J’can CD sales fall worldwide - Downloads, piracy blamed for decline
The sales of Jamaican music CDs worldwide are declining, with Internet access and piracy major contributing factors.

With the great increase in Internet access, the sale of actual CDs has been declining significantly. In addition, with the easy access to pirated music (bootlegs), fewer people are […]

Kieron Tyler celebrates the 1980 reggae movie Babylon

Brixton, 1979. Fat Larry’s record shop. Reggae soundsystem wannabes Ital Lion are trying to strike a deal. Days before their Christmas showdown with Jah Shaka’s soundsystem, the crew are looking for the right track. Two tunes are given an airing on a reel-to-reel tape recorder. “Exclusive, straight from […]

Jamaica at a crossroads
It is impractical and illogical to believe that the country that produced Mary Seacole, Marcus Garvey and Bob Marley, the latter two in more recent times, would cease to produce other human wonders. For those of us who came of age, meaning, took responsibilities, in the 1960s, what Jamaica accomplished at the […]

Great Haul of China

Jamaica ended a record-breaking medal performance at the 2008 Olympic Games with a bronze in the women’s 4×400 metres on the final day of competition for the nation’s athletes at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing yesterday.

The island’s contingent here, led by an awesome performance from Usain Bolt, finished with a record […]

Reggae CDs Under German Scrutiny for Anti-Gay Lyrics

The homophobic lyrics of several Jamaican reggae musicians has moved the German government to consider blacklisting them and restrict their sales and distribution.

The CDs by Elephant Man and T.O.K. could be put on the “Index of Harmful Materials,” which, while it would not censor the materials in Germany, […]