Review: The Biggest Ragga Dancehall Anthems 2009
The best thing about the yearly Biggest Ragga Dancehall Anthems compilations– whose title provides you with all the backstory you need on this venerable series collecting 12 months of gems from Jamaica’s premier pop genre– is that they’re consistent enough to act as comforting listening but restlessly inventive enough […]
Gateways to Geekery: Dub
Though it isn’t precisely the first kind of music that involves what we now refer to as the remix, dub was arguably the first popular and influential art form to be predicated on creating entirely new music from already-existing recorded elements. Starting in the mid-’60s, Jamaican DJs began rocking dancehalls by […]
Orlando Octave taking it higher
In 2008, he gave women of a darker hue a reason to smile. Darkie, an infectious reggae tune, sang the praises of women blessed with richer skin tones. It was a major hit and catapulted Orlando Octave, aka D Original Rudeboy, into the local spotlight. In 2009, he followed up with […]
KARMA: Taking chutney soca high
Affectionately called the prince of chutney, lead male vocalist of crossover band Karma, Ravi B is making waves for Carnival 2010 with his infectious song Drinka. Following hot on the heels of last year’s popular chutney Dularie Nanny which earned him second place in the National Chutney Soca Monarch, and his […]
Audrey Reid back to her roots
“One more dictionary! Unu see how me haffi buy one more dictionary fi me son? I don’t know why him caan stop lose tings!” This is the greeting from Audrey Reid, dictionary in hand, as she hurriedly alights her SUV, in an attempt to make up for lost time. The […]
