Blog Posts

Mally Bless Album Release Triumph

9/30/2022

Mally Bless Album Launch

A true highlight to the reggae year of 2022 was the event hosted last evening by The Starliners crew, Tonya P and Mally Bless and their team at 3030 Dundas

The evening was blessed

Sooooo many folks from all parts of the industry showed up on a Thursday night to support this crew of friends and peers who are truly elevating Canadian reggae culture

Big props to the culture of RasTafari presence, in the face of what we are living inna Babylon in this time

Major props to Briggidier Kingsly of Jah International for PROPER selections last evening. De selecta had me dancing whole night long

I love the ascetic of a live band

I love the sound of a live band

What a blessing to dance to live reggae music. It is a gift to preserve

The Starliners band of Yezer Root on bass, drummie O'Neil Fuller, guitsy Laza and Wiz on keys was truly fire. Empress Harmony and Shanty Sweets are a dangerous Duo and sweeter as a trio with Tonya P

A night like this truly elevates all in the room as well as the Canadian reggae vibez

Mally Bless album is fire

Performance up

Musical arrangement up

Big love to individual performances by Tonya P, Empress Minott, Ras Malkam, Elijah de Leader, Empress Harmony & Shanty Sweets who helped to lift the vibez even higher with their presentations

Mally Bless, a conscious, humble man with a message of love, defiance fight and RasTafari energy uplifted all in the room. He had the crowd with him from beginning to end of his set, starting with a nyabinghi, RasTafari chant. Performance top a top!

I bought his album / CD

Proud of I n I purchase

I said it before and will say it once again, if you / we wish to rise as a culture, let us all push this Starliners crew forward as they are truly elevating us

RasTafari guidance

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Feel Reggae Recap

9/29/2022

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I feel like a few more folks are ovastanding the merit in the "building our own table" concept

It is prudent to protect and to elevate one's self in this jungle of life

I will continue to share these thoughts of independence even within the belly of the beast. We do need to survive but what are you / we willing to concede to achieve these goals?

The talent is unquestionable for some

How do we export our music to other provinces?

How do we connect to Torontonians who wish to hear and to purchase our music?

Where is our pipeline to selling our music internationally?

As we have established on several occasions, reggae music has been in Canada for 60 years now and its lack of support range into several excuses by old, white racist men and women, giving us lines like,

1. "Reggae is too mainstream for us to give funding"

"If it were so mainstream, why aren't we hearing it on the radio?" I says, and there is an awkward silence

2. "Reggae is indigenous to Jamaica, its not Canadian, so we cannot fund it". Another racist ass, side step, to avoid investing in Canadians. Us!

3. "Reggae is Jamaican, so we can't play it on our radio stations"

4. "Reggae does not suit our formatting". My favorite, vague, bullshit excuse of the most racist kind

I'm sure I've forgotten the myriad of reasons and excuses that I have received over the years

The bullshit is 60 years and going

But I was built to listen to all of that fuckery and still choose to create my own space and I encourage others to see these things as they present themselves and to respond accordingly and seek fiscal upliftmet today as well as for future generations

I give props to Toronto Reggae's, Jason McLean, working on something "reggae" for over a decade now. I knew that this dude Jason was a reggae nerd like me, mindlessly working on our culture every single day

Again I send big love to Mally Bless and Tonya P whose efforts in the last couple of years of the Starliners Entertainment company have truly elevated the culture

There are more good folks out there doing the good works and we should be connecting those dots and growing this even more

Big up Emile Reed of The Boxing Loft, as venues for live reggae music are not easily accessible in these times and the BL has been a refuge for the culture

Props to Music Ontario for seeking inclusion to this reggae culture and supporting this event. Blessings Emy and Matt

It was awesome to speak with DillanPonders, an independent artist, successfully moving though the music industry, giving us insights on mindset, determination, work ethic and a willingness to stand alone and let your own personality / brand be the only focus

All of these pitfalls are real but they do not need to be our focus

My thoughts are on creating a path that fiscally benefits and rewards the time and effort that we invest in our culture

Our next Feel Reggae event will be Saturday, 29th October, details to come

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FEEL REGGAE SEMINAR ~ September, 24th

8/31/2022

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On Saturday, 24th September, 2022, we host another installment of a Feel Reggae as we find a path to traverse in this tricky and treacherous music industry, to create opportunities for an upliftment of the culture inna Canada

