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Reggae Hall of Famer RUPERT (OJIJI) HARVEY Walks Memory Lane With “Old Friends” in New Video

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Multi-award winning artist and Barrie, ON-based Rupert (Ojiji) Harvey takes a trip down memory lane, extending his arms to “Old Friends” in this, his new video.

As both a solo recording artist and the founder of legendary funk band, Crack Of Dawn, and world-renowned Reggae outfit, Messenjah, Harvey has been an iconic mainstay on the Canadian music scene for more than four decades and counting. Along the way, he’s stacked a tower of awards, including a JUNO, CASBY, and the Q107 Music Award. Inducted into the Canadian Reggae Music Hall of Fame, Harvey’s music has been featured in several television and movie soundtracks; there was also a cameo appearance in the movie Cocktail.

“Old Friends” is mined from Harvey’s extensive archive; he wrote the track in 2004 and produced it in 2020 with contributions from his brother, Carl, a long-time member of the GRAMMY Award-winning reggae act, Toots and the Maytals.

The freshly pressed video — produced by Michelle Melles and Pedro Orrego, and featuring engineering and production contributions from Harvey’s son, Meshach — is based on Harvey’s life story, a detail he explains in the opening scene.

“It’s like walking down memory lane,” Harvey muses. “We used photos from my personal photo albums as well as old, archived footage to show Toronto in the 70s — just around the time when many Jamaicans and other West Indians were arriving in Canada.

“The video really hits some very emotional chords,” he continues. “It lays out the very unique journey that was experienced, not just by the Harveys, but by all the people of colour that were starting to settle in Canada.”

Rupert Ojiji Harvey’s solo releases include Ojiji – The Shadow, Ojiji – Halfway Home, and most recently, Once A Lion.

Former ARKITEX Frontman ROGOV Draws Paris’ Illicit & Illustrious Underground with New Single, “Dancing Girls”

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Canadian artist ROGOV and former frontman of 80s-era rockers ARKITEX draws inspiration from Paris’ illicit and illustrious underground as he offers up an unrelenting new alt-rock single, “Dancing Girls.”

Produced by long-time friend and collaborator — Gold- and Platinum-selling, award winning Canadian producer and former lead guitarist for David Bowie, Stacy Heydon (Teenage Head, Long John Baldry, Sheriff) — the track lands as a pulsating, beat-driven ear worm, enticing audiences with its infectious hook, introspective lyrics, and eclectic approach; in all, it’s a great time.

The second release to preview ROGOV’s forthcoming EP, Tourist, the song’s inception sprang to life one summer evening, the artist recalls. “I was walking home, past a book shop, and saw a book called The Crazy Horse Saloon in the window.

“Initially, I’d mistaken it for a book about saloons and horses, but it was about anything but,” he continues. “(The book was actually about) Le Crazy Horse de Paris, a Parisian cabaret known for its diverse range of stage shows, including magic, variety, jugglers, mimes, and — most notably — burlesque.

“I was curious and bought the book. It was gregarious and inspired the pulse, writing, theme, and sonic fabric of ‘Dancing Girls.’”

“Dancing Girls” follows the album’s premiere release, “Mistakes are Beautiful,” a track Canadian industry icon Alannah Myles enthused as “thoughtful, complicated, and extremely interesting.”

Easy Songs to Play with the Ukulele

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Playing the ukulele is not as hard as it seems. This musical instrument is beginner-friendly, meaning that you can start learning at any time or any age!

If you have held a ukulele before, you likely know how easy it is to carry them. Although playing ukulele chords may take you a few minutes, you’ll be playing songs before you realize.

Today we’ll be presenting to you some of the easiest songs you can play with the ukulele. Of course, you’ll have to learn the different ukulele chord variations first, but these songs make the job straightforward for you.

Most of the songs we considered for this list contain easy ukulele chords, so don’t worry about getting lost. However, please note we recommend learning how to read chord charts first before starting the songs. Doing so will make the process a lot more straightforward.

That being said, let’s begin by telling you what songs you can play with the ukulele for beginners!

“22” by Taylor Swift

“22” by singer and songwriter Taylor Swift is extremely easy to learn. It is first on our list because it only uses three notes, meaning that you can learn how to play it in a few moments.

The order is as follows: G – D – C – D. Did you think there was more? That is all. It didn’t take Taylor too much to make of “22” a hit song!

