HUNDREDS of people are feared dead in Haiti after the Carribean island was hit by a powerful earthquake last night. The tremor hit just before 5pm local time about 10 miles southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Raymond Joseph, Haiti’s envoy to the US, said it was a “catastrophe of major proportions”. A hospital and other buildings in the capital were reported to have collapsed. A visiting US official said the sky in the city was”grey with dust” and he could hear screaming. Among the hundreds thought dead or buried under the rubble is a substantial number of United Nations personnel, after the UN headquarters on the island was flattened. The United Nations has a 9,000-strong peacekeeping force in Haiti, which has been there since a rebellion in 2004. Peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy said other UN installations in the Caribbean nation were also seriously damaged.
The quake was quickly followed by major aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude. Reporter Joseph Guyler Delva said: “Everything started shaking, people were screaming, houses started collapsing … it’s total chaos. “I saw people under the rubble, and people killed.”
A tsunami watch was in effect last night for Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas.
Henry Bahn, an official from the US Department of Agriculture, was walking to his hotel in Port-au-Prince when the ground began to shake. He said: “I just held on and bounced across the wall. Everybody is just totally, totally freaked out.

Reggae star Mark ‘Buju Banton’ Myrie has strongly denied any involvement in the illegal drugs trade.

Buju, who has been one of the standard bearers for reggae music for more than a decade, made the declaration through his legal representative yesterday as he prepared for his first day in court.

“My client says he is absolutely innocent of each of the allegations that the government has made,” attorney-at-law Herbert E. Walker III told THE STAR late yesterday.

Walker, who has been retained to represent Buju, said he was looking forward to the trial. “You can tell your readers that his defence team is working night and day to protect his interest as he vigorously and vehemently denies all of the allegations,” Walker added.

Buju has already spent five days in federal custody in the United States and remains in jail pending his court appearance today at a pre-trial detention hearing. This is when the US authorities will outline more details of the allegations against him and he will get a chance to apply for bail.

Already the authorities have claimed that they have audio and video footage of Buju and others making arrangements to purchase several kilograms of cocaine. But Walker said that will not prevent him from asking the court to release Buju on bail.

“It is a detention hearing and a sort of status update where the government will bring in all the evidence it has. It was set for last Friday but the government was not ready to proceed as they needed more time to get their evidence together,” said Walker.

presumption of detention

He noted that under US law, it is the defendant who has to prove that he should be granted bail because with the serious nature of the charge there is what is called, “a presumption of detention”.

“But the fact of the matter is the court still has to make an individual determination as to whether to grant bail. It is our position that he should be granted bail because he is innocent and is looking forward to establish that in a court of law.”

Buju is slated to appear in the US District Court in the Southern District of Florida at 10 this morning.

After today’s hearing, the artiste will return to court on December 28 for a removal hearing where the trial will be switched from the Middle District of Florida to the Southern District.

The affidavit, against Buju and his two alleged conspirators was initially filed in the Middle District.

In that affidavit a special agent with the US Drug Enforcement Administration alleged that Buju and two others knowingly and wilfully conspired to possess, with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.

The co-accused were identified as Ian Thomas and James Mack who were allegedly arrested in a sting operation when they attempted to buy cocaine. A firearm was also reportedly taken from a vehicle driven by one of the men.

Buju, who was not on the scene at the time of the drug bust, was later arrested on charges of dealing in illegal drugs and could spend more than 20 years in a federal prison if he is found guilty.

MIAMI - Federal authorities say Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton attempted to buy cocaine from an undercover officer in Florida.

Banton, whose real name is Mark Anthony Myrie, has been in U.S. federal custody in Miami since Thursday. He faces a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.

According to court documents, Banton and two others contacted a police informant last week about buying cocaine in Sarasota. Drug Enforcement Administration agents say Banton negotiated the purchase and was observed inspecting cocaine offered by the undercover officer.

The other men were arrested Thursday when they allegedly attempted to buy the drugs.

