Natty Dread Band gives impression that Reunion Islands belong to Bob Marley For members of the Natty Dread Band from the Reunion Islands, Bob Marley is more of a saint than a musician. The group of French-speaking musicians spoke as if the reggae icon was from their country and not Jamaica. Performing in Jamaica is [...]
The Whole Wide World: Peter Tosh’s The Ultimate Experience More than 20 years since Peter Tosh’s 1987 assassination, the Wailers co-founder’s legacy (as well as Bob Marley’s) live on around the world, but that rings especially true in his native Jamaica, where he burst out of poverty and misery to become one of the most [...]
Farmer Goes Brave: From Trinidad To Jamaica And Beyond Farmer’s first release for Trinidad Carnival 2009, “Belly Dancer,” is rolling off the tongues of many fete-goers during his recent performances in Trinidad. “Belly Dancer” is currently the only soca song on the music charts in Jamaica, reaching the Riddim Jamaica Top 10 last week. His [...]
What a Revelation! A year ago, Delroy Roberts was struggling to get his Inspire Records off the ground by shopping the fledgling company’s debut album to reluctant distributors. Now, that album, Revelation, by singer Little Hero, is sitting pretty atop Billboard Magazine’s Reggae Chart. Produced by Roberts, Revelation entered the chart at number one in [...]
ini seeks perfect Jamaican sound Having conquered Ghana and much of Africa with his music, African dancehall artiste, Samini, is aiming to conquer the rest of the world, but not before he arms himself with the essential musical knowledge he intends to find in the homeland of reggae. This African dancehall or rag-life (as it [...]
Tarrus Riley says ‘Start Anew’ not for father Musician Tarrus Riley’s song, Start Anew, that addresses domestic abuse has had tongues wagging in the streets since the court case of his father, singer Jimmy Riley, made headlines last week. Riley, however, has denied claims that the song is about his father. On Wednesday during C-Sharp’s [...]
Caribbean islands slammed with double financial hit A year ago, tourists lined up to eat at Conch Fritters, a downtown restaurant here known for its blackened grouper, conch chowder and other local specialties. Yet, on a recent midweek night last month, tourists were scattered among just a few tables. Across the bridge on pricey Paradise [...]
Chi Ching says no wedding bling Dancer and artiste, Radion ‘Chi Ching Ching’ Beckford is still a bachelor, despite rumour that the entertainer tied the knot with an American woman. Rumours are that Chi Ching recently married a woman so he could obtain a United States visa.
Sly and Robbie interview: Sly and Rabbie Sly Dunbar, one half of the legendary Riddim Twins, Sly and Robbie, is singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ to me. I’ve asked him what he makes of Robert Burns, considering the duo are heading to Glasgow to headline a Jamaican Burns Night at Celtic Connections. The idea behind the [...]
‘Rikers Island’ a reggae rocker of prison blues Going to ‘farin’, which in the 1990s automatically translated into going to the United States, is the dream of many a Jamaican in search of a better standard of living. And that ‘farin’, for many of the many, means New York, New York (“The city is so [...]