Black Star Foundation is a non-profit organization which has been committed to promote reggae music in Holland for more than 10 years. The foundation organizes reggae events and concerts, manages and handles bookings for artists/bands, publishes music on its own label and supports and develops new talent. More info: www.blackstarfoundation.nl
At the moment we are working very closely with Dutch female reggae artist Leah Rosier. We recently went to Jamaica with her (January 2015) and the trip was very successful. Within 3 weeks, the Dutch artist did 6 performances, recorded 4 new songs, shot material for 6 video clips and did a live interview on Bess FM, one of the largest national radio stations in Jamaica.
More info: see attached press release.
Music: https://soundcloud.com/leah-rosier/from-amsterdam-to-kingston (mixtape we made for crowdfunding project to pay for Leah Rosier’s plane ticket to Jamaica!)
We just released a new album with Vivian Jones, reggae veteran from the UK/Jamaica. The album holds 10 tracks, including 2 dub versions.
In a few months we will release the dub version of the same album.
More info: see attached press release and album cover.
Music: http://open.spotify.com/album/0Qc5J0IbMvbYmXx44SPX5w
BACKGROUND BLACK STAR FOUNDATION:
Black Star Foundation is started up because of idealistic ideas of the founder Michelle Boekhout van Solinge. She graduated in Geography (University of Amsterdam, 1997), travelled a lot in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean and in the year 2002 she lived and worked in Ghana (West Africa). There she got the idea to stimulate the communication between Western and non-Western countries and to bring people with different cultural backgrounds a little closer to each other.
Through art and culture (especially music) the foundation wants to contribute in the cultural integration, in bringing people together with different cultural backgrounds and work together on one project. Music is perfect for that, it is a shared interest from people all over the world, a language we all speak, no matter where you are from. Based on that, Black Star Foundation has developed her activities.
Some of our achieved goals and activities:
Talent development and launching new artists: Black Prophet (2003), Osagyefo (2006), Lady K-Wida (2007), Leah Rosier (2011), Joggo (2012) and Rapha Pico (2014);
· Tour in Holland with different artists from Ghana: Black Prophet (2003) and Osagyefo (2006/2007);
· Organisation and promotion of Jamaican reggae concerts in different venues in Holland, e.g. Ijahman & Mighty Diamonds (2006), Max Romeo (2006/2013), Anthony B (2006/2007/2008), Alpha Blondy (2007/2008), Jah Mason & Lutan Fyah (2008), Yellowman (2009), Mad Professor (2010), The Congos & The Abyssinians (2011), Turbulence (2012), U-Roy (2012), Spectacular (2013), Skarra Mucci (2013), Etana & Queen Omega (2014) and Bunny Wailer (2014);
· Organisation and promotion of Made in Jamaica Reggae Festival in the Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam (Holland) with Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, Third World, Bunny Wailer and Capleton (2007);
· Giving musical lectures about Bob Marley and reggae music, The history of Jamaican music, etc. E.g. during the theatre tour of the Tribute to Bob Marley band (2008-now);
Releases on Black Star label:
Albums: Osagyefo (Ghana) - Blaze Fire (2007), Brainpower – Dub & Dwars (2010), Asher E – Deventer Vibes (2013), Vivian Jones - Black Star presents Vivian Jones (2014)
Singles: Lady K-Wida – Love Can Make You Blind (2008), Lady K-Wida ft. King Yellowman – One Man Woman (2009)
Riddims: Bad Girls riddim (2012), Rub-A-Dub riddim (2013)