Etana’s The Strong One is on the Shortlist for a Grammy Award I just got an email this past Friday, announcing the current shortlist of reggae albums under consideration to be nominated for a Grammy. Surprisingly, one-time Fort Lauderdale resident, Etana, made the list due to her debut album, The Strong One, which was released [...]
Born on sand and lives to rock Waking up on the beach in Negril, Westmoreland, on January 1, 2005, was not just a special start to a new year for Dominique Brown, but the beginning of a new adventure. Driven by her passion for music, Brown dedicated herself to her musical talents and formed the [...]
Peter Ram carving his niche with Ragga Soca http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/images He started out as a reggae artiste. He then switched gears to calypso music and later on wrote songs for a number of Caribbean artistes including Alison Hinds. Today he is one of soca music’s brightest stars. Peter Ram describes his music as ragga soca. “I [...]
Her Imperial Majesty Watching reggae’s newest female star, Queen Ifrica, liven up a crowd sends a jolt through the body and spirit. During a recent stage show two weeks ago in Nassau, Bahamas, Ifrica performed as part of the heralded Millennium Countdown concert series; she was the lone woman artist on the bill. Around 2 [...]
Chesney trades cowboy hat for reporter’s hat with Bob Marley’s Wailers East Tennessee would seem an unlikely place to spawn Bob Marley aficionados. No beach, no tides, and the accent is quite dissimilar from what you’d hear in Jamaica. And yet Kenny Chesney heard Marley’s music as a young East Tennessean and latched on tightly. [...]
Clash production slows down: Some producers refuse to record ‘diss’ songs Feuds have long been a part of Jamaican music, from the ska era to the dancehall. However, in recent times they have reached unprecedented levels of violence, often with personal vendettas on and off stage. In music, competition occurs across genres. In rap music [...]
Unmatchable talent! To think that “the hit maker†Shaggy once had walked in unnoticed through a crowded arena before a concert is unimaginable. He is known to have a limitless hit making talent and so every time he walks into a studio to record an album he faces this challenge labelled on himself. Shaggy with [...]
Fishbone: A little reggae, a little ska, some punk and metal For a band named after the remnants of a good meal, Fishbone is a hearty hodge-podge of sounds and styles. After nearly 30 years of rocking out, the seven-man ska-punk-reggae-metal fusion act is back with a new album and a new lineup. Since forming [...]
Another court date for ‘Family Man’? An American show promoter has sued legendary reggae band The Wailers to recover US$2 million in concert fees he claims it owes him. The promoter, Bill Reid, told the Virginian-Pilot newspaper last week that the funds represent eight years of unpaid concert revenues. As their promoter, Reid said he [...]
Lee “Scratch” Perry: Repentance Lee “Scratch†Perry is known for his role as the legendary Jamaican producer who helped usher in the genre of dub music over 40 years ago. Featuring experimental and spacey bass-laden effects on lyric-less versions of reggae classics, a new genre grew and was popularized by the storied producer. Having created [...]