MOST Jamaican music fans have never heard of American reggae band SOJA. But the nine-member unit are quietly making a name for themselves with their latest album. SOJA has come full circle with its fourth studio album, Strength to Survive, which has consistently topped the Billboard Reggae Album Chart which it has been on for the last 67 weeks. Strength to Survive was released on the ATO label (part owned by rock star Dave Matthews). To date, it has sold over 50,000 copies according to sales m

Mavado has teamed with American rapper Jadakiss on the reggae/Rhythm and Blues song Just Like Magic, produced by Jamaica-born, New York-based Musical Masquerade. "The collaboration came about from an idea to blend unmistakable voices from reggae and hip hop and put them together on a reggae track. From there we reached out to the respective camps," said Musical Masquerade. Just like Magic is the second release from the producer's forthcoming compilation album, Elements of Reggae. Its first sin

WITH a new album due out on VP Records in August, singer Tarrus Riley is scheduled to start a 15-date tour of Europe early next month. Most of the shows (nine) take place in France, the first being June 6 in the city of Sannois. The following day, he is down for the Free Music Festival in Montendre alongside acts like Lee 'Scratch' Perry. Riley will also perform solo and at festivals in Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Portugal and Finland. His final European show is booked for

Thursday, May 23, 2013Club Prosperity at Upper Bournes Road, St James, has been a staple for partygoers in the West, especially for those in the dancehall and reggae fraternity.   

NASSAU, Bahamas --- Jamaica's Reggae Boyz and English giants Tottenham Hotspur played to a sometimes exciting 0-0 draw in their exhibition game at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium here yesterday, which marked the first game at the spanking new venue.

BELIZE-born reggae singer Eljai is making inroads on regional American charts with his latest song For You. The single is presently number 25 on the New York Reggae Chart; number 20 on the South Florida Reggae Chart and 18 on the Jamaica Music Countdown Reggae Chart. The California-based artiste says the song has exceeded his expectations. "I'm extremely humbled by the continued support of radio. My aim has always been to make a connection to fans of reggae music worldwide." Eljai — wh

CABLE BEACH, Bahamas -- Despite not having a full training session yesterday, Jamaica's Reggae Boyz are still expected to have a "good" game against glamour team Tottenham Hotspur in an exhibition face-off at the newly built Thomas A Robinson National Stadium today.

CABLE BEACH, Bahamas --- A thunder storm accompanied by sporadic downpour throughout Tuesday night has impacted the Reggae Boyz's final training session in preparation for Thursday's exhibition match-up against English giants Tottenham Hotspur at the newly-constructed Thomas A Robinson National Stadium near here.

There were no frills in the setting for Saturday night's video premiere of Hatta Sketches, a poem set to reggae by Joel 'Jawara' Ellis and Oku Onuora.

CABLE BEACH, Bahamas — Tottenham Hotspur coach Andre Villas-Boas has said he aims to defeat Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz in an exhibition game at the newly-built Thomas A Robinson Stadium on Thursday.

CABLE BEACH, Bahamas — Daniel Gordon has long been courted by the Jamaica national football set-up, but until now, they weren't able to collar him.

IN an effort to avoid a repeat of the chaotic scenes at Jamaica's last World Cup Qualifier at the National Stadium in March, stringent safety and security measures have been implemented by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) for upcoming games against Mexico and the United States of America.

THE governor general's "I Believe Initiative (IBI)" has received the considerable support of Olympian Yohan 'The Beast' Blake; popular reggae star Patrick 'Tony Rebel' Barrett and Love 101 FM's fast-rising broadcaster Nadine Blair.

Bugle has always been one of the better songwriters within the dancehall/reggae genres since he came on the scene in the mid-2000s as a singjay. His storytelling ability has put him ahead of the pack in comparison to many. But unfortunately, isn't given his rightful dues despite his talent. Nuh Compatible is Bugle's latest single, and the track has the potential to be his biggest since the cult classic What I'm Gonna Do. Nuh Compatible is a narrative tale of a crumbling relationship at a stage

Jamaica is often celebrated for its rich, diverse indigenous musical forms such as reggae, dancehall, mento, ska and dub, which have been extensively documented and researched...

