CatEyes here to rock Jamaica She might be based in Boston, Unites States (US), but Rochelle ‘CatEyes’ Farquharson is looking to take the Jamaican music scene by storm. The 23-year-old has been around music from the age of four when she began tagging along with her dad and mom, Edgiton and Michelle Farquharson, to Anchor [...]
Bringing a better vibe – Kingston has big plans for Jamaica concert International hitmaker Sean Kingston, at only 19 years old, is a busy man. Months after the release of his sophomore album Tomorrow, the youngster is already moving on to his next, launching his own label and has his hands in a number of [...]
Overseas appeal for Jamaican acts declining? Late last year Charles Campbell, after a trip to Europe, reported in the pages of this newspaper that he was quite worried that while the appeal of Reggae is on the rise, internationally, the appeal overseas for Jamaican acts is on the wane. What could account for this apparent [...]
Tony Rebel makes plea to cleanse dancehall Germany’s Adolf Hitler, France and the US taught the world about violence and sex charged event organiser Tony Rebel in a plea to cleanse dancehall of explicit lyrics. Explicit dancehall, his argument suggested was not marketable in Europe and contributed to poor US sales in 2009. “You can’t [...]
Melodians keep rocksteady alive As a general rule with rocksteady — the post-ska, pre-reggae form of Jamaican vocal music — if a group’s name ends in “-ians,” it’s worth a listen. There are exceptions; some bands without the distinction aren’t bad either, such as legendary rocksteady acts the Maytals, the Hepcats, the Gaylads and the [...]
Reggae artist Buju Banton pleads not guilty to drug charges Reggae star Buju Banton pleaded not guilty to drug charges during a federal court arraignment Thursday. The 36-year-old singer, born Mark Myrie, did not seek bail. “Mark is innocent,” defense attorney David Markus said. “And the government’s case has got no soul.”
Herald Palladium > Archives > Features > Reggae masters make Czar’s 505 their port of call When your touring calendar spans two decades, small triumphs have a way of making themselves felt beyond a particular night or venue. This Friday, the Ark Band revisits Czar’s 505 for “Jamaica Me Crazy,” the club’s monthly reggae night [...]
‘We need a new direction’ | The Trinidad Guardian On the ground level of the famous Charlie’s Records on Fulton Street in Brooklyn, Rawlston Charles stands in front of just two of the many gold records he has churned out over the years. He is tall, sartorial and as debonair as ever. He concedes that [...]
Looking at the revolutionary wordsmith Linton Kwesi Johnson A staunch activist in the struggle for the empowerment of black people, Linton Kwesi Johnson’s (LKJ’s) revolutionary weapon is his distinctive dub poetry addressing social issues that never fail to stir one’s emotions. His style of poetry is so distinct, with each word voiced with deep conviction, [...]