We have in the past been blessed with performances by Michie Mee, Fergus Hambleton (Sattalites), Mojah, the founding member of Truths & Rights, Blessed, Carl Harvey (Toots & The Maytals and Messenjah), Peter Holung, IBADAN, Belinda Brady, Blessed, Jason Wilson, SunRay Grennan, David Kingston. Michael St. George and of course, The Dub Chronicles

Within these performances we discuss everything from the roots of the music to the business of the music

Our guest interview this seminar, is Dillanponders, who one might consider an independent yet established artist, within the genre of Hip Hop with a bit f reggae flavor, s he is the son of Canadian Reggae World, JuLion. Our goals is the glean his knowledge of an independent artist in Canada, working within, around and through the shitstym that we find ourselves in, trying to sell our music

www.instagram.com/dillanponders/

Belinda Brady will also be joining the panel to discuss parts of her journey to date and to impart possible solution/s and ideas

www.instagram.com/belindabrady1/

There will be a performance by The Dub Chronicles, my brothers in dub. This band consists of three brothers, Ryan, Craig and Jonathan Rattos, true students of jazz and dub

As a special treat, we host the final segment as an OPEN MIC. The brothers have practiced three (3) riddims, Sleng Ting, Far East and The Heavenless riddims. Those are the riddim options for the open mic portion

www.instagram.com/thedubchronicles/

3:00pm ~ Doors Open
4:00pm ~ Host {JuLion} Intro
4:30 - 5:00pm ~ Belinda Brady
5:00 - 5:30pm ~ Dillanponders
5:30 - 6:00pm ~ Q&A
6:00 - 6:30pm ~ Break & Mingle
6:30 - 7:30pm ~ Dub Chronicles & Friends {Ruth Mathiang}
7:30 - 8:00pm ~ Open Mic {Three available riddims,, Sleng Ting, Far East & Heavenless Riddims, listed below}

Open Mic Etiquette: No disrespectful lyrics / no hogging the mic, 20 - 30 seconds on the mic unless the room is with you / don't try to promote your album / respect to all artists

* Public parking lot a few steps away on Queen Street, west of Elm Grove

Click on logo to register and get discounted ticket

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23rd August, 2022 ~ CRW Newsletter

8/23/2022

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Slingshot aka Andrew Dillon / King Turbo asked a question about how to gain more corporate support for reggae music

Great question

We are all fully aware of the global popularity as well as the impact of the music and the fact that said corporations use the genre to sell products from cereal, to fashions, alcohol, movies and cars... for themselves

"They" know the impact

They know to use it for their purposes

We need to achieve our success away from the corporation. We need to bond together and create our own energy

Honor, respect, integrity & nobility

That's most of our paths sought in our love for this musical genre of reggae

Part of it is to bun de vampire which includes corporations and governments

Honor, respect, integrity & nobility are not things corporations nor governments tend to promote

The love we seek must come from real ones

Ourselves

#reggaeforlife

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The Dub Chronicles & Mally Bless Album Release

realrootsradio.net

My current source for reggae music, message music and consciousness

I initially got hooked when Roots Scientist played an awesome tribute to "Sleepy" Horace Andy, a true icon inna de game, whose music I respected even from youth days. He then dropped a conscious Burning Spear tribute, teaching of the message/s behind the music. I then listened from time to time and an idrin Mr. Chris I believe his name was, had me bouncing to some conscious roots for another two hours

Link them up, you won't be disappointed

Reggae Lane merch special. 4 shirts for $100.00, shipped anywhere in Canada & the US (Shirts are normally $40.00 per unit}

Order Here: https://royal-tease.ca/collections/rfl

The One Muay Thai with champion Simon Marcus https://www.theonemuaythai.com/

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Saturday, 20th August, 2022

8/20/2022

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Album launch by idrin Mally Bless

Roots Scientist Marcus Garvey tribute

Jamaica has a way of honoring great men that they had a hand in abusing while these men were alive. We have spoken recently of the abuses to Leonard Percival Howell being forcibly taken to Bellevue Hospital for the insane for shock treatments trying to sell the narrative of the Gong being a madman. Now dem a honor de madman

Marcus Mosiah was eventually pushed out of Jamaica by the government and died of pneumonia in England, some saying as a broken man

Yet they honor the great one

Rightfully so

Their honor and integrity in life shines through in their death

We are grateful to Garvey and the Gong

{Click on graphic to listen to two hours of conscious tunes and knowledge by the Roots Scientist outta the UK}

Reggae Lane

Some day, certainly not today nor currently, Reggae Lane will be in the hands of "reggae people"

