Yasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer

Grammy Award-winning artiste, fashion designer and actor, Septimius The Great.
April 17, 2026 by Yasmine Peru

5 Questions With Septimius The Great

Grammy Award-winning artiste, fashion designer and actor, Septimius The Great, headlines Fashion Elevation 2026: The Essence of Style, this Saturday at The Summit, 16 Chelsea Avenue in New Kingston.
Ernie Smith is photographed by The Gleaner during Reggae Month on February 7, 2017.
April 17, 2026 by Yasmine Peru

Ernie Smith dies at 80

The music fraternity is mourning the passing of legendary singer Ernie Smith, who died on Thursday evening at a hospital in Florida. “He’s gone. He’s no longer with us,” his wife, Claudette…
Buju Banton
April 16, 2026 by Yasmine Peru

Buju Banton sings about love on ‘Butterflies’

Fans of Buju Banton will be smiling ear to ear to learn that the Gargamel is back to his old ways, musically. His latest song shouts ‘90s dancehall meets the present, and it is sure to keep the dance…
Jah9 previewed ‘The Open Heart Project’ at an intimate Kingston listening session on Thursday night.
March 28, 2026 by Yasmine Peru

Jah9 serves passion on ‘The Open Heart Project’

Jah9 came with words and, yes, sometimes she said the quiet parts out loud, creating that not-so-tiny bit of discomfort that often leads to self-analysis. But that is all part and parcel of The Open…
Karl Williams (left), CEO, and Mark McDermoth, president, of Atelier Dermoth Williams Limited, the official management company of the Miss Universe brand in Jamaica.
March 19, 2026 by Yasmine Peru

Dr Gabrielle Henry still recovering

Organisers of the Miss Universe Jamaica pageant have confirmed that Dr Gabrielle Henry, the 2025 queen, has been released from hospital, and is recuperating under the care of her medical team. “She…
Colombian superstar Shakira performs during her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, or Women Don’t Cry Anymore world tour in Mexico City, Friday, February 27, 2026.
March 11, 2026 by Yasmine Peru

Postponement of hurricane relief concert in Abu Dhabi ‘providential’

What does a concert headlined by pop icon Shakira in Abu Dhabi have to do with Jamaica? “Well ... a little bit,” respected tour manager and author Copeland Forbes told The Gleaner. Shakira is the…
Joe Bogdanovich, promoter, Reggae Sumfest and chief executive officer of DownSound Entertainment, poses for our camera at Reggae Sumfest Blitz (all-black) at Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall, Montego Bay, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
March 9, 2026 by Yasmine Peru

Reggae Sumfest 2026 goes to Plantation Cove for one night only

Reggae Sumfest 2026 will not be held at its home in Catherine Hall, Montego Bay. Instead, the festival heads to a new venue, Plantation Cove in St Ann for this year’s staging, for what the organisers…
Jah9
March 6, 2026 by Yasmine Peru

5 Questions with Jah9

Whoever described Jah9 as “possessing a chilling yet bewitching vibrato evoking a young Ella Fitzgerald and a rootsy coolness à la Erykah Badu” was definitely on point. And, perhaps one could add to…
Blaqk Sheep was of those who gave testimonials on Tuesday night of their experience with Jack Russell Music.
March 5, 2026 by Yasmine Peru

Creatives tune in for Music Publishing Masterclass

Jack Russell Music, a notable success in publishing, was founded in 2007 by Clare Ram with a handful of songwriters on her roster. Nearly two decades later, there are more than 1,300 signed writers…