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 […]
Jamaican reggae singer, Orthodox Issachar, records song in English and Amharic
Orthodox Issachar, a roots reggae singer, has recorded his latest single “Kuch Bel” in a mix of English and the native language of Ethiopia, known as Amharic. The song shows Issachar’s love for Ethiopia, where he is currently an official resident although he lives in Montreal. “Kuch Bel” means “sit down” in Amharic, and it […]
Jamaica Reggae Industry Association Honor Awards 2016 – Review & Photos
Reggae Month’s marquee event, the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) Honor Awards was held on February 28th at the Courtleigh Auditorium in Kingston. The annual event seeks to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the music industry. This year, over twenty four (24) persons where honored in various categories. Some of the awardees […]
Album Review – Assassin: Theory of Reggaetivity
In the absence of artists like Buju Banton and Terror Fabulous, Reggae music has been left with a vacuum in regards to the rough voiced sound of the streets backed by culturally conscious lyrics and the distinct drum and bass heavy, low temple rumble that only real reggae provides. In recent years, Busy Signal touched […]
7 Ways Ricky Is Blessing The Nation
27- Year- Old Ricardo Lorenza Gordon (stage name Ricky Blessing) of Kitson Town, St. Catherine got saved when he was only seven years old, primarily influenced by his Christian upbringing. Being a Christian at that age proved to be challenging because he didn’t really understand the true meaning of living for Christ. However, as he grew […]
VIDEO: Online Music Blogger Says “Work,” “Sorry” Tracks Are Dancehall
Nerd Writer, a U.S.-based online music blogger, believes that Rolling Stone magazine is wrong when it classifies “Work,” the recent single from Rihanna, as in the tropical house genre instead of dancehall. He points to the fact that the single liberally samples “Sail Away,” a classic dancehall rhythm released in 1998 by Richie Stephens. The […]