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Black Music List 2005
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BBM/BMC NEWSLETTER
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BBM/BMC NEWSLETTER
Black Music Congress’ first debate at City
University London after a six month hiatus takes place Feb. 4 2006
entitled ‘Should British Black Music Shut Up Shop? The British
Black Music 2006 Report’. To be kept informed or to find out more:
editor@britishblackmusic.com
or www.bbm-on.net. BTWSC has a free music industry course for unemployed people interested in learning about the music industry and event management. The BTWSC Connected+ 8 Week Music & Media Industry Course starts Feb: 6 2006. For more information: info@btwsc.com or www.btwsc.com.current.htm. The
Business Of Music short courses run by the Cultural Industries Unit at City
University start mid-January 2006. Taught by industry
professionals, most of the accredited courses are one evening a week
over 10 weeks. The Business and Black Music course, which aims to
aid entrepreneurship within the black music sector, starts Monday
January 16, 6.30-8.30pm. Some of the courses include Artist
Management and the Music Industry, which looks at developing a
musician’s career (Wednesdays), Managing An Entertainment
Company, which looks at strategies for companies operating within
the international commmercial music and film industries (Tuesday), A&R
and Finance In The Record Industry, which looks at how music
publishers and record companies build repertoire (Tuesday), plus
practical weekend courses: Vocal and Performance Skills For Singers,
which runs over 2 weekends. For more information or a copy of the
prospectus: www.city.ac.uk/conted/cfa/cultind/music/
or 020 7040 8257.
I now present a talks and music show on www.lifefm.org.uk
on Wednesdays 2-4pm GMT entitled The Mixed Bag Show/Thebusinessofmusic.
Tracks that have had repeated plays include ‘Like A Star’ (EMI)
by Corinne Bailey Rae, the excellent and conscious R&B-laced rap
‘In Da Ghetto’ (SafeHouse) by Bronz N Blak, ‘Welcome To
The Future’ (Still Waters) EP by Conner Reeves, and the amazing
funk, rock, soul fusion ‘One Of Us’, a belated discovery on Prince’s
1999 triple-CD ‘Emancipation’ (NPG/EMI). Old BBM subscribers will know the importance we ascribe to
live performance. Too many of our young artists are creating records,
and not necessarily song, and even worse, often can not perform live.
That’s usually a hint of a short-lived career. The London Jazz Café holds two great live music
memories of 2005. Roachford, which is frontman singer/keyboardist
Andrew Roachford and his crack band, ended the year with a
well-received mid-December gig. I have not seen the club so full for a
long time. Judging by the composition of the audience, they probably go
for the rocky side of Roachford’s songs, rather than the recent
soulful offering. The encore was a very enjoyable heavy, rocky version
of ‘The Way I Feel’, I think. It was the most powerful closer
I’ve heard in a long time! I once saw Roachford on an M People support
slot at Wembley Arena. He was so commanding, I turned to then Sony Music
UK head honcho Paul Burger and said Sony needs to put some
marketing muscle behind Roachford to bring him to the point where he can
headline his own Wembley Arena shows. Sadly, it wasn’t to be. Look out
for Roachford’s acoustic tour planned for early 2006. The London Jazz Café concert by Emmanuel, better
known as writer/producer C Swing, who’s created hits for the
likes of Jamelia, had all the featured artists on his ‘D’Illusions
Of Grandeur’ (Little League) album, which drops early 2006.
Singers Belle, Michelle Escoffery, Nate James, Daniel
Debourg, rappers Braintax and Mystro helped make it an
enjoyable night. Nate, who says he really enjoyed his Musiq Soulchild
support slot, headlines a short England tour mid-Feb.
He was also the only one out of all the artists we asked on the
night who bothered to submit his Because… feedback. Respect to you,
Nate. One minute Ms Dynamite was rumoured to
have been dropped by Polydor. Next, she finally releases her second
album, ‘Judgement Days’. A strong R&B album, with a
couple of reggae tunes thrown in, it surprisingly jumped in and out of
the charts within a couple of weeks! It was a marked contrast to her
debut, ‘A Little Deeper’, which went platinum and won the 2002
Mercury Music Prize. Young chanteuse Keisha White was
actually dropped by Warner Music after her one hit single featuring
American rapper Cassidy and an enjoyable debut album entitled ‘Seventeen’.
Thankfully, Warner will release her Joan Armatrading killer
ballad cover ‘The Weakness In Me’. Here’s my tip for an artist heading for stardom
in 2006: Corinne Bailey Rae. She looks and sounds ‘Like A
Star’. There’s nothing but ‘Enchantment’ listening to her debut
album, dropping on EMI Feb./March. She’s soulful with a folky, bluesy,
left-field edge. Her second single, ‘Put Your Records On’, is
out in Feb. Next single from Emmanuel’s album,
entitled ‘Bubblebath’, featuring blue-eyed soulster Daniel
Debourg, drops late Jan. Daniel created a well-rounded album for
DreamWorks, which never got released. The Londoner, who’s worked with
the likes of R Kelly, has just finished a Stateside-recorded album,
which his US management company is shopping. Perhaps Midlands-based Baby J could claim to be the
hardest working hip-hop producer. His productions dropping early 2006
include: Blade feat. Laurissa’s R&B-laced rap ‘It’s
Your Time’ (691 Influential), Baby J Presents Shystie feat.
Danielle Senior’s rap joint ‘The Rain’ (Baby J), and Antourage
feat. Laurissa’s conscious R&B-lace rap cut ‘Soul Clap’
(Ant). Talking about the Midlands, co-head of Wolverhampton-based
hip-hop label Wolftown, Late, drops a reportage of UK’s street
life entitled ‘Cold World’ (Wolftown). Click to read about Lynden David Hall's 'Lynden's Wish' Do
you love reggae music? Well,
we could brighten your Christmas, as we’ve got 6 copies of Jet
star’s massive compilation ‘Reggae Hits 35’ to give away.
In addition to 20 audio tracks by the likes of Mikey Spice, LOC,
Gyptian, Don Campbell and Elephant Man, there’s a
DVD containing 6 videos. To be in with a chance of winning a copy,
click on: I Fancy A Copy ‘Reggae Hits
35’. On the live tip, there’s the New Years Eve Gala
Lovers Rock Live Concert celebrating over 30 years of lovers rock
featuring Janet Kay, Carroll Thompson, Winsome, Winston
Reedy, Barry Boom, and Neville Morrison. December 31
at The Banqueting Hall, Brixton Recreation Centre, Station Rd, Brixton
SW9, Doors 9pm-5am. £30 VIP tables with full buffet. 020 7326 5331. £25
Standing tickets from all usual agents. Tel 0870 6000 888, www.ticketmaniaonline.com.oup
of Jamaican companies Whilst some reggae dancehall artists have come under fire in the UK for alleged homophobic lyrics, some of them are coming under fire in their home turf in Jamaica because for their use of profane language! A group of major entertainment sponsors, including Courts, Red Stripe, Jamaica Tourist Board, Cable and Wireless and J. Wray have decided not be sponsor any entertainment events featuring Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, until further notice. The hunt is now on for
Britain’s exceptionally creative, inventive and innovative women for
the 7th Annual British Female Inventors and Innovators
Award. The ceremony takes place February
20-21 2006 in London. For more information: www.gwiin.com, or
send us an email at office@gwiin.com, 020 8223 7786. Kwaku From
BritishBlackMusic.com/Black Music Congress If
you use our info, just have the courtesy to credit the source (you know
who you are!) December
21 2005 |