Splendid
Singers' Showcase for Take Me Away Concert
 If
you're searching for sweet, soulful and stirring
music by some of Jamaica's top artistes, as well
as an opportunity to dress up to the nines and
relax in a comfortable setting, you really should
mark May 27 on your calendar.
That last Sunday in the fifth
month of the year will witness the third staging
of the Take Me Away concert with Richie Stephens
and Friends at the National Indoor Sports Centre.
The likes of Morgan Heritage, Diana King, Karen
Smith, Boris Gardiner, Eric Donaldson and Bunny
Rugs of Third World add formidable star power
to the show's line up. The event is the realisation
of a concept that Stephens had in his mind for
many years, and offers up a stage for the best
local singers with the kind of panache, quality
and standard that the industry, in a biased way,
seems to only reserve for overseas artistes
"There's a shortage for this
kind of entertainment, where people can dress
up and be in a comfortable setting while being
entertained by their favourite artistes from Jamaica.
What I'm doing is presenting our music in its
finest form and not waiting on a North American
artiste to come and be prepared in a way that
we don't do locally," explained Stephens,
one of the nation's leading balladeers.
He added that the concert was
unabashedly about showcasing singers, since there
were not enough shows to push and promote these
artistes. Stephens noted that while promoters
can't be blamed for going after what's hot in
the dancehall to sell the tickets for their shows,
it was up to the singers to take a stand.
To
read more pick up your copy at the nearest bookstore
Children
Home Alone - A Necessary Evil?
 We
all know that it's unsafe, unwise and also illegal
to leave children at home alone, but is it something
we can realistically avoid all the time?
As we often see on news bites
and read in the papers, it only takes a few minutes
of "turning your back" (to go to the
shop or to go fetch some water) for your house
to go up in flames with your children locked inside.
It could be the result of some freakish accident,
or a deliberate action of an inquisitive child,
or even gross negligence on your part. No matter
the cause of the fire, the bottom line is that
many children die each year from fires that were
started while their parents/guardians were away.
Some of the incidents just cannot
be justified. Too many times we learn of mothers
or fathers leaving children alone at night to
"go to a dance or party", with a lit
candle or kerosene lamp as the only source of
light. When these sleepy children awake in the
middle of the night and start searching through
the dimness, scared and disoriented and perhaps
very hungry, is it any wonder that they so often
knock over the candle or lamp?
Sometimes, a neighbour is
asked to "give an eye on dem pickney fi mi
til mi come back", but there is just so much
that concerned neighbours can do to assist children
trapped behind locked grilles, screaming for help
while suffocating from the thick, heavy smoke.
When the parent does return and becomes frightened
out of his or her wits at the sight of the charred
remains of the children (and the imminent consequence
of prison), then it is too late. If I "coulda,
woulda, shoulda"…it's always too late.
To
read more pick up your copy at the nearest bookstore
Keyboard Money
Mike - A Force to be Reckoned With
 If
ever there were three words to describe an individual
who is talented, educated and exploding with knowledge,
Keyboard Money Mike would be the perfect sequence
of syllables.
His name is synonymous with technical
acumen and greatness, as he holds degrees in computer
science, audio engineering and digital filmmaking/multimedia.
He is a genius in the field of entertainment and
a master at bringing ideas to life.
Michael 'Keyboard Money Mike'
Williams hails from the Bronx in New York - the
birthplace and focal point of hip-hop in the late
70's. He has contributed greatly to the growth
of the genre by discovering many hip-hop acts,
including the revolutionary rap artist KRS-ONE.
In his role as CEO and owner of B-Boy Records
back in the day, he was heavily sought after by
aspiring artists who wanted a hook-up with this
platinum producer.
"I was the P. Diddy
of the late 80's early 90's, signing group after
group. Everywhere I went in the city [New York]
people used to come up to me and say they got
this track and they got that," Mike stated
with a thick New York accent.
To
read more pick up your copy at the nearest bookstore
Lymie Murray:
Transcending barriers through music
 Jamaica
is a richly blessed nation that generates many
positive things. Across the length and breath
of this beautiful island is an abundance of talent
that continues to make a meaningful impact on
the country and the world. One such talent is
Paul "Lymie" Murray.
Royal Flat, Manchester is the
cradle that nurtured his lyrical ingenuity and
bellowing melodic flows that seem so comfortably
at ease within the crevices of any reggae beat.
As an accomplished singer,
Lymie has shared the stage with the likes of the
late Dennis Brown, Diana King, Freddie McGregor,
Toots Hibbert and many other influential names
in the music industry. He has recorded three albums
since 1993, beginning with "Happy Days".
This was followed by "Start All Over"
and the critically acclaimed "Only Conversation".
With almost 15 years experience in the business,
his new album is currently being produced by Bobby
Digital and the Brickwall Family and is up for
a March release on the VP Records label.
To
read more pick up your copy at the nearest bookstore
Rohan Gunter rides
Comedy Bus to success
 Comedian
Rohan Oneil Gunter is known for his "Mix
Up Entertainment News'', where he places all local
artistes in a spicy and hilarious news package.
If you catch his act, you will hear that "a
Lady Saw a Bounty Killa running down a Beenie
Man and when she called Lieutenant Stitchie she
only got Voicemail".
At 31 years old, Gunter is enjoying
the fruits of his efforts and working his way
up the comedy ladder after his December 2006 victory
in the first Comedy Bus competition. Johnny (Christopher
Daley) of Si Wi Yah Entertainment is currently
managing his career.
When asked for his reaction
towards winning the competition, Gunter's response
was peppered with media house puns on his exposure
and publicity.
To
read more pick up your copy at the nearest bookstore
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