The Son Also Rises The son of reggae legend Bob Marley and former Miss World Cindy Breakspeare, Damian Marley (aka Junior Gong) takes his nickname from his famous dad and also his mission: to uphold truth and rights and to forward consciousness “in this generation triumphantly,” as Bob would have said. Nowadays, the roots reggae [...]
A Jewish Girl’s Reggae Odyssey I imagine there are moments in every nice young Jewish girl’s life when she is miraculously taken out of her safe little Jewish sphere, and if only temporarily, let loose in the world, privy to the wilderness of the Diaspora and its ever-colorful, cultural quirks, made insatiably curious, inspired and [...]
Philadelphia based reggae label NAP Musiq releases the Passion rhythm project. Reggae airwaves are currently under attack from a sweet and tantalizing rhythm called the Passion rhythm. Radio jocks from Jamaica, the US and in the Caribbean have already subscribed to this engaging beat, which is being touted as the next big thing in reggae [...]
Reggaeton rules: Shake dat thing! After hip-hop and reggae now it’s time for reggaeton. Wonder what it is? Did you fancy Shakira’s moves to the rhythms of ‘La Tortura’? If you did, raggaeton might just be something that you would enjoy. With origins from Panama, the style travelled to Puerto Rico and became a huge [...]
Maxi feast Widely-Regarded as the UK’s biggest reggae star, Maxi Priest, returns to Sydney next month for his 2 The Max tour. He is perhaps best known for his hit That Girl, where he hooked up with Shaggy. But he’s worked with such greats as Soul II Soul, Beres Hammond, Roberta Flack, Lee Ritenour, Shabba [...]
Jamaica’s Buju Banton In Pilgrimage to West Africa Though not his first time in the western region of Africa, Buju Banton’s proposed musical pilgrimage to Gambia and Sierra Leone is echoing with loud vigor. Youths in the streets of Gambia are already celebrating the anticipated peak sound party.
The return of the ‘King’ The Jamaican ‘cross-over’ queen, or rather ‘King’, arrived in the island last week. And allwoman has the exclusive on what she’s been up to since her last major performance here at Sumfest, some eight years ago.
Freddie McGregor – Not without honour Few artistes can make a one-hour wait worthwhile, but after our marathon endurance (not his fault as it turned out) Freddie McGregor emerges as the kind of artiste that one could willingly allocate half the day to – and one who is equally willing to share from his insights, [...]
In Jamaica, Gay Rights Now an Issue Worth Debating A call by Deputy Education Minister Donald Rhodd to discuss the possible repeal of Victorian-era laws criminalizing homosexuality has provoked predictable outrage among conservative Jamaicans. But gays here see the chance for debate as a glimmer of hope that they may one day be able to [...]
Jr. Gong and his rebel music catch fire His father grew up in Jamaica’s shantytowns and impoverished countryside, but he was raised in a well-to-do neighborhood. Actually, two well-to-do neighborhoods: one in Jamaica and one in Miami. So does Damian (Jr. Gong) Marley, the youngest son of Bob, have the right to sing about the [...]