Sizzla Kalonji, one of the most prolific leaders of the conscious reggae dancehall movement, will be performing at this year’s St. Kitts Music Festival, which starts on Thursday 24th June to Saturday 26th June.

Born Miguel Collins, Sizzla has released more than 45 solo albums and more than 15 combination albums, crossing different genres of reggae music. Sizzla is among the reggae artistes credited with leading a movement toward a re-embracement of Rastafarian values in contemporary reggae music. He has recorded material that is concerned primarily with spirituality and social consciousness, through the exploration of common Rastafarian themes, such as “Babylon's corrupting influence,” the disenfranchisement of the youth, oppression of the “black ation” and Sizzla's abiding faith in Jah and resistance against perceived agents of oppression. He owns the record company, Kalonji Records; which in a joint venture with Damon Dash Music Group and KochRecords, released the critically-acclaimed album, The Overstanding” in November 2006.

“There is very little doubt that Sizzla Kalonji is one of the most revered conscious reggae artistes,” said Faron Lawrence, chairman of the Executive Committee of the St. Kitts Music Festival. “That is why his inclusion in the 14th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival certainly was an easy decision to make, for we expect Sizzla to reinforce the fact that the St Kitts Music Festival is a spectacular musical show, which blends rich exciting music with exhilarating performances.”

The reggae legend has cemented his greatness for this generation and many generations to come with breakthrough albums like Black Woman & Child in 1997, the classic Da Real Thing in 2002, and the Rise To The Occasion in 2003 by dancehall producer Don Corleon..

He now resides in Harare, Zimbabwe after this year in May he was given a farm there, for his performance at Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe's Now in its 14th consecutive year, the festival attracts both residents and visitors alike and is known for featuring rising local talent alongside internationally-renowned acts. It features a mix of musical styles on the popular market, including R&B, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Soca, Calypso, Gospel and Contemporary, to name a few. Past artists have included such prominent acts as John Legend, T-Pain, Michael Bolton, KC & the Sunshine Band, Wyclef Jean, Ne-Yo, Air Supply, Dionne Warwick, Billy Ocean, Sean Paul, Boyz II Men, King Konris, Stephen Marley, Regina Belle, Maxi Priest, Biggie Irie and Lord Nelson.

Philipp Lahm lead Die Mannschaft out in their opening World Cup match against Australia and captained his side to an emphatic 4-0 victory over the Socceroos. Goals from Podolski and Klose in the first half, and then Muller and Cacau in the second half showcased Germany's dominance and superiority over technically inferior opposition..

Australia, on the other hand, will be having a hard time picking themselves up after this result. A crushing defeat in their opening game, and a straight red card shown to their talismanic midfielder Tim Cahill, means the Socceroos must be favourites to finish bottom of the group, especially with Serbia and Ghana still on the horizon..

What does it mean, though, this result for Germany? While they looked very convincing going forward, with an excellent fluidity to their play through the midfield and into the front four, they were almost completely untested at the back. Australia's formation was essentially an awfully defensive 4-6-0, and they made absolutely no impact at all going forward. Manuel Neuer, who would be third choice if Rene Adler was fit and if Robert Enke would be alive, made only one real save today. Going into the next two group games, very little may change. Serbia and Ghana will be pressed back by Germany's front four, and Schweinsteiger and Khedira in the midfield will control possession with their battling mentality and passing ability, so when will Germany be tested?.

Many consider this Germany side to have only a small chance of making a Ballack-esque 'big impact' on this tournament. After injuries to number one goalkeeper Rene Adler, Heiko Westermann, Simon Rolfes, Christian Traesch, and obviously ex-captain Michael Ballack, many football fans around the world had written Germany off. But, after today, we have seen fantastically talented younger players like Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller, Sami Khedira, Holger Badstuber, and Lukas Podolski, and while they may not yet be household names, they will certainly become that as the tournament wears on..

But I digress. Germany should take maximum points from their remaining two group games, and then will most likely play USA in the round of sixteen. The US gave England a run for their money just days ago but I doubt they will give Germany so much trouble. Germany's fluidity of passing and movement throughout midfield and through the front four should be too much for USA to handle..

