By Roy Black   Last Monday, Stranger Cole celebrated a birthday. Now in his seventh decade on earth, Cole’s schedule seems to be more hectic nowadays than it was during his early career. His energy and friskiness on stage, assisted by a petite frame, belies his age and he seems to see no end in sight to his career. To Cole, age is just a number, and he wishes to keep it that way, without going into any specifics … Read entire article »

By Kimberly Small   The careers of Chronixx, Jesse Royal and Kabaka Pyramid are following resembling trajectories. The three, dubbed part of a ‘Reggae Revivalist’ movement, have enjoyed careers that have taken them across the world, as they continue on an upward move, attracting international attention. Major Lazer Presents, a mixtape series spearheaded by Walshy Fire, is a project that all three artists were invited to participate in at the beginning of their popularized careers. In 2012, Major Lazer … Read entire article »

BY HOWARD CAMPBELL—  U-Roy—   What would the modern deejay be without U-Roy? It’s hard to imagine. Back in the 1960’s, deejays or toasters were fillers for singers at dances. True, Count Matchukie and King Stitt called the shots in the early days, but U-Roy was the first to consistently attract a mainstream following. The songs that did the trick were Wake The Town (And Tell The People) and W ear You To The Ball (with John Holt). Both were … Read entire article »

ALBERT Minott, lead singer of the Portland-based mento band Jolly Boys, has died. His death was confirmed by his manager Jon Baker, owner and operator of Geejam Hotel and record label. According to a post made on Baker’s Facebook page, the 79-year-old passed away on Thursday. “He passed peacefully, sitting on his veranda. He had suffered from respiratory problems for some time,” said Baker. Minott had recently completed a new Jolly Boys album, and was preparing to launch its signature … Read entire article »

CBC News   For Natasha Gordon-Jones and her family, the end of the school year was not going to be a happy time. Facing deportation to Jamaica, where they fear their lives will be in jeopardy, the widowed family had been given a deferral by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to the middle of the month, so her children could finish the school year. That date has now passed with no order coming. But the future is no clearer for the St. … Read entire article »