This song is part of Swift’s album Red, which marks a departure from her traditional country sound and incorporates a lot more pop into her music. You can guide yourself better by listening to the song.

“Someone Like You” by Adele

This song by the hit-maker Adele is hugely popular. We doubt you haven’t heard it! This is one of the best ukulele beginner songs you can learn, especially if you’re into sad songs.

Similar to the previous option, this one isn’t complicated to learn either.

The order is as follows for most of the song, except the pre-chorus: G – D – Em – C.

For the pre-chorus, you’ll need to play: D – C – D – C – D.

Although there is a bit of variation here, we doubt you’ll get lost. Listen to the song once, and then try to play it!

“With or Without You” by U2

The famous band U2 has delivered some hits throughout the years, so you probably know about this one (if you don’t live under a rock).

The Irish band used this chord progression for the hit song: C – G – Am – F.

It would be best if you strummed the chords four times each, downwards.

“With or Without You” is a beautiful song, and it’s hugely easy to learn for those who are just getting started into the ukulele world. Watch a detailed tutorial here.

Playing the ukulele is not challenging!

All the songs mentioned above have something in common: they use almost identical and short ukulele chord variations. Therefore, it will only take you a few minutes to learn to play each one. Don’t start buying ukulele accessories just yet. Wait until you can play some more songs!

 

Andy Kim Christmas Special Raises Over $190,000 For Crew Nation, CAMH Gift Of Lights And Food Banks Canada

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The 16th Annual Andy Kim Christmas Special, presented by AIR MILES, which nationally aired on December 19th and December 24th on Citytv, Citytv.com, allowed viewers to donate while watching the special and raised over $190,000* for Crew Nation, CAMH Gift of Lights and Food Banks Canada. AIR MILES also gave viewers the chance to donate Miles towards rewards that directly benefitted Food Banks Canada and raised over $40,000.

“Work is just work unless there is The Purpose. I’m lucky and blessed to have been alongside the inspired who understood helping those in need was paramount during the 2020 Christmas and Holiday Season. Every artist I asked to donate their time and perform a song for our Christmas Special said yes because of the idea of helping others. Whether we do this again or not, I’m thankful to everyone for their time and commitment, and to everyone watching the show at home,” Andy Kim said.

The two-hour music special was broadcast from Toronto’s one and only, El Mocambo on December 19, which reached over 2.5 million viewers and re-aired on Christmas Eve with over 2.3 million Canadians tuning in.
The special was hosted by Sportsnet host and Juno-nominated musician, Tara Slone as well as Cityline host Tracy Moore, and gave Canadians a classic variety entertainment show over the holidays. Performances included some of the country’s most sought-after singer/songwriters and performers: Andy Kim, Barenaked Ladies, Broken Social Scene, Buffy Sainte-Marie, City and Colour, Glass Tiger & Roch Voisine, Jully Black, Kardinal Offishall, Ron Sexsmith, Sam Roberts, Sarah McLachlan, Serena Ryder & William Prince throughout the special.

*$100,000 of the total was donated by The Slaight Family Foundation, which will directly benefit CAMH Gifts of Light. $40,000 will directly benefit Food Banks Canada as a result of AIR MILES collectors. The remaining $50,000 will distributed equally between Food Banks Canada, the Gifts of Light program at CAMH Foundation, and the Crew Nation at Charities Aid Foundation Canada.

My Next Read: “SONIC BOOM The Impossible Rise of Warner Bros. Records, from Hendrix to Fleetwood Mac to Madonna to Prince” by Peter Ames Carlin

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From journalist Peter Ames Carlin—the New York Times bestselling music biographer who chronicled the lives and careers of Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, the Beach Boys, and Paul Simon—Sonic Boom captures the rollicking story of the most successful record label in the history of rock and roll, Warner Bros Records, and the remarkable secret to its meteoric rise.

The roster of Warner Brothers Records and its subsidiary labels reads like the roster of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, Prince, Van Halen, Madonna, Tom Petty, R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, and dozens of others. But the most compelling figures in the Warner Bros. story are the sagacious Mo Ostin and the unlikely crew of hippies, eccentrics, and enlightened execs who were the first in the music business to read the generational writing on the wall in the mid-1960s. By recruiting outsider artists and allowing them to make the music they wanted, Ostin and his staff transformed an out-of-touch company into the voice of a generation. Along the way, they revolutionized the music industry and, within just a few years, created the most successful record label in the history of the American music industry.

