On Thursday (May 05), a section of the media, including anchors from major news networks, music executives and professionals, met with Ghanaian Afropop, dancehall and reggae musician, Stonebwoy for an all new press engagement.
Organized by Universal Music Group (UMG), label divisions Def Jam Recordings, 0207 Def Jam and Def Jam Africa, the nearly 2 hours interaction saw the celebrated musician gave extensive details about his new Def Jam X UMG global partnership deal, ambitions for his career trajectory, year forecast and vision for enlightening the world about African culture.
Sitting on the panel were: Martin Addo, KV Online Talent; Khadijadt El-Alawa – Universal Music Group, Ghana; Lorato Masepe, Senior PR/Comms, Def Jam Africa; and Alec Boateng, one of the co-Presidents of a newly-launched frontline Universal Music UK label: 0207 Def Jam.
The multiple-award-winning African artist, has been a critical milestone of continental representation in the global arena. Since 2012, he has carved his name as one of Ghana’s most relevant musical geniuses through international touring, standout collaborations, and a trail of popular singles.
Remaining loyal to his ethos of lifting the spirits of those around him and those beyond his reach, he solidifies an already illustrious career that has spawned four albums, countless hit records, movie roles, and philanthropic work by signing to Def Jam Recordings, 0207 Def Jam, and Def Jam Africa, all of which are supported by UMG labels worldwide.
On signing to Def Jam, Stonebwoy said: “The acheivements of def Jam validates itself, evaluating the type of creatives that are working with the label; thusly, I accept that a weight such as myself joining the Def Jam family is about to be a more noteworthy accomplishment for us all particularly pushing my art, music, and masterfulness in general to the world.”
He also disclosed that, the new deal will not compel him to change his style of music. Even though DefJam is well-known for producing and managing hip-hop and R&B artists, the serial hitmaker reiterated his commitment to his roots (afro-dancehall, reggae, afrobeat, and highlife).
According to the Bhim Nation President, the style of music he is known for played a significant role in attracting the DefJam Recordings Africa deal, so he sees no reason to change. He did, however, admit that there will be a “different” ‘Stonebwoy,’ which will cement his “versatility” as an artist and also appeal to new listeners from all over the world.
Speaking on how plans to leverage this groundbreaking signing to continue breaking into the global market, Stonebwoy said: “Def Jam is renowned for its global capabilities, so a signing like this will go a long way toward exposing my very huge talent to the world. I’ll have to keep working hard, even harder than I used to, in order to achieve the much-needed Global status”.
“Moving forward, God willing, there’s going to be more music, more heights, and Africa shall continue to be celebrated”, He added
Stonebwoy, aka Livingston Satekla is no stranger to success. Having been the recipient of multiple acclaimed awards such as Best International Act: Africa at the BET Awards, Artist of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards and two Billboard plaques, he has been described as the king of ragga and dancehallin’ for Africa in his career. He has duetted with international artists such as Keri Hilson, Sean Paul, Trey Songz, Burna Boy, Alpha Blondie and many more – and has rocked stages from the UK to the USA, Australia, Italy, Puerto Rico and Amsterdam – making his electrifying touring an integral part of his career.
His first single under the label, Therapy, was released a week after the announcement. He is expected to release three studio albums for DefJam Recordings Africa — a division owned by Universal Music Group.
A press conference was organised by @UMG @UMGSA @defjam @defjamafrica to officially welcome @stonebwoy to the record label 🇬🇭 🌍 #bhim #Therapy
congratulations once again to Stonebwoy on the new deal! Looking forward to great things pic.twitter.com/7oSo9RFSnW— RevolveMuzic (@Revolve_Muzic) May 6, 2022
Legendary Alpha Blondy has released his first ever Ghanaian collaborative single “Love Power” featuring BET Award-winning Ghanaian Reggae and Dancehall artiste Stonebwoy.
The collaborative track is the second from the renowned reggae singer and songwriter’s upcoming album, “Eternity”, which is slated for a May 6 release. Released with an official video, the track is an exuberant ode to both his own roots, and that of the featured guest artiste, Stonebwoy.
The renowned Ivorian reggae performer first announced he was working on a new song with the multiple award-winning Ghanaian musician in May 2021 during the latter’s media tour in Cote d’Ivoire. Though he did not confirm the track’s title and official release date, fans speculated that it would arrive summer after footage of his studio session with Stonebwoy began circulating.
On Monday (March 14, 2022), the two musicians were captured on set in a mountainous location in Cote d’Ivoire shooting visuals for their single.
Stonebwoy is revered as one of Africa’s most established musicians with massive brand ties.