An e-mail to Banton’s independent record label was not immediately returned Monday.

Dancehall icon Pliers of the famous dancehall duo Chaka Demus and Pliers recently recorded and released his second solo album titled Sex & Religion. The album was released early last month on his Bonner Production imprint, through Zojack World Wide and is available on leading internet download sites such as iTunes, Amazon and Raphsody it will be released on CD early next year. The fourteen-track album features production work from Pliers, Sly and Robby, Mikey Bennett and Jack Stereo and features guest appearances from Richie Spice, Spanner Banner, Chaka Demus and Bascom X.

The first single from the album titled Sweet Memories was released two weeks ago and is already receiving heavy rotation on radio stations such as IRIE FM, HITZ 92 FM and RJR 94 FM. The supporting music video for the single was shot two weeks ago, at several locations across the north coast under the guidance of topflight music video director Asha McHail. The music video was released to local television stations earlier this week.

Sean Paul took home the award for Best Reggae Artist at the Soul Train Music Awards, held on Tuesday night in Atlanta.
The Best Reggae Artist catagory was a first this year for the award show. Nominees for the 2009 Soul Train Best Reggae Artist Award included Mavado, Serani, Tarrus Riley, and Ziggy Marley.

The Far East Rulers will create history yet again when they perform for the first time alongside renowned sound system King Stur Gav at Irish and Chin’s “Reeewind” on Saturday, October 3 in New York.
This will be a night of straight “rub-a-dub” and could pose a big challenge for Mighty Crown, who is typically viewed as a competitive sound.
For this session, Mighty Crown will have to maintain a harmonious disposition, while delivering straight “Rub-a-dub” music. All the while, “The Far East Rulers” will have to work hard to convince the more senior members of the audience of their ability to play in this unique setting.
To properly prepare for this event, Mighty Crown will feature Koji, their ace selector credited for his extensive knowledge of foundation music. Hailed by leaders like U-Roy and Tony Screw, Koji thrives as a foundation selector. Since confirmed for this date, Mighty Crown has been diligently going through their music catalogue to draw tunes fit for the event.
King Stur Gav is happy to return to New York. The one-and-only sound will take center stage on Saturday, October 3 and provide dancehall fans with a genuine “Rub-a-dub” experience. The name King Stur Gav speaks for itself. The sound has a remarkable history that dates back to the mid 70’s. Created by the pioneer deejay U-Roy, the sound catapulted to success as a traveling sound system that boasted some of the industry’s top deejays including Josey Wales, Brigadier Jerry, Charlie Chaplin and Ranking Joe to name a few.
Clearly, King Stur Gav served as a Deejay academy, offering some of the best microphone talent of the era. Through the academy, all of the sound’s disciples were able to take their teacher’s style to the forefront of Reggae music. King Stur Gav’s commitment to entertainment and dedication to cultural music instead of slackness has continued to make the sound a unique driving force.
Both King Stur Gav and Mighty Crown will shine at “Reeewind,” giving fans a taste of history, with a modern day twist.

Bonner Cornerstone Music is a family owned artist management and music Production Company that is based in Portmore St. Catherine. The Company handles the careers of the Bonner Brothers Joseph Bonner aka Spanner Banner, Richell Bonner aka Richie Spice & Glenroy Bonner aka Snatcha. The company deals with various aspects of their individual careers such as management, bookings and music production.

Bonner Cornerstone Music is now getting ready to drop a brand new single featuring the youngest of the Bonner brothers Snatcha formerly known as Snatcha Lion. The single, which is titled No More War, was produced by the Bonner Cornerstone Music production team and co-arranged by Paul ‘Limey’ Murray who also did the background vocals. The rhythm track for No More War was created by topflight studio musician and former drummer for Beres Hammond Kirk ‘Kirkledove’ Bennett. No More War will be released by the end of October via the internet through Itunes. It will also be released on vinyl and will be distributed by Bonner Cornerstone Music.