"The first roadway in the world named from Reggae music"

I am truly grateful for Reggae Lane in Toronto, Canada. It has the potential to revitalize the reggae love here and be a source of unity / unification, of our reggae energy here as well as globally

I see Reggae Lane as a beacon from Canada to the world someday

This logo is mine... maybe someday to be all of ours

My Reggae Lane love

This can be purchased online and delivered anywhere, to your doorstep, in Canada and the US

Purchase gear here: https://royal-tease.ca/collections/rfl

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August 15th, 2022 ~ Howell Version

8/15/2022

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Leonard Percival Howell ~ The First Rasta

Jamaica's colonial servants, Sir Alexander Bustamante and many others in government / parliament, justice system and police, all treated The Gong as a madman, daring to give legitimacy of a truly royal birthright, from the houses of David and Solomon, biblically as well as historically, to H. I. M. Emperor Haile Selassie l, the King of Kings

A black God is God

The energy of RasTafari swelled globally through disciple Robert Nesta who delivered prophetic and simple truths, through the wisdom and guidance of RasTafari that are as relevant today as in the past

Historical, biblical or spiritual arguments aside, RasTafari has become a global symbol of honor, love and peace and Leonard Percival Howell deserves all accolades

He was an honorable man who loved himself and his fellow Jamaicans. He created the community of Pinnacle, which catered to over five thousand, 5,000, self sustained black people

The colonial cowards have whittled Pinnacle into real estate for the rich today

Colonialist whimp Bustamante, persecuted and murdered innocent Jamaican people who glorified a black God. That coward is no hero to me. No Jamaican "leader" who murders innocent Jamaicans can ever be a hero to me

Bustamante is Jamaica's greatest coward

Now the descendants of the coward Bustamante, honor the The Gong, 41 years past his death

In life they committed him to Bellevue Hospital for the insane, reportedly giving him a series of shock treatments over several years, trying to prove their propaganda saying Howell was a "madman"

Now the same cowards honor the same madman

His greatness was always undeniable. Teaching ourselves and our children knowledge of the past helps to instill honor and integrity needed in society in this day

The same cowards poison the water in Cockpit Country as they attack the maroon population

Under the circumstances, we do not need the accolades towards Mr. Howell on one hand as they destroy Cockpit country on the other hand. The compassion showed to Mr. Howell 41 years past death, needs to be shown to the maroon population today

We already knew Mr. Howell was a great man

The colonial government in office today apologized for the abuses in Corral Gardens, by Bustamante as they attack the maroons of Cockpit country

Their hypocrisy is the same

We must stop rejoicing with the colonial master honoring a great one whom we already know to be great. We do not need their validation of Leonard Percival Howell. What we need is more honorable behavior from Jamaica's governments. We need them to stop poisoning the water in Cockpit Country

We need honorable behavior all around

RasTafari

~ ~ ~

Events

Ites up Roots Scientist outta de UK, tribute to Yabby You, playing conscious rockers

If you fulljoy the vibe and content of this newsletter, and wish to encourage the works that we provide, feedback and etransfer can both be made to canadianreggaeworld@gmail.com

PayPal to Julion King

~ ~ ~

Business opportunities for reggae businesses for cash or barter... canadianreggaeworld@gmail.com for respectful inquiries

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CRW Newsletter August, 2022

8/12/2022

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Niagara Falls lights failed attempt at honoring Jamaican independence

"Niagara Fail"

The colors were of RasTafari

I'm sure that the organizers, some truly ignorant or highly evolved humans, believe that the colors of red, gold and green, deeply connected to RasTafari happen to be the official colors of Jamaica

RasTafari does preach independence from colonial shackles so it is more accurate to gravitate there as Jamaica's independence has been tokenism to the island since 6th August, 1962

How can you honor a nation and get the colors of their flag wrong?

RasTafari is a truly significant, spiritual energy that eminates from Jamaican culture and deserves great respect globally, and the subliminal thought by the Niagara Falls organizers must be that it is all one and the same

It isn't

The colors of the Jamaican flag, for any other non-Jamaican, is black, gold and green

Black, gold and green

Kingston Festival debacle

In the aftermath of the festival negativity as unsafe, overcrowded, poor sound, no sound, isn't acceptable in this time of technology

Reggae music deserves the proper respect if one decides to take on the mantle and present it publicly

This event is a reflection on all of us as we do not demand the respect from those who choose to promote reggae events

Respect is due

To the same promoter and to anyone else involved in the culture, we elevate our integrity and honor and the profits will become even greater for all