Now, with Germany looking at an almost assured quarter-final spot, confidence in the German camp will be very high after what should be four exciting wins for the Nationalelf. But where are Germany's weaknesses? When will they be exposed? Are they as good as they looked against Australia?.

If you can bet on anything, you can bet on the fact that the Germans will be prepared for anything. Despite them being a very young squad on average, they have all the same characteristics of great German players like Lothar Matthaus and Michael Ballack. They are determined, they are clinical, and they know what is at stake. I don't see this German side being slowed down by any team who performs less than extraordinarily..

‘Give a man enough rope him sure fi heng himself’, is a famous Jamaican proverb I learnt from my grandmother.  I’m sure if she was still alive she would use Jamaica’s current Prime Minister, Mr. Bruce Golding as a perfect example of someone working hard to prove that proverb true. The problem is how many Jamaicans does he intend to take down with him. Obviously he never grew with his granny or she would have told him, ‘Yuh play wid puppy, puppy lick yuh face’. Translated that means you play with fire, you will get burnt.

 

In August 2009 the United States government made an extradition request for Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke. Since then every day we keep reading and hearing of the numerous accusations against him, yet for nine months Mr. Golding did everything in his power to shield this individual. It was only after he was cornered that he decided to allow the courts to make a decision on the extradition request. But he could not even handle that correctly. Or was it a deliberate action to give ‘Dudus’ warning of the pending arrest by making a public announcement of the arrest warrant being signed. Either way many Jamaican’s paid dearly with their lives.

 

To add insult to injury, the nation is now being asked to pay dearly to clean up Mr. Golding’s mess.  Money is needed to rebuild Tivoli Gardens, physically and socially. Tourism needs money to rebuild Jamaicans image. Do we have our house in order as yet, is the timing right to start an image campaign even though ‘Dudus’ is still on the loose and further flair ups is a very real possibility. Clearly the Minister of Tourism, Edmond Bartlett is going ahead regardless.

 

What is really frightening is the constant revelations of just how involved the current Government is with this ‘Chirstopher ‘Dudus’ Coke and how much of tax payers money he is getting through government contracts to companies connected to him and his partner, west Kingston businessman, Justin O'Gilvie. Companies such as Bulls Eye Security Services Limited that is contracted to provide security services to the St. William Grant Park and the Downtown Transportation Centre. Incomparable Enterprises Limited is another company owned by the two which has been given several government contracts. I would not be surprised if there were many more. What does surprise me is that so far I have not heard of any move to seize or freeze Coke’s assets.

 

 So, when will Bruce Golding make the final tightening of the noose? The opposition tried to bring a no confidence vote against him in Parliament but his party protected him. As my granny would sey, ‘Birds of a feather flock together’. But I’m confident that Mr. Golding will eventually ‘heng’ himself. After all, ‘Cock mout kill cock’, (translated that means to betray oneself with careless chatter) and Mr. Golding is master at that. Maybe then Jamaica could begin a meaningful healing process. Maybe we can form a coalition like the United Kingdom using the best from each party to form a true Jamaican Government.  

 

Nuff Love

Jamaica Unite! This is the song penned by Lawman Lynch, hoping and wishing for a new Jamaica. Fear, uncertainty and reflection have enveloped Jamaica in the wake of the West Kingston unrest. Many Jamaicans questioned how we lived and how we treat each other.

Moreover, the music fraternity has been going through its own special troubles – with another artiste, Ding Dong, barred from travelling to and performing in Trinidad just this week. Beenie Man, Bounty Killer and others have had their visas revoked barring them from the lucrative American market. It is a time to look inward, reflect and change.

