Last year as she sat in a New Jersey jail cell for eight days, singjay Duchiez pondered her life and things she took for granted. Those emotions were the foundation for ‘A Week And A Day’, her five-song EP which was released in late April.

She co-produced the mini set with Jaboog, and considers it her most personal work to date.

“The songs were written while I was arrested and while I was inside, I basically planned out the entire EP. I knew what I wanted the beats to sound like and what instruments I wanted…

Originally recorded by soul group The Impressions, ‘Queen Majesty’ (also known as ‘Minstrel And Queen’) has been royally covered by reggae acts like The Techniques, The Jays and Dennis Brown. Singer Soul Rebel recently put her spin on the classic song as ‘King Majesty’.

Written by Curtis Mayfield, who was the creative force behind The Impressions, ‘Queen Majesty’ heard that trio at their peak. In 1967, it was given a rock steady do-over by The Techniques, led by the refined falsetto of Pat Kelly.

‘King…

With June being his birth month, Causion has extra reason to celebrate with the release of ‘Mission In Progress’, his EP which will be released on the 24^th, his birthday.

The Antiguan singer has had his share of medical challenges in the past four years and shows gratitude to the Almighty on ‘Thank You’, one of seven songs from the project which he co-produced with longtime friend, veteran musician Maurice Gregory.

“I wrote that song at a time when there was a lot of stress going on in my life, and even…

'Rooted Betrayal ', the 30-minute movie by Jamaican Fernando Edwards was released on April 15 by Amazon Prime.

Edwards, who lives in Los Angeles, stars as Andre in what is his first major project, a "psychological thriller" that also stars Suely Ramos as Stacy.  
 

He also wrote the screenplay and produced 'Rooted Betrayal' which took over two years to complete. 
 

From Portmore in St. Catherine parish, Edwards got involved in the film industry after moving to California just over 10 years ago. The courses he…

While visiting South Florida just over two years ago, Boney Derrington was struck by its tropical climate and the region’s Caribbean-ness. Even before returning to his native New York, the singer/rapper made the decision that he would relocate to the Sunshine State.

Since making that permanent move in 2021, he has stepped up his career a notch, recording several songs including ‘Tomorrow’, ‘Isis’ and ‘Profile’. He feels at home in South Florida where there is a large reggae/dancehall community.

“The vibes are…

After getting off the mark as a recording artist in 2022, deejay Mission da gr81 is looking for bigger things this year. He hopes linking with one of South Florida’s most successful producers will help him achieve that.

He is currently working on songs with JonFX, the man behind hit singles like ‘Hold You’ by Gyptian, ‘?’ and ‘Arms Around You’ by platinum-selling rapper XXXTentacion.

“We were at an occasion and someone introduced me to JonFX and immediately we made the connection. I’ve already recorded two…

lifelong fan of Karen Carpenter, Joanna Marie has long been keen to cover some of her songs, but never got around to doing it until the past year. She put a reggae flavor to 10 classics by the famed singer and her brother Richard.

‘Karen Carpenter Tribute Album’ is the title of the album which is scheduled for release on June 2. It is co-produced by Joanna Marie and singer/musician Ed Robinson, her husband.

“Growing up, she was my idol. Her songs were the first songs I learned to play on the piano. Her…

Osujah Records continues its steady stream of releases with ‘Cook A Pot’, a song by Buzz Weh, which hits the market on April 14.

An ode to Jamaican cuisine, ‘Cook A Pot’ follows ‘Making Progress’ by Mystic Warrior which came out in March. ‘Self Reliance’ by label founder and producer Lady Donna was released last summer.

“Whenever I am producing music, my attention is first focused on the lyrical content. I ask myself what is the message that the words communicate, and what is the feeling I get after listening…

The community of Newlands in St. Catherine parish, Jamaica, has long been stained by rampant crime and violence. For deejay Artical, who is from that area, it is a way of life for many youth.

He paints a graphic photo of life in Newlands and other hardened neighbourhoods in 'They Don’t Know', his latest song, which is produced by Alton Smith for Syn Citi Entertainment.

“Is jus’ a reality song from a youth wha’ in di streets. Everyday mi si di crime an’ poverty…mi a ghetto youth, wi jus’ a express wha’ wi si,”…

Many Jamaicans point to Nigeria as their ancestral home for years, noting similarities in resilience with persons from that West African country.

IceSleek, a singer from Lagos, the Nigerian capital, also has an affinity for Jamaican culture. It can be heard on ‘Holla’, his latest song which is produced by Tuffgig Music Empire.

Released on April 7, ‘Holla’ has elements of Afrobeats, the percussive Nigerian sound that is red-hot globally, thanks to homegrown acts such as Burna Boy, Wizkid and Davido.

