Focus Music Notes. "Out of the Blues". Popular music through the decades

In the 1970s, Bob Marley rose from humble beginnings to become a global superstar. It was a journey that took place not just in his homeland of Jamaica, but also in Britain - the place he came to regard as his second home. Featuring rarely-seen archive and interviews with people who met him, this documentary examines Marley’s special relationship with Britain and reveals how his presence helped influence British politics, culture and identity, during a time of massive social and civil unrest in the UK - and how his universal message of One Love and unity helped inspire a generation of Black British youth. This documentary also takes a revealing look at how Marley spent his time while he was in Britain: the houses he lived in, football kickabouts in Battersea Park and visits to the UK’s growing Rastafarian community, including secret gigs in the North of England. It was in Britain that Marley established himself as an international artist, recorded some of his most success

Nigerian-born singer/songwriter Tiwa Savage shares her new single “Temptation,” featuring multi-GRAMMY Award-winning pop phenomenon Sam Smith. Released via Island Records, “Temptation” is the latest single from Savage’s highly anticipated fourth studio album Celia, due out today, August 28th . The track is written by Tiwa Savage, Sam Smith, and Fireboy DML. It was recorded in Lagos, Nigeria and is produced by London. Hailed as the “Queen of Afrobeats,” Savage is the most popular female artist in Africa, and arguably the most popular artist in Nigeria. Last month, the globally celebrated fashion icon offered the first glimpse at her forthcoming album with “Dangerous Love” — a laid-back and enchanting track built on her signature blend of R&B and Afrobeats. Marking her directorial debut, the song’s video finds Savage co-directing alongside Ibra Ake (Childish Gambino, Beyoncé) for a stunning visual shot in Lagos, Nigeria. Named after her mother, Celia showcases Savage’s extraord

DRAKE DROPS NEW SINGLE FT. LIL DURK 'LAUGH NOW CRY LATER'     Tap to Listen Here 👀👀👀 Drake also dropped the visuals to "Laugh Now Cry Later" The video is already on 1.5 million views having only been out for a few hours.   Tap to Watch Here:

New Zealand's pop sensation BENEE unveils her new single "Snail" today, following the release of "Night Garden" feat. Kenny Beats & Bakar. Written and recorded with Josh Fountain shortly after New Zealand opened up from lockdown, BENEE was inspired to write the song after spending weeks in isolation. She says, "When we were in lockdown, I was fascinated by snails. There wasn't really a lot to be doing, so I would spend a lot of time outside looking at snails and would think about how they're doing their own little thing and they're all free. I just played around with the idea of being kind of like a snail and how I come out in the rain. Being stuck inside because of COVID, it's kind of my lockdown song." "Snail" follows BENEE's recently released enchanting single "Night Garden" feat. Kenny Beats & Bakar , which has been praised by press across the globe, including Billboard, E! Online, Clash, Coup D

Having spent the duration of lockdown in their home studio in Worthing, Noisy are well and truly ready to emerge from their seaside town with new records and a new lust for life . Following on from their latest video 'Where's Your Head?' , supported and loved by BBC Radio 1's Jack Saunders, comes their new track 'Put a Record On' which highlights their vibrant get-up-and-go attitude towards life, fuelled by good vibes music even when it seems like the world is against them. "Put a record on is solely about music getting you through a hard time. You know them ones when you wake up in the morning and you're not feeling yourself, you've already got it in your head that today is going to be a bad day. Then you put your favourite song on and all of a sudden you've got a new lease of life, a brand new mind set. Today is going to be a good day"– Cody Earlier this year, the trio headlined a sold-out Camden Assembly, following the release o

On 24th July, episode five of Bob Marley's Legacy documentary series continues with 'Punky Reggae Party,' an insightful look back at Bob's time in and impact on London and the rest of the United Kingdom. Dating back from the mid-'70s to this present day, 'Punky Reggae Party' explores how Bob's music and ethos captured the Zeitgeist, detailing his signing to Chris Blackwell's Island Records, and the welcomed arrival of his sound and the impact he had in the United Kingdom, especially the London-born children of the Windrush generation .(Los Angeles – July 24, 2020) Featuring interviews with music aficionado Don Letts, MP and former shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, award-winning British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE, and Chris Blackwell as well as journalist and broadcaster, Chris Salewicz, British-Nigerian women's rights activist Seyi Akiwowo, the daughter of a Rasta, Hak BakerMarika, and photographer Adrian Boot, this compelling ne

Today Sports Team's debut album 'Deep Down Happy' is announced as one of the 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize 'Albums of the Year'. The prestigious accolade celebrates and promotes the best of British music, recognising artistic achievement across a range of contemporary music genres. The shortlist was chosen by an independent judging panel and was revealed this morning on Lauren Laverne's show on BBC Radio 6 Music. The news comes after Sports Team released their critically acclaimed debut album 'Deep Down Happy' on 5 June and achieved number #2 in the Official Album Charts, which holds the highest first week sales for a debut album by a British band in four years, and is the fourth highest selling debut of 2020. The band also became the biggest seller of the week, leading on physical sales (10K), digital downloads, and scoring the biggest vinyl sales of a debut record by a British artist in 2020, with a #1 on the Official Vinyl Chart. The six piece also