Jah Pickney

 

JAH PICKNEY NEWS UPDATE

September 15, 2006

**JAH PICKNEY WINS A MARLIN AWARD**

On July 23rd, Jah Pickney received a Caribbean Gospel Music Marlin Award for International Caribbean Recording of the Year – Solo, for his song Heaven, from his Ghetto Redemption CD, at a gala award ceremony held at the Diplomat Centre in Nassau, Bahamas.  The Canadian Christian Dancehall Reggae Artist had received two Marlin nominations – the second one being for International Caribbean Collaboration of the Year, for his song Ghetto Redemption featuring Bless a.k.a. Prodigal Son from Jamaica, and is the first Canadian to ever receive a Marlin Award.  Jah Pickney was pleased to be included among so many Caribbean Gospel Music greats – including Stitchie, DJ Nicholas, Avion Blackman, Monty G, Jadee, Landlord, Mr. Lynx and many more.   Jah Pickney sang at all three events during the four-day Marlin Fest celebration. 

In addition to receiving his own award, Jah Pickney was honoured to present the award for Dancehall Recording of the Year, to his great friend Stitchie, for his song Fast & Pray.  During his acceptance speech, Stitchie invited Jah Pickney to stand next to him while he told the audience the story of the first time they met – at Sumfest ’97 – where Jah Pickney presented Stitchie with a little Gideon New Testament.  Stitchie was saved through that little Bible and now felt it was very appropriate that nine years later, Jah Pickney was once again presenting Stitchie with another “award”. 

Check out the new videos on the media page at www.jahpickney.com, including a video from the Marlin Awards and a new Marlin Awards photo album.

**JAH PICKNEY SINGS AT REGGAE SUMFEST 2006**

Jah Pickney visited Jamaica from July 8th to 20th, along with his parents, for evangelistic outreach in the Montego Bay area.  With YWAM MoBay as their host and home base, the small team spent two weeks sharing the gospel message one-on-one with those they met on the streets and in the markets, as well as through Jah Pickney concerts.  Jah Pickney brought the message of Christ through a concert to about 60 children and teens in the Canterbury ghetto.  He was also able to visit the Copse Boys Home – singing for them, teaching some of the boys hand-drumming, and playing with them.  

Through a series of events and encounters that only God could orchestrate, Jah Pickney was invited to sing on stage at Reggae Sumfest’s 2006 Mad Monday Street Party in Montego Bay, Jamaica – before a crowd of about 10,000 people!  Sumfest is the world’s largest reggae festival – attracting reggae lovers from around the globe for the week long event.  Following his bold performance of Stand Up and He’s Real, the audience screamed for more and Jah Pickney was brought back on stage to do an encore of He’s Real.  The media “ate him up” – taking photographs and videos throughout his performance and then swarming him when he came down from the stage to do a TV interview and a live radio interview.   Although this year’s Reggae Sumfest did not include an official “gospel” night, as some other years have, the gospel was clearly proclaimed to those 10,000 people who attended Mad Monday.  Praise the Lord!

Check out the video clip of Jah Pickney’s performance at Reggae Sumfest 2006 on the media page at:  www.jahpickney.com .

Jah Pickney also shared his testimony and music with Jamaican teens attending YWAM’s Access Camp – where the Christian teens where learning how to share their faith with others.   His father spoke to the teens on Knowing God’s Will and How To Be Creative in Ministry.   Jah Pickney also did a concert at The Family Church on the Rock Teens meeting and shared in music ministry at their Sunday morning worship service. 

It was a great joy for Jah Pickney to be able to visit YWAM Stone’s Hope, where he helped with hurricane relief and VBS ministry during a mission trip last summer.  He had a great time getting re-acquainted with and playing with the children who live on the base.  He brought each of the eleven children a toy bunny that had been donated by a friend in his home church.  The children were thrilled with their new toys. 

Check out the new Jamaica 2006 photo album on the media page at: www.jahpickney.com .

**SOLDIER IN IRAQ BLESSED BY GHETTO REDEMPTION CD**

We recently received a phone call from a U.S. Soldier who had just returned to his home in Atlanta, Georgia after completing a term of duty in Iraq.  This Christian soldier, who is a native of Trinidad & Tobago, had called to tell us that while he was stationed in Iraq, he had picked up Jah Pickney’s Ghetto Redemption CD and that it had been a blessing to him while he was away from home in a land of unrest and turmoil.  We praise God for how He is using Ghetto Redemption to touch lives literally around the world. 

**STRAIGHT STEPPAZ CREW**

Jah Pickney recently added back-up dancers to his Ghetto Redemption tour.  Marie-Eve and Michelle Gobeil, joined Jah Pickney for the first time as his Straight Steppaz Crew, in his performance at Gospel Bashment in Toronto on June 25, 2006.  Jah Pickney and his newly formed Straight Steppaz Crew had the audience on their feet learning some of the hottest new dance steps out of Jamaica.  Then the Crew powerfully choreographed dance moves to Jah Pickney’s already powerful He’s Real lyrics.  As well as having dancing talents, Marie-Eve’s voice can also be heard doing the sweet background vocals on Heaven, Truth and He’s Real on Jah Pickney’s Ghetto Redemption album.

Check out a video clip of Jah Pickney & The Straight Steppaz Crew at their debut performance on the media page at: www.jahpickney.com .