Popcaan, Shensea and any other top artists will seek Canadian shores as it is obviously clear that there is a rabid market here to watch them perform

Treat them and us the fanbase with respect please

Jah guide

Support the Starliners program as their works elevate the Canadian Reggae culture for all concerned

Canada has never had an effective, progressive, homegrown infrastructure selling the music of the collective

Never, ever

Mally Bless and Tonya P efforts elevate the culture

I suggest we all get behind and push them forward

Starliners IG: https://www.instagram.com/starlinersentertainment/
Tonya P: https://www.instagram.com/tonyapmusic/
Mally Bless: /www.instagram.com/imallybless/

The Dub Chronicles, the dub brothers, Ryan, Craig & Jonathan Rattos, pictured here with, Naiomi Cowan, bring a wide range of dub vibez to the Toronto massive. If you into this stylee, this is a great event to check out

Follow them on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thedubchronicles/

Find me on IG: www.instagram.com/canadianreggaeworld/
Twitter: twitter.com/JuLionKing

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Artist Entitlement

7/20/2022

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"Artist Entitlement"

I've had recent interaction with certain artists about their music / career over the years as well as recently and it truly made me resentful when I felt that some of these artists blame my work or lack of work for their demise

The vibe I have noticed from a couple of folks, is what I may describe as "entitlement"

By that I mean, they assume that I should drop what I'm doing to promote them and their music. Mind you, some of said artists have no respect or regard for me or my work but still want I man to promote their music anyway?????

I must speak as humbly and as honestly as possible as I consider myself as an artist with my loves of illustration, music and the drum so I do relate to the need for positive validation for one's creations

But

Because you choose to write a song or an album, does not mean that the world will automatically relate to, or love your music... no matter how great that you think that it is

Let the fanbase decide. Not your family members. If fans like your music, DJs will find you

If you are already in your mid-thirties and over and you are not an artist of great reknown, your chances of international success are greatly diminished as a marketable brand. The largest buyers / consumers of current music are youth. Chances are, if you are past 35 with no history of charting or selling music, the odds are stacking up against your possible fiscal success as they do not relate to you nor do your music and lyrics relate to them

Fans like music and artists that the can relate to

If you are in your 40s and 50s telling me that, I personally, or CRW does not do enough to help your journey or that of Canadian Reggae, you are not focused enough on the person in the mirror

Some of you will not "make it"

Never make it

The statistics of life, is that the top 1% of the top 1% will make it in most endeavors. The rest of the 99.99999% of us are just regular

De top a top

My ego tells me that I'm truly special, as it should, but not everyone else will agree that I am so special and I must accept this

So must you as a performer / songwriter

I'm not saying that one shouldn't dream. Our dreams keep our hopes alive and can elevate our creativity to write and produce music but that does not make it an instant hit song

I initially started writing this out of anger based on a couple of recent conversations, when it felt like I was being blamed for the demise of the person complaining, then my compassionate soul kicked in and toned down my rage, as my artist energy kicked in

Not all of you are going to make it

More accurately, most of you won't

Yet if some of those blaming me and the world for their failure, I'm suggesting that your focus is completely wrong and to revert your gaze and attention to the person in the mirror

My compassionate spirit tells me that art is another component of love

Making art is making love

The love is translated through lyric or the music or a combination of the two [or brush or pencil strokes], that melds with the fan/s. That love and feeling is a spiritual energy and if your music does not resonate, continue in a loving path and you might find something substantial to self and to the world at large

If you blame CRW, Toronto Reggae, Reggaeville, Irie FM or any other outside source, believe me you are on the wrong track

Some folks will never ovastand that

A loving energy is my path and if I feel toxicity or venom, I avoid those energies, which is the reason that I do not vibe with everyone and do not work with everyone
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Reggae For Life

Reggae gives life, saves lives, helps life

For conscious humans ovastanding the balance of RasTafari

Purchase here: https://royal-tease.ca/collections/rfl

Support to CRW, etransfer: canadianreggaeworld@gmail.com

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Why Ras Spanky is important to I n I Community

7/4/2022

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Corral Gardens

All Jamaicans should hang our collective heads in shame for that incident in history

We should still be ashamed because NO ONE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE FROM THESE HEINOUS CRIMES and Jamaica still treat RasTafari like criminals to be looked down upon. No Jamaican government has ever protected its people. They are all slaves to western corruption which includes The IMF and The World Banks

The apology by Holness is not, never, never, ever acceptable!

