In the wake of La Soufrière volcanic eruptions in St Vincent and the Grenadines, popular musician, singer- songwriter Skinny Fabulous has been pooling resources with other cultural ambassadors to aid the devastated island nation. “It feels like a ‘...
The Jahdon story neither begins nor ends with music. The reggae artiste has several talents, such as making traditional coconut palm brooms and cooking. He even owned his own cookshop, but was faced with choosing between the kitchen and the stage...
Joseph ‘Jo Mersa’ Marley is known for his blend of roots reggae and dancehall, with several singles and mixtapes under his belt to date. The recording artiste, who has an inherited skill for producing, has pushed himself out of his comfort zone for...
Sauces are a chef’s vehicle. One that transports the simplest dishes and turns them into next-level delicious. Peppatree is getting saucy with its brand, making everyday favourites uniquely Jamaican. The brand has a line of hot pepper sauces, Spicy...
Miqueal-Symone Williams is stunning, articulate, determined and resolute, knowing all the while that she wanted to represent Jamaica in the Miss Universe pageant. But it hasn’t been all sashes and scripts for Williams, who first stepped into the...
Business strategist Mannin Marsh does not like attention. But as Ma’neen, the recording artiste, he puts on a show – one that hides the male character who is a socially-awkward nerd, he says, and presents a headliner. “I am good at presenting...
Like almost everything in the music industry over the years, the role of artiste managers is constantly evolving. Taking a deeper dive into the ever-changing role, it is not only to manage but also to challenge the artiste, and push their messages...
Not everything is black and white when it comes to the piano, says Nina Howe, for whom playing the musical instrument means much more than pressing the keys. “It’s about self-expression, using the keys to unlock a whole new world,” Howe told The...
The all-encompassing celebration of rum ended with a flourish, as the Jamaica Rum Festival Virtual Concert featuring reggae-dancehall entertainers Shaggy, Sizzla and Shenseea closed the event, which incorporated the use of all-digital platforms to...
Everyone loves a trip to the beach to catch the fresh air and, of course, the fresh fish. However, this Easter, with many of us finding ourselves inside, we will have to recreate those signature seaside dishes at home. No fish recipe is more...
Veteran recording artiste and producer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry says that he is feeling as fit as a fiddle. “I have been well, me escape the devil. I turn 80-something and don’t look like that, me look much younger than that, and feel younger than that...
Reggae-rocksteady icon Jimmy Riley holds a special place in the heart and lore of Kingston. The legendary singer, songwriter and producer was born and raised in the Jonestown community on May 22, 1947, as Martin James Norman Riley. Still, to the...
At 85 years old, Lee Scratch Perry has outlived many of his rivals and experienced several generations of reggae and its transformers - him being one of the eccentric characters to reshape the genre, too. Waiting on the music producer and artiste...
For recording artiste Answele, the rise to stardom is beginning to feel inevitable, but that is not his only focus. His music is getting support from some of the bigger names in Jamaica’s musical landscape. Earlier this year, a single titled Jah Is...
Between her strong stage presence and the charisma with which she delivers to captivated audiences, it is difficult to imagine Miss Kitty as anyone other than the energetic character-playing host on some of Jamaica’s major entertainment platforms....
The words of Marcus Garvey may be found in the lyrics of reggae’s most profound lyricists. From Bob Marley, whose Redemption Song takes the phrase “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds,” from a 1937 speech...
This year’s Jamaica Rum Festival (JRF) online seminars will act as the launchpad for the Appleton Estate 15-Year-Old Black River Casks. Appleton Estate has announced its plans to unveil the newest expression, comprising a blend of rare and hand-...
A dream about his father woke Junior Toots up in the middle of the night, and left him feeling reinvigorated with new ideas for music. The singer and youngest son of the second-time Grammy Award winner Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert says it was vivid –...
Grammy nominee Maxi Priest was quite excited at the possibility of officially changing that title to ‘winner’ when the announcement for Best Reggae Album was made at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards virtual ceremony, but he remains thankful for the...
If there is an impression that the Jamaica Rum Festival made in the first and second years of staging, it’s that rum and rhythm go hand in hand, giving the organisers and sponsors more rhyme and reason to stay on beat for 2021, but in a virtual...
The late Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert has won his second Grammy award for Best Reggae Album with Got To Be Tough. According to manager Cabel Stephenson, it was on the cards for Toots and The Maytals to walk away with the win. “It’s a great moment...
It’s been a little over one year since on-the-rise recording artiste Zac Jone$ introduced the collaboration with Agent Sasco, Miss Jamaica. An ode to the beauty and temperament of Jamaican women, it had the industry speaking about the talent and...
A beautification project, led by the Global Giving Foundation (GGF), has been launched in Halls Green, located in Temple Hall, St Andrew. Over the past month, members of the newly-formed non-profit organisation, most of whom have been residents of...
“Today is a beautiful day,” says someone in a cheerful tone. This is how the conversation starts out with Ardrianna Mairs, better known on the fashion scene as Annalesia, who is one of the five models featured sitting in the snow for a scene of...
Staged wholly virtual for the first time, the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival recorded its highest patronage in its more than two-decade-old existence. According to Marcia McDonnough of Touchstone Productions, co-producer of the festival, night...
