 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| <<Previous | 2003 FORWARD! AWARDS |
  |
|
 |
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: If the Dancehall massive knew every world of every song on any album this year, it was Sizzla’s DA REAL THING (see our Review), which injected a welcome dose of roots into selectors’ bling-bling playlists.
|
ARTIST OF THE YEAR: You may not have noticed Tanya Stevens’ amazing maturation as an artist this year, but go check her ‘03 resume. Junior Kelly and Buju also showed artistry beyond the typical Dancehall rae-rae. But it was SIZZLA KALONJI who made us think, dance and feel. SONG OF THE YEAR: “Pon Di River, Pon Di Bank” was the most ubiquitous of Ele’s dance tunes, but it wasn’t even close to being his best song of the year. “Just One Of Those Days” was massive, but there were better songs on Sizzla’s album. In an upset, the Forward! for Song Of The Year goes to Sean Paul’s “GIMMIE THE LIGHT,” the best of his crossover hits to date. “Gimmie The Light” was a perfect blend of beat, lyrics, and Mr. Henriques’ Don Dadda lite flow. A hot remix kept “Light: in your ear all year. Pass the ‘dro! |
WICKEDEST COMBINATION: Odds were in favor of this award going to Wayne Marshall and somebody, since Mr. Tr-Tr-True teamed up with just about every artist this year. But the wickedest combination of the year was the oh-so-sweet tandem of Sean Paul and Sasha, whose “I’M STILL IN LOVE (WITH YOU)” updated a classic while keeping us grinding against the speaker box. |
|
GROUP OF THE YEAR: T.O.K. scored a TKO on the competition this year with a string of hits and hot combinations that built on last year’s “Chi-Chi Man” success. Honorable Mention: Ward 21, Morgan Heritage. SOUND OF THE YEAR: In a year when no sound system was truly dominant in either the juggling or clash arenas, it’s fitting that the world immortal STONE LOVE captures the Forward! in it’s 31st year in the business. DANCE OF THE YEAR: In a year of big dances and choreographed nonsense, Elephant Man’s “PON DI RIVER, PON DI BANK” was king. It was really three dance steps in one: First you jumped from the river to the bank; then you went down the flank, soccer style; then you sprinted in place to gi dem a run. “River” was easily the most fun of the ‘03 dances. BEST RHYTHM: Steven “Lenky” Marsden’s Diwali rhythm should have won this award. After all, it is probably the most well-known beat of the Dancehall era, anchoring platinum hits by Sean Paul, Wayne Wonder and Lumidee, plus Dancehall smashes from Bounty Killa, Assassin and Wayne Marshall. However, we enjoyed the G-STRING rhythm’s 15 minutes of fame more than the omnipresent Diwali hand claps. Bounty, Sizzla, Ele, Buju, Spragga, Cobra and even Mega Banton all gave their G-String tunes the full hundred, and kept the rhythm playing on our stereo long after it left the Dancehall. PRODUCER OF THE YEAR: Lenky, Vendetta and Tony Kelly were prolific and successful this year, but only BOBBY “DIGITAL” DIXON was indispensable and irreplaceable. Don’t ask us how he does it, but only Digital can get the best from Sizzla, as Da Real Thing demonstrates. Digital singlehandedly revived Kalonji’s career after years of mediocre output. |
|
| <<Previous | 2003 FORWARD! AWARDS |
Photograph of Sean Paul with microphone is an illustration
based on a photograph ©2003 www.reggaephotos.com. All Rights Reserved.