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Lion Funding

8/9/2015

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JuLion Crowd Funding




The reggae road has brought me to this junction in life.  At one point I thought that I was destined to football greatness.  Good skills, aggressive, skillful sometimes but I never made it to the ‘world’ stage, playing internationally in another country and also being a significant player at that level.  Like millions of other fellas, I thought that I had a chance if I got the right breaks.  Yet whether I was performing in a stadium, church league, bush league or road side scrimmage, I just wanted to play!  Love to play!

So no I never made it there, but was good enough in certain communities to get some ratings as a ‘baller’ and as reggae music goes one is either an entertainer or a baller to be a ‘star’ in a community.  I used to hear and feel the music in me when I played (still do).  It resonated with every pass, every dribble, every shot, every tackle...  Football made me love reggae...reggae made me love football.

It will always be thus...

It is probably why I maintained a fairly high level of play for a long period of my life because even into my 40s and 50s I am still ‘functional’ when around good, better or younger players.  Music and ball are one.

That is the energy that I brought and bring to this interpretation of I reggae journey.  This is how I grew up with it and also how I would like to display it.  It was a positive with me in adolescence to adulthood and has guided my journey through the music industry.

Recently, a few folks have asked me about where to find a vibe like that.

I have it!

I need finances to get it and the programs to date probably don’t include reggae or black culture.  Historically it has never included any of the ‘urban’ music especially within Canada.  I used to get angry and SCREAM “RACISM!!!!!” , falling into the distractions placed before me.

Like everyone else I bought into the distractions of, racism, sexism, gay rights, hetero rights, civil rights, animal rights, oil sands mining, over fished seas, IMF banking institution, systemic racism, separating, dividing successfully and effectively, feeling hapless and helpless then you realise the only ‘problem’ that I had was me.  I couldn’t figure it out.  I did not have the ‘solution’.

The “system” wasn’t the problem; it was my acceptance of that system.

I reach Reggae Lane.

I had no idea that this blessing was coming my way...our way.  It has many folks speaking of Canadian reggae history with pride, some learning of the rich history and many others celebrating past events.  It is such a positive move.  We are glorifying the contributions of many whom we all hold in high regard and many still around today performing and carrying the music forward.  I’ve always felt that reggae needed more and deserved more. I have been promoting shows, parties and events for years never having the right amount of marketing dollars to properly promote on the same levels as everyone else.  The granting / lending institutions don’t sit well with me.  I’d LOVE to get all kinds of funding yet I am also aware that I must create my own sources of income in order to create some levels of independence.  So I now own the trademark for Reggae Lane.  Through selling the merchandise I can put that funding back into promoting reggae music as I’d like to see it.  If you feel like developing the growth and emergence to the world stage of Reggae Canada, buy Reggae Lane.

Reggae Lane ~ reggaelane.org

Show your support of JuLion, Canadian Reggae World, and Reggae music by purchasing Reggae Lane gear and wearing it proudly.  It is uniquely Canadian.

Sidebar:  I wrote a book called Three Finger Jack ~ The Spirit of Jamaica, a fictional piece of Jamaican history about a significant Jamaican who inspired me and many other Jamaican children.  When purchasing Reggae Lane product, if you wish a copy of the book emailed free of cost, I will send it to you.  If you like what you read and wish to forward it, please do so yet if you also wish to support by purchasing the book, it can be found at Amazon.com as well as Kobo.com.

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Reggae Disaster @ The Harbourfront Centre

8/1/2015

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All in all it was a complete let down!

The negotiations with The Harbourfront Centre which included conversations phone and in person, texts messages, emails to Sergio Elmir and Nadine McNulty were professional and very pleasant as we worked towards African Star included in the Island Soul vibe.

The Brigantine Room is one of the most impressive rooms to host any kind of event!  One of my favorite rooms in the city, as I was fortunate enough in the past, to host a Canadian Reggae Summit with the support of Dalton Higgins at the time.  I knew that this venue was ‘prime’ for African Star!

As we loaded up and Star blazed a few warm up tracks, we were well excited to “burn down the house” after Kabaka Pyramid was done on the big stage.  We were ready for to create a historic vibe with African Star spinning, Kabaka coming by to jam and Star closing out the night with musical gems.

Everything was going well...

Then it wasn’t.  Feeling the negative vibe I enquired from Star what was going on.  He said, “They keep turning me down!  Every time I catch a groove with the people, they turn me down!”

A world renowned selecta like African Star was bridled. 

I went to the sound technician knowing what his answer was going to be and I made it clear that my fight was not with him.

Unfortunately the night went downhill from there.  The “vibe” left the room!  The Toronto age old crisis of keeping the sound below 90 DBE was in effect.  A perfectly natural reggae vibe was quashed by this fascist need by the wannabe-upper-crusty-condo-assholes who move into the heart of the city then complain about noise.  This isn’t exactly news to anyone I know but something must give!  We are TIRED of these talentless, soulless apes living high and mighty, like affluence is the calling card for the elite whiteness, that we are all expected to accept.  Keep the job, the money and your stations in life yet it is time to allow those who LIVE, those who sing and dance and celebrate life to lead in this path.

Club owners, bars and venues have to kowtow to these soulless apes that pollute the city with their conservativeness.

I’m disappointed at the fact that I cannot bring the music the way that it is supposed to “feel”.  They do not love it so for the ape, it is just “noise”.  Tired of the apes!

Our government, police forces, city officials protect the apes.

I’m just venting as it is all I have...

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