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...
It’s official. The summer of 2020 has started. Music fans let out a collective sigh of relief when, on Friday, Koffee dropped the highly intoxicating summer banger that they have apparently all been waiting for. Titled Lockdown, the lyrics speak...
A July 8 premiere of Sevana’s single and video for the song, If You Only Knew, has set the singer on a whole new trajectory careerwise, as she stamps her own indelible signature on her musical mission. She says of the single and the upcoming EP,...
“Nerves ... pan tap a nerves, pan tap a nerves, but guess what ... I did it!” That’s how actress, TV personality and singer, Sakina Deer, triumphantly describes her first live performance as a singer. A finalist in this year’s Jamaica Festival...
A wreath made up of 70 flaming red roses will adorn the graveside of legendary singer Gregory Isaacs, while his music will be given special play on radio stations across the world as part of the official celebration of his 70th birthday, today....
As uncertainty continues to hover over the staging of entertainment events, owing to the global pandemic, which has decimated the live-music scene and seen many festivals either cancelled or having to shift dates, the organisers of Rebel Salute say...
There are feel-good vibes aplenty, as dancehall artistes Beenie Man and Bounty Killer are in the news again, setting more records with their epic Verzuz battle. The dynamic duo have seen a whopping 216 per cent increase in music streams following...
For award-winning Malaysian singer, songwriter, and producer Sasi The Don, his reggae journey started back in 1990, when the then 12-year-old embarked on a quest to find a musical connection. His peers were listening to the likes of Boys II Men and...
Sometime in 2015, a collective of seasoned musicians pooled their immense talents to form the ATF Band, with the stated purpose of breathing new life into the local and international scene, after citing “a void of authenticity and true love and...
Ernie and Janet Smith have been an inseparable duo for decades and although they never performed together on a commercial stage, there was really no need for that, as their entire life was the ultimate stage. When Janet passed away on July 1, it...
Sicily-born reggae guitarist, percussionist, and keyboardist Alborosie celebrated his birthday on Saturday, and he chose to give his fans a special gift. Listen to the Waves, his newest single, was made available for free download, even as ‘Puppa...
