Within the last decade, gospel music has appeared to break free of barriers with regard to the style and space in which it is presented so much so that the vessels of praise and worship, the recording artistes, are being invited to larger platforms...
In dancehall music, sex appeal sells, and female artistes have been known to use it as a strong marketing tool. Producers and fans alike tend to be more attracted to the women with greater sex appeal and sometimes can eliminate the older women, who...
If the walls of Studio One could talk, the stories of some of Jamaica’s greatest musicians and recording artistes to emerge throughout the 1950s to 1970s would surely come to light – as vivid as the one that illuminated the mural that was unveiled...
The local music scene and social media quickly became abuzz last November after it was announced that reggae newcomer Koffee had been one of the nominees of the 62nd annual Grammy Awards. She created history by becoming the youngest solo act to be...
An Internet search may not be the fastest medium to find on-the-up entertainer Siobhan (pronounced Sho-van). Even with a unique name like hers, which is of Irish origin, a Google search would first present musicians from Ireland like one of the...
The phone rings, and a sleepy-sounding Shadz, wondering who could be calling her at 10 a.m., answers. Shadz: “Hello.” Caller: “Hey, you in town?” Shadz: “No, I am home in St Mary.” Caller: “How quickly can you get there?” Shadz: “In two hours...
Phillip Supersad is not afraid to share his secrets to drum-building. “See, I am already here sharing my methods down to the very measurements with you,” the known drum-maker and ceramist said humorously to The Sunday Gleaner. Super, as he is...
With a small catalogue in rotation on the radio, Ras Ajai is steadily rising through the ranks. He devoted the formative years – approximately a decade – of his career to learning from celebrated musician Dean Fraser and the Black Soil Band. When...
In the blink of an eye, another year has flowed on – swift like a wave that washes the shore; with it, building and breaking up the coastline. Similarly, Jamaica’s entertainment industry has seen the constructive and destructive nature of the waves...
Most children look forward to the holidays to get a break from the day-to-day tasks of preparing for school and mandatory completion of assignments, but for Tashae Silvera, she is putting in more work to secure her future career. From her guest...
She’s not new to the Jamaican independent-artiste scene. Jane MacGizmo has been tinkling melodically along the yellow brick road, rising above tornadoes and passing ruins to stardom. In a recent interview with The Sunday Gleaner, MacGizmo shared...
“You ah hear me selecta. Ah more music and less talk. I would ah talk to the youth them worldwide but me a start from east and forward out to the west side. Up top jungle all bout Zimbabwe, Angola … hear me out lawd.” These are the words of...
Starting as a team of three music lovers, Coppershot Music Sound System was the brainchild of Matthew Gray, Shaun Anderson, and Jason ‘Jig Zag’ Henriques. What does it take to transform an idea to an actual sound system in Jamaica? Well, Gray may...
The deeply rooted social consciousness that was integral to dancehall music and that subsequently piloted its rise in the 1990s is said to be unappreciated within the modern-day Jamaican entertainment landscape. One music insider is of the view...
As sound systems were, and still are, such crucial elements of Jamaica’s cultural history, they also travelled with the rush of Caribbean migrants to Europe. Along with their purpose of being a method of disseminating music and their messages,...
There are nearly 3,000 miles that separate Jamaica from Brazil, but on Vai, the first single released from her upcoming EP, recording artiste Keida is looking to shorten that distance. The singer channels her ‘inner-Shakira’ – not the one who...
With the cosmic influence of Jamaican dancehall culture, fashion has transformed into a multidimensional lifestyle where no matter the space, one must be properly dressed in the ‘good tingz dem’. According to Maria Hitchins, lecturer in popular...
Going for the gold in the music industry can be compared to the 400 metres hurdles. It’s all about learning to hurdle challenges, and in keeping an eye on the prize, individuals must stay in their own lane. Veteran producer Robert ‘Bobby Digital...
He may not be humming the tune of Jimmy Cliff’s I Can See Clearly Now, but former C-Sharp lead singer Maranto is loudly singing the words of his own song, Faith Through The Fire, because for him, although the rain clouds have not entirely cleared...
Standing at five feet, two inches tall and weighing 115 pounds is a soft-spoken, dancehall rising star –or perhaps we should say queen – who goes by the name of Safiyah. She is the reigning (and last) Magnum Queen, having earned the title last...
With three months still left in the year, Shauna Controlla (formerly Shauna Chyn) has already declared 2019 a good year for her recording career. The dancehall entertainer is employing a strategy that does not include controversial relationships or...
In January 2017, the social video platform Vine repurposed its application following a decision to disable direct uploads. Vine was the place for imaginative content creators, to experiment with short-form comedy or music video clips, so in light...
With the pervasiveness of the Internet, musing industry players are finding more ways to capitalise on the benefits of using this platform to market their goods and services. Michael Campbell, whose organisation provides electronic tickets, or e-...
