In a September 4 article titled, ‘Fans pick Bounty Killer vs Beenie Man as the best ‘Verzuz’ battle yet’, Billboard magazine announced that the Jamaican legends came out on top in their polls. In fact, Bounty and Beenie, both of whom Billboard...
It is known as music’s biggest night, and according to the Recording Academy, the 63rd Grammy Awards will be happening on January 31, 2021, “rain or shine, COVID-19 vaccine or not”. With Koffee’s history-making win in the reggae category still...
The entertainment fraternity is sending up prayers for legendary reggae singer Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals, who remains in a medically induced coma at the Tony Thwaites Wing of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). He is...
B lack Panther star Chadwick Boseman passed away from colon cancer at age 43 and Jamaican entertainers have joined the world in paying tribute to T’Challa, “a righteous king, noble avenger, and fearsome warrior”, who ruled over the fictional land...
In the music business, the name Clive Hunt carries its weight in gold and platinum and the super producer, while offering constructive criticism, is eager to share his wealth of knowledge and experience with all those who want to learn. A multi-...
These days, veteran reggae singer and musician Mallory Williams is no longer crooning about the exciting dancing skills of a girl named Poochie Lou; he prefers, instead, to chill and Smoke it like a Marley. That is actually the title of his latest...
Linton Kwesi Johnson, the man who has been bestowed with the title ‘the world’s first reggae poet’, celebrates his birthday today. He turns 68. The Jamaican dub poet and activist, who was born on August 24, 1952 in Chapelton, Clarendon, has...
The funeral service for veteran Jamaican singer, Highland ‘Dobby’ Dobson, will be held this Saturday, August 22, 2020 in Florida, where he resided. His brother Colin Morais confirmed to The Gleaner that the thanksgiving service will start at 11 a.m...
Gospel singer and songwriter Joan Myers is a woman with a passion for music. A dynamic performer, Myers has toured the Caribbean, Canada, the British Virgin Islands, and the United States as a backup and lead vocalist with celebrated gospel group...
Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie had threatened the entertainment sector at a town hall meeting recently that he would drop the hammer if the non-compliance with the rules and regulations set out for the reopening continued to be...
There was nothing that could have prepared veteran deejay Papa Michigan for a call from a manager at the National Housing Trust (NHT) in New Kingston with a somewhat curious request. The Jamaica Festival Song Competition finalist – and eventual...
The Grand Gala, that annual feel-good, makes-you-proud-to-be-Jamaican curtain closer of the island’s Emancipation and Independence celebrations, came under attack from COVID-19, but the virus was clearly no match for the resilience of the Jamaican...
Currently in Europe, where he has been since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March, reggae troubadour Anthony B is quite busy making music and even doing a few real live shows, not the virtual-reality offerings which have become the new...
When Khamara Wright was crowned Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2019, she made history when her win brought to an end a 29-year drought for the parish which she represented, St Catherine. In 2020, Wright is again in history-making mode. Interim...
The lyrically potent Sister Carol, also known as ‘Mother Culture’ and the ‘Black Cinderella’, is holding on to the belief that in this COVID-19 era, it is best to look for the good. “I’m here in Jamaica now on quarantine. I’m very grateful to be...
Mere hours after dropping her second single in as many weeks, Koffee was trending on social media, and the single, titled Pressure, made its debut at No. 1 on the iTunes Top 100 Singles chart. It also racked up 326,000 views on YouTube up to press...
On Emancipation Day, August 1, the nation stops briefly to commemorate the African ancestors who fought valiantly for freedom while reflecting on the many cultural and other contributions of the people of African descent who were taken from their...
For reggae artistes, the name Uppsala rings a loud bell that says touring and music. However, this year, the reggae festival, which takes its name from the place in Sweden, is embarking on a history-making trek from that Scandinavian country to...
Coming off a three-and-a-half-year sabbatical, dancehall artiste Ricky Rudie, aka ‘Bling Dawg’, is proclaiming that God is amazing, and also that he is definitely ready to elevate. A new single, video and a soon-to-be-released album are the fruits...
Following Sunday’s final show, the 2020 Jamaica Festival Song Competition album has cracked the coveted top 10 of the iTunes Top 100 Reggae Albums chart, and Buju Banton’s winning song has also surged up the singles chart. The album, which entered...
Marley matriarch, Rita, celebrated her 74th birthday on Saturday, and rather than wait until what is usually considered a milestone, the 75th year, to have a grand shebang, Tuff Gong International has kick-started a yearlong celebration, dubbed the...
Eleven years after winning the Digicel Rising Stars competition, Mitsy Campbell, better known as Shuga, has embraced another musical challenge. She entered the 2020 Jamaica Festival Song Competition and has been selected as one of 10 finalists. For...
To say that thespians are delighted that the Government has given the green light for theatre to flick on their bright lights after a COVID-19 lockdown of four months, is a gross understatement. Eager to get back to their job of entertaining...
Two of Jamaica’s top bass players, Robbie Shakespeare – one half of the prolific ‘riddim twins’ Sly and Robbie – and Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, have been named among a Top 50 list of best bassists from across the globe. The 50 Greatest Bassists...
The Jamaica Festival Song Competition for 2020 “tun all the way up”. The Various Artiste compilation album of the 10 songs in this year’s finals has made its grand debut on the iTunes Top 100 Reggae Albums chart. The set, titled Jamaica Festival...