Lawman Lynch, a national youth advocate, penned this song after his own car was firebombed after expressing a forthright opinion on the Prime Minister’s resignation on current affairs program, Direct. He could have concentrated on his disappointment at the postponement of his charity concert, Music for Life - for the Lawman Lynch Foundation. Instead he brought the artistes together to sing a song of hope and togetherness for this island of Jamaica. Yellowman, D’Angel, Hezron, Raine Seville, Gabriel aka Levardes, Neil Amos, Kimberley Nain, Hodari and others are all on the song. The song is being produced by Mafia McKoy of Loud Disturbance Records.

The contributions don’t stop there! Veteran artiste, Yellowman is even putting up money to get a video done. “Recognizing the importance of unity and togetherness in this time of hardship, I had to put in my contribution as well. Especially as an artiste, we in the music need to pull together now more than ever”.

To show the unity of Jamaica in the face of all that we have suffered and continue to feel, the group – Lawman Lynch and friends – is coordinating a move for all radio stations to play Jamaica Unite at the same time – next Wednesday (June 16th) at 2:15pm.

Ok this week is gonna be a very sporty week and I will begin by speaking about one thing that I should've posted from the weekend but just never got around to doing, and that is with regards to the West Indies and their massive beat down at the hands of a much better and much hungrier South Africa squad. I'm pretty sure most of the people who read this site see cricket and start to groan instantly and complain about how it makes no sense anymore and that its a waste of time, but sadly I cant say that I am one of them. I am one of the lone people who still watch cricket and as games end I need to speak my mind about the team and their performace.

Quite frankly the teams performance sucked... There is no other way to put it. I am not one to sugarcoat things as anyone who has read my articles will realize, and the only way to properly describe the performance of the West Indies would be poor and nothing for the team members to be proud of. It seems to me that the West Indies have mastered the art of pulling defeat from the clutches of victory, as was shown in the latter 3 one day matches. One can only hope that the embarassment which they faced as a result of the continued white washes over the years will somehow spur them to victory.

**Taken from Jamaica Gleaner

Two many times have the windows fallen as victim to misfields, poor batting, and even poorer bowling. How many catches were dropped during the series. One may remember in game 3 I think, where around 2 key catches were dropped on Amla, Duminy and Kallis... the same players who almost singlehandedly beat down every single score set by the West Indies. Especially Hashim Amla, I think only once did he manage to not score less than a half century. How can one expect to win a game if they cannot take control of easy opportunities to win, or at least put themselves in an advantageous position.

Then there is the batting performance. Am I the only one who realizes... No wait everyone realizes because the commentators say it. Does the West Indies team realize that in every instance where Chris Gayle fails to perform the entire team quickly collapses? I mean previously when we had an on form Chivnarine Chanderpaul, and an on form Marlon Samuels, and even further back to when we had Brian Lara, where Chris Gayle failed, there was somebody to pickup the slack, somebody would at least give some form of competition to the opposing team. Compare that to the final one day, only 2 people managed to put up a reasonable score in Chanderpaul and Deonarine, one middle and one lower order batsman out of a team of 10 batsmen. While South Africa (who's captain is also on poor batting form currently) has managed to at every game pull out at least 4 reasonable batting performances even while they were staring defeat in the face.

**Taken from Jamaica Observer

I really dont even want to go into the bowling and the fielding setup. Where it seems that the field is set to allow the opposing team to make as many runs as possible (albeit through singles) through a defensive setup, instead of an attacking setup forcing the batsmen to go on their back foot and rethink their strategy. The bowling is also quite tasteless and is simply not really that challenging, it is very rarely that you see some change in bowling line or length to through the batsmen for a loop. Is it that our bowlers simply cannot do it? I would disagree with that based on the fact that on occassion you do some some stroke of brilliance from the bowlers, and when that stroke of brilliance that comes out most of the times somebody is taken out.

What is it that makes Austrailia, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan different from the West Indies? Is it talent? Is it money? Is it skill? Is it staffing? I dont believe its any of that, we do have the talent, and we do have the money and the staff (look at how many past greats are still around today, why is Michael Holding still commentating instead of teaching the players how to bowl like he once did?), but still we are losing. I think it is none of the above, instead it is simply that we dont have the will or the drive to win anymore.  All in all however, this white wash is simply another disappointment and embarassment to West Indians all over the world.

