It was a shocked audience that received the announcement of April Jackson as Miss Jamaica Universe 2008 last Saturday night at the National indoor Sports Centre.
It was either second runner-up Rebecca Silvera or first runner-up Doneika Plowright, who were crowd favourites from the beginning, who the audience expected to be Miss Jamaica Universe. Cries of boos, 'mi vex' and 'what!' resounded as Jackson took home the title, a BMW motor car and $1 million among other prizes. The packed venue began to walk out during the sashing of the new queen. Jackson, who was voted 'most aware', was also amazed and elated to have won. She told The Gleaner, "I'm overwhelmed, tears were coming to my eyes, but I held them back."
The new queen plans to focus on community service during her reign as she prepares for the finals in Vietnam. Before the announcement, 25 contestants vied for the title in a four-hour long competition. The ladies paraded in swimsuits by the Mushroom as well as evening growns by Uzuri in mainly light shades with lots of sparkles. Entertainment was provided by the likes of A2O, who impressed with their voices as they wooed the women with I'll Take You There and Smile for Me.
Crazy audience
After a brief intermission, the much-anticipated performance by Grammy nominated artiste Keyshia Cole had the audience going crazy as persons stood up in the stands while those in VIP stood on their chairs to see the stage, which was bombarded by patrons from the stands. The security was lacking at the front but Cole's bodyguards kept a close eye on the tiny star. Cole, dressed in white, was lively, dancing with her male back-up dancers to Should Have Let You Go, Over and Over, I Changed My Mind, Let It Go, Last Night and the hugely popular Love. As Cole closed with Love, a few overzealous female fans tried to grab her off the stage but her bodyguards swooped in and removed the artiste.
The question-and-answer section of the show saw a few blunders being made by Adrianna Bryan, who the audience booed, as well as Francine Hall. Sectional prizes were given to Jeseka Williams for the Bling Bling's Style Award, most photographic went to Rebecca Silvera, best in swimsuits to Adrianna Bryan and most congenial went to Doneika Plowright.
Zahra Redwood made her final appearance, looking beautiful in a white gown, just before crowning April Jackson as the new queen. While the National Indoor Sports Centre was rammed packed, this being the first staging of the competition there, there were still a few staging and organisational mishaps that had members of the audience complaining. These included a lack of security and a very long show, among others.
Friday, April 18, 2008
2008 Miss Jamaica Universe, April Jackson
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Saturday's Coulmn
One doctor refused to treat the couple, after consulting an ethics board.
"How does it feel to be a pregnant man? Incredible. Despite the fact that my belly is growing with a new life inside me, I am stable and confident being the man that I am," Beatie wrote.
While some have come out in support of Beatie's right to bear a child, and decried the discrimination that Beatie and other transgender individuals are up against, others have been less supportive.
"Seriously, how selfish Beatie is. He is not able to breastfeed, guaranteed, which is the single, most important thing you can do for your child nutrition-wise," said one letter-writer in the Advocate.
"It's called 'childbirth' and it is a 'female' thing -- not a 'male' thing. Period," wrote another.
"If I choose to not have 'bottom' surgery and keep my original genitals intact, as far as I'm concerned I've chosen to simply present as male, not become a male," said the writer, identified as Alicia "Joey" Brite.
But Robert Haaland, a female-to-male activist, said he believed most Americans were comfortable with the idea of Beatie bearing a child.
"The Beatie pregnancy is simply the Beaties' way of using the reproductive choices that were available to them. Most Americans can understand that," he wrote in The Advocate.
Helping back the new MySpace Music are three of the biggest recording companies - Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group Corp.
Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed, but each of the music companies will receive an unspecified equity stake in the new company, said Chris DeWolfe, MySpace co-founder and chief executive.
The fourth-largest music company, EMI Group PLC, is not part of the deal.
DeWolfe said MySpace is in licensing talks with 'everyone' but declined to say where discussions stand with EMI, home to artistes such as Coldplay and Norah Jones.
MySpace Music, which will roll out gradually in coming months, will enable artistes to sell music downloads, concert tickets and merchandise such as T-shirts through their profile pages and to offer ringtones through a unit of MySpace parent News Corp.
"We believe that the Web is becoming increasingly more social," DeWolfe said during a conference call. "MySpace Music is a new way of experiencing music online that everyone can participate in."
