10 Things to Know about Chinese Jamaican Influence on Reggae Music
Today’s reggae music is synonymous with the name Bob Marley and Rastafari, but there’s also a small but unsung group of Chinese session musicians, producers, sound engineers, and studio & record shop owners that were the early pioneers of reggae that evolved into the Jamaican music of today. Their descendants are still making an impact […]
Celebrating A Jamaican Icon the Honorable Robert Nesta Marley O.M.
This February, Jamaica and the rest of the music-loving world will Celebrate Reggae Month with a variety of activities and events, albeit constrained by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. As we welcome this 14th annual observance of Reggae Month, we must be mindful that once in a couple of generations, creation blesses the earth with a […]
Remembering Music Icon Author Duke Reid, CD, Pioneering Sound System Operator & Record Producer
The island of Jamaica is known the world over for its pristine beaches, the general warmth of the Jamaican people, its tantalising cuisine, and even more so, for its music. It is interesting that this music was born solely out of the creativity of its people and driven by the tenacity of a handful of […]
The Grandma Who Runs Reggae Tells Her Story
This month VP Music Group announced the March 2021 release of the hardcover book Patricia Chin’s ‘Miss Pat: My Reggae Music Journey’ The book, decades in the making, will be of interest to music fans (especially Reggae, Soca and Calypso) as well as those interested in NYC cultural/immigrant success stories, entrepreneurship, and women’s empowerment. It […]
The Impact the Legendary Clement “Sir Coxsone” Dodd had on Jamaican Music
Every transformation of music in Jamaica, from the early Ska days to the short period of Rock-Steady to Reggae to the later dancehall and DJ days of the present, Studio One was the predominant institution. It was the leading innovator of Reggae music, producing a stable of artistes and musicians, technical personnel as well as […]
Did You Know This Song by Sister Nancy Is the Most Sampled Reggae Song in History?
“Bam Bam,” which was recorded by dancehall artist Sister Nancy in 1982 has been sampled more than 100 times, making it the most sampled reggae song of all time. “Bam Bam” was recorded at the Channel One Studios and released under the Techniques Records label. It was produced by Winston Riley and written by Riley […]
Ziggy Marley’s Beach in Hawaii” Included on Best USA State Song List
The song “Beach in Hawaii” by Jamaica’s Ziggy Marley has been selected as the best state song for Hawaii by Street, a content partner of USA Today, for its “Best State Song List.” The song reflects the Marley family’s tradition of loving the beach, as well as the artist’s love for the island state. The […]
10 Questions for Reggae Artist Dax Lion
Dax Lion is a creative talent, music is his passion. The Ardenne high school graduate is one of the sought after acts on the local and international performing artist scene. As a reggae ambassador Dax loves to write, produce, and sing reggae music. Dax looks forward to collaborating with Sean Paul, Alicia Keys among others. […]
Despite Incarceration, Vybz Kartel Dominates as Most Viewed YouTube Artist in Jamaica for 2020
Vybz Kartel, who was born Adidja Azim Palmer in Kingston in 1976, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist who is also a composer, record producer, and entrepreneur. In 2020, he was the most-viewed artist in Jamaica on YouTube, attracting some 6.27 million views. He has been cited by Rolling Stone magazine for attaining “folk-hero […]
“Lockdown” by Koffee Was Most Popular YouTube Song in Jamaica in 2020
“Lockdown” by Koffee has attracted more than 38 million views on YouTube to date, and the artist remains one of the most popular from Jamaica for the second year in a row. She has flourished despite the limits imposed by COVID-19 in a year that has been challenging to the careers of many musicians. The […]