Sally and the Malawi reggae revolution

Reggae as a music genre has its roots deeply rooted in the African soil. This type of music, known for its liberating messages and radical sounds was born from the very cradle of humanity in Africa. It goes, then, without saying that African musicians should be better placed to play this music with better agility. But, that has not been the case, as reggae is often associated with Jamaica, where Jamaicans who have an African heritage have gone back to their roots, and present this music with better appetite than their counterparts who live and have always been on African soil.

On the Verge – Yogi goes back to basics as Courtney John

Seven years ago Jamaicans went crazy for singer Yogi’s remake of the Paul Davis classic, I Go Crazy, which was accompanied by a refreshing video. Last year, he re-entered our consciousness with yet another eye-catching video; this time featuring an emerging talent in singer Jovi Rockwell. The face and look were the same, but one thing was unfamiliar – the name Courtney John.

Reggae’s inventor recalls doing time to slow his career climb

As a musically inclined kid growing up in the township of Maypen, Jamaica, Frederick Hibbert would stop to listen to American R&B and soul legends — Ray Charles, James Brown, Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Sam Cooke would blare from the radio as he walked to school. Years later, Hibbert would come to be known as Toots, and his band, the Maytals, would go on to be one of the most influential bands in reggae music. Heck, they even coined the name.

Musical youth

Meet the anti-Jacksons. The Marley family has been producing a string of high-quality hits in their genre in the last few years. They’re nowhere near as strange or publicity-hungry as the Jackson siblings, who recently signed on for a reality series minus Michael and Janet. But they’re larger: Bob, who died in 1981, had more than 10 children. And perhaps they’re even a bit more well-medicated in their own special Jamaican way.

Tobago Jazz It Up

Tobago has swiftly shifted into “Jazz-mode” and several local promoters and entertainers have come up with a number of pre-Jazz Fest events to capitalise on the hype surrounding the actual Plymouth Jazz Festival event. The trendsetter being the recently concluded Plymouth Street Beat that took place on Shelbourne Street which is also the main street to the Plymouth Jazz Festival venue.

Della enchants at Red Bones

For some odd reason, Della Manley was worried after her performance at Redbones the Blues Café, Braemar Avenue, New Kingston recently.
She had absolutely no need to be. Performing before a packed house, with Omar Francis on guitar, Gibby on bass, Denver Smith on percussion and later on, Jerome Tulloch on keyboard, and with her guitar almost as big as she is, Della played selections from her two CDs to date – Ashes On The Window Sill and Barbican Square, in addition to a couple of cover songs.

Kes evolves from garage band

Soca, reggae, dancehall, pop and rock with a twist of Caribbean energy make the ever-dynamic group, Kes the Band stand out. Hailing from Trinidad, the band of brothers, Kees (lead singer), Hans (drummer) and Jon Dieffenthaller (guitar), Riad Bonchoon (bass guitar), Keith Cruickshank (keyboardist) and Nadia Batson (vocalist) is set to rock the Caribbean. The group started as a family band, playing in the brothers’ parents’ garage, but they slowly found their own unique flavour as the years passed.

From Hello Darlin’ to Up 2 Di Time …

Of course, the three-decade history of Greensleeves records significantly pre-dates the above-referenced 1986 Tippa Irie single (one of, if not the first record from a reggae artiste to find national chart success in the UK) and neither does it end with Vybz Kartel’s famous slang.

Inside the ‘Kalonji complex’

It might be easy to assume you know Sizzla.
After all, the turban-wearing Rasta singer has been arguably the most prolific reggae artiste of the last decade, recording – at last check – 38 albums since Black Woman And Child brought him to wider recognition in 1997. But as a recent trip to his Judgement Yard headquarters in the August Town community revealed, there’s far more to the man christened Miguel Orlando Collins than meets the eye – or ear.

Suzie Q strolls up reggae alley

Suzie Q has built a solid reputation for herself as one of the leading ladies in the reggae music industry. Over the past 15 years, Suzie Q has gained experience from working both upfront and behind the scenes. She is now the host and executive producer of the popular Video Alley Reggae Top Ten. The hour-long video countdown is aired on TVJ on Saturdays at 6 p.m.