Keepers of the Heritage - Autobiography traces Jamaica’s music evolution
Errol Samuels was born in 1948 at Victoria Jubilee Hospital and grew up at various addresses in Kingston, except for the two years he spent in England from 1954 to 1956. It was a childhood of fun and adventures.
His father had an insatiable taste for a […]

A girl’s journey of trial and triumph
One minute she’s imagining herself a dancehall queen, glorying in the spotlight and the envy of everyone on the dance floor. The next, she’s a little girl, taking to heart, at least while it’s in progress, her granny’s upbraiding for some breach of acceptable behaviour.
All the while, a resilient, […]

Sizzla hails local dancehall talent
Zimbabwe has not only the world’s most passionate reggae and dancehall supporters, it has the most talented young ragga singers who have not been corrupted by the world.
These were the parting words of renowned Jamaican dancehall icon Sizzla Kalonji as he performed for the last time at Red Fox Art Centre […]

Reggae’s Civil War
I traversed four Caribbean islands in the past two months and spied one common denominator: graffiti. Scrawled precipitously on a cliff suspended above the lush mountains of Saint Lucia, on the aluminum siding of a rum shop in French Saint Martin, on the concrete walls of a Trinidad office park, on accessible surfaces […]

Buju Banton’s attorney seeks details on informant in drug case

The informant who helped federal agents build a drug case against Jamaican reggae singer Buju Banton has been paid $3.3 million for helping law enforcement in numerous cases over several years, lawyers said in court this morning.
An attorney for Banton, whose real name is Mark Anthony […]