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Saturday, October 31, 2015

JAMAICAN SINGER-SONGWRITER ROMAIN VIRGO RELEASES NEW EP 'LIFTED' AVAILABLE NOW ON VP RECORDS


Video for EP's Single "Fade Away" feat. Assassin Drops This Week


Full-Length Studio Album Love Sick Slated for 2016


The 25-year-old Jamaican singer-songwriter Romain Virgo returns with a brand new EP Lifted on Oct 30, 2015 on VP Records. Virgo unveils hope behind darkness on this concsious 8-song set filled with social commentary.


He holds strong with "God Inna Mi Corner" and weeds out fake friends on "Fade Away" featuring dancehall artist Assassin. While showcasing his dee-jay skills on the EDM-tinged reggae track "Badder Man," he reveals the gripping realities of a rudeboy and opts for a different way of life.  "I don't mix up with da criminal dem, me a gwan stick to mi gal dem. I don't care who a buss this, who a buss that, me don't want no strap," as he sings in the song's closing lyrics.

To pay homage to his ladies, Virgo then offers a few ballads on his EP - including his latest romancer "Stars Across The Sky," his Sam Smith cover of "Stay With Me" (which recieved over 2.4 mil YouTube views for its accompanying visual) and " Soul Provider" (racking in nearly 4 mil YouTube video views). This will give listeners a feel of his 2016 album entitled Love Sick (VP Records), which is a heartfelt collection mostly comprised of love songs.

Lifted follows his critically acclaimed 2012 album The System, which was described as "striking" (Washington Post), "high-quality" (BBC) and "smooth and engaging" (New York Times). Billboard also proclaimed he has "empowering messages over misogynistic and violent lyrics, intricately textured one-drop rhythms instead of frenetic digital beats" and he has "found an appreciative, multi-generational audience."

WATCH brand new video for "Fade Away" feat. Assassin here:
https://youtu.be/2gpX1bmJYcI

Romain Virgo
It has been eight years since Romain Virgo became the youngest winner of TVJ's popular Rising Stars - Jamaica's equivalent to American Idol. In this time frame, Romain recorded his debut self-titled album with several chart-topping reggae hits ("Can't Sleep" and "Wanna Go Home") and his sophomore album The System. He has won numerous awards within the Caribbean community - including Entertainer of the Year by The Jamaica Recording Industry Association (JaRIA) and the Prime Minister's Youth Award for Excellence in his native country. He made history again as the first Jamaican artist to perform at Academy of Country Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee - where he sung his Reggae's Gone Country rendition of "All The Gold In California" alongside original vocalists The Gatlin Brothers. His new EP Lifted and his 2016 album Love Sick will continue to show his range as a singer and as one of Jamaica's brightest stars.

twitter.com/RealRomainVirgo (103k followers)
instagram.com/realromainvirgo (49.6K followers)
www.facebook.com/RomainVirgo (Over half million likes)

Lifted EP Track Listing:
1. Lifted
2. God Inna Mi Corner
3. Fade Away
4. Badda Man
5. Stay With Me
6. Stars Across The Sky
7. Soul Provider
8. Work

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

GENTLEMAN RELEASES MTV UNPLUGGED ALBUM IN THE U.S. ON NOV 6 (VP)


First Reggae Artist to Perform for the Network's Acoustic Concert Series


NYC Album Release Event in NYC on Nov. 5 at Milk River


Gentleman, the German multi-platinum and award-winning reggae artist, will release his MTV Unplugged album in the U.S. on November 6, 2015 on VP Records. The 28-song live acoustic set is a wonderfully balanced mix of milestones in Gentleman's 15-year plus recording career. In North America, the album follows Gentleman's 2012 U.S. debut Diversity, which charted at #1 in Germany as well as #2 in Switzerland and Austria.

Gentleman will return stateside next week in support of this release. He will perform the album live in NYC at Milk River (960 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11238) on Nov. 5. Doors open at 8pm. To purchase tickets visit: http://www.eventbrite.com. Then, he heads to Florida on Nov. 7 for a fan meet & greet at VP Records retail store from 3-7pm in Miramar. The following day (Nov. 8) in Miami, he will join Christopher Martin on stage at the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival and perform later that evening at Jazid.


In this epic session recorded at the Cologne Stadtgarten, Gentleman jams with his eight-piece band The Evolution and other high-profile musicians from Germany and Jamaica. The acoustic versions of Gentleman's "Dem Gone", "Superior", "Send A Prayer" and "Different Places," which have long become canons of pop music in Europe, demonstrate how melodic and memorable his songs are. He not only has a knack for crisp riddims and catchy melodies, but is also a gifted songwriter and singer with an unmistakable voice. The two exclusive new songs in the set are "Warn Dem" featuring Shaggy and "No Solidarity" featuring Ky-Mani Marley.  Other guest collaborations include Christopher Martin on "To The Top," Tanya Stephens on "Another Melody," Milky Chance on "Homesick" and Marlon Roudette on the cover of Mattafix's "Big City Life." The live classic "Rainy Days" is polished to perfection and the crowning finale is Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" with Ky-Mani Marley, the son of the reggae legend.

With 10 albums under his belt and over one million collectively sold in Europe, Gentleman is a crucial component in the movement of international artists beyond Jamaica who are expanding the footprint of reggae music.



Gentleman
One may not assume that the Cologne native and son of a Lutheran pastor would become an international reggae superstar, but Gentleman (born Tilmann Otto) has been drawn to reggae's revolutionary spirit and truth-seeking lyrics ever since he was introduced to the island's sounds. He immersed himself in the culture and music at the age of 18, making Jamaica his home away from home. In 1997, he eventually got his first break with German hip-hip group, Freundeskreis, after delivering a verse on single "Tabula Rasa" with his distinctive singjay style. Since then, Gentleman has had a string of solo hits and platinum-selling records in Europe. He won Best National Artist five times for three different award shows (Echo Award 2003 & 2005, Comet Award 2005, 1Live Radio Award 2004 & 2005) and has been nominated twice for Best Reggae Artist (Martin 2004 Awards and Reggae and Soca Awards).  He has collaborated with artists ranging from pop superstars Pink and Destiny's Child to reggae legends Michael Franti & Spearhead and Barrington Levy. After over a decade under the label Four Music, he moved to Universal Germany in 2010 and has since released 5 albums.

www.gentleman-music.com
https://twitter.com/gentlemanmusic
https://www.facebook.com/Gentleman

TRACK LISTING
1. Intro
2. Superior
3. Changes
4. The Journey
5. Road of Life
6. Intoxication
7. Different Places
8. Send a Prayer
9. It No Pretty
10. Tranquility
11. To the Top feat. Christopher Martin
12. Warn Dem feat. Shaggy
13. New Day Dawn
14. Runaway
15. In My Arms
16. You Remember
17. Heart of Rub-A-Dub
18. Rainy Days feat. Tamika & Martin Jondo
19. Dem Gone
20. Memories
21. Interlude
22. Homesick feat. Milky Chance
23. No Solidarity feat. Ky-Mani Marley
24. Big City Life feat. Marlon Roudette
25. Walk Away
26. Leave Us Alone
27. Another Melody feat. Tanya Stephens
28. Redemption Song feat. Ky-Mani Marley


U.S. Dates:
Nov 5 @ Milk River in Brooklyn, NY
Nov 8 @ Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival in Miami, FL
Nov 8 @ Jazid in Miami, FL
Nov 7 @ VP Meet & Greet @ VP Records SF Retail Store in Mirimar, FL (3-7pm)