TOP 10
SINGLES
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TOP 10
ALBUMS
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The Middle
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Psycho
Post Malone Feat. Ty Dolla $ign
Nice For What
Drake
Never Be The Same
Camila Cabello
Delicate
Taylor Swift
No Tears Left To Cry
Ariana Grande
In My Blood
Shawn Mendes
Meant To Be
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
God’s Plan
Drake
Mine
Bazzi
EVERYTHING IS LOVE
The Carters
Nasir
Nas
Youngblood
5 Seconds Of Summer
Liberation
Christina Aguilera
Post Traumatic
Mike Shinoda
The Greatest Showman
Soundtrack
SQUARE UP (EP)
BLACKPINK
Redemption
Jay Rock
?
XXXTENTACION
KIDS SEE GHOSTS
KIDS SEE GHOSTS
Presented by
wireless
Caribbean L 38 ife, Jan. 11–17, 2019
wife Patricia, the Chins’ store
was and continues to be the
go-to locale for classic reggae
vinyls and records in New
York City. In the early 90s,
they launched a label under
the same name, representing
dozens of internationally
famous artists and singers,
notably Sean Paul, Beenie
Man, and Shaggy.
Chin died in 2003, and
today the company remains
a family business and is managed
by his two sons, Randy
and Christopher Chin — who
are company president and
chief executive officer, respectively.
And his wife regularly
makes appearances.
In honor of VP’s legacy and
its four decades of being a
highly influential entity in
promoting Caribbean music,
the company plans on utilizing
its anniversary, to shed
light on what they have always
done — celebrate music, said
Randy Chin.
“VP is integral to the history
of reggae and dancehall
music. We take this responsibility
seriously and we are
using our 40th anniversary to
celebrate the music’s rich heritage
as we steward the genre
into the future,” he said.
From now until the end
of the year, VP will be releasing
compilation albums,
art installations, interactive
experiences, concerts, and
a conclusive box set, set to
be released later this year.
These events will take place
in Jamaica, Florida, Queens,
Canada, and the United Kingdom.
The first event commences
on Jan. 30 in Montego
Bay, Jamaica, with the release
of volumes 58 and 59, of their
popular compilation albums,
Strictly the Best.
The same day is the launch
of “A Reggae Music Journey,”
a visual exhibit that will be on
display at the Sangster International
Airport until June,
which will also be moved to
Norman Manley International
Airport in Kingston, to be on
display from July to December.
In March is the launch of
“Reggae Trail,” — a digital
avenue where users will be able
to discover areas in New York
City that played an important
role in reggae’s popularity,
and by April, the flagship
store kicks off their annual
record store day, which features
some well-known sound
systems.
Other events to come will
be with several local concerts
such as the Jerk Festival, and
the release of the company’s
40th anniversary box set,
highlighting the early stages
of VP Records when it began
in Jamaica.
another war.”
The subject is one that Cesar
is strongly concern with. He
says despite many people readily
accepting war and other blatant
experiences as the causes
of PTSD, they also fail to realize
the smaller instances of
how anyone can also be mildly
affected by it.
“When I started doing
research regarding PTSD, I
found that it is closer to home
because a lot of us either know
someone close to us who’s had
it, whether for long time or
short term,” he said. “I’m passionate
about mental illness
more than anything because
I’ve known people in life that
deal with mental illness.”
He adds PTSD can come in
many forms — several endured
during childhood.
“Sometimes something
extreme can happen in your
life that makes you look at
same situation or similar situation
differently,” said Cesar.
“There are people who’ve been
abused at home, and they get
older, do same to their children,
so I want to say we all
suffer some form of PTSD or
another.”
The hour-long play also
allowed Cesar to bring his own
creativity into the role. Playwright
Paul Calderon wrote the
play in a way that made room
for interpretation.
“The great thing about this
play is Paul — when he wrote
this play, he gave us the flexibility
to interpret it in our own
way,” he said.
And as a result, Cesar says
he enjoyed bringing aspects of
his Haitian heritage — specifically
Haitian spirituality into
the life of his character.
Cesar says the show ends on
a relatable note, particularly for
a story that sheds light about
mental health and closely discusses
issues people are familiar
on.
“I think a lot of people will be
able to relate to the ending of
this play because it deals with
heartache, sense of loss, and I
think that’s something important
a lot of people nowadays
quietly deal with,” he said.
“Master of the Crossroads”
at The Bridge Theater 244 W.
54th St. between Broadway
and Eight Avenue in Midtown,
www.brownpapertickets.com.
Jan. 16–Feb. 9, Wed–Sat., 8
pm. $18
Continued from Page 37
Continued from Page 37
story, journey, and conclusive
success of legislation, said
exhibit co-curator and DWU
coordinator.
“This exhibit shows the 18
years of the Domestic Workers
Union, our protests for domestic
workers who didn’t get the
right wages, and our stories,”
said Christine Lewis.
Many of the pieces in the
exhibit, such as the banners,
were actually used in several
of the group’s demonstrations
for decades. Their inclusion
in the display gives visitors a
glimpse of the issues important
to domestic workers, and the
types of messages they wanted
to champion.
“Some of the banners were
in many of our protest and
rallies, and these were the genesis
of the Domestic Workers
Union,” added Lewis.
As part of their aim to bring
understanding about the types
of challenges domestic workers
in the city have had to overcome,
Lewis says the exhibit
brings forth the everyday stories
and struggles nannies, sitters,
and other at-home caretakers
often encounter, and
how they navigate their lives
outside of work.
“Some of these stories talk
about where they came from,
how some of these women feel
invisible, their leisure plans,
and their pay,” said Lewis.
Continued from Page 37
Haitian-American actor Nixon Cesar plays lead character
in the premiere of “Master of the Crossroads,” a new play
which opens at The Bridge Theater Jan. 16 until Feb. 9.
Andrew Steinman
Advocacy exhibit
VP Records
CROSSROADS
Through the years: A Domestic Workers United (DWU)
banner, used in countless protests for the rights of domestic
workers. The banner is currently part of a new exhibit on
display at Arts East New York until Jan. 12.
Photo by Alexandra Simon
/www.brownpapertickets.com
/www.brownpapertickets.com