Diana King is back after three years – Artiste promises a November to remember

World renowned singing sensation and daughter of Jamaica, Diana King, promises a great performance to fans who come out to enjoy a special performance at the November 13 Spend an Evening with Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds charity event to be held at the National Indoor Sports Centre in St Andrew.

The Gleaner caught up with King at the the University of the West Indies’ Philip Sherlock Centre, where she was rehearsing with her background vocalist for an upcoming performance in Japan in mid-November.

Reggae Legend Gregory Isaacs Dead at 59

Gregory Isaacs — one of the most popular and versatile reggae singers of the late-Seventies, and the smooth-voiced dancehall crooner behind the genre’s landmark 1982 LP Night Nurse — passed away this morning at his London home following a year-long battle with lung cancer, the BBC reports. Isaacs was 59. “Gregory was well loved by everyone, his fans and his family, and he worked really hard to make sure he delivered the music they loved and enjoyed,” Isaacs’ wife Linda said. “He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.”

Reggae Star Gregory Isaacs Dies at 59

Reggae singer Gregory Isaacs has died at his London home aged 59 after a lengthy battle with cancer. His family was with him until the end.

Best known for his 1982 hit, ‘Night Nurse’, Isaacs’ smoother style of reggae epitomised the Lovers Rock sub-genre but he’d been recording since entering the Jamaican music scene in his teens. Isaacs’ career began in the late 1960s and he later came to prominence in the following decade as a roots singer whose sufferer’s songs gave him his first public recognition.

Reggae star wants his music to be contagious

Omar Riley is no stranger to reggae music. He is the son of the legendary reggae singer Jimmy Riley. Omar, more popularly known as Tarrus, was born in the Bronx, New York in 1979. During his career, Tarrus has released three albums, Challenges (2004), Parables (2006), and Contagious (2009). Contagious features guest appearances from Damian Marley, Vybz Kartel, Etana, Konshens, Demarco and Duane Stephenson.

Riley’s commercial breakthrough came in 2006 with the Parables album which produced the Jamaican number one single She’s Royal. The Far Away singer, who is set to perform on November 8 at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire with David Rodigan, spoke to Juliana Lucas about his success in the music industry.

Reggae trio pen ‘Freedom Story’

Reggae superstar Buju Banton, who was recently offered bail by a judge in Florida in his drug-related court case, is the subject of a recent song done by three Jamaican artistes.

The inspirational track, titled Freedom Story, was done for Buju in what the writers describe as “one of the many hurdles in his life”.

Countdown with the Diva

Nicole Duhaney, better known as Nikki Z, has moved from mainstream radio to a niche audience with the programme ‘World Chart Countdown’ in the Sunshine City, Portmore, on a new station called Sun City 104.9.

Since her hiatus from the scene in Jamaica, this driven diva has been counting more than her blessings.

Bail conditions proposed for reggae star Buju Banton

If internationally known reggae star Buju Banton wants to get out of jail before his retrial on cocaine conspiracy charges, it won’t be cheap.

To make bail, Banton would have to post $250,000 — secured by the equity in a friend’s house — wear an electronic monitor and undergo drug testing.

Chaka Demus recovering in hospital

International recording artiste Chaka Demus, one half of the deejay-singer recording duo Chaka Demus and Pliers, is recovering in a Kingston hospital after a major surgery.

According to reports, the deejay went to the Andrews Memorial Hospital last Tuesday for a routine check-up in preparation for an upcoming European tour. However, the attending physician immediately realised that the deejay was bleeding internally, and arranged to have a team of specialists perform emergency surgery.

Cut from a different cloth

A woman in the man’s world that is Jamaican soundsystem culture, Toronto’s Tasha Rozez is a force to be reckoned with. From the beginning, the mobile discotheque soundsys­tems that form the foundation of reggae music have been almost entirely male-dominated. But once Ms. Rozez gets on the mic and in front of a crowd, she challenges all assump­tions and expectations. Rozez has known to be ready for a fight from the beginning. “When I had my first contract,” she remembers, “I put a mission statement at the top that basically said, I’m the same as my male counterparts and I can do exactly the same thing that they do.”

Sugarland Unsure Why People Are ‘in a Huff’ Over New Music

Sugarland are enjoying their 11th Top Ten single with ‘Stuck Like Glue,’ the first single from their upcoming ‘Incredible Machine’ album, but the Grammy-winning duo, comprised of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, admit this ride to the top of the charts has been a challenging one.The song, which includes a reggae-infused section that many programmers at country radio thought was incompatible with their format, is still being fiercely defended by both Jennifer and Kristian more than ten weeks after it was released.