Dean on Course The island’s emergency response agencies were yesterday put on full alert as the country braced for what is likely to be a direct hit from Hurricane Dean. Dean, which yesterday morning pounded the Eastern Caribbean islands of Martinique, Dominica and St Lucia, last night strengthened to a category four hurricane and was [...]

Brace for ‘Dean’ With the possibility that Hurricane Dean could be in Jamaica’s territorial waters by Sunday, the Meteorological Service has advised fishers and other marine operators that weather conditions are expected to steadily deteriorate during the next 48 to 72 hours. As such, they have been urged to commence preparations to evacuate if the [...]

‘Anything goes’ Reggae, rock, rap and funk: 311 boldly goes where a lot of other bands have gone before. They just do it all in one song. “Our sound stems from all the types of music we like,” guitarist Mahoney said recently after the sound check at a festival in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. “Everybody (in [...]

Hurricane Dean blasts into Caribbean Hurricane Dean uprooted trees, tore down power lines and ripped the roof off a hospital in St. Lucia on Friday as it raced into the Caribbean on a track that could take it near Jamaica as a dangerously powerful storm next week, officials said. On the nearby French island of [...]

The Aggrolites: West Coast reggae’s best-kept secret Local connoisseurs, junkies for a taste of sweet reggae traditionalism, have been wise to the ways of the quintet called the Aggrolites for going on five years now. They have watched their subtle, steady rise from in-demand West Coast house band for a parade of touring pioneers (ska [...]

Is reggae taking over pop? A look at the pop charts these days suggests as much, noting that two of this summer’s hottest hit singles come courtesy of Jamaican-bred newcomer Sean Kingston (Beautiful Girls) and Barbados babe Rihanna (Umbrella), both of whom incorporate heavy doses of reggae music into their hip-hop styles. Then there’s 19-year-old [...]

Is reggae taking over pop? A look at the pop charts these days suggests as much, noting that two of this summer’s hottest hit singles come courtesy of Jamaican-bred newcomer Sean Kingston (Beautiful Girls) and Barbados babe Rihanna (Umbrella), both of whom incorporate heavy doses of reggae music into their hip-hop styles. Then there’s 19-year-old [...]

Jamaicans make splash at Rototom It is no secret that reggae music is widely loved internationally and, as countries across Europe and other parts of the world invest heavily in reggae festivals and other major events, local artistes are called upon to perform some authentic Jamaican music. One major festival that features a number of [...]

An angry, mad Michelle Former dancehall queen and popular dancer, Mad Michelle, has come out and expressed her disgust at what she describes as malicious rumours that have been circulating in dancehall circles about her. Mad Michelle, whose real name is Ann-Marie McKoy, says there is a rumour going around that she is involved with [...]

Dr Evil or plain hate? “My name is Dr. Evil” Austin Powers aside, the intro is as notorious now as the musical assault that typically follows: a rapid-fire burst of raucous rhymes layered over frenetic up-tempo dancehall riddims. The headliner of the Jamzone Summer Break billed for the Splashmin’s resort this weekend, Dr. Evil is [...]