Is Ziggy catching a fire?

[Stonigut]

Ziggy selling out a lot of his shows in the last two months from Green Bay to California to Texas, tried to get tickets for Gruene in Texas was sold out, trying to get tix for Austin and just found out there is a Dallas show so going to try and make that. Seen Ziggy two or three times over the years and last time in Texas was also great.

Is this a bigger, hotter fire that Ziggy stirring up now, seems like more smoke coming off this fire.

[Assasin]

That is what I am trying to say, Ziggy has always been hot, having heavy rotation, whether it is in Kids show, Cali or other areas. Some artist like Ziggy, Burning Spear, Jimmy Cliff, Berres Hammond etc, they have developed their "cult like" following. it is hot commodity to get tickets to their shows. At this stage they don't even need a big label.

[Bricktop]

ziggy following the cash

http://www.jpost.com/National-News/R...boycott-Israel

[Assasin]

Well you know his wife is Jewish.

[Bricktop]

yes...which explains that lame attempt at justifying performing there...

“What I tell them is that, listen, I follow nature, I follow the universe, I follow God. I’m not a part of the segregation that people put on each other … I’m a part of nature and God, and God made the sun shine for everybody.”

[Jangle]

I told the story here on the forum some years ago. Joseph Hill of Culture performed in my neck of the woods in upstate NY some years before he left the earth. It was standing room only at the venue. He had the crowd singing his songs word for word. I only knew two or three of his popular songs from the 70's. My mind was blown because my wife and I were probably the oldest people inside the venue.

[Hortical]

If yuh into meking money, leave politics until your career is over.

[Assasin]

yeah. Poughkepsie had some good concerts and Woodstook in your neck of the woods have some big reggae shows. It is a thriving market and it is not many of your dancehall fans but Suburb and rural kids who love these artists like Culture, Burning Spear, Toots etc and then you have some local bands playing. I went to a few shows in Poughkepsie and it is standing room if you can get tickets.

[Islandman]

A label for those artistes you listed would be useless at this mid to late stage of their career. Their fan base is pretty much set, the chances of crossing over are slim to none.

The larger problem that Jamaican reggae music as a commercial entity has though, is that it most of the international festivals are dominated with these types of artistes from Jamaica. They are over 40 years old, (most over 50) and have been around for decades. That is not a music genre that is in a healthy growth phase, it is one that has ageing practitioners and likely an ageing fan base, more along the lines of blues and disco.

From a Jamaican perspective, roots reggae needs more quality young and fresh artistes touring and crossing over into other markets if it is to remain ours. Otherwise the music will continue but the people playing it on the major festivals will be less and less Jamaican. This is already happening to some extent. These artistes are out there, some of them at least, we just have to hope they can get more exposure and can develop a set that can stand on its own, not the 15 minutes pull up thing. .

[Assasin]

"From a Jamaican perspective, roots reggae needs more quality young and fresh artistes touring and crossing over into other markets if it is to remain ours. Otherwise the music will continue but the people playing it on the major festivals will be less and less Jamaican. This is already happening to some extent."

What is stopping them??? We have those artist currently but we are our own worst enemies. We don't play their songs on radio or do not promote it.

It is a good thing we have a new generation willing to struggle through the hype like Chronixx, Gyptian, Amborose, Jah 9, Richie Spice etc. but don't expect to hear most on your dancehall loving radio station on the East Coast in America, so these artist bypass up to Europe, Cali and the rest of the world. Most of the DJ on the east coast are "jump up" DJs. Some of these young artists are touring the world, while the hype ones tour eastern Caribbean.

One of the danchall act I admire is Mr.Vegas. He actually do a lot of work, touring and promoting his stuff, through small stations, large stations and nuff venues. He is always working.

[Bricktop]

politics...lol...you people kill me...maybe our musicians should have stayed out of the political situation in south africa and rhodesia

[Islandman]

Yes I agree it is mostly us. There are some good young artistes out there. I also like the little I have heard from bands like C-Sharp and Rootz Underground, I don't know how much opportunity to tour they get.

I heard an interview with Bunny Rugs a few years ago where he said it could see a big difference with the number of Jamaican acts on reggae shows in places like Japan. That is my concern longer term, that reggae ends up like ska.

I heard that Damian Marley's Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise is sold out. He said he was deliberate in putting Jamaican artistes on the cruise to reinforce that link.

Looks like a nice lineup, I might try to do it next year. This is the kind of venture that I like to see. It comes back to having a team around you that is thinking and willing to try something different than just work pon a stage show.

http://www.welcometojamrockreggaecruise.com/

[Assasin]

There is also the Four Season cruise as well which is promoted by a Jamaica out of Atlanta and South Florida. Been going on for a while.

http://www.4seasonspartycruise.com/

Last I hear Roots Underground had a tour last year and they had to add dates and venue while touring. The American scene love groups playing to small audiences of 100-400 so they will have a lot of venues, but check this out, they are touring with Sojah, one of the hot bands out there now.
http://www.thepier.org/rootz-undergr...our-with-soja/

[Islandman]

Thanks, good to know. I am going to have to start setting up notifications to get informed when some of these artists are near me cause I am not really tuned in any more and sometimes they pass through and I didn't even know.

[Assasin]

yeah these things are not advertised on local radio stations affiliated with Jamaicans at all. Sometimes it is hard to find out unless you know a venue or two that does the hosting.