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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Entertainment
According to Cheryl Francis, Executive Producer of the musical project,”Believe” is a unique musical collaboration of musicians who reside in the Virgin Islands and abroad. “It is such a beautiful example of how we can work together to promote peace, and send a message of hope to our youth here and throughout the world,” said Francis, wife of V.I. Lt. Governor Gregory R. Francis. She founded Stop the Bleeding, Inc. in 2007 to actively involve parents and their children in reducing violence in their communities. This project was especially heartfelt by the six popular V.I. musicians who made the recording because they were either born or raised in the territory. As a result, they generously gave their time and talents to collaborate on this masterful message, Francis said. Five of the musicians wrote and contributed their own lyrics to the project. “It was amazing how the verses from each artist complemented the other,” she commented. “The project’s collaborators understood the work of Stop the Bleeding and what we want to tell the people of our communities. If each one stands firm and believes, we can change tomorrow for the better.” Contributing artists Pressure Busspipe (“Love and Affection”), Verse Simmonds (“Dat Girl”), Elijah Vegas (“They Don’t Understand Me”), Rena Faith (“Without You”), Raynaldo ‘TSR’ Canton (“Make It Home”—soon to be released), and Mada Nile (“I Would Like to See”) voluntarily spent hours in St. Croix’s state-of-the-art Aqua Sounds recording studio to complete the project. The song mix was then mastered by Disc Makers. All proceeds from the sale of the single will go towards the work of the Stop the Bleeding Foundation. An album set to be released in 2012 will include “Believe” and other songs contributed by Virgin Islands musicians and will further add to proceeds. STB is a registered member of ASCAP, which will protect the copyright of the tune, monitor the broadcasts and performance of the tune and collect the royalties for STB, which is a non-profit organization. Believe is being distributed by Tune Core, a leader in music and video distribution. The five minute song can be downloaded this Friday from internet stores including iTunes, Amazon.com, Zune, I Heart Radio, Myspace music and Vervelife. It can also be purchased at local music stores. A ringtone for mobile phones will also be available through iTunes, said Kareem Francis, coordinator of the LIATI Project, the arm of STB which spearheads the organization’s musical endeavors. This collaboration of musically diverse artists will be reminiscent of the popular 1985 “We Are the World” song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie to aid famine relief in Africa and then remixed later to benefit Haiti earthquake relief efforts. “Our product will be distinctly Caribbean but we are certain that we will have an equally successful result for this project,” he said. Collis “Krunkmaster DJ Slik” Mitchell, a popular Virgin Islands on-air personality, is credited with bringing the concept for a recorded musical collaboration to Francis and her son, Kareem. “I knew that music was the driving force behind some of the greatest movements for change, so I wanted to promote this first-of-its kind collaboration of V.I. musical artists to benefit Stop the Bleeding, ” Mitchell said. He then brought electronic musical genius Masai Harris to the LIATI team. Harris has the ability to generate almost any genre of music from R&B, rap, hip hop and soul to reggae and calypso. “We love his work,” Mrs. Francis said. “Masai understands that when young people listen to music they learn more about their world. Youth often find comfort in music, and when it seems like no one else understands, the words or sounds of music seem to express it best for them. The LIATI Project will always present positive messages through music and lyrics to counteract the negative and lewd messages our children so often hear and see in today’s media,” she added. LIATI is an acronym for “Love Is All There Is,” explained Mrs. Francis. “The team was searching for just the right name for the project. One of our members had previously heard the expression and offered it for consideration. We researched it further and found lia means “to climb” and ti means “tree” in the West African language of Ewe spoken in parts of Ghana, Togo and Benin. We felt both interpretations were the perfect fit for our LIATI message—we want to take our youth to higher levels of understanding through promoting love and peace as alternatives to violence.” Francis and the project team say “Get ‘LIATI-ready’ for the premiere of “Believe” this weekend. Call your favorite radio station and ask to hear “Believe” every day! For more information: email theliatiproject@stopthebleedingusvi.org, or call 340-642-3591, and “like” us on our Facebook page “Stop the Bleeding Foundation”. To make a donation, visit www.stopthebleedingusvi.org . Artists’ Bios are below: ARTISTS’ BIOS PRESSURE BUSSPIPE Blessed with a smooth, melodic voice and an impressive innate writing ability that can capture a story like no other, Pressure is poised to dominate the Reggae audience of the world. Called Pressure by virtue of the hard times and daily struggle we all face, this artiste is dedicated to consistently delivering a message to teach the people through his music. Born Delyno Brown, Pressure started playing drums and trumpet at age 9, but it wasn't until age 12 that he developed a passion for singing. He rose to popularity in the Virgin Islands and in regional and national reggae circles as a member of the Star Lion Family reggae group opening for top acts such as Capleton, Buju Banton, Bunny Wailer and Junior Reid. He gained further experience as an opening act for Sizzla and Elephant Man. Leaving the VI to “represent his country to the fullness to the rest of the world”, Pressure linked with the talented Dean Pond and Eno Stafford of Studio 340. Together they produced and released his debut album, The Pressure Is On, on the Tsuni Records label which did very well on the West Coast and in the Caribbean. Pressure garnered the attention of internationally renowned producer, Don Corleon. The synergy between the two, birthed the mega-hit “Love and Affection,” which immediately took the airwaves by storm. The music video was shot by famed director, Ras Kassa, and has been