In 2008 when Grammy-nominated artiste Serani released No Games, it hit the ground running. The single climbed to the top of several international charts in 2009, including the Billboard R...
From the trenches of downtown Kingston to the beaches of the Caribbean and crowded streets of Tokyo, United States and the United Kingdom; walking through popular European food markets, tasting escargot in Paris and braving the trip across the...
Marc Chin is feeling newly minted these days, having awakened one morning last October with a new title under his name: that of licensed real estate agent. It’s a moment he would describe as mise-en-scène. Translated from French, it means ‘setting...
Gregory David Roberts makes personal and cathartic statements that carry the weight of the secrets he’s held for a lifetime. Now, they are escaping through his music in the recently released Love...
Since releasing his debut project, Let Reuben Live in 2016, Garnet Jah Lij Smith, performing as Garnet Silk Jr, has kept somewhat of a low profile. Not the easiest thing to do when you’re the son of a reggae icon. There are several similarities...
With no set timetable of when live shows and festivals will be resumed, the organisers of the annual INDIGGO Conference are determined not to allow the year to pass without another landmark staging. The three-year-old conference will go live via...
He is well known for being a US Virgin Islands reggae ambassador, even though there are still some fans who mistake the name Pressure Busspipe to be a born-Jamaican artiste. Still, he embraces it. “African heritage is one blood within the culture...
In the age of fashion revivals, Tarrus Riley’s hip-hop-esque-style feels fresh. Whereas past generations of reggae royalty represent widely in Rastafarian garb – prioritising mood above all else, the contemporary singer is part of the league...
Walking into the Little Theatre, home of the annual pantomime, may feel like a travel back in time when the cast of the pantomime returns – whenever that is, said one actor. The dressing rooms are ready for the actors but the lights have been...
Spragga Benz is doing well these days on The Journey Chosen, which is the title of his ninth album which will be released next week. It has been exactly one year since the Franklin Town-born megastar set an almost stratospherically high bar for...
Brought up on a diet of reggae, gospel, and jazz, 21-year-old Ariana Stanberry finds herself blowing to the tune of those genres. The love for music runs through her veins, she says, and the energy is pumped into her alto saxophone. “Every person...
He is not called the ‘Armagideon Man’ and ‘Messenger Man’ of reggae, roots, and culture music for no reason. Jamaica-born Willie Williams answered his calling in the 1960s to be a voice of reckoning in music. Some of his successful tracks include...
Alpha Institute music students and their instructor are over the moon with the recent completion of their international exchange through the March for Music Education, which was launched in March 2019. The institution, which has been dedicated to...
Carnival in Jamaica’s annual road parade, originally scheduled for today, Sunday, April 19, may have been moved to Sunday, October 25, but its postponement does not stop organisers and supporters from celebrating the tradition. Physical distancing...
Musician, artiste and producer Craig Parks, more popularly known as Leftside, like many other entertainers, has been utilising the live-stream option on social media platforms more. “There are times things are available to us and we take it for...
Ian Hutton is moved to tears every time he sees Gevanni, his 17-year-old son, sing a tune, and now that the he has made it on to one of the biggest televised talent platforms in Britain, The Voice UK, the emotions are heightened. “It is because I...
As officials work to contain the virus that the World Health Organization has labelled a global public-health emergency, anti-Chinese and discriminatory messages have continued unabated. COVID-19 and news surrounding its outbreak have sparked...
Female singers in Jamaica’s reggae-dancehall sphere like Queen Ifrica, Yeza Rebel, Jah9, and Etana have embodied their African heritage by embracing the kaleidoscopic patterns of the world’s second-largest continent – explicit in their style and...
As of last Friday afternoon, the state of New York had 421 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. This news follows the declaration of the state of emergency by its mayor, Bill de Blasio. There were also directives that gatherings of more than 500...
It’s not the unrestrained bellows that make one want to hold their ears and scream, “Shut up yuh mouth, nuh!” Instead, Chris Malachi’s buttery, ‘soul-stirring’ voice and powerful lyrics in BAWL send a message that listeners will be forced to play...
Women’s rights and gender equality are taking centre stage today, as the world unites in recognition of International Women’s Day. The official theme, ‘I am Generation Equality – Realising Women’s Rights’, which is aligned with the United Nations...
“She’s a dancehall queen for life, gonna explode like dynamite … ” are the familiar lyrics of the 1997 Beenie Man and Chevelle Franklyn collaboration Dancehall Queen, inspired by females untrammelled by conventional stereotypes of society – bold...
With the introduction of digital music in the mid-1990s, consumption became increasingly popular as more and more persons were able to discover new music from across the world. The developments in sharing and streaming music impacted the way...
Historically, the music industry has challenged its players to be competitive, forcing hopefuls to put in the extra legwork to get discovered and keep their music firmly planted at the top. Toronto-born singer Chelsea Stewart is a new-wave talent...
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange, who was instrumental in having the then National Academy of Recording Arts and Science (NARAS), currently the Recording Academy, establish the reggae category in 1985, believes it...
