Following the jerk trail in Jamaica

With the exception of reggae music, jerk cuisine is probably Jamaica’s best-known cultural export. That’s why the Jamaica Jerk Trail is such a big deal for the Caribbean island.

Jamaica is the birthplace of the jerk cooking style, in which a variety of meats are dry-rubbed with a fiery mixture of ground pimento, scallions and Scotch bonnet peppers, among other ingredients. You’ll find jerk in just about every Jamaican eatery, from roadside stands like Scotchies in Montego Bay — where locals and tourists rub shoulders while dining al fresco on jerk standards like chicken, pork and sausage — to upscale options like the Sugar Mill at Half Moon resort, where creative dishes like jerk chicken spring rolls incorporate local spice in unexpected, yet delectable, ways.

Buju steadfast as 2nd drug trial draws closer

Davud Oscar Markus, the attorney representing beleaguered Jamaican Reggae icon Buju Banton, has hailed his client’s resolve and sense of purpose during his times of trouble.

Banton, registered at birth as Mark Anthony Myrie, was arrested and jailed by Florida police in December 2009 on drug-related charges. He spent 11 months in the Pinellas County Jail and is set to face another trial next month for conspiracy to possess, with intent to distribute five or more kilogrammes of cocaine, and facilitating the use of a firearm in committing a crime.

Vybz Kartel Defends His Newly Bleached Skin

Jamaican Reggae and dancehall artist Vybz Kartel has resurfaced as a much lighter skinned man. Although his transformation has caused much backlash from fans and critics, the musician (born rather dark-skinned) compares his decision to fairer people getting a tan.

“This is my new image,” Kartel said. “You can expect the unexpected. I feel comfortable with black people lightening their skin. They want a different look. It’s tantamount to white people getting a sun tan.”

Marley jury hears closing arguments

Bob Marley’s children don’t want to see the reggae legend portrayed as a bobblehead or a plush toy, a lawyer representing the family said Thursday.”They brought this case to protect the legacy of their father,” Los Angeles attorney Jill Pietrini told a federal jury in Las Vegas.

Raggamuffin 2011: Sean Paul set to teach us a few moves

Dancehall reggae superstar Sean Paul is heading to Rotorua and he may even give residents a bit of a Jamaican-themed dancing lesson while he’s here.

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques, commonly known as Sean Paul, is from Kingston, Jamaica.

He is one of the international artists who will perform at the Rotorua International Stadium on February 5 as part of the Raggamuffin 2011 line-up.

Huge turnout for Buju in Miami

The Bayfront Park Amphitheatre in downtown Miami was bursting at the seams as fans of the embattled reggae star, Buju Banton turned out in their numbers for his Before the Dawn Concert here yesterday.

At the time of filing this report, the Reggae star, who has been facing drug charges in the United States, had not yet taken the stage. However, all the artistes who performed, gave a good account of themselves.

Family of reggae legend Bob Marley seeks damages in Las Vegas trial

Three years after filing a federal lawsuit in Las Vegas, the widow and children of reggae legend Bob Marley are trying to persuade a jury to award them damages in the case, which stems from the sale of T-shirts bearing Marley’s image in retail stores across the United States.

In a trial that began Jan. 4, Marley’s heirs have accused the defendants of unfair competition in selling unlicensed merchandise with Marley’s identity and persona.

Buju Banton plays Bayfront Park Amphitheater

The reggae community breathed a sigh of relief in November when Buju Banton was finally released from prison on bail. Arrested in December 2009 on suspicion of conspiracy to possess and distribute five kilograms of cocaine, Buju (real name Mark Anthony Myrie) was locked up in Tampa’s Pinellas County Jail for eleven harrowing months. He claimed mistreatment and poor health, but waited what seemed like decades for a trial that was postponed three times.

Reggae sales slump in 2010

Reggae albums released in 2010 undersold 2009 albums and experts want better marketing to resurrect the industry.

The sales were so bad that only three albums released in 2010 made the top 10 selling reggae albums list, according to Billboard data on the US market. The rest of the top 10 was led by albums released in 2009. Albums rarely chart beyond a year which meant that 2010 albums couldn’t even outsell the residual sales from 2009 albums, which were hurt by the global recession.

The Zimbabwe Guardian

Reggae star Sizzla Kalonji says he will NEVER condemn President Robert Mugabe for the land reform programmer which sought to redistribute land from minority whites to landless blacks.

The Dry Cry hitmaker spent much of 2010 in Zimbabwe, first arriving in the southern African country in the early part of the year to perform at celebrations marking the 21st February Movement (a welfare programme for the country’s youth).