Caribbean Maidens

The only snowballs are those sickly-sweet cocktails. The only skis are the ones that whizz across the clear, turquoise water. This is the Caribbean in winter – a necklace of sunshine islands a world away from the cold, grey UK skies. Cricket is still king and the pace of life is slower than an Ashley Giles full-toss. Reggae music blasts out of every beach bar, smartly-uniformed kids scramble aboard their school buses and holidaymakers settle down for a day on the beach.

Dancehall Diplomat

Buju Banton talks to Davina Morris about his grammy-nominated Album, ‘TOO BAD,’ And how he’s put the Homophobia-In-Reggae controversy behind him. One of dancehall’s most prolific artists, Buju Banton, has encountered his fair share of controversy over the past few years. Known for hits such as Bogle, Champion and Deportees – as well as his unmistakable gruff vocals – the popular deejay and devout Rastafarian, has been performing for nearly two decades.

Sanchez speaks

Since the mid-1990s, he has wowed us with hits like Never Diss Di Man, Brown Eye Girl, Wherever I Lay My Hat and Kiss Me Honey, and after being ‘absent without leave’ from the local music scene for quite a spell, multi-award-winning reggae/gospel singer Sanchez (born Kevin Anthony Jackson) has a new album in the works and several engagements lined up – including his debut appearance at the Air Jamaica Jazz And Blues Festival next year. Visiting Jamaica from Florida this week, the 42-year-old singer-songwriter phoned up Splash to talk about his new projects, his career and the road ahead.

Music a means, a message

The son of an emperor of music, Damian ‘Junior Gong’ Marley has built his own dynasty in the entertainment business. With two internationally successful albums to his name and a highly anticipated concert tonight at the Constant Spring Football Field, Junior Gong continues to wow audiences all over the world. He has an eclectic mix of influences such as his family, Shabba Ranks, Supercat, Tiger, Ninja Man, Third World, Snoop Dogg, Nat King Cole and more, so Junior Gong produces music that has long been hard to classify.

NEVILLE WILLOUGHBY: MAY 5, 1937 – DECEMBER 20, 2006 – ‘Uncle Neville’ will be missed – Veteran broadcaster, radio icon, succumbs to injuries

Neville Willoughby, who died yesterday at the University Hospital of the West Indies, has been celebrated as one of Jamaica’s premier broadcasters whose career spanned almost five decades. Willoughby, who was 69 years old, succumbed to injuries he sustained in an auto accident along Molynes Road, St. Andrew, Tuesday evening. Doctors had listed his condition as serious.

Female DJs paid less

Female entertainers are fighting for respect in the dancehall. Often accused of being too raw and stifled creatively, females have it hard in the male-dominated enter-tainment industry. Despite performing as vigorously as their male counterparts, the females are earning less money for their work. Despite mashing up an arena, having the same length of performance and many forwards on a show, according to female entertainers, it is obvious that for years they make less money than men.

Stars in Action – except Bounty

Dancehall veteran Ninja Man, threw down the gauntlet to his younger counterparts at last Saturday’s Stars In Action which was held at the Kirkvine Sports complex in Manchester. The front-teeth, gold-teeth Don Gorgon was in his most quarrelsome element as he delivered scathing attacks during his stint on stage.

Respect for Supercat, regret for Shabba

Sting, it seems, has always been a show for Ninja Man, whether it is for clashes, handing over a gun or sheer showmanship. Long before he was running into a cartel around Vybz Kartel in 2003, Ninja Man was involved in real clashes, where lyrics, not numbers, counted. As our series on the Don Gorgon’s earlier days in dancehall ends, he revisits two legendary battles.

Here Comes Third World

Third World, the award winning reggae family from Jamaica, will stir up this year’s Night of 1004 Laughs at the Accra International Conference Centre for another non-stop session of comedy and great music. Scheduled for December 23, the Night of 1004 Laughs, will also feature some of Africa’s finest comedians. Third World is more than just one of the top reggae bands of all time.

Caribbean Queen

The movie star treatment begins the moment we step off the plane into the Caribbean heat. Being met on the tarmac by a VIP greeter who gets us waved through customs and into waiting taxis before we’ve even shed our winter coats, it becomes clear we’ve stumbled into the luxury side of the Caribbean.