“Nigerian…

The ‘Holland Bamboo’ is the title of Cocojamz Musik’s latest ‘riddim’ album which was released on February 27. It contains 11 songs, all produced by Mary Nicole “Coco” John, principal of that label.

‘Holland Bamboo’ has songs by veteran acts such as roots singer Lutan Fyah who does ‘Never Turn Up’. Teflon Young King, another seasoned campaigner, contributes ‘Mankind’.

Most of the songs are by upcoming artists including Lavisch (‘You Jah Jah’), Karbon (‘Hesitate’) and Imeru Tafari (‘Help me Jah’).

The ‘Holland…

It has been seven years since Sister Carol performed in Canada. Her last performance there was at Rastafest in Toronto in August, 2016.

She returns to Maple Leaf land on March 25 for SistahFest, a show featuring an all-female lineup at El Mocambo nightclub in Toronto. Nana McLean, Jade Faith and Fancy Lady are also scheduled to perform.

Fittingly, Sister Carol will hit the stage with a new song called ‘Nubian Woman’ which celebrates black women. It was released March 24 by her Black Cinderella Records and…

For as long as he can remember, Willie Stewart has loved percussive beats. He began playing drums in high school in Jamaica and fine-tuned his craft in top-class reggae bands like Inner Circle and Third World.

He also has a passion for teaching the art of drumming, which he has done for the past 23 years in South Florida with students in the Broward County school system. Many of his proteges have played in Rhythms Of Africa, the event he has staged since 2010.

It celebrates its 10^th anniversary this year with…

• Arif Cooper, the popular Disc Jockey, sound system operator and music producer, died in Kingston, Jamaica on March 5. He collapsed while playing at an event, it has been reported. 
• No cause of death has been given,  despite speculation he may have suffered a heart attack. 
• Cooper was the son of keyboardist Ibo Cooper, co-founder of the Third World band. He was one of Jamaica’s leading sound system personalities and also produced songs by a number of top artists such as Sean Paul, Vybz Kartel,  Busy…

A great man once said, ‘when music hits you, you feel no pain’. He sure knew what he was talking about, because that’s exactly what fans can expect at the third ‘Reggae Meets Soul’ show on March 18 at Coral Springs Center For The Performing Arts.

 A strong cast of artists will be on show, led by Russell Thompkins Jr and The New Stylistics out of Philadelphia. Kashief Lindo, J C Lodge, Michael Russell and saxophonist/singer Yishka will also perform.

 “I feel real good to be back on track the third time…

Two years ago, Jamaican artist desmond the songwriter got a massive boost when his debut album, 'Happiness is Priceless', placed at number 43 on Pop Magazine's Top 50 Albums of 2020.

He made a list that included albums by A-listers such as Selena Gomez, Alicia Keys, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. The singer/songwriter is back with 'Another Guess Coming', released on February 24.

The self-produced album has 11 songs. It hears desmond the songwriter working with experienced musicians such as guitarist Andy…

A firm believer in reggae’s power as a social force, Ginjah went all out on his latest album to prove that with a number of conscious songs.

That set, ‘The Message Album’, was released in December by Black Metro Music. It came out one year after ‘Ginjah The Reggae Soul Man’, the singer’s previous album.

It has 10 songs including the hard-hitting ‘Message’, ‘Manners’, ‘Gospel Reggae’ and ‘Jah Jah Real’. Each touches on different issues which is what Ginjah believes set reggae apart from other genres.

"Reggae…

There are not many gospel ‘juggling riddims’ on the market, but last year Basco House Productions in Jamaica changed that with its ‘Touched by An Angel Riddim’ album. On March 3, the company returns with a follow-up titled ‘Touched by An Angel Riddim — The Deuce’.

Seven of the acts from the first album are back for ‘The Deuce’. They include Jimmy Fagan, co-founder of Basco House Productions; Stefan Peninsilyn, Kevin Smith and DC Praise.

For their second production, the company reached out to Jabez, Goddy…

The third Jamaica International Independence Foreign Song Competition (JIIFSC) is scheduled for July 29 at Shiloh High School Theatre in Snellville, Georgia. Garfield McCook, founder and organizer of the event, made the announcement.

Applications officially opened on February 2, with one entry received to date. Entries close on April 30.

McCook, who lives in Atlanta, said 12 semi-finalists will be announced May 15. Fan voting starts the following day and ends June 30.

On July 1, the seven finalists…

Deejay Markeno endured much poverty in his youth in rural Jamaica. It is an humbling  experience that helps keep him grounded.

A major concern in Jamaican entertainment since the 1960s, is artist’s lack of knowledge of the music business. That ignorance has left many of them down and out in their senior years.

Ejai is determined not to suffer that faith. He expresses his commitment to good business practices in ‘Letter From Me’, one of his latest songs.

Released on January 6, it is produced by Iconix Beatz.

"The song is in fact very personal. I go into detail on what my current and past situations are and the plans I have for my…