Fans also will be able stream audio and video for free through musical artistes' profile pages.
sale of tracks
DeWolfe said some tracks will be sold without copy-protection safeguards but noted that the major labels had committed only to experimenting with offering content in an unrestricted format.
Selling music without the copy protections that make such tracks incompatible with Apple Inc's iPod music players could place MySpace Music in direct competition with existing digital music stores such as Apple's iTunes, Amazon.com, Napster Inc and others, analysts said.
"It's definitely got a lot of potential to it, but how much it really changes the game is yet to be determined," said Michael Gartenberg, vice-president and research director for JupiterResearch. "This is one of those important events in the history of digital music and it has a lot of potential going forward."
MySpace may also be looking for ways to maintain its lead on rival social network Facebook, which has been gaining in popularity.
MySpace is in licensing talks with 'everyone' but declined to say where discussions stand with EMI, home to artistes such as Coldplay and Norah Jones.
"Ken has contributed significantly to the popularity of reggae and rocksteady music over the years. He demands respect for taking Jamaican/Caribbean culture to musical heights" said event promoter Conroy Allison of Winner's Circle Radio. Regarding Winton Blake, Allison said, "many people may not even be aware that the Merritone Amateur Talent contest was where acts like Beres Hammond, The Mighty Diamonds, Cynthia Schloss, Sugar Minott and even Jacob 'Killer' Miller got their break in the reggae industry." In a musical career that spans over 40th years, Boothe made his mark during the golden doo-wop / Rocksteady era. He garnered international notoriety, with hit songs "When I Fall In Love," "Every Thing I Own," "Artibella" and "Movin Away." He re-ignited his career when he teamed with Shaggy on a remake of his popular single "The Train Is Coming." The song garnered mainstream airplay and was featured on the soundtrack of the movie "The Money Train" starring Wesley Snipes. The legendary Winston Blake has for more than fifty years made an impact on the Jamaican music industry as sound system operator, club owner and organizer of the popular Merritone Amateur Talent contest. Ten years ago he was given The Order of Distinction, Officer Class for his contribution to Jamaica's entertainment industry. Among Boothe friends who will fly in specifically for the occasion are John Holt, Leroy Sibbles, Winston 'Merritone' Blake, Tony Brevitte of the Melodians and Ed Robinson. All the artists will take turns at the mic in what should be a very lively and entertaining birthday celebration. Backing band for all the acts will be New York based Ruff Stuff Band.
Mavado: Jamaica's Next International Superstar
Uno tell me, Bob Marley, one of the first to bring reggae across di seas.. him sons dem follow him, The Marleys. Uno see Shaggy rise and bring Dancehall pon him back, Sean paul come and help him, Elephant man and Wayne Wonder too share in the movement along with couple other dancehall and reggae artises dem bringing it to the frontline of music genre across the globe
So a who next? ...mi feel a Mavado next. The 'gangsta fi life' a.k.a. 'Gully God'
check di levels, from year 2005 him buss... name one tune whey flop fi him? from him attain status as a big artist inna di bizniz, tell mi a show him perform whey him nuh get countless fwd, uh? ...answer mi nuh?
him produce countless a hits and him name rise inna di music fraternity til' him tek over the local scene too quick nuh would agree, Mavado marsh up jamaica with him voice, him dark and violent gun songs dem, contsantly inna the press... so wha him do next?
Flight out, yea... UK tour did sell off, mi friends dem a cuss mi... "how mi never tell dem bout that new artist ya, him bad". Seet deh, sold out shows inna Englan, plus him hits climb dem chart like ants pant tree, heehee!
So wha else him do?
Album buss! and just bare things a gwaan fi him. Mi luv how him threat the caribbean like a tropical storm... him jus past through a marsh it up lyrical (even thought likkle tension reach him inna couple islands). But nonetheless, a it him sing bout so guess a likkle demonstration did affi gwaan.
So what else hi fi do now?
Whey u think? Attack US, des suh di real money mek pon music, so why not! and the yute a do just that, big remix tune with Jay-z, "On The Rock". And the best thing bout tha remix deh is, a Jay come outta the blue and feel fi drop sumthing pon that. Seet deh! Jay-z hear Mavado tune and immediately want piece a it. a bare things. Mavado now even have collaborations with artist like Wyclef and one with Foxy Brown, name "We on Fire".
