Dennis Morris is revered for his music photography. After working with legends such as The Sex Pistols (becoming the band's official photographer), Jimmy Cliff, Gregory Isaacs and Bob Marley, the east-ender has etched out an iconic career spanning the years.
Hi, I'm Marvin Sparks and I appreciate all types of music (generic mucho?). You can follow me on Twitter to see the madness I listen to. Some may criticise, but I'm genre-blind; it's all about chord progressions, drums and (in my case) HEAVY bass.
While I say I'm genre-blind, this whole post is about genres. Seems a bit contradictory until I explain why...
"Got any Sean Paul, mate?" is a request most DJs have become familiar with ever since Sean Paul smashed through the mainstream doors with an aunthentic dancehall brand of floor-fillers such as "Gimme The Light," "Get Busy," and "Like Glue" almost ten years ago. Selling in excess of twelve million albums, numerous top ten’s (including four #1's), inspiring pop/R&B (or "dancehall knock-offs" as I call them) smash-hits, in addition to collaborations with icons including Chris Brown, Rihanna, R. Kelly, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Busta Rhymes and Carlos Santana requiring that unmistakable, nasal-induced Patois, dancehall flavour - few predicted these heights during Summer in 2002. 2012 will see the release of the as-yet-untitled fifth studio album lead by UK top 20 Stargate-produced single “Got 2 Luv U” featuring young starlet Alexis Jordan. Oh, and he has a new haircut.
Former US marine Orville Burrell, known to most by his dancehall moniker Shaggy, has reached mainstream heights no other dancehall artist has in terms of mainstream success. Chart-topping singles and album all over the world with a career spanning near 20 years, most notably 2001's diamond-selling Hot Shot which boasted singles "It Wasn't Me" and "Angel" - both in the top five selling singles of the year in the UK.
Summer 2011 sees the release of new EP titled Summer In Kingston lead by single "Sugarcane," a cheeky song about a females addiction to the cane, which is rapidly rising up the reggae charts.
Marvin Sparks recently spoke with the legend himself (yes, it was him) to find out why he started making music, evolving his style, working with Mavado, nerves about performing in the UK this weekend and why he thinks UK artist Chipmunk is "A force to be reckoned with."
Marcia Griffiths is a well-known and established reggae legend in her own right commonly referred to as the Queen of Reggae. She began her career as a solo singer, scored a British top 5 with "Young, Gifted and Black" alongside Bob Andy before becoming 1/3 of the I-Threes a.k.a. Bob Marley's backing vocalists, or his three little birds as he preferred to call them. The Wailers were renamed Bob Marley & The Wailers when Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left and replaced with the I-Threes, recorded what became the transitional album Natty Dread which featured Bob Marley's breakout international hit "No Woman, No Cry" and the rest as they say is history. Well, we are talking Bob Marley where it has become legend.
Marvin Sparks had the pleasure of speaking to Marcia Griffiths to celebrate the 30th anniversary Bob Marley's passing.
[Photo by Michele Roux]
As Anna Omak arrives at a central London location for our interview, I am struck by how positively statuesque she is. Tall and poised, today she favours the simple elegance of dark denim jeans and a black winter jacket whilst sporting a luscious shiny mane of carefully styled afro hair. Her clear, coffee bean complexion brings out her striking bone structure. No wonder British legend Sting was quite smitten by Anna during a chance encounter, claiming if he wasn’t already taken he would have married her.
But it would do a disservice to Anna to let you think she’s just another good-looking chick with vague musical aspirations. A self-taught guitarist, singer-songwriter and vocal coach, she’s the genuine article.
Ten years ago, Rohan Marley, Co-Founder and CEO of Marley Coffee, set out to fulfill one of the visions left by his late father to establish a business centered on giving back to the underprivileged and voiceless. Bob Marley always said he wanted to return to farming one day after his music career was completed, but he never had the opportunity after his passing in early 1981. Here is where the story of Marley Coffee begins.