On Tuesday (March 22), America’s fastest growing premium sparkling wine brand, Luc Belaire, became one of the highly acclaimed and renowned entities to associate its brand with Stonebwoy after inviting the multiple award-winning Ghanaian musician to its head quarters in New York, USA.
Although it is unknown what the invitation was for, it is expected that Belaire would name Stonebwoy as one of its worldwide ambassadors or influencers in the coming days. In a video uploaded on the brand’s Instagram stories, he is serenaded by a variety of Belaire wines while capturing images and videos, hinting a global campaign commercial for the brand.
However, this is not the first time Luc Belaire and Stonebwoy have crossed path, on Saturday (March 5), the premium wine brand reportedly hosted and celebrated the BET award-winning and Four-time Reggae & Dancehall artiste in Africa in a star-studded birthday party right after putting up a stellar performance the O2 Arena with Davido.
Described as one of his best birthdays yet, the night witnessed Zlatan, Nigerian afrobeats artiste; Smade, co-founder of Afronation and renowned afrobeats promoter; Darkovibes, Ghanaian musician and more UK creatives and music professionals in attendance.
The highlights of the night were when Stonebwoy received a customized Belaire Bleu wine and was gifted a customized ‘1 GAD’ diamond necklace worth over 60,000 Pounds from UK leading jeweller Joseph Frost.
Renowned global reggae icon, Alpha Blondy, has something official on the way involving Stonebwoy.
On Monday (March 14), the “Jerusalema” singer made a very clear statement on his main social media platform: Instagram, where he shared official photographs from a studio session, implying a potential collaboration with the BET Award-winning Ghanaian reggae and dancehall performer.
Alpha Blondy announced a forthcoming collaboration with Stonebwoy in a recent Instagram post, writing, “Something BIG is coming with my son, Stonebwoy”.
While no more information regarding the highly anticipated content has been divulged, Stonebwoy confirmed the development in a video he uploaded on his Snapchat stories where he is seen grooving to a new version of the immensely popular track “Jerusalema”. In the trending video, the Ghanaian artiste is heard singing unfamiliar lyrics to a song.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday (March 15), the two musicians were captured on set in a mountainous location in Cote d’Ivoire shooting visuals for their forthcoming single.
Back in May 2021, Alpha Blondy made the first official announcement of a soon-coming collaboration with Stonebwoy after the Ghanaian musician paid the Ivorian musical legend a visit during his Africa media tour following a sold-out “Anloga Junction” album virtual concert on Saturday May 22.
At the weekend, Davido brought out BET Award-winning artist, Stonebwoy, for his sold-out show at the O2 Arena in London.
During last two nights’ (Saturday, March 5) performances, the multi-gold-selling artist brought out special guests including Nigerian artistes Mayorkun and Adekunle Gold, Victony, PopCaan, and more. Stonebwoy came out to perform a rendition of his 2020 Davido-assisted commercial success “Activate.”
It marked the Ghanaian’s first O2 Arena performance, though he is currently noted for chalking up enviable success at various arenas and event centres across the UK. The highlight of the night was when Davido and the over 20,000 concert-goers wished him a happy 34th birthday, midway through the performance.
“On the count of three, let me hear ‘Happy Birthday Stonebwoy’. One, two, three, happy birthday Stonebwoy”, he said.
Big Love To Everybody For The Wishes, Best Birthday Yet!
❤️ Love & Thanks OBO @davido
For Your Selflessness & Sharing Your Light With Me..
One Africa Personified 🇳🇬🇬🇭🌍
Happy Independence Day Ghana!#BhimNation #Album5 pic.twitter.com/SxsdClZrJ4— 1GAD (@stonebwoy) March 6, 2022
On Saturday, February 26th, Stonebwoy, a Ghanaian reggae and dancehall singer, headlined the 2021 Scorpion Festival at the Bakau Independence Stadium in Gambia.
The BET award-winning global reggae and dancehall performer was the festival’s first Ghanaian headliner, and his riveting performance received widespread acclaim. The event was described as “legendary” by some local media, while others described it as “important, engaging, forceful, and daring.”
His energetic performance opened the door for Gambians to embrace Ghanaian music and culture. Stonebwoy’s outfit transports concertgoers into his seductive realm, and his performance fully captivated the swarm of shouting fans.
Stonebwoy’s performance was perfect representation of what the concertgoers had hoped for. Throughout the performance, he was backed by his hype MC, Ogee, band, and a bunch of choreographers for a few songs, but he maintained the limelight on himself as he delivered one of the most unapologetically performance.
Watch highlights below;
https://www.instagram.com/tv/Caevq2ZgpLi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
International reggae and dancehall artiste, Stonebwoy was greeted heroically and grandly as he arrived in Gambia ahead of his much-anticipated “Scorpion Festival” concert.
