Three Jamaica-based hotels have been named among the Caribbean’s best resorts for families in the coveted TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards. Beaches Negril Resort and Spa has copped the number one spot – having been voted the Top Hotel for Families in the Caribbean. The Half Moon hotel in Montego Bay came in at number four and Hanover’s Tryall Club was ranked tenth. This is the second win by Beaches Negril in the same category. TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel site, connecting … Read entire article »

   Ziggy Marley– Ziggy Marley won his second solo Best Reggae Album Grammy Sunday for his live In Concert set. The 14-track album, recorded on Marley’s 2012 world tour, got the nod over Sly and Robbie and the Jam Masters’ Reggae Connection; Sizzla’s The Messiah; One Love, One Life by Beres Hammond; Ziggy Marley’s Ziggy Marley in Concert and Snoop Lion’s Reincarnated. Marley’s first solo Grammy came in 2007 for Love is my Religion. Three years later, he won … Read entire article »

By Howard Campbell– Maxine Stowe (left) in discussion with Opposition spokesperson on Culture and former music producer Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange.— Thirty years after reggae was granted Grammy status, a leading music industry player has mixed views on its impact. Maxine Stowe, a Jamaican who has worked with Island Records and Sony Music International, believes the benefits of a Best Reggae Album win depends on the artist’s reputation. “It does lift the profile in the reggae markets for some winners … Read entire article »

Jamaica’s queen of reggae, Marcia Griffiths.— Jamaica’s queen of reggae, Marcia Griffiths, celebrates 50 years in the music business this year.  She began her entertainment career at a 1964 Easter morning concertat the Carib Theatre in Cross Roads, Kingston, Jamaica, where, as a 9-year-old, she literally brought the house down with a rendition of No Time to Lose, made popular by the American singer, Carla Thomas. Phillip James, one half of the popular Jamaican singing duo, The Blues Busters, heard her … Read entire article »

  WHAT’S in a name? A lot for reggae band UB40. The musicians look set for a showdown over the use of the name after former band members announced they were adopting it, despite a rival camp already touring and recording with it. According to au.news.yahoo.com, ex-singer Ali Campbell has joined up with former members Astro and Mickey Virtue to form a new band called UB40. The news has infuriated the group’s current line-up, which features five remaining founding … Read entire article »

By Howard Campbell— The O’Jays– IT was the summer of 1978 and Now That We Found Love, a funky reggae song by Jamaican band Third World, was jamming American radio stations. Not many people knew the song was a cover. The original was done in 1973 by American Rhythm and Blues group, The O’Jays, for their album Ship Ahoy. The O’Jays lead singer Eddie Levert remembers the impact of Third World’s version. “They did great things with the song and … Read entire article »

  Snoop Lion— THE winner of the contentious Best Reggae Album category will be announced at The Grammy Awards scheduled for Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, this evening. The nominees are Sly and Robbie and the Jam Masters’ Reggae Connection, Sizzla’s The Messiah, One Love, One Life by Beres Hammond, Ziggy Marley’s Ziggy Marley in Concert and Snoop Lion’s Reincarnated. The latter’s inclusion has generated considerable ire in some quarters. Snoop Lion (formerly gangster rapper Snoop Dogg) says he converted … Read entire article »

By Richard Johnson— Reggae singer Tarrus Riley records at the iconic Tuff Gong Studios in St Andrew for inclusion in, the five-hour reggae expose which airs on BBC1 and BBC Xtra today. (PHOTOS: BRYAN CUMMINGS)—–FROM as far back as the 1950s, when West Indians migrated in droves to England following World War II, Jamaican music has had an impact on that country. That impact flourished in the 1960s as ska followed by rocksteady infiltrated British society. The … Read entire article »

Mr Vegas—-DANCEHALL artists Ce’Cile and Mr. Vegas have teamed up on the soca track Mash Up the Road. The single, produced by St Lucia’s Studio 758 and Vegas’s MV Music, is to be released this week. “The song is something different as I have never collaborated with a female dancehall artist before. This song is a fun, catchy tune and it has the new soca flavor that will have people chipping down the road this season,” Vegas … Read entire article »

By Kevin Jackson— Robert Burchell—- ROBERT Burchell has been a musician for more than two decades. In the 1980s and 1990s, he was a regular on the live show scene, sharing the stage with acts like Gregory Isaacs, Freddie McGregor and Sanchez. Last year, Burchell turned his back on secular music for a new career in gospel. Since his conversion, he has released two singles — The Lord is My Shepherd and Never Judge a Book. Burchell is currently … Read entire article »