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Police in the United States have arrested a 19-year-old man and charged him with aggravated assault after the lead singer of the Grammy Award winning reggae group - Toots and the Maytals - was injured during a performance over the weekend. Police said that a bottle that was thrown on the stage while the group was performing at the Dominion Riverrock concert in Richmond, Virginia, hitting Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert in the head. He was taken to hospital

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Police in the United States have arrested a 19-year-old man and charged him with aggravated assault after the lead singer of the Grammy Award winning reggae group - Toots and the Maytals - was injured during a performance over the weekend.

VIRGIN Records, the British record company that helped launch the international careers of The Mighty Diamonds and Shaggy, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The label was founded in 1973 by Richard Branson, now listed as one of the world's wealthiest businessmen. Branson has assembled a formidable team to produce a series of events marking the milestone, including four shows at the KOKO venue in London. A double compact disc with some of the best known songs produced by Virgin over t

The Reggae Boyz' Preparation for their trio of World Cup qualifying matches in the month of June will pick up pace with the staging of a 12-day camp in the Bahamas beginning today.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Reggae legend Toots Hibbert is recovering Sunday after being struck in the head by a bottle during a concert on Saturday.

THOUGH he grew up in the farmlands of Culpeper, Virginia, singer Big Kenny says his musical tastes were not limited to the country sounds the region is known for. "We had AM radio that played everything... George Jones, The Beatles, Bob Marley. I listened to everything," he told the Sunday Observer. Big Kenny is in Jamaica to film a music video for Hope Chance, a song he recorded with singer Ky-Mani Marley. Hope Chance is among the first batch of recordings for Electro Shine,

LOCATED in rural Hatfield, Westmoreland, the Highlight Recording Studio is a small operation committed to making big-time music. Its production team is led by veteran musician Paul 'Sly' Francis. Journeyman roots-reggae group The Itals have recorded there, as well as artistes from Africa and Europe. Straight From The Heart, The Itals' 2010 album, was produced at Highlight by Francis. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. "With my little voicing room and equipment I do my

After making local charts last year with Do it For Love (with deejay Specialist), singer Ishawna is looking to go one better with her latest track, Murderer. The Downsound Records artiste was in New York City recently promoting the reggae-soul number which features a sample of Buju Banton's song of the same name. Ishawna is pleased with the response to Murderer in the Big Apple. She says it shows talk of dancehall's demise in the United States is overblown. "I really don't think dancehall mus

THE son of well-known guitarist Lascelles Beckford, singjay Sagitaar (Lascelles Beckford Junior) grew up around music. But while he practised enough to become a competent guitarist, Sagitaar always wanted to make his mark as an artiste. His latest song, Old Story Time, has given him much-needed exposure. It was produced by reggae singer Bobby Tenna on the Me Mumma rhythm. "I'm very happy about the response the song has been receiving. People are talking about it all over the place," said the

SINGER ReneGrade is upbeat about his latest track Never Say Never on the MV Music label. MV Music is owned by dancehall singjay Mr Vegas. "I just have to give thanks for the energy, the song really a tek off. People know mi fi the RR track pon a dancehall riddim but this reggae song Never Say Never is playing hard. It's a great look. MV Music is shooting a video for Never Say Never this month," ReneGrade said. ReneGrade has grown in confidence since his third-place performance in the popular

WHAT started as a fun project between Jamaican producer Kemar 'Flava' McGregor and American soul singers Syleena Johnson and Musiq Soulchild is getting serious attention. 9INE is the name of the new album by Johnson and Musiq Soulchild, to be released in July. Its nine reggae tracks are produced by McGregor. In an interview with Billboard magazine, Johnson explained how the album and partnership with McGregor evolved. "The music was so good and Musiq and I both love Kemar's productions, so we

