BY HOWARD CAMPBELL/ Observer senior writer— Richie Stephens REVERSE The Curse, Richie Stephens’ first solo album in nine years, will be released August 26 by DubShot Records. It was co-produced by his Pot O Gold Production and Boomrich Productions. The singer’s previous solo album, Real Reggae Music, came out in 2013. Internationally, his collaboration set with The Ska Nation Band (out of Italy) was released six years ago. Stephens told the Jamaica Observer that Reverse The Curse’s title song has done well in the … Read entire article »

First week @ No.1 … Read entire article »

No stranger to thoughtful music videos, Richie Stephens went all out for the visual to Reverse The Curse, his latest hit song. Partially filmed in Jamaica’s scenic Hope Botanical Gardens, it has drawn over two million views since premiering in June. The song, which was number one for two weeks on the Foundation Radio Network New York Chart, is a joint production between the singer’s Pot O Gold Production and Boomrich Productions. The figure is staggering, even … Read entire article »

By Howard Campbell/Observer writer— Now Generation Band (circa 1974) The music produced in Jamaica during the 1970s is oftentimes regarded as reggae’s golden age. That decade is synonymous with Rasta and militant songs by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Burning Spear. At Federal Records, however, artistes and musicians had a different focus. For most of the 1970s, singer/songwriters like Ernie Smith, Ken Lazarus, and Pluto Shervington recorded a number of easy-listening hit songs for the company, which was … Read entire article »

By Kevin Jackson— Musical Youth in Birmingham 1982.Photo: Michael Putland FOR the first time in 39 years British-Jamaican reggae band Musical Youth has scored an entry on an album chart in the United States. Anthology, a 1994 release by Geffen/UMG Recordings Inc, debuts at seven on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. The group’s last charted title in the United States was Different Style! which topped out at number 144 on the all-genre Billboard 200 Albums chart in 1983. Anthology has 20 songs, most … Read entire article »

By Shereita Grizzle/Observer writer— Jamaican dancehall star Sean Paul will join television show ‘The Voice’ as the celebrity advisor to coach Gwen Stefani when the talent competition returns this September for its 22nd season. The announcement was made on Wednesday with both entertainers sharing the news via social media. Sean Paul in a post to his Instagram page said he was excited to be joining the cast of the Voice. “So excited 2 b joinin #TeamGwen as her #BattleAdvisor … Read entire article »

By Ainsworth Morris/Gleaner Staff Reporter– Photo by Ainsworth Morris—The structure which once served as a temple in the Pinnacle commune during better days. Rastafarian faithful have hailed the posthumous national honor to be bestowed on the religion’s founder, Leonard Percival Howell, as an atonement of sorts and a tectonic shift from the bitter days that characterized the movement’s infancy and its early relationship with the State decades ago. Howell, who died 41 years ago, will this October be … Read entire article »