PRESS RELEASE

On the 28^th April at the Pelican Inn St. Anns at 8:30pm Sheldon Blackman will host his Remember Me album re-launch concert special. The event is entitled Reloaded. This event marks the re-launch of Sheldon’s debut album as a restyled and more technically sophisticated product. In his own words, “This means Remember Me will be re-designed, re-structured re-mastered, re-packaged, re-vitalized, re-launched. Some songs will even be ‘removed’- some will be introduced… This is Reloaded.”

The Remember Me album was the first solo project from Sheldon Blackman. He went into the studio less than one month after the death of his father- the late great founder of Soca Ras Shorty I. “The album was a way of me dealing with the whole death of my father and it was also my way of presenting myself and my music to the people as an offering. I feel the need to re-launch this album because I didn’t feel it covered the ground it was supposed to- it felt like there was more work to do. Going into the studio at that time after my father’s death actually was a ‘de-stresser’ for me and a healing tool. And it is represented in the music- it is music for healing. I just feel that I can go back in and work out some of the kinks and take the product to another level. I also feel that there is a healing needed now by the nation and the community. I feel the need to revitalize.”

The ‘re-loaded’ album will now include the re-done Watch Out my Children featuring Sheldon and his father and the Love Circle, as well as a blazing new track entitled Revolution Reloaded. This track features a dynamic poetic appearance by Shabaka Kambon- son of Khafra Kambon- a “fellow soldier and brother”.  The track was co-produced by Sheldon’s brother Isaac Blackman who also the main producer of the latest Love Circle album Home Grown.

The public can expect a lot of new things from Sheldon this year as he will be working with a host of musicians outside the Love Circle family setting. In this new framework he intends to do a lot of experimentation with the music to take it to another level. Remember Me Reloaded comes at a time when Sheldon is soon to return to Europe where he has been building bridges to the international market. As an album Remember Me has already won awards and critical acclaim. It has voted Best Ethnic Recording at the Marlin Awards in the Bahamas 2002 and he was nominated in the COTT Best World Music Category.

 Reloaded’s launch is one of the major events carded for the Festival of Rapso and the Oral Traditions to be held from 28^th April- that day being the National Day of Rapso. The concert will feature a full-length performance from Sheldon and the public can also expect performances from Rapso stalwarts like Brother Resistance, his family The Love Circle and more. Call 770-4221 or go e-mail sheldonblackmanmusic@yahoo.com for more information. Tickets $40.00

CROSBYS, N&S Cleves’s Record Shop, Kam’s, Disco Track and

Jamoo Connections.