The words of Marcus Garvey may be found in the lyrics of reggae’s most profound lyricists. From Bob Marley, whose Redemption Song takes the phrase “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds,” from a 1937 speech...
This year’s Jamaica Rum Festival (JRF) online seminars will act as the launchpad for the Appleton Estate 15-Year-Old Black River Casks. Appleton Estate has announced its plans to unveil the newest expression, comprising a blend of rare and hand-...
A dream about his father woke Junior Toots up in the middle of the night, and left him feeling reinvigorated with new ideas for music. The singer and youngest son of the second-time Grammy Award winner Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert says it was vivid –...
Grammy nominee Maxi Priest was quite excited at the possibility of officially changing that title to ‘winner’ when the announcement for Best Reggae Album was made at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards virtual ceremony, but he remains thankful for the...
If there is an impression that the Jamaica Rum Festival made in the first and second years of staging, it’s that rum and rhythm go hand in hand, giving the organisers and sponsors more rhyme and reason to stay on beat for 2021, but in a virtual...
The late Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert has won his second Grammy award for Best Reggae Album with Got To Be Tough. According to manager Cabel Stephenson, it was on the cards for Toots and The Maytals to walk away with the win. “It’s a great moment...
It’s been a little over one year since on-the-rise recording artiste Zac Jone$ introduced the collaboration with Agent Sasco, Miss Jamaica. An ode to the beauty and temperament of Jamaican women, it had the industry speaking about the talent and...
A beautification project, led by the Global Giving Foundation (GGF), has been launched in Halls Green, located in Temple Hall, St Andrew. Over the past month, members of the newly-formed non-profit organisation, most of whom have been residents of...
“Today is a beautiful day,” says someone in a cheerful tone. This is how the conversation starts out with Ardrianna Mairs, better known on the fashion scene as Annalesia, who is one of the five models featured sitting in the snow for a scene of...
Staged wholly virtual for the first time, the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival recorded its highest patronage in its more than two-decade-old existence. According to Marcia McDonnough of Touchstone Productions, co-producer of the festival, night...
Sweden is home base for Eleanore Hansson, a classically trained musician who has gone through several transformations in her career and taken numerous flights before landing in Jamaica. In Hansson’s childhood home, the sounds of generational icons...
She is the picture of a regal lioness. Surviving in an industry that was once decreed a man’s world, Marcia Griffiths is a strong and agile hunter for what she wants, gracefully overlooking the pride to which she feeds her talent and wealth of...
The stars were truly shining down on the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival performers, especially on the third and final night, as the billed acts paid homage to the veterans who paved the way, both those we’ve lost and those who continue to...
The prayers of several families have been answered through the Carla Dunbar Ministries, led by Reverend Dr Carla Dunbar, who has been offering marriage and family counselling for more than a decade – some of which she does on a pro bono basis. Why...
Making music for the masses is no difficult feat for Sizzla Kalonji. From his emergence on the reggae and dancehall scene in the ‘90s to now, he continues to exceed expectations. The lyrics, “Perseverance for the utmost best should be your...
Ghanian recording artiste Stonebwoy credits Sean Paul for inspiring him to turn his love for the Jamaican musical genres of reggae and dancehall into a career. “The reality is, I got into dancehall simply because it is deep in our DNA and so,...
“What’s in the darkness, must be revealed to light. We’re not here to judge, what’s good from bad, But to do the things that are right.” These are lyrics from Bob Marley and The Wailers’ Pass It On from the original Burnin’ album, released in 1973...
In Ce’Cile’s at-home studio, where she usually spends most of her time, the bookshelf is running out of space. During our interview, she could be heard walking from one end of her house to the next to share the names of the books one can read if...
The mindset that drove Dwayne Morris as a curious teenager to play around with an old piano in the corner of Frome Technical’s auditorium still guides him in his endeavours as a music educator and executive in the entertainment industry. The...
February is more than 28 days (or 29 days in a leap year) of remembrance. It bears a cornucopia of celebrations for many cultural communities across the world. From the worldwide observance of Black History Month, China and its Chinese New Year,...
Exactly one year ago, on February 5, 2020, on the eve of what would have been their father Bob Marley’s 75th birthday, Stephen, Damian and Julian Marley, through the Ghetto Youths Foundation (GYF), officially opened the Cornerstone Learning Centre...
“My son is fourth generation of the Morgan family. It is important that I share with him the values and morals I was taught. The things we do in our lives are representative of our family, so I try to level with my son as much as I can and educate...
Alkaline has reinvented himself countless times over the past decade. From a 16-year-old novice entering the studios, contorting his voice to create a distinct sound and memorable hooks, to the controversial counter-culture icon who debuted in 2011...
Yanique ‘Curvy Diva’ Barrett has taken on the task of courting food lovers as she makes her restaurateur début this Valentine’s Day with the grand opening of her Dining With Curvy – The Restaurant. “For me, it’s about love,” Barrett said of her...
He may be the son of a ‘Burro’, but he ain’t no fool. Leno Banton says he is very crafty and can take reggae and dancehall lovers to school – old school. As the son of a music industry legend, the up-and-coming recording artiste knows he has big...
