Shanti's Mailbox - Reggae-Dancehall News Bulletin On Radio Razo [8th March 2018]

Shanti's Mailbox - Reggae-Dancehall News Bulletin On Radio Razo [8th March 2018]





Author: [Regula Rebel, CEO of 13play]
Reader: Abena Mandy
News Platform: Radio Razo [105.2 on Either or 103.8 on Cable]
Online Listening: razoamsterdam.nl or salto.nl

Main Radio Show: Thursday Night Showcase
Thursday Night Showcase Host: GrandMasta Blayz
Time of Show: Thursdays, between 9pm and 11pm GMT.
Radio Razo Location: Amsterdam



1. Ras Kuuku, Ghana's recent fastest rising reggae star has landed a new record deal with Sabaman Entertainment, a record label based in New York.


Sabaman Entertainment unveiled Ras Kuuku this afternoon at the Alisa hotel in Accra.

The unveiling was witnessed by invited bloggers, print media writers and some industry gatekeepers.



2. Just yesterday, DJ Nature Won, a renowned reggae-dancehall DJ in Ghana faced worse accusations by some reggae-dancehall artistes who resented that he doesn't list their songs on his mixtapes.


The DJ has released 6  mixtapes out of a promised 48 for the year, some of the  artistes whose songs aren't listed on these 6 releases are the disgruntled ones. They feel DJ Nature Won has no liking for their works and so took to Facebook to pour their resentment.


According to the goodhearted DJ, he is running a cycle of 48 mixtapes this year and he has all the reggae-dancehall artistes in mind. He made it understood that his is a serial release project thus he has stocked up a bunch of songs for his next mixtapes, so no artiste should feel left out or biased against.



3. Irie Ites Studio, currently the most prolific riddim production label in Africa has hinted the reggae masses about the release of its pending Mystic Roots Riddim album.


The Mystic Roots Riddim album is a project of over a dozen songs performed by different reggae artistes except the track "Dark High" which has rap bars spat on it by Ghana's reggae-hip hop artiste called Cruked Route.


The album is laid with tracks by Gavana, Osagyefo, Konkarah, Scata Bada, Da Governor and others.


The official date for the release isn't made public yet.



 4. As sound system clash has for decades been a strong competition for selectors to prove their sound system is the very best at play, most average reggae-dancehall partisans complain the practice is boring these days.


Many are of the judgment that dubplates aren't super entertaining like they used to be decades ago and so more 45's should be allowed to played at clashes so the competition can be enjoyed the more.


On a poll ran by Shanti's Mailbox as to whether 45's and specials should be married for sound system clash, die-hard fans of clash retorted that 45's should be ruled out during a clash, instead specials should be the order of the game.


Some fans, considering the high cost of specials, suggested the marriage is necessary, as not every sound system is rich enough to afford several dubs for their arsenal box.



5. In November 2014, the Jamaican journalist and biographer, Totto Helix documented over 300 active reggae-dancehall sound systems in Japan and even wondered greatly at the higher shocking degree of influence reggae and dancehall have had on the Asian continent.


Today, the the Asian continent has increased its fascination for the duo genre that it can be considered as a fast cash spot for reggae-dancehall artistes. Shanti's Mailbox is therefore urging all reggae-dancehall artistes and stakeholders to make the Asian continent a priority to rake in big revenues like how Europe's strong fascination for reggae and dancehall has been capitalised upon by artistes like Chronixx, UB40, The Marley's, Protoje, Kabaka, Skara Mucci, etc.



6. Recently, news reached our Mailbox that African reggae and dancehall artistes don't make it to the international apex and questions were asked as to what causes that.

Shanti's Mailbox is making it clear that the African artistes are equally good but the cause for their inability to crack the globe centers around weak promotional strategies and how the world has for a mighty long time relied too much on Jamaican artistes.


Should talent hunters look to Africa to invest in developing artistes,  the continent's reggae and dancehall will come up close to the level Jamaicans have raised theirs.




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