Stories by Roy Black

To many Jamaican music enthusiasts, the name Johnny Moore conjures up memories of that late Jamaican trumpeter who helped the Skatalites band to become, arguably, the greatest and most talented aggregation of musicians ever to be assembled on the...

Legendary Jamaican ska singer, songwriter, record producer, and sound system operator of the 1960s, Prince Buster, celebrated a birthday last week. The milestone revives memories of some of the most intriguing and dramatic episodes concerning Buster...

Wilfred ‘Jackie’ Edwards was one of the early Jamaican recording artistes who utilised Latin rhythms to great effect in their recordings. Some say Edwards was Jamaica’s first superstar, having placed four number one singles on the...

Just before the euphoric rise of the thunderous Jamaican ska beat, there existed a stream of Jamaican recordings that drew heavily from Latin rhythms. Labelled by some scholars as Jamaican ballads, they emerged just at the turn of the 1960s and...

As Jamaican dub and roots reggae makes a heavy resurgence and mark on the music scene, Bunny 'Striker' Lee, pioneer of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, dancehall, and record producer in his own right, is promoting his book and documentary.They explain...

Much has been written and said about the late Byron Lee, concerning his contribution to soca music and the establishment of carnival in Jamaica. But there is much more to the man than just soca and carnival. Lee was an outstanding footballer for St...

To most of Nat King Cole's fans, he was considered the warm-voiced singer of ballads, love songs and happy songs that sent an aura of romanticism to all who came into contact with his music. But on the contrary, following his adopted path as a jazz...

Greenwich Farm yields musical stalwartsDuring the 1970s, the music coming out of Kingston 13 was the backbone of the Jamaica music industry. The Soul Syndicate Band, which played on over 60 per cent of all recordings done during that era, was an...

The high point of male vocalising in popular music was epitomised by the mellow-toned, crystalline vocal delivery of Sam Cooke.

The Sister Ignatius and Alpha legacy continues with the transitioning of the school from a residential home for some 80 boys, ranging in