Seet deh! Mavado a steady a climb to the top, and if u think a that alone... 'Hissteeth' a more things a gwaan fi di artist. Is like VP Records just see the potential the artist have fi mek it as a top selling Dancehall act, suh dem start fi sort out him promotion and even a go do a top quality video by a top Hip-Hop music video director even though him album awready inna stores.
Plus a nuff more a gwaan inna him career, and we from JamRock Vibes.com a wish him di best as you a go through the likke idiot vibes about been arrested and charge for shooting with intend and illegal procession of firearm. He is out of jail on a $200,000.oo bail and his travelling documents seized.
and another thing, VP Records fi do a new ablum fi the artist, just add back the tunes dem whey stand out and jus use him most newest tunes dem. And 'On the Rock' feat. Jay-z fi dem pon it if uno really want fi promote him.
JamRock Vibes.com Views.
Red Stripe Cancel Sponsorships On Up Coming Shows
Jamaican beer company, Red Stripe, says it will not sponsor several upcoming stage shows in Jamaica because of increasingly violent lyrics and the violent incidents involving dancehall musicians.
The company has withdrawn, by some estimates, up to US$2 million in sponsorship from concert sponsorship including the popular "Reggae Sumfest" and "Sting" reggae shows. Musicians are glorifying violence in what has become a worrisome trend, the company said in a statement Friday.
Several Jamaican musicians have been criticized abroad for their violent and anti-gay lyrics, including Vybz Kartel and Mavado, who is currently facing charges of shooting with intent and illegal possession of a firearm.
Red Stripe is owned by British food and drink company Diageo, which bought it about a decade ago from Jamaica's Desnoes and Geddes.
source: JAbulletin
Friday, April 4, 2008
Naomi Campbell Ejected Off Plane
Naomi Campbell was arrested at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 on Thursday for allegedly spitting at a police officer, Sky News reported.
Police said a 37-year-old woman was arrested at the terminal on suspicion of assaulting police. The Metropolitan Police spokesman refused to identify the woman, or say whether the incident took place inside the terminal or aboard a plane. He spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with police policy.
Campbell's publicist in Los Angeles, Jeff Raymond, wrote in an e-mail that Campbell was flying to Los Angeles for a Thursday memorial service. He said she checked two bags in at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 with plenty of time to spare and was told they would make the flight. He said once on the plane, however, Campbell was told one of her bags was missing.
Raymond said British Airways decided to resolve the situation by insisting Campbell leave the flight, and then called police to forcibly eject her from the airplane.
"So far as we are aware B.A. have still failed to offer any explanation as to why her bag went missing at Terminal 5," Raymond wrote
In January 2007, Campbell pleaded guilty in New York City to misdemeanor assault for throwing her cell phone at her maid in a dispute over a missing pair of jeans. She was ordered to do community service and attend a two-day anger-management program.
Campbell pleaded guilty in Toronto in 2000 to an assault charge for beating an assistant while making a film in Canada in 1998. Under an agreement with prosecutors, Campbell expressed remorse and was released without punishment or a criminal record.
Jay-Z and Beyonce Married
Crazy in love" couple Jay-z and
Beyoncé Knowles remained mum on their marriage on Sunday, but Mary J. Blige confirmed the nuptials to thousands of cheering hip-hop fans.
Hip-hop's royal couple, who supposedly traded "I do's" on the rooftop of Jay-Z's Tribeca pad Friday, are rumored to be planning a coming-out party this week.
But Blige, who's on tour with Jay-Z, couldn't wait to break the news onstage Saturday night at the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina. "Congratulations to my man, Jay-Z, and my girl, B," Blige told the soldout crowd, dedicating her song "You're All I Need" to the couple.
Jay-Z himself played it cool, teasing the crowd with a few notes of "Crazy in Love," the song he and Beyoncé recorded together in 2003.
Jay-Z, 38, whose real name is Shawn Carter, refused to say anything about the end of his bachelorhood.
The Brooklyn-born rap mogul rushed back to North Carolina after reportedly partying until dawn Saturday with wedding guests who included Beyoncé's Destiny's Child pals Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
The couple, who have been dating since 2002, are said to be postponing a honeymoon until his tour wraps up next month and she finishes filming the Etta James biopic "Cadillac Man."
JamRock Vibes.com