Etched reggae history as Jamaica’s first international teen pop sensation, Millie Smalls groundbreaking cover single in 1964 held open the floodgates for the island’s musical presence in the global arena. And though her rise to stardom is known by many, her bittersweet journey is told by few.
What a year… huh? 2020 will be remembered for many things however one of the most underrated aspects of this past year will be the number and quality of music released. The genres of reggae and dancehall alone has seen over 50 releases and while most people were not privy to the numbers in previous years, 2020 certainly had more fans around the world eagerly awaiting and anticipating every new music drop.
Judy Mowatt is historically synonymous with Bob Marley, and her work with the Gaylettes, The I-Threes, and her shepherding Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers on tour in the band’s early years.
But it is her journey as a solo act spanning 5 decades, that leaves us with one of the most enduring stories in Reggae History.
In this episode we take a journey through the life, the times, and the music of Diana King, one of Jamaica’s most successful female artists of all times.
It is common knowledge that adversity is not confined to race, class, gender or creed. So, for anyone to – not only aspire but – strive in life; it would mean that several obstacles would have to be overcome in order to achieve any level of success irrespective of background. This film – presented by Red Bull – Out Deh shows the path to success for three young men with the city of Kingston
Men lie, Women lie but numbers don’t, is a common refrain and with good reason as for many aspects about modern life is all about the triangulation of numbers and applying those numbers to everyday living. So, it was literally a joy to both witness and analyze the overwhelming quantitative success, the Bounty Killer vs Beenie Man ‘clash’ had on the Instagram Live of the VerzuzTV page. Created by legendary music producers Timbaland and Swizz Beats, VerzuzTV was built to entertain the millions of music fans
Tarrus Riley, like many other reggae/dancehall luminaries, has given us an impressive catalogue of solid, timely hits. The way we consume music in this new era of streams and plays fosters an insatiable pace for releasing music. Yet even amidst this rapid tumultuous shift to digital, Tarrus, son of Jimmy Riley, has not just kept pace but also represented the contemporary music space in Jamaica through hit singles. It is a commendable feat for an artist to remain consistent and also best themselves with each effort, for such a prolonged period without the help of an album.
Cool As The Breeze is the truest Summer Song, an eternal one if there ever was.