Coming hot on the heels of their exciting Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall Competition, Magnum Tonic Wine will be launching yet another phenomenal promotion, which no doubt will have their loyal consumers asking for more.

The brand, which has been associated with undiluted energy throughout the years, has also become a staple among their consumers because of its ingenuity to seamlessly fuse charity with entertainment and this "Under The Cap", (UTC), promotion is yet another example of how the brand supports its consumers.

For the UTC Promotion, consumers will certainly be able to win in a big way, because they will be able to win free Magnum after obtaining specially-marked 10th Anniversary caps, as well as two daily cash prizes of $10, 000. It doesn't get any better than that.

According to Kaysia Johnson, category manager at Lascelles Wines and Spirits, distributors of Magnum Tonic Wine, "Magnum's aim over the years has always been consistent with the needs of our consumers. When they need entertainment, we always identify ways in which we can provide great entertainment that they will never forget. In addition, consumers are people and people have needs and one universal need will always be money. So many would have noticed that since we embarked on our 10th anniversary celebrations last year, we have been habitually providing ways in which we can give back to our consumers, and Magnum "Under The Cap" is a fine example of that: it's both entertaining to them but they also stand to gain a tremendous amount of cash if they win."

The promotion which has been entitled "Money Long and Magnum Strong" will last from June 14 - August 14 and in order to win, all persons will have to do, is collect three (3) of the specially marked caps and place them in an envelope marked with their name, address and telephone number. They will then drop it off at Irie FM, 1B Derrymore Road. If they have been selected, someone from Irie FM will call at 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday for the chance to win the $10, 000. If the call goes unanswered, the envelope is discarded and another winner will be chosen. Once the call is answered, the winner must state the Magnum Tonic Wine tagline, "Energy When You Need It" in order to collect the prize money. Additionally, winners can contact Whistling Frog in order to collect the cash prize.

Not to be left out, the winners of the Magnum Kings and Queens competition who won by landslide votes, Bumpa and Press Fyah, will be the faces of this year's Magnum Under the Cap "Money Long and Magnum Strong" promotion. Still, that's not all - patrons will be able to re-live the memories and see some of their favourite contestants perform live as the promotion progresses.

What can we expect in terms of tactics from this World Cup? In 2006 we saw a lot of 4-5-1's and 4-4-2's. How much scoring will we see? Will we see more defensive-counterattacking yin or more attack-mined yang? Let's take a look at tactics in regards to formations and style of play. Please keep in mind, these groupings are on my best guess what each manager will use. This is what we'll see.

We'll group formations into three categories: "More-Offensive", "More-Defensive", or "More-Balanced". "More-Offensive" formations include three 4-3-3's (including Portugal and both Greece and Denmark who are not exactly attack-minded), one 3-5-2 (Uruguay), and one 3-3-1-2 (Chile). These formations are termed "More-Offensive" because they allow more players to get forward. It doesn't look like many teams are taking chances with more offensive-minded formations. That's just five out of thirty-two.

"More-Defensive" formations include seven 4-2-3-1's (Australia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Holland), one 5-2-3 (New Zealand), and one 5-3-1-1 (North Korea). These formations are considered defensive in nature because six of the players are in more defensive-oriented roles. Some of these 4-2-3-1's may be more flexible 4-5-1's that allow quicker counterattacks. And, although 4-2-3-1 provides more cover with the option of two defensive/holding midfielders, Mexico, Holland, and Germany will probably have a more offensive-minded or at least balanced style of play. New Zealand and North Korea will play five at the back out of necessity. Nevertheless, nine out of the thirty-two formations expected to be used are "More-Defensive".

More than half the teams this time around will have what we'll call a "More-Balanced" formation. By this, meaning at least four at the back and where the two central midfielders provide a balance between creative play-making and defensive holding by either having two well-rounded midfielders or dividing-up the creative play-making and defensive holding duties. They include sixteen 4-4-2's (Algeria, Argentina, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, England, France, Honduras, South Korea, Nigeria, Paraguay, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, United States) and two 4-1-3-2's (Ghana & Spain). It makes sense to see a variety of styles of play being deployed by these teams given the flexibility in utilizing a 4-4-2.

