Posts tagged: Chris Blackwell

Chris Blackwell: “There’s A Guy Called Chronixx Who I Think Is Really Great”

April 25, 2013

Words by Jesse Serwer—

It looks like it might be reggae week over at Rolling Stone. Besides for running some controversial comments from Snoop Lion about Bunny Wailer, the magazine’s website interviewed Island Records founder Chris Blackwell (that’s him above left, with Jimmy Buffett and friend at Blackwell Rum’s US launch party two years ago), who offered some interesting perspectives on Jamaican music, past and present. Besides for speaking on the 40th anniversary of Bob Marley’s Catch a Fire, Blackwell shouted out some of his favorite current Jamaican acts: Chronixx, No-Maddz, Raging Fyah and Shaggy.

Tags:Bob Marley, Catch a Fire, Chris Blackwell, Chronixx, Island Records, No-Maddz, Raging Fyah, Reggae, Rolling Stone, Shaggy

Impressions: Astro Saulter’s Rising Star

November 19, 2012

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Words by Erin MacLeod, Photos by Martei Korley—

“I have no voice but I am not silent. I use tools beyond my physical body to communicate. Across the years my voice has been expressed mostly through the written word via a computer, and now, in recent years it has become my artwork, more than words, that has satisfied my deep need to connect with people in an authentic way.” – Astro Saulter

Tags:Art, Astro Saulter, Blackwell rum, Chris Blackwell, Jamaica, Kingston, Studio 174

Redemption Film: “Marley” Trailer + Poster Art

February 20, 2012

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Words by Jesse Serwer—

Talk of Academy Award-winning director Kevin MacDonald’s Marley documentary has been building for while, and it even had its premiere earlier this month in Berlin. But with its North American premiere, at South by Southwest in Austin, just weeks away on March 11, only now has a trailer and poster art for the film emerged. The two-minute clip for Marley—which, while certainly not the first documentary on Bob Marley’s life, is the first to get the Marley family’s full support—promises that the movie will contain previously unheard tracks and never-before-seen footage, while teasing interviews with the usual suspects: Bunny Wailer, Chris Blackwell, Rita Marley, Ziggy. Pretty straightforward. Marley hits theaters on 4/20, ’cause what date would be more appropriate.

Tags:Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Cedella Marley, Chris Blackwell, documentaries, Kevin McDonald, la reggae, reggae reggae, Rita Marley, the reggae, What is reggae, Ziggy Marley

Genius of Dub: Exclusive Q+A with Engineer Steven Stanley

October 19, 2011

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Words and Interview by Sherman Escoffery

Considered one of the best audio engineers in the Caribbean by many artists and producers, Steven Stanley has recorded, mixed and sometimes produced for acts including Black Uhuru, The B-52’s, Grace Jones, Shabba Ranks, Gwen Guthrie and Sean Paul, to name a few.

Tags:Aquarius, B-52s, Black Uhuru, Chris Blackwell, Compass Point, Gussie Clarke, Island Records, Sean Paul, Steely and Clevie, Steven Stanley, Tom Tom Club

LargeUp TV: Chris Blackwell Talks Rum

October 12, 2011

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Words by Eddie STATS Houghton

A’right. You remember when we told you about that bashy we went to for the New York launch of Blackwell rum? Perhaps not. Things can get a little haze after a few Black & Stormies, so let us recap: Chris Blackwell is the founder of Island Records. He is the man largely responsible for the global careers of Bob Marley, Grace Jones, U2 (and a few other icons). He also maintains a string of the coolest hotels on the planet (which happen to be in Jamaica), including GoldenEye, the former residence of James Bond author Ian Fleming–a family friend. Chris Blackwell is a living legend, that is the takeaway from this paragraph. On to the next:

Tags:Blackwell rum, Chris Blackwell, Island Records, Jamaica, New York, rum

Black Gold: Blackwell Rum Touches Down in New York

August 24, 2011

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Words by Eddie STATS Houghton

This past Sunday, the LargeUp crew had the opportunity to wet a toe at an informal bashy at Navy Beach in Montauk, Long Island. Attendees comprised an eclectic mix of young and old, LES kids and Hamptons types, well-heeled socialites and elegant dancehall queens. (Also a few celebs, but Vogue or Guest of a Guest could tell you more about that). One of our favorite selectors (Max Glazer) provided the reggae and soca, the hostesses of our favorite downtown spot (Miss Lily’s) set off the dancefloor and a chef flown in from Kingston skewered the jerk chicken spiced the veggie patties. If the vibe sounds good, the occasion was better: the launch of a new brand of premium rum from Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records and owner of a name practically synonymous with Bob Marley, Grace Jones, Ian Fleming…in a word, Jamaica.

Tags:Chris Blackwell, feature, Jamaica, rum