THE annual National Honours and Awards have long been criticised for supposed favouritism, with the Jamaica Labour Party and People’s National Party accused of adorning supporters with accolades each October. The entertainment industry has not escaped this inconsistence. Here are some examples. Bunny and Scully: The first artists out of Trench Town to record in 1953. They were belatedly awarded a Badge of Honour in 2004. Jackie Jackson and wife Karen Smith. Jackson, who played on countless … Read entire article »

BY CECELIA CAMPBELL-LIVINGSTON—- WITH the euphoria over Jamaica’s 50th anniversary celebrations, musicologist Vaughn ‘Bunny’ Goodison believes it would be appropriate to honour stalwart musicians whose achievements have been ignored. In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Goodison spoke passionately about the oversight of ceremonies like the National Honours and Awards which take place in October. Delroy Wilson   According to Goodison, he longs for the day when pioneer musicians are treated with the same respect as politicians and private sector … Read entire article »

  CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan authorities say thieves stole cash and other items from the hotel room of Spanish singer Julio Iglesias while he was performing a concert. The Venezuelan Prosecutor General’s Office says the 68-year-old artist and his nephew returned to their rooms after the concert in the city of Valencia and found that $1,600 in cash was missing, as well as items including three iPads and a suitcase containing video cameras, a computer and personal documents. Prosecutors … Read entire article »

Emergency meeting for tomorrow as stakeholders protest Minister with responsibility for the horse-racing industry, Horace Dalley, is to meet with major players in the sector tomorrow after protest action forced a shutdown of the sport of kings yesterday. Major players in the sector, including trainers and owners, decided not to run their horses after Dalley met with bookmakers who had closed their doors for two weeks in a dispute with Caymanas Track Limited over rights fees. With bookmakers obviously satisfied with the outcome … Read entire article »

Singing protesters thrown out of court—- STORY HIGHLIGHTS A judge issues a 20-year sentence to woman who fired warning shot inside her house Judge James Daniel says he had no choice in the sentence Marissa Alexander says she fired the warning shot to fend off her abusive husband A congresswoman confronts prosecutor Angela Corey after the sentencing   (CNN) — Saying he had no discretion under state law, a judge sentenced a Jacksonville, Florida, woman to 20 years in prison Friday for firing … Read entire article »

BY CONRAD HAMILTON—– WITH criminals involved in the multi-billion dollar lottery scam resorting to highly sophisticated tactics, the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID) says it needs additional resources to sustain the crackdown on those behind the racket, which has further tainted Jamaica’s image overseas. Speaking Friday at a meeting of the Jamaica Observer’s Press Club, Head of OCID, Senior Superintendent Fitz Bailey highlighted the gravity of the scam when he disclosed that last year alone Americans were … Read entire article »

  By Davina Henry, Staff Reporter—– Friday marked the 31st anniversary of reggae icon Bob Marley’s death. The singer passed away at the age of 36 from cancer and left behind a legacy that transcends all musical genres and appeals to all age groups worldwide. Despite his untimely passing more than three decades ago, Marley continues to outsell contemporary reggae stars. Based on Google Trends search data, for every 100 persons searching the web for Bob Marley, twenty-eight are searching for Sean Paul, … Read entire article »

Many Musicolo-gists tend to believe that Channel One was to the 1970s what Studio One was to the 1960s. Between 1974 and 1984, the Channel One Studios at 29 Maxfield Avenue in Kingston 13 dominated the reggae airwaves with a multitudinous array of quality reggae recordings that could only be rivalled by its predecessors, Studio One and Treasure Isle. Doing its own productions and having its own in-house band, Channel One created a sound that conjured up memories of the … Read entire article »

NEWARK, N.J. — Police in New Jersey are investigating a shooting at a nightclub that left one man dead and a security guard injured early Saturday. The shooting was reported shortly before 3:00am local time at Club Sensations in Newark, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release.Officers arrived on the scene and found two men suffering from gunshot wounds. One, identified as 35-year-old Andrew Henry, was taken to nearby University Hospital, where he was … Read entire article »

By Howard Campbell— WHEN many Jamaicans hear Bermuda, the shorts for which the island is synonymous usually pops up, certainly not head-bobbing dancehall music. On Wednesday, Bermudan company Upper Class Music Productions and Management officially plunged into the dancehall market with the launch of its Upper Class ‘riddim’ at Stone Love headquarters in St Andrew. Keetha Lowe (right), partner in Upper Class, and Kengele ‘HeadNoize’ Maybury (centre) pose with Paul Lowe-Chin of Kingston-based Chiney K Productions at Stone … Read entire article »