How did they do it? It all goes back to the day in 1967 when the newly tapped label president Mo Ostin called his team together to share his grand strategy for the struggling company: “We need to stop trying to make hit records. Let’s just make good records and turn those into hits.”

With that, Ostin ushered in a counterintuitive model that matched the counterculture. His offbeat crew reinvented the way business was done, giving their artists free rein while rejecting out-of-date methods of advertising, promotion, and distribution. And even as they set new standards for in-house weirdness, the upstarts’ experiments and innovations paid off, to the tune of hundreds of legendary hit albums.

It may sound like a fairy tale, but once upon a time Warner Bros Records conquered the music business by focusing on the music rather than the business. Their story is as raucous as it is inspiring, pure entertainment that also maps a route to that holy grail: love and money.

Marley Marl Was IN CONTROL, 1989 As This Mixtape Shows

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Marley Marl was no joke. Search around for the different shows and stations he rocked throughout the 80s and 90s and you’ll hear he was one of the best.

This 2-hour set is from January 13, 1989 on 107.5 FM WBLS.

That Time Noel Gallagher plays in a fan’s house in 2006

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“You gonna do the clap………………?”

On December 1, 2006, Ben Haynes got the concert of a lifetime when Noel Gallagher of Oasis performed at his home in the small English Midlands town of Poynter.

In 1972, Italian Singer Sings The Trippiest Song with English-Sounding Gibberish

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“Prisencolinensinainciusol” by Italian singer Adriano Celentano, and performed by Celentano and his wife, singer/actress-turned-record producer Claudia Mori was released as a single in 1972.

The song is intended to sound to its Italian audience as if it is sung in English spoken with an American accent, designed to be “Bob Dylan-esque”; however, the lyrics are deliberately unintelligible gibberish with the exception of the words “all right”. Celentano’s intention with the song was not to create a humorous novelty song but to explore communication barriers. “Ever since I started singing, I was very influenced by American music and everything Americans did. So at a certain point, because I like American slang—which, for a singer, is much easier to sing than Italian—I thought that I would write a song which would only have as its theme the inability to communicate. And to do this, I had to write a song where the lyrics didn’t mean anything.”

Process of transformation from carbon to diamonds

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You must have often wondered what it takes into the making of a diamond. The beauty and luster of the diamond that you see on the outside is just one part of it.

Yes, a diamond formation starts from the carbon. Read the following points to get a fact-check about the entire process. Brief yourself about the technicalities that go into the formation of the diamond, starting from the very basic but quintessential carbon.

  • Beginning from the mantle of the earth.

To a layman, a diamond is found in a commercial mine. But if we try digging deeper, we find that a diamond is actually formed inside the mantle of the earth. It is approximately about 150 kilometers below the earth’s crust. Diamond formation starts in the diamond stability zone in the upper mantle. It is a high pressure region with a temperature of over thousand degrees Celsius. Thereafter, the gems are brought to the earth’s surface at the time of any seismic event.

  • Getting to the subconduction zones.

The carbon accumulation into diamond is said to take place in the subduction zone. It is a place for the tectonic plates to gather together, by way of continuous movement beneath the surface of the earth. Also, scientific research states that subducted sea water is also responsible for the conversion of carbon into diamonds in the subconduction zones. So the next time you see the engagement rings in Hatton Garden, you know where they have originated from.

  • Formation of allotropes.

The property of carbon allows the carbon atoms to arrange themselves in many different physical forms. These physical forms are termed as allotropes. In a diamond, the carbon atoms form a covalent bond with one another. Therefore, they produce a three dimensional network solid structure.

  • Acquiring unique shades and textures.

The transformation of the carbon into a diamond withstands all types of exposures to gases, minerals, and elements found in the proximity of the ore. The colour acquired by the diamond comes from the matter it comes into contact with during this phase. A different hue of a diamond does not make a diamond faulty. The only reason behind different colours is the difference in the surface of contact, that further gives the diamonds a unique beauty and texture.

As good things take time, that is why the best of the diamonds take hundreds and even thousands of years to emerge into the beauty that they are. The process starts beneath the surface of the earth, and ends up in the stores of the jewellers Hatton Garden. That is why an investment in a diamond is absolutely worth it. With different varieties of colours of diamonds, you can pick the one that enhances your fashion statement. One thing that you must be assured about is that all of them are derived from carbon.