Posts tagged: Firehouse Crew

AUDIO: Martei Korley, “Concrete Flower”

September 13, 2012

Works by Jesse Serwer—

concrete-flower

Quiet as it’s kept, all of us here at LargeUp do plenty of other things besides bringing you the latest in Caribbean music, styles and culture. Our esteemed creative director and chief photographer Martei Korley happens to be a talented singer who, when he’s not shooting Beres album covers or taking flicks for Rolling Stone, records with some of Jamaica’s top musicians and producers. One of them being guitarist/producer Mitchum (Khan) Chin of Firehouse Crew and Black Chiney, the guy behind some the best one-drop tunes of the past few years, from Beres to Luciano, and John Legend and Estelle’s “No Other Love,” (which he co-wrote and produced with partner Supa Dups).

Tags:Black Chiney, Firehouse Crew, Martei Korley, Mitchum "Khan" Chin, one drop, raggamuffin style, Reggae

Impressions: Sizzla “Unplugged and Acoustics” in Kingston, JA

March 22, 2012

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Words and Photos by Martei Korley—

LargeUp doesn’t ordinarily report on stage shows but the event billed as “Sizzla Unplugged and Acoustics” was the artist’s first show in Jamaica since his much publicized bike accident last year. The fact that he would be supported by the original Firehouse Crew and Sly and Robbie made it apparent—we had to be there. The event also served as a launch of the Sizzla Youth Foundation, an ambitious charitable undertaking by the man himself seeking to uplift youth worldwide. It may surprise you to know that the first donation for same came from no other than Popcaan to the tune of $50,000 Jamaican dollars. Kudos for that!

Tags:Firehouse, Firehouse Crew, Jimmy Riley, Lukie D, Popcaan, Sizzla, Sizzla Youth Foundation, Sly and Robbie, What is reggae

How to Build Riddims

October 19, 2009

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Words & Photos: Martei Korley

One way to ensure some heavy riddim for your buck is to call up some good musicians. Firehouse Crew comprises of exactly that. The members have played together for the last 20 years and have built a rock solid reputation for heavy and creative sound and electrifying live performances. Many know Firehouse Crew(a pun on Waterhouse/KGN11 where tempers tend to run hot) as Sizzla’s backing band(now you know what he means when he turns around to face his band on stage and says” Fire!”), but they are more than that. As a studio outfit they regularly contribute material for a host of artists and producers. We caught up with them at Anchor Studios where they were cooking up some fat riddims while admirers of their sound kept filing in and out of the cramped Studio II.