**JAH PICKNEY TO SING AT THE SHAI AWARDS**

January 25, 2007 – Shai Awards  (Edmonton, Alberta)

Jah Pickney has been invited to sing at Canada’s Gospel Music Shai Awards in Edmonton, Alberta in January 2007.  The Shai Awards (formerly known as the VIBE Awards) does not as yet include a reggae music category for artists’ submissions but promoters of the relatively new Canadian Gospel Music Awards are interested in adding reggae to the list of categories for next year.  They also hope to introduce Christian reggae music to the Canadian Christian music listening audience at large, by having Jah Pickney perform at the 2007 event.  The 2007 Shai Awards is combining with Breakforth, Canada’s largest Christian festival and is expected to be a SOLD OUT event. 

**PAST PERFORMANCES**

August 12, 2006 – STAR Reunion  (Tweed, Ontario)

Jah Pickney attended and performed at the dedication and thanksgiving service for New Day Ministries’ newly acquired building – the Tweed Playhouse.  An altar was constructed in the garden outside the Playhouse, as a permanent reminder of God’s goodness and the prayers and hard work of the founders of the ministry. 

August 7, 2006 – Revival Time Tabernacle Caribbean Celebration Concert

                             (Downsview, Ontario)

Jah Pickney performed at this event that coincides with the Caribana celebrations in Toronto each year.  This year’s concert also featured Jamaican Christian reggae artists Chevelle Franklyn, Kerron Ennis and Papa San.  DJ Nicholas (Jamaica) was also scheduled to sing but was unable to make his connecting flight into Toronto. 

June 30, 2006 – Bonebash  (Belleville, Ontario)

After a one year hiatus, bonebash returned with another great festival of punk/rock music, to the pleasure of all who had attended the successful debut event in 2004.  Jah Pickney again gave the punk/rock event a little taste of Jamaica with his reggae performance.  Some of the other bands who performed on the newly constructed stage were:  bonedaddy (Belleville), Postage Stamps (Toronto), Heroes & Villains (Montreal), Henri Faberge & the Adorables (Toronto), Proeliis Fere (Guelph), Royal School Series (Hamilton), Cincinnati Connection (Trenton), and As We Cascade (Brighton). 

June 25, 2006 – Gospel Bashment  (Toronto, Ontario)

Jah Pickney and his Straight Steppaz Crew (dancers) performed together for the first time at this Christian dancehall reggae event, teaching the audience a few of the newest dance moves in Jamaica.  Also performing were:  Lyta (Bahamas), L-egant (New York), Mr. J (Bahamas) and DJ Evangelist (Toronto).

June 10, 2006 – Reaching Out  (Belleville, Ontario)

Jah Yout Productions presented an evening of great Christian music, featuring several Belleville area gospel music artists.  The concert was a fund-raiser in support of mission work in Jamaica.  It was an awesome evening of praise and celebration with Matt & Sara Harris, Shawna Courneyea, Rob Rapino and Jah Pickney – raising over $500 for missions.  

Jah Pickney biography

 

Jah Pickney was born, Tim Linnard, in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada on June 27, 1982. He presently resides in Belleville, Ontario, Canada.

Music has always been a big part of Jah Pickney’s life as his entire family is musical and has performed together and separately for many years. At a very early age, Jah Pickney showed a definite preference for reggae music. His love for reggae music led him to study Jamaican culture and patois. He began writing his own original reggae songs at age 11, with lyrics containing moral values set to a dancehall reggae beat.

Jah Pickney has performed with many top artists including Lt. Stitchie, Christafari, Prodigal Son, Junoir Tucker, Carlene Davis, Kali & Dub, Lazo and more and has been proclaimed an authentic Dancehall Reggae artist.

Jah Pickney’s debut album, "Jah Love", was released on May 30, 2000, on his own label, Jah Yout Productions. Seventeen years old at the time, Jah Pickney wrote and performed all the songs, played all the instruments, designed the cover art, and produced the entire project. The album is a testimony to the diverse talent of this young man.

Jah Yout Productions released Jah Pickney’s second album, "From the Heart," on January 22, 2002. This 16 track project features Mark “Tansoback” Mohr of Christafari on the Intro and Stitchie, who joins Jah Pickney on "Look To God." Although predominately dancehall, the album offers a variety of reggae styles including: roots, lover’s rock, nyabinghi, hip-hop, and rub-a-dub-sing-jay. The heavy bass and digital effects along with Jah Pickney’s notably lusty, energetic and animated voice quality, make this venture an authentic dancehall reggae production.  This album went on to earn Jah Pickney two nominations in the 3rd Annual Caribbean Gospel Music Awards from New York City in 2003, including, top international CD of the year and top international song of the year for "Look to God" with Stitchie.

Jah Pickney continues to write, perform and record new music and he has two singles on various artist compilation albums from Lion of Zion Entertainment. His ragga/soca song, "Trinity Dvinity" is featured on "Soca Baptism." His latest pre-single, which will be featured on his upcoming third album, is a hip hop infused dancehall track intitled, "Gimme Some Peace", and is featured on Lion of Zion's "Raggamuffin Hip Hop 2".

According to Jah Pickney, “Reggae music is one of the most influential means of communicating to the masses in Jamaica and around the world, as this genre of music is becoming more popular.” Jah Pickney wants to communicate true faith, morality and the gospel through a genre that has been largely used by many artists to convey messages of cults, drugs, sex and violence.

 

Thanks, nuff respect,

 

Jah Yout Productions