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January 04, 2007
Historic tours planned for 45th anniversary of Copeland Forbes
Luciano-Mikey General-Ricky Trooper Soundstation for Australia-New Zealand Fest
Greetings all
First I must wish you all a happy and prosperous new year, and I do hope that the Jamaican Music industry will improve as we journey along in 2007. As most of you may know and for those who don't know this year is the 45th anniversary of Copeland Forbes in the music and entertainment industry and there are a few events planned to commemorate the milestone. Events like historic tours ("One Love Tour of US-Japan & South Africa", "Children Of The Stars Tour" The All-Female World Tour" and The Icons Of The Dancehall Tour"), photo exhibitions, release of the first DVD about touring title
"REGGAE MUSIC ON TOUR" release of the long awaited book written by Copeland Forbes title "REGGAE MY LIFE IS" and the big Grand Finale in December 2007, a spectacular show featuring most of the Artiste that Forbes have worked with over the 45 years.
Artistes expected to participate are Jimmy Cliff,Third
World, Sly & Robbie, Luciano, Buju Banton, The Marley Family, Marcia
Griffiths, The Mighty Diamonds (the first group that Forbes handled as a manager), Bunny Wailer, The I-Threes, Beenie Man, Shabba Ranks, Beres Hammond, Freddie McGregor, Andrew Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Live Wyya Band, re-united 809 Band, Shaggy, Dean Fraser, Sizzla, Capleton, Tanto Metro & Devonte, Chaka Demus & Pliers, Black Uhuru (w/Michael Rose and Duckie Simpson) and Tony Rebel to name a few.
An All-star band comprising the finest musicians in Reggaeland anchored by the world famous Rhythm Twins Sly & Robbie will provide musical accompanyment for the performing Artistes. A slew
of overseas celebrities are expected to make the musical trekk to Jamaica for this historic event.On the list of celebrities expected to attend are Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (of the Rolling Stones) Rev Al Sharpton, Chris Blackwell, Don King (legendary boxing promoter) Jesse Jackson, Klaus Maack (German promoter of Summerjam Festivals) Moss Jacobs (promoter of the world famous Raggamuffin Festivals (formerly known as Bob Marley Festivals in California) former world heavyweight boxers, Evander Hollyfield, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Patrick Ewing (former basketball star) and Steven Segal
to name a few.
The National Arena will be the venue for the star studded event and interior decorating of the arena will be done by a top international
stage designer out of Switzerland. To start the year off Forbes will leave the Island January 15 downunder to Australia and New Zealand with some of his acts to perform on the "Big Day Out Festivals" in both countries. Artistes accompanying Forbes on the downunder tour are Reggae's Musical Messenger Luciano, stablemate Mikey General and Ricky Trooper(formerly of Killamanjaro Sound) who now has his own Sound System "Sound Station". This will be the first visit downunder for
Luciano,Mikey General and the first for a sound system out of Jamaica and will perform in ten (10) cities, 8 in Australia and 2 in New Zealand, the cities are Auckland, Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, Gold Coast, Wellington and Adelaide and Christchurch. The tour is in promotion of Luciano's latest CD "CHILD OF A KING on VP Records who has already tapped into the market by shipping off downunder quite a number of CD's from the catalogue of the Messenger Luciano. Ricky Trooper and his Soundstation is expected to make a musical dent into the heart of festival goers as the very high expectation of a Jamaican Sound System is on everyone's lip downunder.
After the festival performances the Messenger and his entourage will spend a few days visiting historic places, a special river in the south of Australia and a day with the Abohriginies (one of the first settlers in Australia many decades ago), the group returns to Jamaica February 10. Tour manager and coordinator Copeland Forbes who put the tour together said by the amount of emails he's getting from both Australia and New Zealand in regards to the expected tour by the
Jamaican Contingent there is a possibility of doing a second tour with
another group later in the year.
For further info on the festivals click on to WWW.BIGDAYOUT.COM or call Comar Productions Ltd at 978-3556/960-7062/990-7823