Vybz Kartel is still behind bars awaiting trial for the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams. But that doesn’t mean that his music career isn’t on and popping. On September 24th Tads Records release a new album entitled ‘Kartel Forever: Trilogy’, which contains a mixture of recent hits and previously unreleased tracks. “Even though I am incarcerated, I am still up to the time,” the artist’s quoted as saying. “This album shows that I get stronger with each passing second.

via Reggae & Dancehall #24.

Snoop Dogg’s foray into reggae music as Snoop Lion and his latest album Reincarnated has received mixed reviews from critics. That goes for his peers too. In a recent interview with Montreality, reggae and dancehall artist Sean Paul discussed his thoughts on the Long Beach rapper’s musical change. “After speaking out and saying, ‘Leave Snoop alone, he’s an icon. He can do what he wants to do.’ After making that statement, I think I wish that his production of reggae music was a lot more authentic,” he says. “I think that he came to Jamaica to do it, but they didn’t use our production.”

via Sean Paul Talks About Snoop Lion and Reggae.

Describing himself as a “strong lobbyist for the music inside and outside Jamaica”, veteran singer Freddie McGregor is nothing but honest about the current state of Jamaica and Jamaica’s music industry.

With a career spanning more than 30 years, the singer, affectionately dubbed Di Captain, has probably seen it all and has more than earned the right to voice his opinion on the situation.

Having recently released his 35th album, titled Di Captain, McGregor says that the corruption in Jamaican politics has spread to the music industry and has led to decline in the quality of music being played on Jamaican radio.

via Has corruption ruined Jamaica’s music?.

Shanachie backs reggae/soul album.

With Rastafari heavily involved in Jamaican popular music, naturally, music will be part of the discussion at the 2013 Rastafari Studies Conference and General Assembly.

The conference is under way at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, with the presentations centred around the Neville Hall Lecture Theatre in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

The academic presentations started on Tuesday and will end on Thursday, before the conference moves to Montego Bay, St James, for its closing day on Friday.

via Rastafari Conference turns spotlight on music – Papers on Buju, Marley as businessman included.

Taboo Yardies, a Jamaican film-maker’s documentary on her country’s indifference toward homosexuality, is doing the promotional rounds.

T

he 77-minute film, produced by Selena Blake, had a screening Monday at the International LGBT Film Festival in Dublin, Ireland. According to a spokesperson for Taboo Yardies, the project “went over very well” with the audience.

via Will Jamaica come out of the closet? – Entertainment – JamaicaObserver.com.

With three successful studio albums under her belt, reggae songbird Etana recently completed her biggest tour of the United States (US).

The tour, which was in support of her third album, Better Tomorrow, saw Etana headlining shows in more than 15 states and 24 cities across the US.

The tour took Etana from Utah to Connecticut in six weeks with stops in Louisiana, Las Vegas, San Diego, Montana, Oakland, Indianapolis and more.

via Etana completes first US tour as headliner.

The entrée and dessert — New York’s annual West Indian American Day Carnival Parade — is weeks away, but Everybody’s magazine’s Calypso-Soca Festival & Tent is an impressive appetizer leading up the main course.

Five nights of concerts at the Tropical Paradise Ballroom, 1367 Utica Ave. (between Farragut Road and Foster Ave.) in East Flatbush, will kick off with a “Ladies Night” show on Aug. 27. Trinidad and Tobago Consul General Rudrawatee Nan Ramgoolam is scheduled to appear at the series’ opener, which starts at 8 p.m.

via Everybody’s magazine presents music-packed Calypso-Soca Festival & Tent — a superb starter for Caribbean New York’s Labor Day festivities – NY Daily News.

For the first time since 1966, there will be no Festival or Popular Song Contest. Instead, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, producers of the event, launched a campaign for fans to vote online for their favourite song. Today, the Jamaica Observer publishes the fourth in a six-part series on past competitions.

THE year was 1975 and there was the usual euphoria surrounding Independence and Festival in Jamaica.

via Hooray, What A Festival! – Entertainment – JamaicaObserver.com.

Three of reggae legend Bob Marley’s sons are to take to the stage for this year’s Liverpool International Music Festival.

Damian, Stephen and Julian Marley will play Sefton Park on August 25.

They will take to the stage as part of The Ghetto Youths International Crew, which will also see  performances from Jo Mersa, Black Am I, Christopher Ellis and Wayne Marshall.

via Sons of reggae legend Bob Marley to play Liverpool music festival.