BY HOWARD CAMPBELL—Observer senior writer— Reggae king Bob Marley (Photo: Denis O’Regan) —- A rare concert poster of Bob Marley and The Wailers performing with Stevie Wonder at the National Stadium in Kingston on October 4 1975 is among the most-sought after Marley items up for bidding through online auction site, eBay.com. The piece, which also highlights support acts Third World and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, carries a starting bid of US$15,000. According to eBay.com, “It’s one of … Read entire article »

By Sade Gardner – STAR Writer— P When Reggae Sumfest had its introductory staging in 1993, Nadine Sutherland was already riding the waves of ‘ Action,’ a hit feature with Terror Fabulous. That same year, the ‘ Wicked Dickie’ remix with Buju Banton soared to number one on the reggae chart, and added to the strings of hits to come, including ‘ Babyface,’ ‘ Man Haffi Wicked’ (with Spragga Benz), ‘ What Am I Gonna Do’ (with Banton) and ‘ I’m In Love.’ Despite her tenure and … Read entire article »

By Howard Campbell—Observer senior writer— Nelson Miller — Drummer Nelson Miller, who recorded and toured with Burning Spear for many years, died in Kingston on Sunday at age 64. His wife Carmel told the Jamaica Observer that Miller became ill at home early that morning and was taken to Andrews Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. She said cause of death is undetermined. The Port Antonio-born musician joined Spear’s band in 1978 and is best known for his association … Read entire article »

By Cherry Wilson Newsbeat reporter—- Sean Paul says a “language barrier” is one of the reasons dancehall artists fail to make it big in the UK and US. He believes it’s hard for some people to understand “hardcore patois” – which is a mixture of several languages, including English, spoken in Jamaica. But he says dancehall has set a trend – big acts like Justin Bieber and Drake have been influenced by its sound. “One day we are going … Read entire article »

By Kimberley Small – STAR Writer— P Tashae with her idol Romain Virgo— Upon meeting her idol Romain Virgo, 10-year-old singer Tashae Silvera got much more than she bargained for. Rather than just a meet-and-greet with a photo op, the accomplished reggae singer invited his young admirer to Big Yard studio for a recording session. The session took place last weekend, when the melodic pair were finally introduced to each other. And while Tashae had an experience beyond her wildest … Read entire article »

By K’Shema Francis— Old instruments, equipment, and a theater to showcase documentaries and short films, King Jammy is gearing for the launch of his museum. The veteran music producer says the King Jammy’s Museum will open its doors on 38 St. Lucia Road in Kingston by the end of this year. King Jammy @ the controls Jammy who has been working on the museum for three years tells Music News that the idea came from his wife. In 1985, King Jammy and Wayne … Read entire article »

By Sade Gardner – STAR Writer— Photo Gospel deejay DJ Nicholas— While some Jamaicans may be quick to ‘bun out’ homosexuality, gospel deejay DJ Nicholas tried a gentle, biblical approach when a gay man described him as attractive, adding he wished the artiste ‘swung that way’. When he read the message on Facebook, DJ Nicholas said he took a day to compose the right response, which included scriptures from Romans and Corinthians, and a link to Amoy Lawrence’s testimony, a … Read entire article »