The schedule and authors has been announced. I am getting excited and have already bought several of the authors' books.

The music Friday night is "No Maddz" and "Raging Fyah" Here's some info:

No Maddz http://www.yardedge.net/music/no-maddz-sizzle-with-originality

http://unitedreggae.com/articles/n779/101811/raging-fyah-judgement-day

Sat. Night is DJ/Dancehall night with a DJ from South Africa "The Admiral" and a well known Jamaican dancehall sound system "Stone Love:"

The Admiral

Andy Kasrils grew up in London in a South African exile family and got involved with Reggae music through his Jamaican friends. In the early 80’s he was nicknamed 'Admiral' by his DJ teacher Biggs Banton in London. Admiral worked for the ANC through the 1980's, as a printer and later as a soldier joining the ANC liberation army 'MK' in Angola in 1987. Years later in a free South Africa he started a dancehall show on the Voice Of Soweto community radio which led to his hosting the first ever SA commercial reggae show on Johannesburg's YFM. He has co-hosted 'Raggatak' on YFM with MC Jahseed since 1999.

Admiral & Jahseed formed the African Storm Sound System and have held their legendary dance every Thursday in Johannesburg since 1996. Admiral is also a well-known TV film critic in South Africa and is currently preparing his first feature film.

Stone Love has become a very well known name in Reggae Dancehall music and other forms of music as well. They have played in locations all over the world and are now a household name. The Stone Love sound system has become very well known and is highly valued throughout the Reggae Dancehall music scene. Winston never imagined that his dream as a child could lead to such success or he would have so many people looking up to him and Stone Love. Stone Love has changed the presentation of Reggae Dancehall music and has led many people to pursue their dreams within and outside of the Reggae Dancehall genre.


Sunday afternoon is "50 years of Jamaican music" featuring Wayne Armond (Chalice), Ibo Cooper (founding member of Third World) Steve Golding (former rhythm guitarist for Peter Tosh, Judy Mowatt, I Threes, among others), and Seretse Small, who toured three years with Sean Paul and is now a popular Jamaican Jazz musician. They are somewhat of a regular in this time slot.


I haven't fully digested the authors who will be there, but two that I thought were interesting choices are Ronnie Kasrils and Orlando Patterson. Here's some information about them:


Ronnie Kasrils

Ronnie Kasrils joined the ANC in 1960, where he served as the secretary of the ANC-aligned Congress of Democrats in Natal until it was banned in 1962. He became a member of Umkhonto Wesizwe (Armed Wing of the Liberation Movement) at its inception in 1961. He and his wife Eleanor fled into exile in 1963. They were exiled for 27 years. He worked underground for the ANC in South Africa during Operation Vula.

After the first democratic elections in South Africa, Kasrils was appointed Deputy Minister of Defence from 1994-1999. He then became Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry from 1999-2004 and was appointed Minister of Intelligence Services. He resigned on 23 September 2008 following former President Thabo Mbeki’s resignation.

His best-selling memoir Armed and Dangerous was first published by Heinemann in 1993. He co-authored "Bertrand Russell's America" in two volumes (Allen & Unwin1973 and 1984) about the British philosopher."

Orlando Patterson

Orlando Patterson, John Cowles Professor of Sociology at Harvard University. Professor Patterson is the author of 5 major academic books including, Slavery and Social Death (1982); Freedom in the Making of Western Culture (1991); and The Ordeal of Integration (1997) A public intellectual, Professor Patterson was, for eight years, Special Advisor for Social policy and development to Prime Minister Michael Manley of Jamaica. His columns have appeared in The New York Times, Time Magazine, Newsweek, The Public Interest, The New Republic, and the Washington Post. His novels include The Children of Sisyphus and An Absence of Ruins.

Sunday morning will feature Patterson, a newly elected MP Damion Crawford, Jamaican radio star Elise Kelly and a local Laura Henzell, along with the author reading form The Children of Sisyphus.



The whole schedule and all the authors are found at: www.calabashfestival.org

Hope to see you there!

bless up