CLINTON LINDSAY

Dr Rosemary Moodie— Included in the four senators who were appointed yesterday by the governor general in Canada was Jamaica-born Dr Rosemary Moodie. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who made the announcement, said that he has full confidence in the senators’ abilities to do excellent work. According to an article posted on the prime minister’s website, Moodie was said to have made significant contributions to reduce social inequities and health disparities among children and communities, locally and internationally. It noted, … Read entire article »

By Nadine Wilson-Harris/Staff Reporter—- Lydia Rose, general manager of Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers (JACAP). At least 22 companies have been sued by the Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers (JACAP) since the start of the year for copyright infringement, and after securing a recent win in its legal battle against Mars Cable Vision Limited, the association has sounded a warning that it will explore all options to protect its members. JACAP General Manager Lydia Rose … Read entire article »

By Shereita Grizzle— Sean ‘Contractor’ Edwards— In a bid to ensure that he is successful in his endeavours, Sean ‘Contractor’ Edwards of the Contractor Music Group based in Ocho Rios has forged a partnership with Universal Music Group. The SSMG/Universal Music Group will be responsible for the distribution of the ‘Hip Hop Cruises To Jamaica’ album. Although Edwards’ Tropical House Cruises To Jamaica spent time on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, the producer is convinced that the Universal deal will bring … Read entire article »

Kalado—- Days after dancehall entertainer Kalado was brought in for questioning by the police for having prop guns in his possession, the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) is advising artistes to access the necessary information regarding the use of firearms as props in music videos. A photo, which showed Kalado seated behind a desk of guns, quickly went viral, prompting some to believe the firearms were real. Subsequent investigations by the Spanish Town Criminal Investigative Branch revealed that the … Read entire article »

 Holness … We need more time— The Opposition has indicated that it will not be supporting an extension of the state of public emergency in St James. It means that the government will not be able to continue the security measure as an extension would require the support of the Opposition to amass two-thirds of the votes of members of the House of Representatives. The St James State of Emergency was imposed on January 18, 2018. “We don’t need … Read entire article »

BY BRIAN BONITTO Associate Editor —  Protoje — PROTOJE says a Grammy nomination was the furthest thing from his mind for his album, A Matter of Time. In fact, the roots-revival artiste had lost faith in the annual awards show when his previous set, Ancient Future, was snubbed. “I really didn’t expect it. I was surprised by the nomination, but I gratefully accept it,” the singer told the Jamaica Observer. Last Friday he received his first nod in the Best Reggae … Read entire article »

By Kevin Jackson Observer writer—  Shaggy (left) and Sting — SIX of the 10 positions on this week’s Billboard Reggae Albums Chart are former number ones. Five have improved their standing while the other has fallen down the table. Sting and Shaggy’s 44/876, which is up for a Best Reggae Album Grammy, continues to dominate as it returns to number one — the 19th time it has achieved this feat in 33 weeks on the chart. Beres Hammond’s Never Ending moves up two … Read entire article »

By Michel Martin— Gussie Clarke has been a leading reggae producer and music publisher since the 1970’s. Courtesy of Neil Williams Reggae is known by many as Jamaica’s most recognizable and influential musical genre. And now it has been officially recognized by the United Nations. This past week, reggae earned an entry on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The list is meant to “enhance the visibility of traditions from various communities without recognizing standards … Read entire article »

 US Customs and Border Protection officers are searching the electronic devices of travelers more often, and did not always follow proper protocol, a new watchdog report has found.— The report made public Monday found there were 29,000 devices searched at a port of entry out of 397 million travellers to the US in budget year 2017, up from 18,400 the year before from 390 million travelers. Customs and Border Protection officials note it is less than one … Read entire article »