He’s a Gentle Giant Germans are not famous for their reggae acts but Gentleman is steppin’ up to the dub plate with the likes of Barrington Levy – and Jamaicans are right behind him For those unfamiliar with singer/songwriter Gentleman, the concept of ‘German reggae’ will probably sound pretty unusual. But in actual fact, the [...]
Reggae artists try to escape Marley’s shadow Reggae’s storied history often gets shortchanged. American record store bins might have you believe that reggae starts and ends with Bob Marley, but those who dig deeper will find that there is much more to the music of Jamaica. And Marley’s family is an active creative force leading [...]
Star Hangar’s – A look at the style of Morgan Heritage The Star got to rummage through the wardrobe of Morgan Heritage, our artiste of the month. We know you want to know what they have hidden in those drawers. Today we kick things off with Mr. Mojo and Gramps of the group. In the [...]
The 25th Anniversary of Bob Marley’s Death, Essay by Author Christopher John Farley Recently, MTV named its Ten Greatest MCs of All Time. There’s one they left out. Bob Marley. No, Marley is not a rapper. But he should be considered a godfather of hip hop. Why should the King of Reggae be ranked alongside [...]
ICON – Still harder than the rest The Harder They Come has been described as a ‘cult classic’ so many times it has become cliché. It has now been immortalised on stage, another tribute to a warts-and-all movie that showed how the other half lived in Jamaica. The musical version of director Perry Henzell’s powerful [...]
Matumbi, Black Missionaries collaborate Anne Matumbi has a higher rank on the country’s dancehall ladder and it is an undisputable fact that The Black Missionaries are on top of the Reggae music pyramid in the country, that is how the two are connected. Now combining the feats, Matumbi and the reggae group have collaborated in [...]
Strong medicine – Beenie Man coughs up threats at Twins of Twins Beenie Man has issued a strong warning to the Twins of Twins over their latest CD, The Resurrection of the Ghetto, Volume Sicks, for comments made about him on sections of the CD. The Twins’ CD features comedy skits mimicing entertainment personalities while [...]
Burning Spear takes reggae to the people “I don’t mind” is an expression that Grammy-winning reggae star Burning Spear says a lot in his beautiful sing-song Jamaican voice. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t care – political activism and songs with a message are at the core of his music. Many fans who flock to hear [...]
Junior Kelly’s Tough Life by Elena Oumano http://images.villagevoice.com/issues/0615/oumano.jpg” alt=”” /> With the lion’s share of today’s reggae driven by dancehall’s digital beats, and holier-than-thou mic rockers like Sizzla courting hip-hop heads with cynical pussy shout-outs, you just know some in the “conscious” roots contingent are struggling to regain a sense of self. Not Junior Kelly. [...]
Dancehall days When it comes to dancehall, there aren’t many sound systems that warrant as much respect as Stone Love. SL has, in fact, ruled the worldwide dancehall scene for the last 30 years; they’ve shaped dancehall culture, set DJ trends, and can control a reggae crowd like nobody else. So when local promoters manage [...]