R. City to Headline U.S. Virgin Islands Music Showcase at SXSW 2016
http://www.trinijunglejuice.com/tjjnews/articles/4316/1/R-City-to-Headline-US-Virgin-Islands-Music-Showcase-at-SXSW-2016/Page1.html
By Idea Ventures
Published on 12-Mar-16
AUSTIN, Texas (March 7, 2016) - LargeUp, a global platform for Caribbean music, arts and culture, will present Austin Island, the first-ever U.S. Virgin Islands music showcase at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, March 17, 2016.
The event, co-sponsored by the United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, will feature live performances from some of the top names in Virgin Islands music, including R. City, Pressure Busspipe, Verse Simmonds and I Grade Dub, in an official showcase at the world's premier music conference.
Headlining Austin Island, which will take place from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. CST at Bungalow (92 Rainey St. in Austin), is R. City, who recently topped the Billboard Pop Chart with their No. 1 single "Locked Away" featuring Adam Levine, lead singer of Maroon 5. A screening of What Dreams Are Made Of, a documentary about R. City's journey from St. Thomas, which recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, will precede the show, at 6 p.m. CST, followed by a Q&A session with R. City's Timothy and Theron Thomas.
"We are excited to be performing with so many other Caribbean artists for Austin island," says Timothy Thomas of R. City. "We are fans of many of them as well as great friends, it's like family. In addition to performing with our Caribbean family, premiering our documentary, What Dreams Are Made Of, which highlights our life back home in St. Thomas, makes this event even more special for my brother and I."
The showcase comes as the music industry in the U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas - is drawing increased international attention. Other featured acts include St. Thomas singer Pressure Busspipe, whose anthem "Virgin Islands Nice" inspired the Department of Tourism's VI Nice campaign, and can be heard in clubs worldwide; Verse Simmonds, the Atlanta-based R&B singer and songwriter from St. Thomas who has worked with Rihanna, Kanye West, Jay-Z and Kelly Rowland; and I Grade Dub, the live dub project from St. Croix music producer and I Grade Records label head Laurent, "Tippy I" Alfred.
"Artists from the Virgin Islands are producing some of the best music coming out of the Caribbean right now," says Jesse Serwer, editorial director of LargeUp.com, and co-producer of Austin Island. "When you look at the success that R. City is having in the pop world, next to all of the great reggae music happening in St. Croix with I Grade Records, it really is unprecedented for such a small market."
"The U.S. Virgin Islands has a rich, diverse cultural and musical heritage and we are keen to partner with LargeUp on this initiative," said Beverly Nicholson-Doty, Commissioner of Tourism of the U.S. Virgin Islands. "Around the world, our artists and musicians are representing the Territory with excellence, and we look forward to showcasing their talent and creativity during this musical extravaganza."
To learn more about LargeUp's programming at SXSW and to see the full lineup, visit http://www.largeup.com/2016/03/07/austin-island, and follow @largeupdotcom for live updates.
About LargeUp
With readers in more than 195 countries, LargeUp.com is a global platform for Caribbean music, arts and culture. A part of the Okayplayer Media Network, founded by Questlove of The Roots and NBC's Tonight Show, LargeUp delivers daily original content with in-depth reporting and striking photography. LargeUp events have brought Caribbean music and culture to prestigious venues, including Lincoln Center (New York City), Central Park SummerStage (New York City) and South by Southwest, where LargeUp's 2014 and 2015 showcases were named among "the best things we saw at SxSW" by music bible Rolling Stone. Follow LargeUp on Twitter (@largeupdotcom), and become a fan on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/largeupdotcom ).
www.largeup.com
About R. City
R. City is the most successful musical act in the history of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Behind the scenes, St. Thomas-born brothers Timothy and Theron Thomas have written global smash hits for Miley Cyrus ("We Can't Stop"), Rihanna ("Pour It Up") and Nicki Minaj ("The Night Is Still Young"), to name a few. As artists, they recently hit No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Chart and topped numerous charts worldwide with their addictive, infectious single "Locked Away" featuring Maroon 5's Adam Levine. Their sound, as heard on their Kemosabe/RCA Records debut What Dreams Are Made Of, is a fusion of cinematic-hip-hop storytelling, Caribbean flavor and pop palatability, yielding something uplifting and undeniable in the process. Follow R City on Twitter ( @rcity ), and become a fan on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/rcity).
www.everythingrcity.com
About the U.S. Virgin Islands
For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, go to VisitUSVI.com, follow us on Twitter ( @USVITourism ) and become a fan on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/VisitUSVI ). When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel - including on-line check-in - making travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever. As a United States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens.
www.visitusvi.com
For R City, contact:
Christal Jordan
Christal.raydar@gmail.com
678 499-0297
For the United States Virgin Islands, contact:
Luana Wheatley
lawheatley@usvitourism.vi
+ 1 340 774-8784
AUSTIN, Texas (March 7, 2016) - LargeUp, a global platform for
Caribbean music, arts and culture, will present Austin Island, the
first-ever U.S. Virgin Islands music showcase at South by Southwest
(SXSW) in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, March 17, 2016.
