New York – Irish and Chin and Mighty Crown are bringing Shabba Ranks to Japan for his first performance in almost 20 years. Shabba Ranks, the iconic face of mainstream Reggae Dancehall music, will return to Japan this August for Mighty Crown’s 20th Anniversary edition of Yokohama Reggae SAI, their annual stadium show that attracts record breaking numbers of patrons.
Shabba’s performance has created a huge buzz among anxious Japanese Dancehall fans. In fact, the monstrous feedback to Shabba joining the Yokohama Reggae SAI line-up is unlike that of any other artist billed for the show in the past.
Shabba
As far as Mighty Crown and the Japanese massive see things, you can’t get larger than Shabba Ranks. And his highly anticipated return to Japan is an ideal way for “The Far East Rulers” to celebrate 20 years in the business. “We have been listening to Shabba Ranks songs for years…..Shabba is by all means an icon and a very important artist to sound systems and selectors,” says Masta Simon, co-founder of Mighty Crown. “We have been playing for 20 years and Shabba is an artist that we played from day one….and he is still going strong today…we had to have him on our show!”
Shabba’s return to Japan is significant for many reasons. Young fans, who praise his music and his impact on Reggae music and culture, will have their very first glimpse of the larger-than-life artist. Meanwhile, the older generation of Japanese fans who remember Shabba’s immense presence in Japan during the 80’s and 90’s, will have the grand opportunity of seeing their very favorite artist return to their homeland for one night only.
The excitement surrounding Shabba’s performance is just what Japanese Reggae Dancehall fans need, as the country deals with the gripping consequences of the March earthquake and tsunami. Spirits among Japanese Reggae Dancehall fans have truly been lifted, despite the country’s current state. Only an artist of Shabba’s caliber can motivate people to come out during such a sensitive time.
Moreover, fans are anxious to see Shabba after hearing about his moving surprise performance at the recent landmark “Reggae 4 Japan” benefit concert in New York. Spending so much time in Japan during his early career and embracing Japanese people, Shabba is thrilled about his long awaited visit. Being a part of Mighty Crown’s Yokohama Reggae SAI will definitely help further solidify Shabba’s presence in Japan.
Mighty Crown and Shabba Ranks will share the stage for the first time ever in Japan and everyone is waiting to capture this Kodak moment. During the span of Mighty Crown’s career, Shabba has not been to Japan. “Over the years, we have performed with a slew of old school artists like Super Cat, Ninja Man, Half Pint, Barrington Levy and the energy level was good….I can’t wait to perform with Shabba because I know it will be incredible,” says Mighty Crown co-founder Sami T.
Currently, Shabba Ranks is enjoying the buzz of his new single “None a Dem,” produced by Stephen McGregor. Shabba Ranks is one of the few artists that maintains a “timeless” appeal. Over the years, Shabba has preserved his status by doing select performances and not over saturating the market. “I have developed a really good personal and business relationship with Shabba………he is a pleasure to work with and one of the few artists that tries to preserve the true essence of Dancehall culture,” says Garfield “Chin” Bourne of Irish and Chin. “Shabba’s performance in Japan will be a moment in time to remember.”
