STORY HIGHLIGHTS NEW: Movie-goer says the suspect wore a gas mask and used a smoke bomb The gunman was wearing a bulletproof vest and was heavily armed, police say The suspected gunman was taken into custody outside the theater, police say At least 14 people are dead and 50 wounded in the shooting, the police chief says (CNN) — At least 14 people were killed and 50 wounded when a gunman opened fire during an early Friday morning screening of the new … Read entire article »

  LOVED ones of Busy Signal are heartened by news that the DJ may not be spending any extensive period in a United States jail after pleading guilty yesterday to a charge of failure to appear in court. “We are happy to hear that he won’t be spending any long time in jail and he will be home soon,” Shantal Chin, the mother one of the artist’s children, told the Jamaica Observer. The artist, whose real name is … Read entire article »

In commemoration of Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence from Britain, the Jamaica Observer’s Entertainment section recognises 50 persons who made significant, yet unheralded, contributions to the country’s culture. This week we feature singer Leslie Kong. KONG… produced the first song by a teenaged singer named Bob Marley (or Bobby Martell at the time) in 1962   IT is only fitting that as Jamaica prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary of Independence, the legacy of music producer Leslie Kong … Read entire article »

LEGENDARY singer Dobby Dobson will be the featured guest artist at the annual Purple Masters fund-raising musical event tomorrow. Purple Masters is being put on by the Kingston College Old Boys Association and will be held at The Experience, 7 Merrick Avenue in St Andrew Apart from Dobson, the event, which seeks to raise money for the development of Kingston College, will feature music selectors Roderick Howell, Charlie Grant, Conrod Senior, Bunny Goodison, Roy Black, Merritone, and Mikey … Read entire article »

Sumfest to unleash electrifying reggae energy. Shabba Ranks to be honored for his contributions to Jamaican music industry. Grammy award-winning artist Shabba Ranks will not only be returning to the Reggae Sumfest stage after a long absence, but will be honored for his contribution to the Jamaican music industry. The deejay revolutionised the Jamaican music industry through the rhythms and lyrics of his songs. Some of his major hits include Ting a Ling, Wicked Inna Bed, Mr Loverman, Peeny Peeny and Live Blanket. He … Read entire article »

MINNESOTA, USA (AP) — DJ Busy Signal, who admitted he left the United States 10 years ago before his scheduled trial on drug charges, pleaded guilty today to one count of failure to appear in court. Busy, real name Glendale Goshia Gordon, could face between 12 to 18 months in prison and a fine of $3,000 to $30,000 under sentencing guideline recommendations. His attorney, Bill Mauzy, told The Associated Press he’d ask for a sentence of time … Read entire article »

LONDON (AP) — Border guards at British airports will walk off the job July 26, the day before the London Olympics begin, creating an Olympic-sized logistical headache for British officials. Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union voted for the 24-hour strike in a dispute over pay and job losses. Even without the strike, London’s Heathrow Airport has been beset for months by sporadic long lines at passport control, which the union blames on government spending … Read entire article »

CMC – A major human rights group in the United States has urged the government of Jamaica to repeal its colonial-era anti-buggery law and protect people from discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.  In a letter to Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, Human Rights Watch claimed that homophobia is “so bad that human rights defenders advocating the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people are not safe in Jamaica”. Buoyed by Simpson … Read entire article »

ON Sunday, New Yorkers are expected to turn out in droves for the second staging of the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival at Roy Wilkins Park. The best of Jamaican jerk cuisine, music, and cultural expressions will be on show at at the family-friendly one-day festival. Tarrus Riley Reggae singer Tarrus Riley is confirmed to perform at the event. Building on the success of last year’s staging, the producers of the event — Jamaican Jerk Festival USA, Inc and VP … Read entire article »

Crawford—   By Edmond Campbell—-  Junior ENTERTAINMENT Minister Damion Crawford has announced plans by his ministry to regulate the industry and establish an artists’ registry. In his maiden Sectoral Debate contribution on Tuesday, Crawford noted that regulation would help the ministry to identify practitioners in the field. “The reality is that, in order to effectively provide benefits or incentives to encourage entertainers, we need to know who they are, and who qualifies,” he told members of the House. Crawford stressed that … Read entire article »