Kenyan reggae/dancehall artiste Wyre (pronounce wy-ri) is living out his dreams. The African artiste is currently in Jamaica to shoot a music video with singer Alaine. He plans to take in the sites and sounds of Jamaica, something he has long dreamed of. Speaking with Splash, Wyre was bursting with joy. "It's a dream come true. It's amazing," he gushed. Wyre is being hosted by Donisha Prendergast, granddaughter of Bob and Rita Marley. She made the link with the popular Kenyan act following h

SINGER Clara Kahwa, better known as CK, has dropped the video for her latest song Party Up in Here, released by the Africa House label. It is the follow-up to her cover of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors. "Party Up in Here was written to explore the party side of me. This single shows my style as an artiste," says CK. The track was co-written by CK and her brother Timothy Kahwa who also produced it. Her other brother, Patrick, is executive producer. Born in Louisiana to Tanzanian parents, CK migr

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) - Caribbean Premiere League (CPL) has launched what has been termed an official anthem for the inaugural tournament set to begin in late July. The CPL has described ‘How We Play’ as a dance song that promises to have T20 cricket fans jumping, Caribbean style. The song was written and produced by T&T’s Marlon Chen of MRI and Precision Productions and features leading Trinidad soca artiste, Kes and Jamaican reggae star Konshens. “When it comes

BOB Marley's Legend, the best-selling reggae album, will have a new sound this summer with the release of Legend: Remixed. The Universal Music Group, which distributes the Marley catalogue, and the family's Tuff Gong company are behind the project. Fifteen of the 16 songs on the original 1984 album distributed by Island Records are covered by several artistes including Marley's sons, Ziggy and Stephen. Ziggy's version of Redemption Song is included. Stephen, rappers RAC and Nickodemus also pu

TWO artistes representing different generations of reggae launched albums last Saturday at the Redbones Blues Café in St Andrew. Singer Kiddus-I and deejay Scratchylus introduced their Topsy Turvy World and Reset The Mindset sets, respectively, with entertaining performances. Topsy Turvy World is the fourth album by 69-year-old Kiddus-I, one of the stars of the 1978 film Rockers. Reset The Mindset is Scratchylus' first album. It features collaborations with Sizzla, Junior Reid, his dau

AS of May 24, the live Conscious Reggae Party series will have a new home at the Food Fountain Restaurant, Burlington Avenue, St Andrew. Next week's show celebrates African Liberation Day (May 25). Artistes confirmed to date are singers Mikey General and Pashon Minott and the Sound of Truth Band. "It (the new venue) is very conducive to what we represent. The music and the wholesome food based on the reputation of chef Big Ruben who is also founder/operator of the Food Fountain Restaurant,

The sweet sounds of music — soul, R&B, Jazz, classical and reggae flowed from the halls of the Courtleigh Auditorium in St Andrew on Sunday as American soul legend Ben E King headlined a Mother's Day showcase. The event also featured a host of local acts. The Jamaica Observer's lens captured some of the moments from this event. (Photos: Joseph Wellington) Ben E King and friends -->

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz remain unmoved at 53rd in the latest FIFA rankings. 

John Holt is scheduled to return to London this summer for another gig with a British ensemble. The lovers rock veteran performs August 2 at the O2 Arena in the British capitol, backed by the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Mykaell Riley. The show has been selected as one of the hip Time Out London magazine's must-see events for August. Shows by rock legend Neil Young, The B-52s and David Byrne also made the publication's list. Holt's show will be based on his 1973 album 1,000 Vo

THE Congos’ 1977 album, Heart of The Congos, is included in Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time. The album is listed at number 82. According to the article — which appears on the publication’s website (rollingstone.com) — the album ranks among Lady Gaga’s The Fame, Madonna’s Madonna and Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut. The recently published piece lauded the “unearthly harmonies” of original members Roydel

