Published:Friday | April 14, 2017 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
A Jamaican student, Savion Wilson, 17, was recently named mayor for a day in the New Jersey city of Plainfield.Savion Wilson, an Academy for the Arts and Advanced Studies (FAAAS) student, on March 23, stepped into the shoes of Plainfield Mayor...
Published:Friday | March 31, 2017 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
Like most sixth-formers, I jumped straight from high school to college - in my case, to the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) - to 'read' for a degree in the humanities.I could hardly wait to begin my journey at the UWI. My...
Published:Friday | March 31, 2017 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
It was just over 40 years ago, in 1976, that Peter Tosh released his classic hit song Legalize It from the album of the same name. The song was written by Tosh as a response to his ongoing victimisation by the Jamaican police, but it was also a...
Published:Sunday | March 26, 2017 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
In the early '60s, long before there was reggae, a haunting, captivating and blissfully bouncy beat called rocksteady captured the imagination of music lovers on the island of Jamaica. This beat was an offspring of ska, and it first emerged from the...
Published:Thursday | February 16, 2017 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
"Scandalous but not surprising" is how veteran Jamaican reggae singer Freddie McGregor has described the outcome of the 2017 Reggae Grammy Awards, where Ziggy Marley, Bob Marley's eldest son, was announced winner of the Best Reggae Album.Ziggy's...
Published:Friday | February 10, 2017 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
Seven students and two teachers from Ardenne High School were recently in New York City to participate in the 2017 World Federation of United Nations Associations (UFUNA) conference.In addition to the United Nations activities, Ardenne High students...
Published:Tuesday | January 31, 2017 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
A Jamaican couple had their plans to celebrate St. Valentine's Day together abruptly ruined when the boyfriend was denied landing access at Newark's Liberty airport on the night of Wednesday, January 18. Instead of spending the night in the loving arms of his...
Published:Friday | January 27, 2017 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
Destination Jamaica shone brightly on Wednesday night when the island was the recipient of four travel awards, which were presented to the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) by the Travvy Awards in recognition of the island's high standards of excellence...
Published:Monday | December 19, 2016 | 1:07 PMDave Rodney
In perhaps the most blistering attack on the reggae Grammys to date, Jamaican reggae icon and veteran singer Freddie McGregor has lashed out at the 59-year-old American institution, calling the reggae arm of the organisation that typically awards...
Published:Friday | December 9, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
On Tuesday night, the top-tier of the fashion industry in New York City paused to pay tribute to design icon Carolina Herrera for her thirty-five years of first-class contribution to the industry and for establishing a globally recognised style. At...
Published:Friday | December 2, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
(This is Part 1 of the FAUM series - Five Astonishing and Unforgettable Moments - that explores aspects of reggae, dancehall and soca music through the prism of the performers, promoters, producers and other professionals).By any measure, Roger...
Published:Thursday | November 24, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
Later tonight, one of Jamaica's new-generation voices will take on her greatest challenge to date. Her name is Tanice Morrison and she is a Kingston-born soulful reggae singer, who is attempting to woo a new audience and win more stripes in her 15-...
Published:Friday | October 14, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
On a recent trip to Negril, I was invited by Chef Anthony Miller, executive chef at Hedonism 11, to join a diving and fishing expedition a few miles off coast. The mission: to enjoy the dive, but, more important, to bring back a...
Published:Thursday | October 20, 2016 | 10:46 PMDave Rodney
Exactly a year ago, in New York City, a glitzy annual fundraiser, hosted by the Rockhouse Foundation at Joe's Pub in Lower Manhattan, raised nearly a quarter million dollars in one night to fund charities administered by the foundation in...
Published:Friday | October 21, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
"It is no secret anymore. Reggae has finally begun to permeate the United States mainstream market in a big way. The focus of Snow's publicity campaign will be to establish Snow solely on the basis of his music, with as little knowledge of his race...
Published:Thursday | October 6, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
Denroy Morgan is a man on a mission. This widely respected reggae icon has at various times been a bishop, a hit-maker, a barber, a cook, a father, an advocate for the use of marijuana, and the patriarch of one of reggae's most acclaimed bands,...
Published:Friday | September 16, 2016 | 3:46 PMDave Rodney
A bevy of bold, brainy, and 'BumDelicious' beauties are on their way to Hedonism 11 in Negril, Jamaica, to participate in a sexy and seductive pageant that runs from September 19 to 25.The lovely, shapely females are contestants from the United...
Published:Monday | September 5, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
Tennis and fine dining appear to be strange bedfellows. Strange, because tennis players, like athletes from other sports, are always watching their calories. Well, all this changed dramatically last week in New York City (NYC) just before the start...
Published:Friday | August 19, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
After a fun-filled visit to Kingston, my next stop is Ocho Rios. The new highway to get there from Kingston in record time is the talk of the town. My friends and I were looking forward to this ride, and we were wondering if the hype will live up to...
Published:Monday | August 8, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
It's midsummer and the grills are fired up all over Jamaica and the diaspora with people hosting or attending barbecues, poolside parties, family gatherings, backyard sessions and picnics.Not to mention the numerous jerk...
Published:Friday | August 12, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
After a delicious fish meal at Little Ochi on Alligator Pond on the border of St Elizabeth and Manchester, and a chat with Blackie, the founder and CEO of this very popular seafood restaurant, we set out for the ride to Kingston.Luckily, we leave...
Published:Friday | August 5, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
Everyone who has ever been to Jamaica knows of Dunn's River Falls. It is perhaps the most photographed attraction in the Caribbean, thanks to its postcard-perfect beauty as well as its proximity to cruise ports. But many travellers will be surprised...
Published:Tuesday | August 2, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
Dr Sophia Manning is a focused and fast-talking Manchester native who has found a new life and career in education in Wenzhou in the southeastern China, where she is about to begin her fourth year as a university lecturer.Manning, who is in her mid-...
Published:Tuesday | July 19, 2016 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney
Miss Lily's, a New York City restaurant that celebrates Jamaican foods and has riveted the palates of diners for years, has opened a new restaurant in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, earlier this week.The newest Miss Lily's is located in the Sheraton...
