Lager company Red Stripe has won a silver award for the quality of its beer from the International Quality Institute Monde Selection, adding to the brew’s impressive collection of 11 gold awards and one other silver award. “It’s a testament of our commitment to delivering first-class quality to our consumers. At Red Stripe, we stand up for quality and being officially recognized by an accredited international body of experts means that our beer, born from this little … Read entire article »

BY KEVIN JACKSON—Observer writer— Boy George— Flamboyant British pop singer Boy George makes his debut at number 11 on the Current Reggae Albums chart with This is What I Dub Vol 1. The 13-track set was released April 6 by the former Culture Club act’s BGP Records. Sinead O’Connor, funk maestro George Clinton and dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson are featured. Boy George and Culture Club flirted with reggae during their 1980s heyday. Their 1982 reggae hit Do You … Read entire article »

The change in music production technology in the 1980’s opened doors to new sounds and experiments from producers around the world. In Jamaica, producers who built their name on the live studio sound with a drum and bass foundation either adopted to syndrums or full digital drums by the mid-80s, or they dropped out of the game.Producer and melodica player Augustus Pablo was a prolific survivor from the classic reggae era, and he released four … Read entire article »

BY RICHARD JOHNSONObserver senior reporter— Beres Hammond performing on ‘Groovin’ in the Park’ at Roy Wilkins Park in New York last year (Photo: Roland Hyde)— MONDAY’S announcement by New York Mayor Bill di Blasio that all events for May and June will be cancelled, due to the current COVID-19 crisis, has slammed the door shut on plans to stage the annual reggae and R&B concert, ‘Groovin’ in the Park’. The event — which was set for June 28 … Read entire article »

By Shereita Grizzle – STAR Reporter— Buju Banton When BET hosts their virtual COVID-19 relief concert tomorrow, Jamaica’s culture will be represented in a huge way via a performance from Grammy-winning artiste Buju Banton. The announcement was made by the US television channel over the weekend. The entertainer is expected to showcase the best of reggae and dancehall music on the live stream, which will also see performances from the likes of Alicia Keys, Usher, H.E.R and Charlie … Read entire article »

by Howard Campbell— SOUTH FLORIDA – After a strong 2019, singer/songwriter Hopeton Lindo maintains his momentum with Guilty which is currently number one on the South Florida Reggae Chart. Released on Valentine’s Day, Guilty features fellow singer Fiona whom he had a number one hit with In Your Eyes in December. That song topped the Foundation Radio Network Top 30 Chart in New York. “I’ve been putting in good work consistently for a while so to have back-to-back number ones in Florida … Read entire article »

By Yasmine Peru – STAR Writer— George Nooks— Reggae singer George Nooks, whose foray into gospel has seen him hitting the jackpot time and again, is preparing another inspirational album, to be released on the Tads Records imprint. It is titled He’ll Do It again, and although there is no definitive release date as yet, the title track is ready and has been doing the rounds on radio and in cyberspace. Nooks is happy with the response so … Read entire article »

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Jamaica has risen to 233. The 10 new additions comprise of five employees of the Ministry of Health and Wellness who are contacts of a confirmed case; three who form a part of the workplace cluster in St Catherine and two who are under investigation. Contact tracing is being done to determine the level of exposure of the Health Ministry workers to other team members.  The Health Ministry says it … Read entire article »

Haiti is among ten countries being identified for a possible famine of Biblical proportions, this according to a new report published by the United Nations . According to the head of the World Food Programme (WFP), David Beasley, urgent action is needed to avoid a catastrophe. The report estimates that the number suffering from hunger could almost double from 135 million  to more than 250 million, adding that the countries most at risk, are those  affected … Read entire article »