The BET award-winner arrived at Banjul International Airport in the afternoon of Wednesday (February 23) on a chartered flight along with his crew. Sporting a black hoodie, Stonebwoy (now in recent times as 1 GAD) rushed out of the airport, where a group of fans and a team of media men had gathered to welcome him, to a waiting car, which took him to his hotel.
Upon his arrival, some of his backstage crew, along with his security team, were already stationed at the hotel. Apart from local police, the singer’s personal security details were also been roped in to ensure Stonebwoy’s safety.
Though he’s reportedly embarking on some media engagements and touring some selected cities in Gambia, he is expected to host his first rehearsal session with his band in the late hours of Thursday and wrap up on Friday. The four-time minted AFRIMA Africa Reggae & Dancehall artiste will play as a headline act at this year’s edition of the “Scorpion Festival” scheduled for Independence Stadium on Saturday (February 26).
See photos below;
Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival has announced the return of the much anticipated cultural event — after a nearly three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Long known for its wide variety of genres, the forty-fourth edition of the Beale Street Music Festival, April 29 – May 1, 2022, holds to that tradition, presenting a lineup with something for everyone: rock, alternative, R&B, hip hop, indie, pop, folk, and blues. The organizers and producers announced their eagerly-awaited and biggest lineup for 2022.
African Powerhouse and Global Trailblazer Stonebwoy has been confirmed as part this year’s headliners of the festival’s month-long salute to Ghana, the organization’s 2022 honored country.
“After a three-year absence, we felt it was important to come back big,” said James L. Holt, President and CEO of Memphis in May. “The 2022 lineup is the biggest roster of the best touring artists in the festival’s history, with more surprises on the way and being Beale Street Music Festival, of course, there’s something for almost every musical taste.”
The 2022 edition of the Beale Street Music Festival will be presented at the Fairgrounds in Liberty Park to make way for the construction of the redesigned Tom Lee Park. The 2023 Beale Street Music Festival will return to Tom Lee Park and the Memphis riverfront when park construction is completed in April 2023.
See festival lineup here: https://www.memphisinmay.org/events/beale-street-music-festival/
Uppsala Reggae Festival will return in July, and today, the festival announced its full 2022 lineup.
Africa’s most revered reggae and dancehall artiste, Stonebwoy (now known in recent times as 1 GAD), has been confirmed as the headline artiste for the festival scheduled for Fyrishov in Uppsala, Sweden after his critically acclaimed kinetic performance in 2019. He will perform alongside other elite performers, including: Morgan Heritage, Gentleman, Max Romeo, Hempress Sativa, Million Stylez Syster Sol, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, and more.
Now in its 21st edition, Uppsala Reggae Festival will take place across one full weekend: July 29th – 30th.
This will be Stonebwoy’s second appearance at the festival after 2019. Back in August, 2014, the multiple award-winning iconic artiste kicked off his world tour in the Euro-zone. He performed in Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria. His second Euro tour saw him thrill fans in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, performing at renowned festivals, including Reggae Sumfest, Afro nation festival, Rotterdam reggae festival, Uppsala Reggae Festival and Rototom Sunsplash.
OFFICIAL❗️@stonebwoy returns to #UPPSALAREGGAEFESTIVAL stage in Sweden from July 29 to 30 after his acclaimed kinetic performance in 2019. 🌎🇬🇭
Get tickets via: @URF2001#Album5 pic.twitter.com/On6PIzSwG7
— Burniton Music Group® (@BurnitonMSG) February 10, 2022
Uppsala Reggae Festival is Scandinavia’s first and largest pure reggae festival and attracts hardcore reggae fans from all over the North, but also guests from near and far, with a general interest in music.
Uppsala Reggae Festival is a festival with an open and friendly atmosphere with a mix of people even when it comes to age. In connection with the first Uppsala Reggae Festival 2001, national TV put the epithet “Scandinavias Reggae Mecca” on the festival and it was then and still is the largest in the Nordic countries and has become one of the qualitatively best reggae festivals in Europe.
Reggae and Dancehall star Stonebwoy is back with the official video for his new single, “Nukedzor.”
“Nukedzor” (What’s Up) featuring Abra Cadabra and Joey B was produced by Ghana’s beatsmitth Samsney, whose production complements the BET and Nickelodeon award-winner’s performance perfectly, as his infectiously feel-good delivery lets us know that the party’s bound to be lit when he pulls up..
The accompanying energetic and fun-filled visuals, directed by Yaw Skyface, show the Ghanaian artist and his guests performing the song in a number of locations in Accra, with a batch of expensive-looking cars and exotic bikes taking the backdrop. It also stars Jamaican reggae and dancehall heavyweight, Popcaan.