DIWALI RE-CONQUERS NM CHARTS AGAIN !!!!
The ever-lasting DIWALI riddim has re-conquered the NM Reggae Dancehall Charts again. Whenever we think that this HAS to be IT for the beat, another top-a-top track seems to get released. After Bounty, Ele, Buju and Sean Paul all have taken turns at the #1 spot on the beat, here comes the Wayne Wonder remix with LL Cool J and Duchess (aka Sasha from the other chart topper "I'm Still In Love" on the UPTOWN TOP-RANKIN riddim). Capleton drops down to #2, yet the SNAKE/BAGHDAD continues to rock the Southwest with a healthy serving of 6 tunes on this chart alone. Now that the video is running up & down MTV, Elephant Man's "Pon Di River Pon Di Bank" (which is a tribute to Fire Links monday street dance in Kingston) regained some popularity, jumping back up to #6. Elephant certainly has the Jamaican dancehall hordes eating out of the palm of his hand, getting one dance after another named after his chunes or vice versa. Whatever, the concept seems to be working. After The "Pon Di River" dance, came "Signal Di Plane" and the bran-new "Blaze(blaza)". By the time you're reading this I'm sure that there's another one you'll hear about next month. But the DANCE has certainly been re-introduced in the dancehalls, after its hey-day in the 1990's (BOGLE, BUTTERFLY etc.). This seems positive as it draws more attention to dancers creativity, and away from some of the same tired old bad-man-isims. Dancehall is all about FUN after all, que no! Beenie Man is kicking some ass in NM with his x-rated remixes of super-popular hip-hop/r&b tunes on the Top Brass label. The EGYPTIAN riddim on Blaxxx is represented by tunes from Vybez Cartel and Sean Paul, both of which have the potential to become dancehall anthems. My favorite of the 20 + tracks is the instrumental though. Wicked Beat and Don Corleone seems to have with hands in it again !!! The
rootical tunes have reached an all-time high for the year on this chart,
numbering no less than 7 (!!!) this time on riddims as Digital B's JAVA
& ONE TO ONE, Jasfar's HARD TIME ROCK, featuring artists as Buju,
Beenie, Marcia, Sanchez and Wayne Wonder's sweet "Praises To The
King". |
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