Snatcha is known for songs such as his former number one hit Living Aint Easy which was done in tandem with Richie Spice, For My Cause, Love Boat and Creation which was also done in combination with Richie Spice.

Usain Bolt won the race at World Championship(Berlin, Germany) in a time of 9.58 seconds setting a new world record.

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt cools down after winning the men’s 200-meter final during the world championships in Berlin. Bolt’s 19.19 seconds slashed 0.11 second off the mark he set last year at the Beijing Olympics.

New Cooyah Clothing 2009 Mens and Womans Collection In Now.  Visit our online store or our retail outlet today!

Since 1987, Homer Bair and Susan Kreitman have caught the world’s attention with Cooyah; the hip and trendy clothing line inspired by Reggae, Roots and Rastafarian culture.

Their designs have reflected a dynamic and eclectic Caribbean experience creating a cultural revolution in the fashion industry now spanning some 18 years. Homer, staying true to his artistic and cultural Jamaican up-bringing, has mastered the art of integrating fashion and culture to produce exclusive designs. While Susan, the fashionable entrepreneur continues to add the right balance of cutting edge clothing to the creative mix.

wordofmouthreggae.com

New York, NY - “Pop-Dancehall” artist Serani is gearing up for the release of his first U.S. full-length album titled No Games. The album comes on the wave of the huge success of his international hit single “No Games.” The record has enjoyed incredible momentum with multi-formats radio play that includes Urban AC, Urban, Rhythmic and Top 40 and over 30,000 spins! The video for “No Games” is on rotation on BET, BET J, MTV Jams, MTV U, MTV2, VH1 “Island Soul” and Music Choice “Hit List” on demand, where it picked with 30,000 views a week during May/July 2009.

A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Serani started his career by touring as a keyboard player for several Jamaican artists (Wayne Marshall, Bounty Killer and more) and by joining school friends David and Craig Harrisingh to form Daseca, one of the most powerful production teams in Dancehall today. Serani and Daseca have been responsible for several dancehall hits, including Tony Matterhorn’s “Dutty Whine,” Sean Paul’s “We Be Burnin’” and Mavado’s “Real McKoy.” Serani took his first chance at singing when he added a hook to Mavado’s single “Dying” which he also produced. The song became a hit and Serani decided to start making his own tracks. His debut single “Doh” in 2007 turned into an immediate street anthem in Jamaica; the record also broke him into US radio stations, such as NY’s Hot 97. The follow up “No Games” catapulted him into the mainstream with Top 40 airplay and video play on major national video channels. Serani is currently featured on Queen Latifah’s new album “Persona” on the Neptune’s produced track “If He Wanna” and on DJ Webstar’s single “Tipsy.”

Barrington Levy, surprise artistes for Mighty Crown’s sold-out Japan show Jamaican Reggae superstar Barrington Levy, will join top Reggae foundation artists and leading Japanese Reggae acts when he performs on Mighty Crown’s sol-out stadium show in Japan on Saturday, September 5. For Levy, who has not performed in Japan for more than 20 years, this marks a milestone in a career that has experienced many highs. Over 40,000 Japanese Reggae fans are slated to attend Mighty Crown’s epic stadium show, Yokohama Reggae SAI, an annual concert to celebrate their anniversary.

Gramps Morgan: Taking It All In Stride

The legacy that he created as part of the seminal reggae group Morgan Heritage seems to be rewarding Roy ‘Gramps’ Morgan with the success of his debut solo album, 2 Sides of My Heart, Vol. 1.  The impressive debut, released August 4 in the United States, is enough to make a less accomplished artiste giddy. But Gramps is taking it all in stride. “I’m so happy that people are getting a chance to share some good music. That’s really what’s most important to me as I know this album will have an effect on most people that listen to it,” Gramps said.  The release of 2 Sides of My Heart, Vol. 1 is a fitting follow-up to Gramps’ memorable, solo-debut performance in Toronto, Canada during the Caribana weekend, recently.

GAYS CANCEL BUJU BANTON TOUR AGAIN-

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