BY RICHARD JOHNSONObserver senior reporter— IN the 1990s a number of Jamaican dancehall acts were signed to major international record labels and a common thread in a number of these crossover successes was the work of music industry insider and marketer Karen Mason. Karen Mason The Jamaican-born Mason succumbed to breast cancer on Tuesday, 11 years after she was first diagnosed. One of the artistes who reaped success as a result of Mason’s tenacity as a marketer was singer … Read entire article »

BY KEVIN JACKSONObserver writer— PATRA became the first female artiste from Jamaica to score a number one album on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart on April 30, 1994. She achieved that feat with Queen of the Pack , her major label debut for Epic Records. Since then, five others have done so — Diana King, Etana, Queen Ifrica, Koffee, and Spice. Shenseea threw her hat in the ring with her debut album Alpha, which debuts at number two on the latest chart. Alpha —released via … Read entire article »

Karen Mason, one of the Jamaican music executives responsible for helping to break reggae acts in the United States during the 1990’s, died in Atlanta, Georgia on March 22. Karen Mason Her daughter Kenya James confirmed her death in a statement, writing that her mother had “left the spiritual realm.”She also said in a Facebook post that Mason had bravely fought breast cancer for 11 years.Mason was originally from rural St. James parish in Jamaica. She initially … Read entire article »

The Royals get warm welcome at Bob Marley’s yard; protest staged in New Kingston BY JASON CROSS–Observer staff reporter—7 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate bask in the enthusiastic greeting they are receiving from residents of Trench Town shortly after their arrival in Jamaica on Tuesday for a three-day visit. Buckingham Palace said the Trench Town visit was a celebration of the seminal legacy of Bob Marley and other ground-breaking Jamaican musicians alongside some … Read entire article »

Reggae star Jah Cure was convicted of attempted manslaughter and sentenced to six years in prison in the Netherlands on Tuesday. Jah Cure The Behind These Prison Walls singer was found not guilty of attempted murder by the court, which rejected his self-defence claim. “The 43-years old man was sentenced to six years in prison – with credit for time served – for attempted manslaughter. The court finds him not guilty of attempted murder. His claim of self-defense … Read entire article »

A Jamaican man was shot dead by a man outside a donut shop in the Bronx, New York on Friday after the gunman’s female lover had earlier accused the victim of standing too close to her inside the eatery. The deceased has been identified as 26-year-old Stephen Stuart. Stephen Stuart According to a report from CBS2 New York, relatives said Stuart had moved to the Bronx three months prior from Jamaica. He leaves behind his mother and two … Read entire article »