Quickies: Khalil's 'Gonna Be' makes strides

Having released the video six weeks ago for their first official single Gonna Be, all-male reggae/R&B group Kahlil is now enjoying chart placements on video countdown shows locally and internationally. As of last week, Kahlil held the second spot on the CVM TV Hitlist Top 5 Reggae Videos listing, while in the US their video was fifth on the CariVibez Top 10 Countdown.

The four-member group, which consists of Que, Blain, Delly and Wayne, has been actively promoting the video since returning to Jamaica from touring several states northside, where they opened for international comedian and TV personality Cedric The Entertainer.

Shot in Miami and Los Angeles under the direction of Jamaican film star Paul Campbell, the Gonna Be video also has an extended 15-minute version.

Kahlil is expected to rip the stage of the 7th Annual Excellence In Music & Entertainment (EME) Award ceremony, slated for Saturday, March 12, on the East Lawns of Devon House.

$3.2m for Edna Manley's Fashion Department

Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL), in partnership with the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund, has invested $3.2m to finish and equip the new Fashion Design Department at the Edna Manley College (EMC) of the Visual & Performing Arts. This department will facilitate formal training for hundreds of talented designers, making them more marketable and prepared to compete on the international market.

The EMC is the first institution of its kind within the English-speaking Caribbean to provide professional and technical training in the Arts, offering qualifications at the bachelor, diploma and certificate levels.

Recently, the EMC also introduced a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in fashion design, to address the growing need for tertiary training in this sector. The programme has operated with limited resources and. SVL and the CHASE Fund combined to make the Fashion Design Department a reality, as both companies continue their efforts to play significant roles in the education sector.

Charts, nominations for Stevie Face

Stevie Face has been in the music business since the late 1990s and has spent a lot of time honing his craft under the guidance of top flight reggae producers such as the Donovan Germaine, Robert 'Bobby Digital' Dixon, Paul 'Computer Paul' Henton and the late Philip 'Arrows' Linton. Today, he is rapidly emerging as one of the most popular reggae singers in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom, where his newest single, Can't Go Round It, is holding the number one spot on various charts, including London's Choice FM Reggae chart.

High profile awards might also be in Stevie's near future, as he is nominated for the International Reggae and World Music Awards in the category Most Promising Entertainer. In addition, the Excellence in Music and Entertainment Awards has given him a nod, nominating Stevie Face for Best Male Vocalist of the Year.

Privilege hosts memorial for JOE

On February 19 Club Privilege partnered with the Nunes family to host a memorial for Alty Nunes III, affectionately known as JOE., who died recently. The young artiste recorded with Equiknoxx Music on tracks such as Nah No Mercy, Struggles and We Like It (ft. Ding Dong). He also won third place in the JCDC Pop/Festival Contest in with his entry, Don't Leave, coproduced by Billy Zee Clarke.

The event was filled with guest appearances from artistes and the entertainment industry in general, such as TOK, Konshens, Delus, Timberlee and Shanz. Club Privilege's representatives said it was their first time hosting a memorial, but thought it fit to give back to his family, especially Jah B, brother to Little Joe and graphic artist who has assisted the club with flyer designs. It was also part of the club's initiative to start working with individuals on events for a worthy cause and an important way of extending condolences to JOE's family.

The club has partnered with ScotiaLink on a charity event, Glitz and Swagg, to be held on Friday, March 11, and looks forward to working with other organisations in the hope that persons will see the meaning of partying for a cause.

Every week Club Privilege hosts Privilege Saturday under the tagline 'Live Free, Party Hard', where 50 women who answer the 'question of the day' on any Club Privilege page on social networks inclusive of Facebook and Twitter have the opportunity to enter free before 1 a.m.. Plus, everyone receives free Privilege liqueur shots throughout the night.

Etana, Gyptian tag team US

VP
Records recording artistes Gyptian and Etana have teamed up for a tour
of selected United States cities. Kicking off on March 3 in Indianapolis
and culminating on March 11 in Columbus, Ohio, the East
Coast-meets-Midwest tour will take reggae music and the pair to fans far
and wide.

Etana is celebrating her brand-new album Free Expressions,
which was released on February 8. Her sophomore studio effort sees a
softer side of the songbird and features hit singles such as Free, Happy Heart and August Town. The video for her new single, People Talk, is in the can and is about to hit airwaves.

Gyptian has been busy touring the globe since the release of his album Hold You in July 2010. Enjoying the immense success of his breakout single and Billboard hit Hold You,
the soulful singer has been taking his catalogue to longtime fans and
gaining new ones as he continues on his musical journey. Now armed with
his bubbling new single Nah Let Go, and with both the song and video currently enjoying extensive airplay, he seems set to keep his fans clamouring for more.

Justin Bieber celebrates 17 in style

Justin
Bieber celebrated his 17th birthday in a US$6,000-a-night suite with
girlfriend Selena Gomez. The star spared no expense as he and the Disney
star spent the weekend at the St Regis Monarch Beach hotel in Dana
Point, California.

A
source said: "For the most part, Justin and Selena wanted to be left
alone. They didn't have bodyguards or parents with them, but there was
an emergency contact list at the front desk with numbers for a bodyguard
and some of their people's info if they needed it in any way."

The
Presidential Suite where the couple stayed comes with a butler on call,
two bedrooms, a dining room to seat 10, a private balcony overlooking
the ocean and a hot tub. However, despite their lavish accommodations,
the couple - who went public with their romance at the Oscars - was seen
enjoying a romantic dinner at the nearby Stonehill Tavern.

During the Vanity Fair
Oscars after-party, Justin and 18-year-old Selena shared a kiss,
confirming their relationship. Although the two are yet to admit they
are together, Disney star Selena recently confessed she is in love with
the hitmaker. She said: "I love him. He's been in my life a very long
time. He's my friend. I think it's awesome people are interested - I
don't understand why."

Stars get
dancing partners

Kendra Wilkinson will be partnered by Louis van Amstel on the 12th series of Dancing with the Stars.
The former Playboy model will be taught her moves by the ballroom dance
champion (who has previously partnered Kelly Osbourne, Margaret Cho and
Priscilla Presley), while her fellow contestant Kirstie Alley will be
partnered by Maksim Chmerkovskiy. The 60-year-old Alley joked about
Maksim - who achieved the runner-up position in 2007 with Mel B: "My
partner is calling me 'G' for grandma. He says I'm too slow. I call him
'M' for mean."

Supermodel
Petra Nemcova will be partnered by Dmitry Chaplin, Ralph Macchio has
been given Karina Smirnoff, while Chris Jericho will team up with Cheryl
Burke. Former Disney actress Chelsea Kane will be partnered by Mark
Ballas, Wendy Williams is with Tony Dovolani, Romeo has been given
Chelsie Hightower, Mike Catherwood gets Lacey Schwimmer, Sugar Ray
Leonard is partnered by Anna Trebunskaya and Hines Ward will team up
with Kym Johnson.

The show will begin on March 21, giving the celebrities just three weeks to perfect their first routines.