallet

Chris DeShield Going for the Title

Interview by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | August 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Chris DeShield is a talented singer who won the BET ‘Wild Out Wednesday‘ challenge in January this year. He is now pitting his singing talent against previous show winners to go for the ultimate Wild Out Wednesday talent. Jamati talked to him to find out what his life has been like since he won.

» Read more…

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The Talented Ms. Lola Adesioye

Interview by Laura Adibe | July 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Lola Adesioye is a well-published writer who focuses on issues that affect the black community in America.  What people don’t know is that she is also a singer/songwriter who owns her own record label. » Read more…

Tags: , adesioye, lola, Something2say, The Guardian

Abbass Kubaff a.k.a. Doobeez

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | May 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Abbas Kubaff aka Doobeez was born in Nairobi, Kenya in Eastleigh, a rough neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya. He grew up in Kariobangi, South (K-South) and showed an early interest in music. » Read more…

Tags: , , angabanga, arrested development, coolio, Lost Boys, Maxi Priest, nairobbery, nairobizm, the Spooks

Kenna teams up with Zune to offer Custom Digital Media Player

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | February 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Kenna has great crossover appeal and is now partnering with Zune to offer a custom digital media player. » Read more…

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Suzzanna Lubrano - Cape Verde’s Love Songstress

Written by Staff Writer | February 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Suzzana Lubrano is a great songstress with a soft melodic voice. A quick glance at her, and you would think you are looking at Jennifer Lopez. Her mixture of zouk and r&b blend together to give you a calm, soothing feeling. If you want to turn the heat up on a romantic night, put in one of her cds and it will create the mood! A very talented lady, she writes the songs in Cape Verde Creole (which is close to Portuguese), English, and Dutch. » Read more…

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Songbird Uru Makes Sweet Music and Gives Back

Interview by Mwabi Kaira-Murdock | February 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Uru, short for Uruaku is one bad mama jama! This Nigerian beauty’s lyrics sneak up on you and deliver message after message in a sweet yet profound way. Her song, “Wrap Up” is catchy but carries a strong message about protecting yourself from HIV. This self determined African superwoman told us all about how she got started in music, her hidden talents, and what she is looking for in that perfect man. » Read more…

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Chris DeShield - Poised to take BET’s 106 & Park by Storm

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | January 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Chris DeShield is a mild mannered man with a disarming sense of humor.  Born to Liberian parents in a musically inclined family (his brother, Cyrus DeShield, sings with Metro City), Chris DeShield can play the piano and always knew he wanted to be a singer. This multitalented singer has penned songs for  Jennifer Hudson and written with Mario. He has opened up for Snoop Dog, B2K, MC Lyte, and Jesse Powell, to name a few, and has even had a cameo as the boyfriend of the woman that played Eddie Murphy’s wife in the movie, ‘Dreamgirls‘.  » Read more…

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KenO brings R&B Smoothness

Interview by Busola Afolabi | January 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Who is KenO? Who does he sound like? John Legend? Keith Sweat? Or maybe Ne-Yo? It is hard to put a finger on KenO’s sound. And this, readers, is how you know talent. In this day and age of digitized voices, it’s refreshing to hear (and meet) an artist with a unique sound. » Read more…

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Tcheka-Cape Verde’s Batuku Ambassador

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | January 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Tcheka, born Manuel Lopes Andrade, was born in Santiago, Cape Verde. He plays traditional percussive guitar and weaves the batuku style (a style traditional to Cape Verde that was banned by the Portuguese, but continued by the women in the fields as they worked. Batuku is performed with a group of people, mostly women, formed into a circle beating a tchabeta, a percussive instrument traditionally made of tightly rolled panos, a cloth woven in rural Santiago which nowadays have been replaced with plastic bags, which is placed in between the thighs and beat with the hands. On the inside of the circle is a narrator who places a pano around the waist and dances the torno to the rhythm while improvising verses, calling to the circle members who respond while maintaining the poly-rhythmic beat of the tchabetas.) Tcheka grew up performing with his father before launching out on his own at the age of 15 and developing his unique style. » Read more…

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