Top 12 Jimmy Riley Songs – A Slice of Jamaica Music Life
Reggae Rock Steady icon Jimmy Riley was born Martin James Norman Riley (22 May 1954 – 23 March 2016).He began his music career as a member of The Sensations and The Uniques but ended it as recording solo artist with many hit songs through four decades. He was the father of reggae singer Tarrus Riley. […]
Review: Maxi Priest and Morgan Heritage at the Broward Center for Performing Arts
Fresh off winning a Grammy, Morgan Heritage headlined the spring concert on Fort Lauderdale’s fashionable Las Olas Boulevard on April 2nd, 2016. The exclusive Broward Center for the Performing Arts was the venue for a night of roots rock reggae and positive vibes. The crowd was a wonderful mix of cultures and people of all […]
50th Anniversary of Jamaican Rocksteady Music
In honor of the 50 years of Jamaican rocksteady, VP Records is releasing a special box set on vinyl of 14 classic rocksteady hits. The release will be an exclusive on Record Story Day on April 16, 2016. Rocksteady mixes elements of R&B, jazz, ska, and African and Latin American drumming. It was a precursor […]
8 Music Genres You May Not Know Were Created & Influenced by Jamaica
Jamaican music is known worldwide but many people are unaware of just how much this tiny island has contributed to the industry, and not just Reggae. Recent hit songs released by Rihanna (Work) and Justin Bieber (Sorry) undoubtedly fall within the genre of Jamaican reggae/dancehall music, a sign of how our music has become mainstream. […]
Jimmy Riley, joins Slim Smith and Lloyd Charmer in Uniques Heaven
As a young music collector and undergraduate student-journalist in the 1980s, I was introduced to lover’s rock singer Jimmy Riley via his big hits “Love and Devotion” and “My Woman’s Love,” produced by Sly and Robbie on their Taxi label. Love and Devotion was personal to me because the lyrics expressed what I was experiencing […]
Remembering Winston Merritone Blake
Winston Merritone Blake, OD passed away on Saturday February 27, 2016 due to what was described as asthmatic complications. An icon in the music industry, he was a record producer, promoter, sound system operator and proud husband of the late Cynthia Schloss. Merritone music was responsible for the production of hits for Hopeton Lewis sixties […]
Remembering Jimmy Riley
Martin James Ziggy Norman Riley affectionately known as Jimmy Riley died on Wednesday, March 23rd after a long battle with cancer while undergoing treatment in New York. The singer who is the father of singing sensation Tarrus Riley was born on May 22, 1947 in Jones Town, Jamaica. Jimmy Riley started singing in the early […]
Ziggy Marley & Wife Welcome His Third Son
Ziggy Marley, the son of reggae legend Bob Marley, and his wife Orly have welcomed a third son into their family. They already have a ten-year-old daughter Judah, and two sons: Gideon, who is nine years old, and Abraham, who is five. The new baby’s name is Isaiah Sion Robert Nesta Marley. He was born […]
Jamaican Veteran Reggae Artist Jimmy Riley has died
Reggae Veteran Jimmy Riley passed away today at a hospital in Bronx, New York after a long battle with cancer. Riley, 61, was born in Jonestown, Kingston, Jamaica on 22 May 1954. His given name was Martin James Ziggy Norman Riley. In addition to recording solo, Riley was also a member of the musical groups […]
7 Ways ‘I-Quality’ Music Inspires Jamaicans
Radcliffe ‘I-Quality’ Bowen is an artiste of immense lyrical attributes who first started his career in the late 1980’s; at that time his stage name was Buckler Banton. Over the years, he performed on various local sound systems in the Portmore, St Catherine area where he resides. He became very popular within the community and […]