Colin Patrick Harper hails from the Bermuda Islands. In the music industry, he is known as the reggae artist Collie Buddz. Buddz was born on August 21, 1984 in New Orleans, Louisiana. After graduating from high school, he attended Full Sail University in Orlando, FL, where he decided to study studio engineering.  Upon graduating from college in 2006, Buddz began looking for work in the recording industry as a performer or producer. One of his first major gigs was working with recording star Shaggy on the single "Mad Mad World" from Shaggy's new album entitled Intoxication, which was release in 2007. That was the same year he released his self-titled debut album with Sony Music. The album was a moderate success, but well-received by critics.  WWE (World Wrestling Enterprises) fans would immediately recognize Buddz's voice from the entrance theme ("SOS") for WWE superstar wrestler Kofi Kingston, which was included on the 2008 compilation WWE The Music, Vol. 8. Over the next year, he would continue making guest appearances on the works of other artists.  It is no small coincidence that his stage name "Buddz" is slang for marijuana. There have been photographs taken of the artist holding bongs and other pot-smoking paraphernalia over the years. Of course, other reggae artist such as Bob Marley have made weed seem an essential part of the reggae lifestyle.  At the end of the decade, Buddz started his own record label called Harper Digital. When not working in the studio, he found himself selling out venue after venue on one of his many exhaustive tours. In 2011, he would finally release his second album entitled Playback. As was the case with the first album, this album was a modest success commercially, but the critics loved his work.  With a couple of albums and a good reputation under his belt, Buddz is a frequent performer at many of the major reggae festivals around the world.

The official SoundCloud of Bad Boy Entertainment.

Hirie--the frontwoman of the exhilarating pop/reggae band HIRIE--grew up a global citizen. Her father worked for the United Nations and she was born in the Philippines, spent years in Italy, before her family settled in Hawaii, which became her spiritual home. 

San Diego’s seven-piece band HIRIE is ready to offer a global spiritual uplift. Melding the balmy island touches of its singer’s beloved home—as symbolized by its moniker’s first letter, a “H” for  “Hawaii,” with that feeling of irie, the award-winning group offers a soundtrack of hope.  Now, with its masterful most recent album, Wandering Soul, brimming with invigorating female-fronted shamanistic reggae an oasis of positivity is just an album away. 

Wandering Soul’s lush construct reflects this depth. The songs feature chord sequences that have a sophisticated, tension and release accessibility. The musicianship is high-level restraint, showcasing that point of mature virtuosity where laying back implies instrumental prowess. The album’s trippy production—the bulk of it courtesy of Danny Kalb (Beck, Ben Harper, Sia)—replete with adventurous textured passages, heady dub segues, and subtle psychedelic flourishes, make it a rare headphone experience for a pop oriented record. 

Reflecting on the power of HIRIE, Hirie shares this story: “I met a fan who was suffering from of six tumors. He shared with me ‘Your music is the reason I get out of bed, you’re my medicine.’ That drives me to push this movement forward to share conscious music. I feel a responsibility and a duty to share a positive message.” 

iTunes: http://apple.co/29NKvFv
Amazon: https://amzn.com/B01IIPQ89K
CDs & merch: http://hiriestore.com

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