From Garnet Silk to Vybz Kartel to Teejay, reggae and dancehall artistes have dedicated songs to their mothers, and even the grimiest artistes acknowledge that there is that one person who has their heart – mama. Mama Christie (Shabba Ranks); Miss...
In a perfect world, populated by perfect beings, every child has a mother who must be celebrated on Mother’s Day. But the opposite is sometimes the unpalatable reality. Dancehall artiste Chuck Fenda, born Leshorn Whitehead, has slowly been sharing...
An exhilarated “I did it!” just about sums up singer-turn-actress Jovi Rockwell’s reaction to making her acting début in Traytown, a film that explores relationships with quite a bit of politics, passion and drama thrown in. Its synopsis states, “...
During the decade of the 80s, among the dancehall songs that jockeyed for dominance was Modern Girl by singer Courtney Melody. Rising to anthemic status over the years, it is the artiste’s signature song, and even today, it is guaranteed to take...
Even as Bunny Wailer’s children have called for her to cease all engagements on behalf of the family, his manager, Maxine Stowe, has vowed to carry out the wishes of the late reggae icon. “I wish to repeat my intention to honour the last wishes...
A romantic love song with Vybz Kartel on what she calls a “sexy Afro-pop rhythm”; a Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley collab, on which he drops the “wickedest verse ever”; a dancehall-Afrobeats fusion with Ghanaian Afropop, dancehall-reggae singer, Stonebwoy...
On the final day of Reggae and Black History Month, controversial US rapper, Kanye West, will be honoured with an award named in honour of Jamaica’s first national hero and the leader of the pan-Africanism movement, which sought to unify and...
In the same way that plans for a simple scrapbook of treasured memories somehow morphed into a 212-page hardcover, with 220 photos and illustrations, the story of VP Records, the world’s largest distributor of reggae music, bears a striking...
New author, Denroy Morgan, is thrilled that his book, From the Cross to the Throne, is on the shelves, readily available for Rastafarians and even those who are simply curious about the religion. He points out that there is a dearth of such...
Fulbright global scholar and history professor, Dr Harcourt Fuller, is a non-traditional academic who is as fascinated with money as he is with music, and has found a way to merge his loves. His love for money has absolutely nothing to do with its...
Calliel Campbell has been jotting down sermon notes ever since he mastered the art of reading. The youngster was given his first opportunity to preach for his congregation at the Pondside Seventh-day Adventist Church in Hanover last August, and his...
Ten years ago, not many persons could articulate what exactly was a ‘Grounation’, nor could they boast of having had such an experience. But, Grounation is now an integral part of that Reggae and Black History Month experience, courtesy of the...
The energy of his dub-poetry-chanting, Black-conscious grandfather pulsates through the pores of up-and-coming reggae singer Yungg Muta, who took on the moniker in honour of the man who has moulded him. And, also, his middle name just happens to be...
In 1969, not long after Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart started out in business, his graphic artist, Leroy ‘Artist’ Brown, went to his then Graham Heights residence in St Andrew to paint the ATL (Appliance Traders Limited) and Fedders air conditioning logos...
There seems to be something uncanny going on between ‘Mackas’ and cucumbers. Before dancehall deejay Macka Diamond did her cucumber song and questionably salacious video, ‘The Big Rastaman’ from the United Kingdom, Macka B, also did an ode to the...
If 50 years of writing, producing, and playing great music could be summed up in 10 songs, what would be featured on that list? That was one of the tasks for Fab 5 band leader and bass player Frankie Campbell during a recent interview with The...
With less than two months to go before a virtual event which will be spread over three nights, and which will have much interaction and engagement with prospective patrons and brands in the run-up, the organisers of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues...
In 2010, musician, beat-maker, and producer Michael ‘Askelle’ Fairman was a final-year student at The University of the West Indies, pursuing a first degree in liberal studies while getting his feet wet in the music industry. After a decade of...
United Kingdom-based vinyl collector and re-presser Alex Caramellino, also known as Jah Fingers, is lamenting the fact that Jamaica seems to be in a deep sleep as far as the viability of the vinyl records industry is concerned. “In the ‘60s, ‘70s,...
When the 27th staging of the Caribbean American Heritage Awards (CARAH) takes place virtually on Friday, November 20, among this year’s awardees will be Judith Veronica Mowatt. Popularly known as ‘Judy Mowatt’, or simply ‘Sister Judy’, she will be...
It is perhaps only too easy to attach the ‘celebrity pastor’ tag to popular, cutting-edge leader of the Emmanuel Apostolic Church, Portmore and Slipe Road assemblies, Bishop C. Everton Thomas. But that title is one which the Singing Bishop eschews...
The family of legendary music producer, ‘Bunny Striker’ Lee, will be honouring his wishes to be laid to rest next to his mother at the Dovecot Memorial Park and Crematorium in St Catherine. “They were extremely close, so the two of them will be in...
With tomorrow being celebrated as National Heroes Day, Maxine Stowe, the manager for iconic reggae singer Bunny Wailer, says that there needs to be a special status conferred on a certain calibre of artistes, who have been recognised by the state...
One of the executors of the estate for reggae icon Toots Hibbert is now officially seeking legal advice. This was confirmed to The Sunday Gleaner by Ian Wilkinson, QC. “My firm, Wilkinson Law, has been retained by an executor of the estate of the...
The year 2020 has been challenging at best, calamitous at worst. After nine months, the world is ready to usher in 2021, maybe without even glancing at Christmas, which seems to have the Grinch hovering somewhere in the background. The music...
