Seconds into Bunny Marrett’s I’m Free album, you know this is not your average reggae record. Sensual melodica and flute weave around each other while a lazily skanked guitar gently bumps hips with an upright bass to a laid-back, jazz-flavored drumbeat.

And then, there’s Marrett’s vocal: delivered with passion and the same jazzbo coolness that fuels the music. The mix captures the sound of dark, thick air, pulsing with the rumble-thump of the rhythm.

via Global Beat: Bunny Marrett.

A female Jamaican reggae dancehall artiste has hailed the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya Jammeh’s vision cum philosophy of coming out to celebrate The Gambia’s Independence musical concert on Tuesday with his people.

Jahseen Foster aka Tenza (Boss Lady), who was speaking to the Daily Observer during an interview Sunday at the Ocean Bay Hotel at Cape Point in Bakau, also described the Gambian leader as an exemplary leader.

via Jamaican Artiste Hails President Jammeh.

Just weeks after officially releasing his sophomore album titled 8 Year Affair, which has charted at number five on the Billboard Reggae chart, Protoje and his Indiggnation band opted to bring another dimension of his music to the fore with a concert titled Live from the Capital.

Many fans opted to stand shoulder to shoulder because there just was not enough room inside the Vera Moody Concert Hall at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

via Protoje’s “8 Year Affair” live debut hits home.

Of course February is REGGAE MONTH & as the month kicks off with two legendary artists’ birthdays – DENNIS BROWN on the 1st and BOB MARLEY on the 6th there are celebrations all over the world. You can check out your local listings here or hit up your local dancehall joint, whatever you do don’t sleep and let the good time pass you by.

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p>One person who’s not celebrating right now is ANTHONY B, the Rasta dancehall artist was arrested last week in Atlanta and charged with possession & intent to distribute marijuana.

via Reggae & Dancehall #17.

Before last Sunday’s opening session of the weekly Grounation series began at the Institute of Jamaica, East Street, Kingston, Youth and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna made the link between Jamaica’s culture and hoped for development.Herbie Miller, curator of the Jamaica Music Museum, stated two primary objectives for the repository of musical memory – to build an enviable collection and have a building in which to house it. The first of four Grounation sessions for February focused on drummer Count Ossie, leader of the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari from east Kingston, who died in 1976.

via Hanna links culture to progress.

Dancehall artiste Wayne Marshall and his wife, singer Tami Chynn are expecting an exciting addition to their family.

In a late night message to his fans on the social networking site Twitter, Marshall said "@tamichynn & I are so happy to announce that we will be welcoming our first child later this year. Exciting times ahead. Love".

Sources close to the couple said both Chynn and Marshall are "overjoyed" about the pregnancy and are "looking forward to what’s to come".

via Another Marshall in town – Wayne and Tami expecting first baby together.

No one can accuse Sizzla Kalonji of resting on his laurels. The 36-year-old reggae entertainer, who, during his 22-year career, has won critical acclaim and enjoyed commercial success, has released an estimated 65 albums. Yet another is set to be released this year, the entertainer has revealed.

The album, to be titled The Messiah, is in the final stages of production.

“It’s already being mixed and mastered. It’s a spiritual-conscious album for the people. The album, which was recorded at 40 August Town Road, is exclusively Sizzla.

via Sizzla to deliver “The Messiah”.

Superjam, an annual event held by Pulse boss Kingsley Cooper, has been rejuvenated and has such a line-up.

To add to the interest, Cooper announced recently that he had enlisted the services of Busy Signal.

After his incarceration, there were many who waited to see if the dancehall superstar had undone all the good work he had produced over the last 10 years.

At Sting on the weekend, he proved, without a shadow, of a doubt, that he hadn’t.

via Superjam return buoyed by Busy.

Sheffield’s musical heritage is a long and varied one. From rock to Britpop to strange stuff on synthesisers it has left something of an imprint on the national consciousness.

However, reggae is one form of music that doesn’t spring immediately to mind when you think of steel city.

Not that there is no scene, it has just tended to stay underground.

But for one man changing continents has led to a new lease of life, both personally and rhythmically.

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via Reggae Culture emerges from the underground.

Jamaica is the birthplace of several globally recognised musical genres -mento, dub, ska, rocksteady, reggae and dancehall.

That is an enviable position for any country’s music industry; however, the feat has slipped the island.

“When you go to places like the Youth View Awards it is so Americanised. You see them dancing to Nicki Minaj and yu naah guh to American Awards guh see dem a dance to Super Cat tunes – other art forms are infiltrating the music and they come from our same creation, but most artistes don’t know that, it’s like Jamaica is the mother of all music.

via Jack of all trades, master of none.