They distract us through deep corruption, bringing about high level murder rates for decades now in the country

Since "independence"

Independence mi rass

What an abusive insult to Jamaican people but we also could have done nothing about the colonial abuses then or today. We are forever pawns in this game

Bustamante ordered the murder of RasTafari

Jamaican people

All Jamaican leaders, with the exception of Michael Manely have abused Jamaican people and continue to do so today

Corral Gardens

Someone said that Rastaman dem just up and burnt down a gas station

Really?

Just for the hell of it

Another "rumor" is that the CIA and or the FBI groomed black agents to grow "Dread locks" on their heads, to simulate RasTafari, burnt the gas station so that the corrupt government would have an excuse to raid Corral Gardens of probably a few million dollars from ganja sales that could not be put legally in bank accounts. The raids then and now were and are about stealing RasTafari money

This is only a rumor though [wink wink]

I believe there are other stories and rumors too, but the Prime Minister at the time, "Sir" Alexander Bustamante famously said, and I paraphrase, "if they cannot fit in the jail house, there is room for them on Bogue Hill."

Bogue Hill was a cemetery

"Sir", gave a statement to the babylon to effectively brutalize and kill RasTafari man and rape RasTafari woman

Jamaican man and woman

Innocent Jamaicans

"Sir" is no Jamaican hero

Not to I man

Nanny, yes

Three Finger Jack, yes

Nanny, Jack, Leonard Howell, Marcus Garvey and others, used their love for the people to create better education for intellectual, spiritual and financial upliftment for their people. For all people

They put themselves at risk and do not bow

Spanky is like that

A RasTafari, peaceful man at heart, a teacher, selling herb, marijuana, ganja for decades now and playing music, reggae music to his community. My community

I asked him how many times his businesses were raided by the Toronto police. I asked if he had a number written down of the times babylon raided his establishment to which he said, over the past 20 years, he has lost count

I average 5 raids a year, for 25 years puts it at over 100 times. This is a conservative count

Why was he raided you ask?

Selling herb to the community is that answer

Herb

Ganja

The same ganja that babylon now profits from with their dispensaries

They told us that he was a gangster

This highly respected RasTafari elder does not bow and through his perseverance, he has given I man a real strength to stand up on I own two feet as a man

A real man

A Lion of I community

A proud Rastaman

After each raid and he was released he was back to chopping herb for the community THE VERY NEXT DAY!

Nuh hitch

This Rastaman is leader, owner and selecta of King Stereograph here in Toronto, a RasTafari Sound System serving our community for close to three decades now. A true musical servant of this community

A RasTafari elder of honor, courage and integrity who has been friend and mentor to many

A man of nobility that leads through his actions. A man who I speak highly about to my own children

He is no "criminal". That is babylonian disrespect which I refuse to ever accept. Their bullshit isn't my truth and certainly does nothing to diminish my love and respect for this general

He elevates the community

He elevates me

He inspires my work as he does with many around him

DJ Records, at Eglinton and Keele is where he sells music, drums, herbs, roots drinks, ludo boards, books and literature on RasTafari, incense and much more. I encourage our community to promote and to support this leader of our village

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RasTafari Sounds ~ Reggae Cafe ~ Thursday, 30th June, 2002

6/27/2022

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Stereograph Sound

A legendary sound from Jamaica to Canada

The official sound for the late Daddy U Roy

Here in Toronto, Ras Simeion aka Ras Spanky, proprietor of DJ Records for over 25 years now, at Eglinton and Keele

SturGav is a RasTafari sound

Same one

Over the recent years, homage has been paid to reggae contributors over the years and Ras Spanky's contribution is no less than anyone honored to date

As an elder in our community, Ras Spanky is a beacon of conscious reasoning for many years, in one of the most famous basements on the planet

He is certainly has been a mentor for I man

His abilities as a selector are in fact, legendary

Come witness this energy for yourself

Mally Bless

Artist, producer, DJ, father, husband, founder of Starliners Entertainment with wife Tonya P [when you have a moment check out Easy Going Towing]

This lion continues to forge his own solo career as he aids in producing for various artists and is a gifted DJ of all styles

Recently, he has focused his energies on promoting Canadian produced reggae music, truly aiding to grow our vibe globally

RASTAFARI SOUNDS meet up at Reggae Cafe this Thursday, 30th June, 2022

Come back to Eglinton Avenue where we once made the street hot with reggae music

Bring an idrin

Bring a sistrin

P. S. Friday is a holiday