in rotation on cable stations. “Nothing’s greater than life. You have to follow your dreams no matter what, ‘cause I wondered if I would ever be accepted in Jamaica. But I was focused and I was determined to put out good music and the people have received and they aren’t biased. Just don’t let anything get in your way.” MAURICE “VERSE” SIMMONDS With an easy Caribbean accent and throwback “Gumby” haircut, singer/songwriter/producer Maurice “Verse” Simmonds is an unusual figure in American R&B. He’s as laid-back and charming as your average nightclub crooner. His debut album, Stories of a Bachelor, is full of typical rhythm and blues sensuality. Verse is somewhat of an anomaly to the R&B genre. That’s because he’s created his own musical lane: “Island B,” a mix of R&B, Hip-Hop and Caribbean sounds that embody Verse’s musical philosophy. “I came up with the name ‘Island B’ after people would ask me to describe my style,” he explains. “I don’t feel like it’s true R&B, since I’m more inclined to sing a song the way Bob Marley would as opposed to Marvin Gaye.” Born in Puerto Rico but raised in St. Thomas, Verse was first introduced to music through the radio. “In the Virgin Islands, only Top 40 songs make it on the airwaves, so as a kid, I was influenced by some of the biggest songs in the world. To me, music always felt natural.” In high school, Verse would perform in local talent shows with a group of fellow singers – his friends Iggy, Pressure, and Theron. They called themselves 2 Xtreme and would sing for hire for Valentine’s Day lovers or at special events. “Basically, anywhere we could touch a mic,” says Verse. After graduating from high school, Verse moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where he met a young producer/songwriter/engineer named Shama Joseph. The two hit it off immediately and formed the production team, the Jugganauts. In 2003, they moved to Los Angeles to work on several major label projects. A few years later, a phone call from childhood friend Theron Thomas and his brother Timothy Thomas – a.k.a. the singing/songwriting duo, “Rock City” – convinced the Jugganauts to relocate to Atlanta, where they began working with the likes of Akon and super-producer Rodney Jerkins. Verse captures a range of emotions in his songs, but still keeps the music fresh. Indeed, he may be unusual to R&B, but Verse Simmonds stands out among the competition just by being himself. ELIJAH VEGAS Elijah Vegas was born on St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands chain 12 years ago. Elijah began showing an active interest in the entertainment world while in the fifth grade and his parents enrolled him in YourAct, an acting school in Atlanta. Talented musically, he began working with Rock City, the group known for wrting “If This Isn’t Love” for Grammy Award winner, Jennifer Hudson. Elijah’s song “They Don’t Understand Me”, was a popular hit with the local stations in the Virgin Islands, where it was released in May 2010, and he was given the opportunity to perform it live at “The Hal Jackson’s Talented Teen Pageant”, held in St. Croix, to a sold out audience. Recently, Elijah wrapped up production of his new song, “My Girl”, with songwriter/producer, Adreana Shavers, and will record a video soon in the hopes of having his song heard nationwide. “I love to entertain people and I love to make people laugh…I just love what I do, and I plan on doing this for a long time” – Elijah Vegas RENA FAITH JOSEPH Rena Faith is a singer/songwriter from St. Croix, USVI. Upon graduating from high school in 2009, she moved to Philadelphia to pursue her dream of becoming an R&B singer. Beyonce, Whitney Houston, and Brandy, helped to inspire her musical style. Rena recorded several songs including her first single "Without You." The single took local radio stations by storm and was soon on heavy rotation on both Isle 95 and 105 Jamz. It was featured on Philadelphia's biggest radio station 100.3 The Beat. The video “Without You” went on to amass over 6,500 views on YouTube and was accepted to be featured on TEMPO, the Caribbean cable music network. Currently, Rena continues to build her name by collaborating with other local VI artists and by showcasing her talent via her YouTube channel, YouTube.com/RenaFaithVI. She’s also working on her first professional demo due out in the Fall of 2011. Raynaldo “TSR” Canton T.S.R. (The Sonic Ray) is a fresh voice to the rap scene. The teenage rapper was born and raised on St. Croix, Virgin Islands and began his musical journey at 8 years old; free-styling for family members and impressing every listening ear with his advanced and effortless lyrical abilities. Growing up in a musical household, T.S.R began honing in on his craft at age 12, arranging rhymes that later progressed to complete songs. Master at the double entendre, a T.S.R. track will make you push rewind. With his first radio single "Make It Home" on the way, T.S.R. is on his way to solidifying himself as an International lyrical contender in the artistry of Rap. MADA NILE (MARIESHA MAYNARD) Her early years, spent with her mother and nine brothers in the Paradise housing community on St Croix, were not always easy, but Mada Nile considers them her best. There, she and friends would go under trees and barren apartments to make music by beating biscuit pans, wash pans, buckets, bottles, and cans, or anything that would make a sound. Her mother's love of music exposed her to different styles such as Bob Marley, Israel Vibrations, Lucky Dubi, Teddy Pendergrass, and others, to which she credits her love of music -her devotion since high school. Mada has three albums to her credit, most recently 'On My Way', which follows closely on the heels of 'Many Roads'. On My Way features 14 songs dealing with topics of truth, rights, relationships, farming, hard work, family, love and Rastafari. She serves as the voice of the people, and her single, 'I Would Like to See' is an unstoppable anthem of uplifting spiritual power meant to combat the senseless violence plaguing the Virgin Islands and other communities. Past VI Radio hits have included 'Why', 'Mother' and 'Empress Loving' from her debut album. Tours have taken her to the east and west coasts of the United States, and throughout the Caribbean. She has shared the stage with artists such as Beres Hammond, Tanya Stephens, Sabbatical Andah, Capleton, Dezarie, and Ras Attitude.
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