John Holt is scheduled to return to London this summer for another gig with a British ensemble. The lovers rock veteran performs August 2 at the O2 Arena in the British capitol, backed by the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Mykaell Riley. The show has been selected as one of the hip Time Out London magazine's must-see events for August. Shows by rock legend Neil Young, The B-52s and David Byrne also made the publication's list. Holt's show will be based on his 1973 album 1,000 Vo

THE Congos’ 1977 album, Heart of The Congos, is included in Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time. The album is listed at number 82. According to the article — which appears on the publication’s website (rollingstone.com) — the album ranks among Lady Gaga’s The Fame, Madonna’s Madonna and Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut. The recently published piece lauded the “unearthly harmonies” of original members Roydel

Reggae Boyz must do well in June, says 'Stew Peas'

BRITISH deejay Scratchylus launches his Reset The Mindset album this evening at the Redbones Blues Café in St Andrew. The 13-track set is a collection of songs he has recorded in Jamaica with various artistes including Sizzla, Junior Reid and Bushman. There are also songs done with rock steady great Alton Ellis and Scratchylus’ daughter, Empress Reggae. Born in England to Jamaican parents, Scratchylus started as a regular on that country’s sound system scene before kicking

The now habitual sounds of jazz and acoustic reggae music were heard

After reaching out to fans with commercial albums like 2 Times Revolution, Italian reggae artiste Alborosie says he wanted to go back to basics with his fourth studio effort, Sound The System. The album, which will be distributed by Greensleeves Records, is scheduled for a June 17 release. It hears collaborations with Ky-Mani Marley (Zion Train), The Abyssinians (Give Thanks) and Italian singer Nina Zilli (Goodbye). According to Alborosie, he has a passion for vintage rec

Although they have been around for almost three years, members of the band BLACKasCOLE have their sights set on changing the face of contemporary Jamaican music. To date, the nine-piece outfit has released two songs — Musical Romance (an original) and a cover of Adele's Hometown Glory. Both are ballads that showcase lead singer Cecile Black's captivating vocals. "We have a very unique sound and like other genres of music, it will take a time to catch on," said Black in an interview with

Though they are writers and performers of reggae's unofficial anthem (Satta Masa Gana), The Abyssinians have never earned the acclaim of other roots acts like Culture, the Wailing Souls or Mighty Diamonds. Outstanding tracks like 'Satta', Declaration of Rights and Forward Onto Zion have made them a solid live draw in Europe. The group, which is headed by original lead singer Bernard Collins, kicked off its latest tour of that continent last evening with a show at The Cluny in Newcastle Upon Tyn

Roots singer Keznamdi's EP, Bridging The Gap, has debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Reggae Album chart. It is the biggest achievement to date for the 26 year-old Keznamdi who recorded his first song, Mix A Colour, at age five. It was not until he began attending St Mary's College in northern California that he decided to take music seriously. The son of Errol and Kerida McDonald of reggae band Chakula, Keznamdi has lived in Tanzania and Ethiopia. He says his sound is influenced by his tra

Nathan Smith feels just as fired up as he was the first time he was called to the Jamaican football set-up.

Following its April 23 release, the album sold over 21,000 copies in its first week and opened at number 16 on the Hot 200 Albums Chart.

HAVING made his name in the golden age of reggae, Kiddus-I never strays from the roots sound that defined the 1970s. The 69-year-old singer stays true to his base with Topsy Turvy World, his latest album, which will be officially launched Saturday at Redbones Blues Café in St Andrew. Topsy Turvy World was largely recorded at Rubin Studio in Cologne, Germany with German musicians including drummer Martin Pauen who produced the album. The set has a distinct one-drop feel, reminiscent o

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Damian ‘Junior Gong’ Marley, snagged the Entertainer of the Year award at the 32nd annual International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) at the Coral Springs Centre for the Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday.

The Chaguaramas peninsula came alive with the harmonious vibrations and united voices of hundreds of reggae lovers, when they assembled at the O2 Park Amphitheatre for the second annual “Reggae on the Bay” festival on Sunday evening. Many patrons described the event as “unforgettable” and pledged their allegiance to the event and to surely return next year.