Raised by the People On his debut solo album, Raised by the People, New York-based crooner/rapper Notch is a sonero, by definition a well-trained songsmith in the prime of his career. He´s already endured a strange musical journey; from his days in the reggae duo Born Jamerican to his later dancehall days to his latest [...]
Star pianist Monty Alexander notes the important ebb and flow to jazz With Cuba and Puerto Rico getting all the attention, Monty Alexander wants another part of the Caribbean to get its jazz props. The Jamaican-born pianist has long been jazz’s most visible star from the British West Indies, but he’s quick to point out [...]
JC Lodge’s trip back to lover’s lane I have always thought of JC Lodge as the (first nearly naked lady) of Jamaican music and the cover of her Selfish Lover album, re-released by Freesleeves 17 years after it first hit the streets, does nothing to change that. OK, so by today’s standards (or lack thereof [...]
Faye-Ann out to get the ‘Lyons share’ A soca princess, Faye-Ann Lyons is slowly taking her place among the great female Trinidadian soca entertainers. At 27 years old, Lyons is about to release her debut album. Daughter of entertainer Superblue, who is an eight-time Trinidad and Tobago Road March winner, Lyons has music in her [...]
Women ‘Act’ on men’s behalf One hardly ever hears of a female reggae or dancehall artiste being the target of gay and lesbian protests or being accused of doing songs that incite violence against such groups. But while the female artistes might fall just outside of the target range of such protesters, many have rallied [...]
Is St Lucia ready for the energy goddess? The proverb ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ certainly does not apply to Melissa ‘Qpid’ Moses. Outwardly her chiseled features—from her abs of steel to her defined arms and legs—are indicative of who Melissa is inwardly, a burst of energy. Unable to remain stagnant, Melissa is [...]
A first for the Republic Reggae band Republic of Brickfields is set to re-ignite the local live scene, with their debut album and a nationwide tour. In the local independent music scene, he is already considered a legend. He has been around since the indie scene’s infancy in the 80s. People started to take notice [...]
Artistes not ‘compassionate’ to the act – Reggae artistes want clauses changed While it has been reported that reggae stars, Beenie Man, Sizzla and Capleton have all signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, which renounces homophobia and violence against lesbians and gays, other artistes have shown no compassion for the act, as they say it is [...]
Ex-Beatle recruits Sizzla, Lady Saw, Cherine Anderson for remix Former Beatle Paul McCartney has crossed over into dancehall with the release of a single on the heels of his new album, Memory Almost Full. The remix single, Nod Your Head, is produced by Sly and Robbie and features Sizzla, Lady Saw and Cherine Anderson.
Jamaican ghetto upholds Marley legacy These days, people in Trenchtown, a gritty, violence-wracked district of Kingston, don’t gather around logwood fires, sup on communal broth and sing songs any longer. Life has moved on in Bob Marley country. But 26 years after the death of the reggae superstar, Trenchtown, which gave birth to reggae music [...]