BY RICHARD JOHNSON—Observer senior reporter—5 Multi-Grammy Award winner Stephen Marley is at the helm of a project aimed at shining reggae’s light on the work of celebrated African American singer, musician, and songwriter Nina Simone. Celebrating Nina: A Reggae Tribute to Nina Simone will be released Friday on the Ghetto Youths International label. The project will feature a number of women on the seven-track EP presenting Nina Simone’s work with a reggae reinterpretation. Stephen Marley The lead single Four Women, reimagined with … Read entire article »

BY HOWARD CAMPBELLObserver senior writer With groundbreaking albums like Rastafari and Dadawa, Ras Michael And The Sons of Negus’s place in the annals of roots-reggae is assured. The master drummer retains a zest for recording fresh material which can be heard on Jah Love, his new album, which was released in February by the Zion Disc company. Ras Michael co-produced the set with American multi-instrumentalist Steve Verhault. In an interview with the Jamaica Observer last week from his California home, he … Read entire article »

Song highlights “women who have gone through the wringer” By Sade Gardner/Gleaner Staff Reporter Nadine Sutherland (right), and mother Beverly Sutherland in a scene from Nadine’s ‘Queen’ music video— “I can’t believe I’m going to be … no, I believe it – I’m 54,” singer Nadine Sutherland squealed in a phone call interview with The Gleaner. She had initially intended to release Queen for her birthday today. The project, her first executive-produced, all-hands-on-deck record, will instead debut on March 25 as a … Read entire article »

BY HOWARD CAMPBELL–Observer senior writer– Lady G & Malii KNOWN for dancehall standards like Nuff Respect , Lady G takes on a new sound with No Mis-Education , a take on Pink Floyd’s classic Another Brick in The Wall Pt 2 . The veteran deejay’s version features her daughter Malii. The rock-flavored No Mis-Education is scheduled for release in early May on Indie Rootz Records out of Montreal, Canada. Garnett “Bobby” Pottinger, a Jamaican, produced it and played all instruments while Canadian Brian Kotler is the song’s … Read entire article »

Mackie Conscious’  “THE WORLD IS IN TROUBLE” recorded in 2008, is once again creating waves as the war between Russia and Ukraine heats up. Radio and TV stations around the world as far away as Africa and Europe, are playing the song like it’s brand new. Mackie Conscious believes good music will last forever and sees this as just another one of his beliefs coming true. Mackie Conscious To say the world is in trouble because mankind fails to … Read entire article »