Singer Tami Chynn

Singer Tami Chynn has logged her first entry on any Billboard singles chart. Frozen, her duet with hip hop star Akon has jumped from number 16 to number 11 on Billboard's Dance Music Club Play listing. The track is also burning up dance radio, as it hops to number 20 on Billboard's Dance Music Airplay tally.

"I am really excited about all that has been happening. The album is coming and the video with Akon is also coming. I know the fans have been waiting for both but you know how it goes sometimes when it comes to the record label," Chynn said in an interview at a cocktail reception hosted by Pepsi Jamaica at Carlos Café earlier this week.

Chynn is featured along with international dancehall artiste Shaggy and hip hop star Akon in the new Pepsi commercial. Chynn is heard singing the Carl Douglas 1974 hit Kung Fu Fighting. Asked how she felt about the turn of events, Chynn said "I am very excited about this. Pepsi is a huge brand and I always thought that this would come later in my career. The fact that they have taken a chance on an unknown artiste and two Jamaicans at that; this is very big."

Signed to hip hop star Akon's Kon Live label which is distributed by Universal Music's Geffen imprint, Chynn said the Pepsi deal came about after her manager Jules Dougall met with Ellen Healy the Director of Sports and Entertainment at Pepsi-Co in the UK. "My manager met with Miss Healy through Akon and we kept in touch. The discussions went back and forth until they finally made a decision," Chynn explained.

Chynn, whose sophomore album Prima Dona is set for an early 2009 release, is going on tour with New Kids on the Block and UK pop star Natasha Bedingfield next month. "I am really excited about the tour and it's already sold out. I grew up on New Kids on the Block and their music. It's just amazing," Chynn said excitingly.

Prima Dona, according to Chynn, will feature the Frozen single as well as a collaboration with Voicemail titled Watch Me Wine. "The song with Voicemail is very vibesy and exciting. Voicemail really represented," she said.

Chynn, who currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia - says her favorite Pepsi television commercial was We Will Rock You which featured Beyonce, Pink and Britney Spears. "That commercial was really epic. Lots of girl power," said Chynn.

Kreesha Turner turns up the heat with Don't Call Me Baby
The song Don't Call Me Baby by R&B/pop singer Kreesha Turner has been popping up on major radio stations stateside. The track has already charted in her native Canada, but a breakthrough in the US is eminent, as the track is making its way up Billboard's Dance chart.

Turner the eldest of three children born to a white Canadian father and Jamaican mother, was raised in Edmonton, Alberta. Music has always been a part of her life.

Over the years, Kreesha's musical tastes broadened and she expressed her love of music through dance and performed modern, tap, jazz, hip hop and African. But it wasn't until eight years ago that she took a trip to Jamaica that would lead her to discover that she was blessed
with another way of expressing herself.

"My mom wanted me to experience how she grew up and to learn about our Jamaican culture, so she sent me to live in Jamaica for a year when I was 15," said Kreesha.
Noticing her singing talent, her friends convinced her to try out for the youth choir at a Pentecostal church. "I remember thinking, 'I can't do this, I can't sing!' especially because it was a solo audition." On the strength of her rendition of Canada's national anthem, she was accepted into the choir and began singing gospel songs at the Faith Temple Tabernacle.

In 2005, she won a talent contest in Canada which resulted in four tracks being recorded, the most important to Kreesha's career being Bounce With Me. This was noticed by urban and R&B music manager Chris Smith (the Jamaican-born manager of Nelly Furtado, Tami, Jarvis Church and Courtney John) who took Kreesha under
his management.

Radio stations in Canada jumped behind the single Bounce With Me in early 2006 and in 2007 it peaked at number 53 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart. Don't Call Me Baby, which is currently number 24 on Billboard's Dance Music Club Play chart, made a splash on the Canadian Hot 100 leaping from number 41 to number eight.

Turner, who is signed to EMI Canada (her album is to be released stateside through Capitol Records), released her album Passion in Canada this past August.

Kreesha's music has been featured in a number of television shows and commercials, including a Nikon Commercial with Ashton Kutcher, ESPN, Entourage, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, Moonlight soundtrack and a Nike women's campaign.

Osmosis returns on December 19
The next staging of the Osmosis party will take place on December 19 at the old Naval hospital in Port Royal. 'Its in the general vicinity of Fort Charles and its going to be exciting', Osmosis promoter Deane Shepherd said in a recent interview.

Prior to the party, an Osmosis preview magazine will hit the streets to build up the momentum for the Christmas edition of the series. The theme for the party is City on the Bay.

Among the sponsors onboard for this edition of the party are Smirnoff, Bars to Go and Lifestyle Network.

According to Shepherd, skyboxes, laser light shows
and celebrities will be among the attractions.

This is the century for the person of colour — Judge Joe Brown

The future shines for Chyna

Dr Donna Hope, hopes for the best of Sting