By NAN ET EDITOR
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Mar. 22, 2018: Here are some of the news heating things up on the Caribbean entertainment news scene for this week:
Sean Paul Set To Release Collaboration With Alicia Keys
Dancehall star Sean Paul has confirmed that he will be releasing new music with Alicia Keys.
The Grammy-winning dancehall superstar, speaking with Hot 97’s Rosenberg, revealed that Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys recently gave him a phone call to tell him that they have a song for him. “I just got word from Swizz and Alicia that they got a song for me so big up to them, so it’s coming in, so big up to them,” he said. “I’ve heard the song, and it’s a reggae one drop vibe, and I can’t wait to hit it up, and I can’t wait to get in the studio with them. That’s how they like to work, and I love that vibe.”
Guyanese-Roots Singer Back On American Idol
Orlando-born, Guyanese-roots and last year’s American Idol contestant, Alyssa Raghu, is back on the show this year. The singer re-auditioned this season and received her golden ticket to Hollywood as part of the show’s Top 20 and is set to be on the Top14 live show to sing for America’s votes on the live shows beginning on April 14th.
Buju Banton Next Heads To The Bahamas
After a stellar performance at the historic Long Walk To Freedom Concert in Kingston Jamaica on March 16th, reggae star Buju Banton will now be heading to The Bahamas.
The singer, who thrilled fans with his first show in eight plus years since his imprisonment, is set to perform at the Nassau, Bahamas’ Thomas A. Robinson Stadium on March 30th.
His next concerts are: Port Of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago’s Queen’s Park Savannah on April 21st; Bridgetown, Barbados on April 27th; Paramaribo, Suriname on May 4th; St. George, Grenada On May 11th; Guyana’s National Stadium on May 25th; Tortola, British Virgin Islands On June 15th; Basseterre, St. Kitts on June 29th and Cologne, Germany on July 6th.
Aaron Nigel Smith Tops Billboard Reggae Chart
“In Our America” by Aaron Nigel Smith has debuted at number one on the Billboard Reggae Charts this week, March 22nd. “Get Soca 2019” retained the number two spot while Julian Marley’s ‘As I Am’ debuted at the third spot.
Smith has been working to educate, empower and entertain to youth and families around the world. In 2009, he and his wife of 19 years formed the non-profit One World Chorus with the goal of building bridges internationally through choral singing. In 2012, One World Chorus released a debut CD, Welcome to the Village, to critical acclaim. The 2015 release, Celebrating Bob Marley spent several weeks on the Billboard reggae charts. He also works with Ben & Jerry’s, The Bob Marley Foundation and PYE Global to organize the One Love Youth Camp.
Annual International Reggae and World Music Awards
Shaggy, Sean Paul and Koffee lead the nominations in 37th Annual International Reggae and world Music Awards. Other nominees include Beres Hammond, Etana, Shatta Wale, Beenie Man, Chronixx, Damion Marley and Vybz Kartel, Popcaan, Damian Marley, Capleton, Aidonia, Masicka, Spice, Morgan Heritage and more than 150 other reggae and world musicians.
“It is not just to honor the best of 2018,” commented Founder and President of IRAWMA, Ephraim Martin. “But to salute and honor some of reggae’s foundation members, who are still making a difference in the world of reggae from 1968 to present. This year we had an overwhelming amount of nominations which is a testimony to not only the need for Artistes to be recognized for their work but is evidence of the amount of excellent Reggae and world music makers in Jamaica and around the globe.”
