Yasmine Peru – Sunday Gleaner Writer— Cristy Barber— The name Cristy Barber carries a lot of weight in the music industry, and this isn’t surprising, given her wealth of experience and her award-winning exploits. A Grammy-nominated producer for her contributions to Island/Def Jam Records’ 2003 hip-hop/dancehall compilation Red Star Sounds Presents Def Jamaica, Barber could very well be considered a sort of label version of a video vixen. “I have worked with almost every major record label,” she … Read entire article »

By Tashna-Toya— Hideaway songbird, Tessanne Chin, has finally confirmed the whispers of her new marital bliss. Chin shared a glowing photo of her and her husband on Instagram this morning with a simple “❤️06.10.19❤️ “, revealing the apparent date of the wedding earlier this month. An expectant mom, Tessanne has spoon fed her thousands of followers with tidbits of information about her upcoming role as a new mom and now her marriage to the father of her child, Brandon. Have … Read entire article »

BY AALIYAH CUNNINGHAM—Observer Writer— The current members of Inner Circle cut the celebratory cake.— Inner Circle, the original “Bad Boys of Reggae” celebrated in fine style last Thursday evening at the Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston. The band which is known for reggae anthems such as Bad Boys and Sweat certainly had a lot to celebrate. This year marks their 50th anniversary and last Monday, National Heroes Day two of the founding members, brothers Ian and Roger Lewis received the Order of Distinction … Read entire article »

BY RICHARD JOHNSON—Observer senior reporter— The Ward Theater in downtown Kingston— Mounting concerns and a rising price tag have been some of the issues which have delayed the completion of restoration work of the historic Ward theater located in the heart of downtown Kingston. Despite the setbacks, mayor of the city of Kingston Councillor Senator Delroy Williams is confident that the theater which has been closed for well over a decade will reopen its doors by the end … Read entire article »

By Howard Campbell—Observer senior writer— Bob Marley— The Jamaica Observer continues its ‘Reggae 50’ feature on people, organisations, and events that have made an impact on reggae over the past 50 years. In 1979, Bob Marley was on a high with sold-out shows and tours, outstanding albums and superstar friends. Yet, something eluded the reggae king — he was yet to conquer the Black American market. While recording his album, Survival, Marley made moves to reach a demographic that had not tuned into … Read entire article »

The composer of two of reggae’s biggest instrumentals, Ansel Collins wears the tag of unsung hero like a badge of honor. Little is known about his prowess as a musician outside Jamaica, but his most famous protégé plans to change that. Ansel Collins Drummer Sly Dunbar, world-famous as half of the Sly and Robbie production team, is working on an instrumental project with Collins on keyboards. The songs are expected out in the first quarter of 2020, … Read entire article »

BY RICHARD JOHNSON—Observer senior reporter— Steve DeAngelo (Photo: www.stevedeangelo.com)— Global cannabis activist Steve DeAngelo was last Thursday recognized with the Equal Rights and Justice Award at the fourth annual Peter Tosh Awards. DeAngelo, an American, was recognized for his more than 40 years of advocacy for the legalization of ganja and more recently his Last Prisoner Project, which seeks to obtain the release of persons still incarcerated on ganja charges especially in parts of the world where the … Read entire article »