AUSTIN, Texas (March 7, 2016) - LargeUp, a global platform for Caribbean music, arts and culture, will present Austin Island, the first-ever U.S. Virgin Islands music showcase at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, March 17, 2016.
The event, co-sponsored by the United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, will feature live performances from some of the top names in Virgin Islands music, including R. City, Pressure Busspipe, Verse Simmonds and I Grade Dub, in an official showcase at the world's premier music conference.
Headlining Austin Island, which will take place from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. CST at Bungalow (92 Rainey St. in Austin), is R. City, who recently topped the Billboard Pop Chart with their No. 1 single "Locked Away" featuring Adam Levine, lead singer of Maroon 5. A screening of What Dreams Are Made Of, a documentary about R. City's journey from St. Thomas, which recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, will precede the show, at 6 p.m. CST, followed by a Q&A session with R. City's Timothy and Theron Thomas.
"We are excited to be performing with so many other Caribbean artists for Austin island," says Timothy Thomas of R. City. "We are fans of many of them as well as great friends, it's like family. In addition to performing with our Caribbean family, premiering our documentary, What Dreams Are Made Of, which highlights our life back home in St. Thomas, makes this event even more special for my brother and I."
The showcase comes as the music industry in the U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas - is drawing increased international attention. Other featured acts include St. Thomas singer Pressure Busspipe, whose anthem "Virgin Islands Nice" inspired the Department of Tourism's VI Nice campaign, and can be heard in clubs worldwide; Verse Simmonds, the Atlanta-based R&B singer and songwriter from St. Thomas who has worked with Rihanna, Kanye West, Jay-Z and Kelly Rowland; and I Grade Dub, the live dub project from St. Croix music producer and I Grade Records label head Laurent, "Tippy I" Alfred.
"Artists from the Virgin Islands are producing some of the best music coming out of the Caribbean right now," says Jesse Serwer, editorial director of LargeUp.com, and co-producer of Austin Island. "When you look at the success that R. City is having in the pop world, next to all of the great reggae music happening in St. Croix with I Grade Records, it really is unprecedented for such a small market."
"The U.S. Virgin Islands has a rich, diverse cultural and musical heritage and we are keen to partner with LargeUp on this initiative," said Beverly Nicholson-Doty, Commissioner of Tourism of the U.S. Virgin Islands. "Around the world, our artists and musicians are representing the Territory with excellence, and we look forward to showcasing their talent and creativity during this musical extravaganza."
To learn more about LargeUp's programming at SXSW and to see the full lineup, visit http://www.largeup.com/2016/03/07/austin-island, and follow @largeupdotcom for live updates.
About LargeUp
With readers in more than 195 countries, LargeUp.com is a global platform for Caribbean music, arts and culture. A part of the Okayplayer Media Network, founded by Questlove of The Roots and NBC's Tonight Show, LargeUp delivers daily original content with in-depth reporting and striking photography. LargeUp events have brought Caribbean music and culture to prestigious venues, including Lincoln Center (New York City), Central Park SummerStage (New York City) and South by Southwest, where LargeUp's 2014 and 2015 showcases were named among "the best things we saw at SxSW" by music bible Rolling Stone. Follow LargeUp on Twitter (@largeupdotcom), and become a fan on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/largeupdotcom ).
www.largeup.com
About R. City
R. City is the most successful musical act in the history of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Behind the scenes, St. Thomas-born brothers Timothy and Theron Thomas have written global smash hits for Miley Cyrus ("We Can't Stop"), Rihanna ("Pour It Up") and Nicki Minaj ("The Night Is Still Young"), to name a few. As artists, they recently hit No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Chart and topped numerous charts worldwide with their addictive, infectious single "Locked Away" featuring Maroon 5's Adam Levine. Their sound, as heard on their Kemosabe/RCA Records debut What Dreams Are Made Of, is a fusion of cinematic-hip-hop storytelling, Caribbean flavor and pop palatability, yielding something uplifting and undeniable in the process. Follow R City on Twitter ( @rcity ), and become a fan on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/rcity).
www.everythingrcity.com
About the U.S. Virgin Islands
For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, go to VisitUSVI.com, follow us on Twitter ( @USVITourism ) and become a fan on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/VisitUSVI ). When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel - including on-line check-in - making travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever. As a United States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens.
www.visitusvi.com
For R City, contact:
Christal Jordan
Christal.raydar@gmail.com
678 499-0297
For the United States Virgin Islands, contact:
Luana Wheatley
lawheatley@usvitourism.vi
+ 1 340 774-8784