What do we see in terms of style of play? We'll group styles of play into three broadly-based categories. Teams that want to initiate offensive either by possession or more attack-minded play we'll call "Offensive-Minded". Teams that like to sit back and absorb what a team throws at them and then hit on the counterattack via the spaced created we'll call "Defensive-Minded". Teams that do a variety of both we'll call "Balanced".

If we break things down this way, we see things similar to the formations, although they don't match-up exactly. We have eighteen "Balanced" styles of play (Algeria, Argentina, Cameroon, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, South Korea, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, United States, & Uruguay), eleven "Defensive-Minded" styles of play (Australia, Brazil, Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Japan, North Korea, New Zealand, Paraguay, & Switzerland) and three "Offensive-Minded" styles of play (Chile, Mexico, & Spain). Again, we see lots of balance, some defensive-minded teams, and little offensive focus.

So what does all this mean in terms of scoring in the World Cup? Mourinho's Intermilan beat Barcelona 3-1 in their first leg of the Champions League Semi-final using a very defensive counterattacking style and a defensive 4-3-1-2 formation, so being more defensive and counterattack-focused may not necessarily mean less goals.

The majority of teams have balanced formations and styles of play. Like vs. like often means fewer points of weakness and fewer spaces to exploit on the field. So if we are judging by formations and styles of play alone we'll probably see a little less scoring than hoped for. But, that will be alright because a final of Brazil and Spain would create a lot of potential for scoring and drama between Brazil's defensive counterattacking yin and Spain's possession-based attacking yang.

Romain Virgo’s debut album, an embodiment of his skillful vocals, social awareness and boyish is available today (June 08) in stores and online. The 15 track project has been hailed by industry insiders as the most anticipated Reggae album for 2010.

The album is aptly named Romain Virgo, as it uncovers and demonstrates the depth of Romain’s talent. The project was released by VP Records in both digital download and cd copy format. Digital download fans may order their copies through itunes.com, planetreggae.com, or amazon.com, which also facilitates ordering of the physical copies of the album. The CD will immediately be available at the JNR and FYE stores in New York, and at Newberry Comics in Boston, before they become distributed through more outlets later.

“I am really excited about it,” notes Romain about the album’s release. He declares that there is a unique blend of messages to which his fans can all relate. “I hope it’s an album that will live long, because of the type of music and the messages that are in most of the songs. I write things that people experience every day, so even those after me will relate to it.” Romain Virgo boasts 15 tracks, with collaborations from Etana and Cameal Davis. The album features productions from known and experienced hit-makers in the business such as Donovan Germain of Penthouse, Shane Brown of Juke Boxx Productions, and Dawin Brown of Vikings Sounds. Romain Virgo is laden with solid hits some of these singles already released and have ridden the local and overseas charts, blended with some less familiar but equally well arranged tracks.

Among those in the line-up are, Mi Caa Sleep, Wanna Go Home (Rain is Falling), Murderer, Love Doctor, Who Feels It Knows It (featuring Etana), and Live Mi Life.

Romain has always been known for maintaining above average standards since his official entry into the music business in 2007. Throughout the Rising Stars talent competition which brought him to national attention, he was a cut above everyone, and at 17, managed to charm the ears and hearts of the nation for the victory. Since then, he has been working with a few of Jamaica’s best producers who have molded him into the star he is today. Romain Virgo is a talented and vibrant artiste who is steadily gaining widespread recognition for his quality music. He is currently pursuing a Diploma in Music Performance at the Edna Manley School for the Visual and Performing Arts, after which he plans to complete a Bachelor's degree. His formal training and immense natural talent have allowed him to become attuned to making hits and delivering star performances. He has made several television appearances where he debuted as lead singer of his high school choir on All Together Sing. Based on his success there he entered the Digicel Rising Star Competition and emerged the winner.

