Rastafarian singer Fantan Mojah was once hailed as one of the new wave of contemporary reggae singers whose songs were infused with positive lyrics and themed with praises to Jah, respect for women, and a desire to stay away from all that is...
Last week, the King of the Dancehall, Beenie Man, was told by the judge in the St Elizabeth Parish Court that not even the king is above the law. Beenie Man was then slapped with a $150,000 fine after pleading guilty on April 19 for breaching the...
Melessa Vassell is a 25-year-old theatrical, commercial, voice-over and film actress with a great, big heart. The founder of Building Blocks, an early childhood education programme that delves into “creating, establishing and building a solid...
Emphasising that any kind of collaboration will be for the benefit of both organisations and the music industry as a whole, the heads of the Jamaica Federation of Musicians...
A sum of US$1,471 has been already collected by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), representing royalties from the historic 2020 Festival Song Competition, which, for the first time, saw the album available on major digital...
Songwriters will agree that the title of songs can sometimes come from unexpected places or situations. Take, for example, saxophonist extraordinaire Dean Fraser’s latest offering, Flat Bridge, named after the bridge in St Catherine that crosses...
Soulful reggae crooner, Etana, is now the owner of two Billboard plaques, and the girl from August Town is justifiably proud of the mementoes which shout out her achievements in the music industry and which have secured for her a spot in an elite...
Dancehall artiste Spragga Benz has recently been teasing and exciting fans with pictures of a script and seconds worth of behind-the-scenes clips of a new movie project titled Second Chance. Filmed recently in Florida, USA, the movie wrapped up on...
At the end of March, dancehall deejay Mavado vented on social media about the slow pace of his case against now-disbarred real estate attorney Jennifer Messado, who was allegedly given $30 million three years ago by Mavado’s lawyer for a property...
There will be no virtual staging of Reggae Sumfest, Jamaica’s premier reggae and dancehall festival, this year. However, if the entertainment sector opens up “enthusiastically”, the organisers are ready to claim the Heroes Weekend in October as...
President of the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Diane Edwards, could not hide her glee at Wednesday’s official signing of an agreement between the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA) and the SMC Group, a global...
Some three months after his passing, pioneering toaster Ewart ‘U-Roy’ Beckford will finally be laid to rest. Daddy U-Roy, the Godfather of Toasting, passed away on February 17. His burial will take place on Wednesday, May 19, at 1 p.m. at the...
Panamanian reggae artiste Karims, who recently released a single and music video with singer Jah Cure, is feeling particularly filled with purpose. Wanting to “get it right,” he travelled to Jamaica to shoot the visuals for Propósito, produced by...
On May 11, 1981, Colin Leslie, then the managing director of the Tuff Gong Group of Companies, was at the Island Records office in New York when he got the news of the passing of his friend, employer and reggae superstar Bob Marley. For Leslie, who...
Jamaican music is as rich in originality and brilliance as it is in fascinating stories, some less happy than others, but no less blockbuster-worthy. One such is the life and times of renowned and revered trombonist and composer, Don Drummond, who...
Jamaica-born American film-maker and novelist Julian ‘Jingles’ Reynolds, CEO of the New York-based Fiwi Productions, said the global demand for the Jamaican culture not only remains, it is growing stronger. Reynolds is celebrating a recent deal...
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is receiving lots of praise from some quarters for a creative social media campaign dubbed ‘Wanted Wednesdays’. The initiative, which appears to tap straight into the dancehall culture, mimics the names of the...
What once hosted a bustling business, which provided bread and butter for tour guides, Jamaica Union of Travellers Association (JUTA) drivers, and the community of Trench Town, is now glum buildings devoid of energy, the patter of feet, the clicks...
Bob Marley: Legacy, the 12-part, mini-documentary web series that delves into the life of reggae icon Robert Nesta ‘Bob’ Marley, regarded as one of the 20th century’s most influential figures, has been nominated for a coveted Webby Award. The...
Frenchman David Cairol is no construction worker, but he knows a lot about building bridges. He started listening to reggae music at the age of 14 – nearly three decades ago – and he has been using the message therein to build bridges of hope and...
The enduring legacy of dreadlocked reggae icon Bob Marley has clearly had a tremendous impact on superstar rapper and businessman Jay-Z. Some 40 years after the death of the reggae legend, Jay-Z said during a recent interview that he wants to be...
The children of reggae icon Bunny Wailer have settled outstanding hospital bills and have secured the death certificate and the documentation needed for them to start making plans for an appropriate and dignified send-off for their beloved father....
Artiste, producer and promoter, Lawrence ‘Jah Mike’ Lugg, is hoping to add yet another title to his name – councillor – and the humanitarian says he has been preparing for this role all his life. Therefore, come next year February, he will be...
The passing of prominent journalist, editor, lecturer, communications specialist and former Television Jamaica news anchor Michael Sharpe early Tuesday morning has had an impact on people from every sector, including entertainment. Sharpe, who was...
