Archive for April, 2010

Two new singles and three-continent tour for Sean Paul

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Two new singles and three-continent tour for Sean Paul With two new tracks and a three-continent tour for April, Jamaican dancehall superstar Sean Paul is keeping quite busy these days. Sean Paul, who returned from performances in Africa recently, is also toasting the success of his single with British-born pop sensation Jay Sean, Do You [...]

Rocksteady: the Roots of Reggae

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Rocksteady: the Roots of Reggae BORN in the Jamaican dance halls of the late 1960s, ”rocksteady” is the catchy musical style that led directly to reggae, with an accentuated bassline and a slow, driving rhythm. Whether or not that description rings a bell, you’ll probably be able to hum along with songs like The Tide [...]

Traditional reggae acts will rise

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Traditional reggae acts will rise Veteran Jamaican broadcaster Lister Hewan-Lowe believes the recent troubles of dancehall artistes with United States (US) authorities will open the door for traditional reggae acts in that country. Hewan-Lowe, who hosts two programmes on Stonybrook University’s WUSB 90.1 FM radio station, was in Kingston last week. He told The Gleaner [...]

Third World to host live stream of band rehearsal

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

Third World to host live stream of band rehearsal The world’s longest-running reggae band is set to host ‘Third World Band Rehearsals LIVE!’. The informal, online-only rehearsal will be streamed live on www.ination. tv/thirdworldbandlive and www.thirdworld.com on Saturday, May 8, at 7 p.m. for Caribbean and United States audiences, and rebroadcast May 9 at 1 [...]

Sugarloaf will be alive with sounds of reggae

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

Sugarloaf will be alive with sounds of reggae People don’t step off the plane at Montego Bay airport carrying a pair of skis. And they don’t appear at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain wearing sandals and perking their ears for island sounds. At least not usually. But starting Thursday and continuing through the weekend, island [...]

Ky-Mani Marley, son of Bob Marley, grew up outside family circle

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

Ky-Mani Marley, son of Bob Marley, grew up outside family circle His name is Marley, but Ky-Mani didn’t grow up as Jamaican royalty like most of his brothers and sisters. He was born in poverty in Falmouth, Jamaica, without even the luxury of an indoor kitchen or bathroom. His mom, table tennis champion Anita Belnavis, [...]

Visa woes taint music industry

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

Visa woes taint music industry Fellow entertainers may not benefit from the group of five whose visas were recently revoked, as the entire industry has been tainted, said booking agencies. Top artistes with US visas now include Capleton, Tarrus Riley, Elephant Man, Assassin, Chino, Voicemail, and Sean Paul, however, US promoters may avoid these and [...]

Bounty Killer denied bail, but …

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

Bounty Killer denied bail, but … Deejay Bounty Killer will have to spend at least the next week in jail after he was denied bail in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday on assault charges. The deejay, real name, has been in custody since Monday when he was arrested on a warrant by officers [...]

Dancehall hit! United States visa woes will cost Jamaican entertainers big

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Dancehall hit! United States visa woes will cost Jamaican entertainers big Local dancehall stars Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Mavado and Aidonia, as well as selector Ricky Trooper, are set to lose millions of dollars in earnings based on United States decision to revoke their visas. Last Wednesday, news came that the US had decided to [...]

Dancehall’s decline

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Dancehall’s decline Bans, stop orders and incarceration. Is Jamaican music, or more specifically Dancehall, under threat? Are forces hostile to certain strains in popular Jamaican musical expression conspiring to suppress what they deem a cultural contagion? As I indicated in one of my recent articles in which I supported Charles Campbell’s position that overseas opportunities [...]