Romain was also featured in a high profile Pepsi advertising campaign. He has also performed on some of Jamaica’s major concerts including Rebel Salute, Reggae Sumfest, and the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival.

The artiste has done several tracks, some with accompanying music videos, that are extremely successful not only in Jamaica, but across the Caribbean and sections of North America. Cyaan Sleep, I Wanna Go Home, and Love Doctor for example were heavy hitters on music charts in the US Virgin Island, St Croix and in the UK.

The Jamaica senior national women’s Basketball team has started preparation to qualify for the 2012 World Olympics Games, to be held in London, England however the team is having difficulty securing funding to pay for basic necessitates like team uniform, equipment/balls, transportation, team insurance and accommodations.

Led by veteran national representative Simone Edwards, a US based basketball player who recently retired from a professional career with the WNBA Seattle Storm basketball team, Edwards is using her celebrity status to raise awareness about the team’s plight and the urgent need for financial help for the team.

“I appeal to all Jamaican companies and individuals at home and in the Diaspora to rally around the team and give us some financial support. Without funding our Olympic dream will not be realized. Sports has brought Jamaicans globally a sense of national pride and joy. Win or lose our athletes - in track & field, football, netball, cricket and swimming - have all done their best to make our country proud. I am just exhausted begging for support to represent my country each time we have to compete in a championship” a frustrated Edwards declared.

Although both male and female teams will begin their quest to compete at the 2012 Olympics, the men’s team has no problem securing sponsorship dollars even though the female team is ranked higher.

“I know there may never be equality with the men but at least there should be some sense of parity” she noted.

This summer, the team will represent Jamaica in two major tournaments to be held in Puerto Rico: the Centro basket Tournament from July 10 through 14 – top four teams qualifies for the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship which is the final qualifier for the 2012 World Olympics; and the Central American and Caribbean Games from July 15 through August 1 – qualifier for the 2011 Pan American Games. The squad will compete against perennial powerhouses Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago and US Virgin Islands. The team is half-way towards their goal, but to get there they must compete in Puerto Rico and the Centro Tournament.

During the weekend of June 28 –July 7, 2010, the team will be hosting try-out sessions in the New York/New Jersey area for both competitions. Despite a four year hiatus from international tournaments, the women’s team is ranked by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) - the sport’s controlling body - as one of the top 50 female basketball teams in the world, and eleventh among the Caribbean/Latin American and North American/Central American countries. This ranking was based on their third place finish at the 2006 Centro Basket tournament held in Mexico City, and an eight place finish at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship.

The Chairman of the Board of Sagicor Life Jamaica, the Hon. R. Danny Williams, announced the appointment of Mrs. Jacqueline Coke Lloyd to the Board of Directors effective March 25, 2010. Mrs. Coke Lloyd joins with more than 25 years of experience in the corporate world. Her areas of expertise include general management, human resource management and industrial relations.

Mrs.Coke Lloyd is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) where she served for 10 years. During that time she was influential in advocating and facilitating improvements in employer-employee relations and general productivity in the workplace. Before working with the JEF, she worked as Personnel, Internal Relations and Administration Manager with the Thermoplastics Group of Companies, and as an Officer of the National Investment Bank of Jamaica (NIBJ).

Recently, she founded Make Your Mark Consultants (MYMC), a corporate support firm of which she is a partner. In addition to her professional commitments, she remains committed to her family, which consists of husband, Evon Lloyd, and their three children.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Sagicor Life Jamaica Richard Byles, said Mrs. Coke Lloyd is a welcome addition to the Board. "Mrs. Coke Lloyd's experience and expertise will bring great value to the organization. We welcome her to the Sagicor Life Jamaica family," he commented.

Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited (SLJ) is the foremost life insurance company in Jamaica. Since it began operations in 1970, it has gained a solid reputation as an innovator and market leader in the Caribbean life insurance industry. The company was recently reaffirmed A (Excellent) by AM Best and was recognized as the Top Performing Company for 2009 by Stock Track, a publication of the Financial Gleaner.