Virginia-based group SOJA has copped the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 64th ceremony for the coveted music awards.  The group Soja accepts the trophy for Best Reggae Album The group took home the award for the album Beauty in the Silence. This was the third nomination for SOJA, one of the top-selling reggae acts in North America. Previous nods were for 2017’s Live in Virginia and 2015’s Amid the Noise And The Haste. On accepting the award, the group thanked their … Read entire article »

Observer writer names Grammy front-runners By KEVIN JACKSONObserver Writer Sean Paul The 64th Grammy Awards takes place tonight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Six nominees are competing in the Best Reggae Album category. They are Pamoja by Etana, Live N Livin by Sean Paul, 10 by Spice, Royal by Jesse Royal, Positive Vibrations by Gramps Morgan and Beauty in the Silence by SOJA. It is understood that all the nominees will be in attendance at the awards. I predict that the winner will be either Sean Paul … Read entire article »

Fitzroy “Bunny” Simpson of The Mighty Diamonds, died in Kingston on April 1 at age 71. His death came three days after Donald “Tabby” Shaw, his colleague in the legendary roots trio, was murdered in the Jamaican capital. Bunny Diamond Simpson, who suffered a massive stroke in 2015, last performed with the group in January, 2016 in Kingston on the Startime show. Along with Shaw and Lloyd “Judge” Ferguson, he formed The Mighty Diamonds in Trench Town in … Read entire article »

Stephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer Veteran sound system man, Jack Scorpio. In the past year, discussions regarding female representation in dancehall and their overall contributions to the entertainment industry have transformed into passionate conversations. Veteran sound system owner and producer Jack Scorpio has added his two cents to the topic. “We need to see more women in this business and I am calling them to not be afraid to show what they are capable of,” Jack Scorpio said. As one of … Read entire article »

Reggae singer Ginjah is currently working on his sixth studio album which is slated to be released this summer, and he is promising that it will “lift the spirits”. Ginjah “We began working on this project about two months ago and everything has been progressing smoothly. We’ve recorded most of the tracks already and have only five more songs to go,” said Ginjah. The Never Lost My Way singer has great expectations for the project, which is titled Rise It. “I want … Read entire article »

BY RICHARD JOHNSONObserver senior reporter— In 1962 Dr No, the first of the successful James Bond movie franchise, was released. The film, which was shot in Jamaica, made use of not only the island’s scenic backdrops, but its acting talent. Among the Jamaicans in Dr No were Reggie Carter who has the dubious distinction of being the first person killed in the popular spy series. Beauty queen Marguerite LeWars also made the cast as one of the famous Bond Girls. Sean … Read entire article »

Caryl Jacobs was a regular at rehearsals of her parents’ band Islanda in their native Trinidad and Tobago. Those jams exposed her to different types of music, including reggae and pop. Caryl Jacobs The singer, who lives in South Florida, goes reggae for her cover of Adele’s Easy On Me. Her version was released in January by Tad’s International Record; it is co-produced by Mark HoSang and Chris Knight. The original was an international hit for Adele in 2021. Jacobs, … Read entire article »