Cezar bringing soul to reggae music
*His father Rupert Cunningham was a singer/producer/songwriter and also a record label owner. So it came as no surprise that Cezar would follow have followed in his footsteps. Cezar’s musical journey has far from being an easy ride. ‘It has been a struggle for me. I have a formal education in a field where I can live comfortably and I have given that up the certainty of financial comfort for a field of uncertainty. It has really been a difficult journey for me’, Cezar revealed in a recent interview.
Cezar who made his recording debut in 2003, has been getting some attention of late with his single Will You Be which was recorded on the Renaissance label’s Legal rhythm. The song is accompanied by an excellently shot, directed and conceptualized music video, that has been getting a lot of airtime of late.
‘The video was shot in New York in November last year and it was directed by Nadia Sampson and Tim Naylor. The feedback on the song since the video came out, has been tremendous. Interest in the song has really picked up in recent times’, Cezar explained.
Cezar says his mother is one of the persons who has been very supportive of his career choice. He said she keeps him motivated and she has also been the one to encourage him to keep focused.
A former student at Howard University in Washington, USA, Cezar studied architecture. He debuted in 2003 with the song I’ll be dancing which he credits Jazzy T for putting into rotation on ZIP 103 FM. Sexy Ways on the Tunda Clap rhythm later followed. Lay You Down on the Stepz rhythm is probably his better known song.
The talented singer whose material includes reggae, alternative, pop and R&B, Cezar has also written and co written songs for Tami Chynn, Wayne Marshall, Machel Montano and television personality Empress.
Asked how he got involved with the legal rhythm project, Cezar explained ‘Delano and myself have had a long standing friendship and when the rhythm was given to me, the song immediately came to my mind. Will You Be isn’t necessarily about a relationship with someone. It is also relevant when it comes to dealing with matters relating to family or even a friendship with someone’.
Cezar’s debut album is being earmarked for a May 2008 release. The album as well as his latest singles will be available on I-tunes via Rebelmix.
Lefside aka Mr. Evil teams up with Sean Paul
Entertainer Lefside aka Dr. Evil once honed his craft as turntable selector for Sean Paul when the international toaster first hit the road earlier in his career. It came as no surprise when Lefside teamed up with Sean to record the female anthem Back it Up . ‘When I got my record deal with Sequence Records, Sean had suggested that we do a song for my album. Having Sean Paul endorse my single is a real blessing’, Lefside said in a recent interview.
The video for Back it Up was shot last week. It was directed by Kimala Bennett. Bennett has been making a name for herself on the music video circuit having helmed clips including Blaze by D’Angel; Over and Over by Tami Chynn; and You and Me Against the World by Cherine Anderson.
Said Lefside ‘I chose to work with Kimala because I have seen a lot of her video and she knows how to capture concepts. We also had Taneisha Scott who dealt with the choreography for the video’.
Back it Up according to Lefside, has been enjoying solid rotation locally and across the Caribbean. The video is a performance driven one with lots of sexy hot girls.
Lefside who signed with Sequence Records a few years ago, is under the management of Jeremy Harding of 2 Hard Records. Harding also manages Sean Paul.
Commenting on his pending album with Sequence Records, Lefside said ‘I cant really rush the album right now. A lot of maturity took place in my production since I got signed. I was really the one who held back the album. I also have a few projects working on including tracks for Sean Paul’s upcoming album; and starting up my own label, Keep Lef Records. I recently put out a one drop juggling and the video for Fluffy has been getting a lot of love’.
New videos coming for Jah Cure
Jah Cure is getting ready to shoot three music videos this month. The videos are for the songs Journey, Green Grass and So High. So High is a collaboration with rapper Stacks. That video will be directed by Jay Will. Additionally, Jah Cure’s forthcoming album Jah the Universal Cure is set for a July release. On March 29, Jah Cure is set to perform in Grenada , while on May 2 he will perform in St. Maarten.
Mykal Rose rides high with Shoot Out, new album set for release
Mykal Rose has been riding red hot with the song Shoot Out. Currently there is a remix of the song which features Junior Gong. The song is currently number one on the RETV Dancehall Chart.
Mykal Rose a former lead singer for the Grammy Award winning group Black Uhuru, is set to release his first album in ten years. The album is called Great Expectations and will be released through OJ 36 Records. The first single is called Mama Africa.