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REGGAE UPDATES FROM JAMAICA: Posthumous Billboard hit for Danish reggae singer
*In her lifetime, Danish reggae singer Natasja never scored a hit song. She however made some inroads when she came to Jamaica in 2006 and entered the Red Stripe Irie FM Big Break talent competition, where she placed first from a field of more than 20 entrants.
A year later in 2007, the petite singer who also mastered the art of deejaying (Jamaican term for rapping), was killed in a motor vehicle accident in my hometown of Portmore, St. Catherine. She was returning from the popular Portmore Awards stage show held less than a mile from where I reside.
Fast forward to 2008, and Natasja has scored a big hit on the US Billboard charts.
The recording Calabria 2007 which is credited to Enur featuring Natasja is currently a smash hit. The song has already created mayhem across Europe charting as high as number 29 on the European Hot 100 Singles chart in late 2007.
Calabria has lived many lives since it was first created as an all-instrumental club track in 2002. The UK-based dance label Ministry of Sound released a remake of the song (by DJ Alex Gaudino featuring Crystal Waters which stormed its way to number three on the UK Singles chart last year), Enur's Calabria 2007 has made it American shores through a release by New York dance label Ultra Records.
Calabria 2008, as it is now known, holds firm at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, and has gained support from mainstream and rhythmic top 40, dance and Latin radio. Calabria is currently the number one song on Billboard Dance Music Airplay chart.
Calabria 2007 was recorded in May of 2007. New York based Billboard chart topping rapper MIMS is featured on a remix of Calabria 2008.
Sean Kingston sells multi-platinum, nominated for awards in Jamaica
Sean Kingston’s debut self titled album has to date sold more than seven million copies worldwide. Discovered on the popular social networking site, MySpace, Kingston has become a force to be reckoned with since his debut outing was released in July of 2007 via Epic Records.
In a just five months, Kingston has accrued more than 7 million worldwide sales of ringtones, ringbacks, singles and albums in physical and digital sales for songs including his global chart topping single Beautiful Girls. That song went to number one in 21 countries around the world. His second hit Me Love was also a gold certified hit. His latest top ten hit Take You There has also gone gold. That single is currently number ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
Additionally, Sean is featured on Natasha Bedingfield’s latest hit “Love Like This.”
Kingston is now wrapping up a national US tour with Grammy-nominated R&B singer Chris Brown, following a national tour with Gwen Stefani. In March, Sean will kick off an international tour performing throughout Europe, Australia and Asia. That tour will run until Spring.
Kingston has been nominated in the “Outstanding New Artist” category for the 39th NAACP Image Awards that will air live on Thursday, February 14 on FOX. Kingston recently won the US Teen Choice Award for Choice R&B Track for Beautiful Girls. Last year he won the UK MOBO Award for Best Reggae Act.
Top 10 reggae/dancehall songs for 2007, according to the Jamaica Observer daily newspaper
Empire Army- Vybz Kartel
Produced by Stephen McGregor, this song became Kartel’s street anthem for 2007. He was at his lyrical best with this catchy tune from the Dark Again rhythm.
What I’m Gonna Do- Bugle
The doors to success appeared to have been bolted on Bugle for years. Fast forward to 2007 and a collaboration with the hot and in demand Daseca team saw the doors flung wide open. The strength of What I’m Gonna Do and his subsequent releases are justification to Bugle’s recent win at the Jamaica Observer Teenage Choice Awards.
Bubble Like Soup- Timberlee
A song written during the hurricane in Florida in 2005, became the breakthrough hit for university student Timberlee Heaven. It became a sort of empowering song for the ladies, reinforcing their presence in the dancehall.
Pon Di Gullyside- Mavado
Sure he’s had a number of hits all year round but none came closer to the impact created by this Dane ‘Fire Links’ Johnson produced ditty. Pon Di Gullyside became a slang for many of the country’s innercity youth.
Daddy Don’t Touch Me There- Queen Ifrica
Controversial subject matter that got ample airtime. It cemented Queen Ifrica as an artiste with substance, relevance and talent.
Back it Up- Beenie Man
Beenie came, saw and conquered with this ambitious tune that got more than its fair share of rotation on radio and in the dancehall. Female dancehall fanatics embraced this tune with open arms.
Fallen Soldiers- Demarco
Quite a touching song which became quite relevant with the numerous homicides in Jamaica on a weekly basis. The song not only became Demarco’s breakthrough hit, but it also garnered him a three album deal with the US based Koch Records.
She’s Royal- Tarrus Riley
So powerful was this song that organizers of both major beauty pageants here in Jamaica, used it as their theme on their coronation nights. Tarrus has arrived!
The Days- Busy Signal
A comeback hit for Busy Signal, where we saw him a different light both lyrically and musically. Hands down this song was hardcore reality at its best!
Tek Weh Yuself- Mr. Vegas
Quite possibly the biggest dance song for the year that even dancers felt they should be capitalizing on its success. This song kept Vegas on a roll during the first half of the year.
Honorable mention: Dance- RDX: The industry slept on them for years when they were known as Xsytement Gang. Dance gave RDX the lift they needed to reach the heights that they craved for.
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