CHECK out Colours at the Olympia Crowne Hotel, Molynes Road, Kingston.
It is the newest live music centre in the city and one of the few outside Half-Way Tree.
The lounge was packed to capacity Thursday night for the official opening. Spokesman Jason Morris says that the venue will kick-off with Rupert Bent on Thursday nights and jazz sessions on Sundays. At Thursday night's launch, guest acts included Wayne Armond and Seretse Small.
Morris said that the only worry he has about the future of the venue was whether lovers of good music would still enjoy travelling below Half-Way Tree for entertainment. Otherwise, he said, he was fully confident that they would be able to provide the type of music people are searching for.
He said that the next move would be to introduce live music sessions four nights per week.
Morgan Heritage
stages East Fest
MORGAN Heritage will be staging their second East Fest show at the Goodyear Oval in Morant Bay on Saturday, December 30.
East Fest came into being last year as the Morgans' way of "giving back the love we've received from the parish that we've have made our home." That show featured Morgan Heritage and siblings LMS as well as the clan patriach Denroy Morgan, Freddie McGregor, Bounty Killer, Beres Hammond, Yasus Afari and Bushman.
This year's show is expected to be even bigger and better. Details will be made public very soon.
Wayne Wonder launches
new album
WAYNE Wonder's new album, Schizophrenic, was launched on Saturday, November 10 at the Tropicana Club in the Bronx and carried live via Link-Up Radio on 93.5 FM between 10 p.m. and midnight.
Cool Breeze now Yahbreeze
FORMER Tuff Gong International deejay, Cool Breeze, has a new name. It is Yahbreeze, and it appears on his new label, All Arc, which is being distributed by Tuff Gong.
Cool Breeze had recorded for a number of years with Tuff Gong prior to forming his own label. Among his best known singles was Wrong Babylon, which was featured on the compilation Reggae Free Mumia.
Hopeton Lewis
makes the switch
Next time you see Hopeton Lewis in Jamaica, you can bet he will be doing gospel and not rocksteady.
The king of rocksteady, who has been toying with the idea of a gospel career for the past five years, has now released four gospel albums and plans to promote them on his next trip home.
Karen Smith for Caribbean
Jazz Jamz
CABARET star, Karen Smith, is headed for Miami this weekend, where she is scheduled to perform on the Caribbean Jazz Jamz, a monthly jazz series at Stingerz niteclub, Miramar Parkway in Miramar, Florida.
Appearing with Karen will be Eugene Gray, who brought the house down recently when he appeared with Dean Fraser. Gray will join Leslie Butler on keyboards, Jackie Jackson (bass) and Paul Douglas (drums) for what promises to be a spectacular evening of Caribbean jazz at the venue.
The Caribbean Jazz Jamz is held every third Sunday at Stingerz. The objective is to expose Caribbean jazz talent to South Florida fans.
Hottest rhythm
on the streets
THE hottest rhythm on the streets now is obviously Mama. Originally done by Leroy Sibbles and the Heptones for Clement Dodd's Studio One, the rhythm's main single is Just Friends featuring Tony Rebel and Swade and produced by Winston Riley.
Look out for a number of other singles on the same rhythm as it picks up around the dancehalls.
By the way, Dodd and Riley are currently in a dispute over his right to reproduce it, which, we understand, could well end up in court.
