By Howard Campbell— IT was a Sunday afternoon in 1973 when music producer Joseph ‘Joe Joe’ Hoo-Kim gathered a band of musicians at his new Channel One studio to back singer Delroy Wilson on a reggae cover of The Spinners’ hit song, It’s A Shame. Wilson’s version became a hit and triggered a remarkable run of success for Hoo-Kim’s fledgling studio. Channel One’s golden era lasted a decade and is comparable to Studio One and Treasure Isle, … Read entire article »

Popular dancehall producer Patrick Samuels aka “Roach” was shot and killed by unknown assailants along a section of Mannings Hill road in St. Andrew this morning. The shooting occurred at 4:12 am, when three shots were fired into a vehicle at the Texaco Gas Station at Mary Brown’s corner. As the victim tried to drive away, three more shots were fired, and the victim’s vehicle crashed nearby on Mannings Hill Road. Samuels was formerly Vybz Kartel’s road manager before they later … Read entire article »

  The rocksteady era, of which Alton Ellis was an integral part, saw several other performers making outstanding contributions to the genre. Three-part harmony groups seemed to have been the most popular, with Desmond Dekker and The Aces, The Heptones, The Wailers, The Melodians, The Techniques, The Gaylads and The Paragons leading the way. Solo artists like John Holt, Delroy Wilson, Bob Andy, Errol Dunkley, Roy Shirley, Hopeton Lewis, Slim Smith, along with the females Marcia Griffiths and … Read entire article »

A cleaned Bob Marley statue stands tall at Celebrity Park yesterday, days after it was defaced with red paint. The defacement of the life-size bronze sculpture was said to have happened following Tuesday night’s CONCACAF World Cup qualifying match between Jamaica and Costa Rica at the National Stadium, which is a stone’s throw away from Celebrity Park. It was cleaned by representatives of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust on Thursday. The police are yet to … Read entire article »

Rootz Revealerz – Contributed– By Curtis Campbell— International reggae band, Rootz Revealerz, is in Jamaica promoting its new song and video entitled Back To The Island – a track which is already gaining traction internationally. The roots, rock, reggae band was formed in Kingston and is led by the Manning brothers (sons of members of the legendary Abyssinians) and fronted by America-born Chris Mundahl. The band decided to take a break from an extensive touring schedule and studio recording to focus on Jamaica. According to the … Read entire article »

By Kevin Jackson– HAWAIIAN singer/songwriter Hirie has entered the Billboard Reggae Album chart with her self-titled debut album, a joint release by Roots Musician Records and VPAL. The 17-song album is a blend of Pacific island roots-reggae and pop. It comes in at number nine on the Billboard reggae table and peaked at number four on the iTunes reggae chart. Hirie Born in the Philippines but raised in Italy and Hawaii, Hirie considers herself a true island girl. She … Read entire article »

By Simone Morgan— IT has been two weeks since Spragga Benz and fellow deejay Bounty Killer rocked a full house at the Pulse Entertainment complex in St Andrew. For 44-year-old Spragga Benz, it was a homecoming of sorts as he had not performed in Jamaica for sometime. SPRAGGA BENZ… hits are important and I am no different While he is not seen regularly in Jamaica, he has been busy recording and touring with Grammy winners Stephen and Damian Marley. The … Read entire article »

One of the fastest rising Reggae artists out of Jamaica, Chronixx, is ready to hit Brooklyn, NY on Saturday September 21st 2013.  Chronixx and Zinc Fence Redemption band alongside Kelissa will be in Brooklyn, NY performing live for the first time at Pulse 48 (formerly known as C-Pac). At just 20-years old Jamaican-born artist Chronixx already has a handful of successful singles, music videos and a mixtape with Diplo’s Major Lazer. This is all before he’s even … Read entire article »

By Howard Campbell– DANCEHALL mainstay Barrington Levy is recording an acoustic album, the first of his career. The 12-song, vinyl-only project is scheduled for release in December on the singer’s Black Roses label. Levy says his management approached him with the ‘Unplugged’ concept after observing a number of artists playing acoustic sets on the European festival circuit. LEVY… management approached with the ‘Unplugged’ concept after observing a number of artists playing acoustic sets “They said, ‘yuh need to do … Read entire article »

Rapper-turned-reggae star Snoop Dogg is donating money for the funeral of a 6-year-old girl. LOS ANGELES – Rapper-turned-reggae star Snoop Dogg is donating money for the funeral of a 6-year-old girl killed in a gang-style shooting, joining a fellow rap artist in supporting her family, he said Thursday. The 41-year-old said the death of Tiana Ricks east of Los Angeles highlighted the need to step up campaigning against gun violence. He did not say how much he was … Read entire article »