Category Archives: Reggae
AMMOYE-THE LIGHT.
Ammoye-The Light. Life has been easy for Jamaican-Canadian singer and songwriter Ammoye, who has had to cope with a number of setbacks during her life. This has made the three-times Juno nominated singer stronger, and inspired Ammoye to keep following her dream of becoming a successful singer-songwriter. It’s a dream that she has never lost sight …
JON SAVAGE’S 1967-THE YEAR THAT POP DIVIDED.
Jon Savage’s 1967 -The Year Pop Divided. Nowadays, 1967 is regarded by critics and cultural commentators as one of the most important years in musical history. It’s remembered for its Summer Of Love in San Francisco, and the birth of Flower Power. 1967 is also a remembered as the year that pop divided. A signal …
TO LOVE SOMEBODY:THE SONGS OF THE BEE GEES 1965-1970.
To Love Somebody: The Songs Of The Bee Gees 1966-1970. During a career that spanned the best part of fifty years, the Bee Gees released twenty-two albums and sold 220 million records worldwide. Despite that, Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb considered themselves first and foremost as songwriters. That was certainly the case between 1967 and …
INNA DE YARD-THE SOUL OF JAMAICA.
Inna De Yard-The Soul Of Jamaica. Back in June 2016, two generations of Jamaica’s greatest musicians were about to embark upon a musical adventure. Before that, they had to head high into the hills above Kingston. Their eventual destination was Kiddus I’s studio. It sits high above the vast forests that decorate the hills on …
BLACK ROOTS-SON OF MAN.
BLACK ROOTS-SON OF MAN. In the British reggae scene, Black Roots are viewed as respected elder statesmen. That’s fitting. Black Roots have been making music for over thirty years. Still, though, their music is powerful and full of social comment. That’s the case on their new album Son Of Man, which was released on Soulbeat …
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-CATCH A FIRE.
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-CATCH A FIRE. Forty years ago, Bob Marley and The Wailers released the album that launched their career, Catch A Fire which will be rereleased by Commercial Marketing on vinyl on 25th September 2015. Catch A Fire was certified in the UK and was the start of a career where critical acclaim and commercial success were …
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-KAYA-VINYL EDITION.
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-KAYA-VINYL EDITION. Back in 1978, when Bob Marley and The Wailers released Kaya, critics and fans accused Bob Marley of selling out. Kaya was a much more laid-back album, whereas previous albums had been politically charged and crammed full of social comment. Previously, Bob Marley was seen as Jamaica’s social conscience. …
BEAM UP-INNERSTAND.
BEAM UP-INNERSTAND. Dub was born in the sixties, and before long, its stripped down sound became one of reggae’s most popular sub-genres. Its founding fathers included King Tubby and Lee “Scratch” Perry. Then as the seventies dawned, a new generation of dub producers began to make a name for themselves. This included Bunny Lee, Niney …
THE EXCELSIORS-CONTROL THIS.
THE EXCELSIORS-CONTROL THIS. When The Excelsiors recently released their debut album Control This, on BBE Records, one thing shawn through, Shane “Sureshot” Hunt’s love of Jamaican music. It shines through from the opening bars of Mrs. Magic, right through to the closing bars of Soon I Will Be Done. So much so, that Control This …
CALYPSO -MUSICAL POETRY IN THE CARIBBEAN 1955-1969.
CALYPSO -MUSICAL POETRY IN THE CARIBBEAN 1955-1969. Even today, calypso’s origins are still disputed by historians. Depending upon which historian you ask, they’ll tell you that calypso’s origins are in France or Spain. Others will suggest calypso’s origins are in West Africa, and specially, Nigeria. Calypso in the language of the Ibildilio people, of West …
DJ VADIM-DUBCATCHER.
DJ VADIM-DUBCATCHER. For Dubcatcher, the followup to DJ Vadim’s critically acclaimed tenth album, Don’t Be Scared, he dawns the role of his alter ego Dubcatcher. There’s a reason for this. Dubcatcher isn’t another hip hop album. Instead, Dubcatcher is album of dancehall reggae. This isn’t DJ Vadim’s first reggae album. No. He’s previously released a reggae album. …
STUDIO ONE ROCKSTEADY.
STUDIO ONE ROCKSTEADY. Soul Jazz Records’ latest compilation Studio One Rocksteady, which was released on 3rd February 2014, sees compiler Lloyd Bradley return to the vaults of Studio One Records. Previous visits to the Studio One vaults have resulted in rich pickings for Soul Jazz Records. No wonder. Studio One Records was one of reggae …
THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 5.
THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 5. PIED PIPER PRESENTS A NEW CONCEPT IN DETROIT SOUL, When the definitive history of soul music is written, several cities will loom large in the story. A triumvirate in particular, have played a hugely important part in the development of soul. This triumvirate are Memphis, Philadelphia …
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-CATCH A FIRE.
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-CATCH A FIRE. Forty years ago, Bob Marley and The Wailers released the album that launched their career, Catch A Fire which was recently rereleased by Island on vinyl. Catch A Fire was certified in the UK and was the start of a career where critical acclaim and commercial success were ever-present. It also introduced the world to …
HARTLEY AND WOLFE-BESPOKE FUTURE.
HARTLEY AND WOLFE-BESPOKE FUTURE. Last year, DJ Vadim released his tenth solo album, the critically acclaimed Don’t Be Scared. One of the singles from Don’t Be Scared was I’m Feelin’ U, which featured Essex’s finest purveyor of all things soulful, Greg Blackman. Now a year later, DJ Vadim and Greg Blackman are about to release …
STUDIO ONE SKA FEVER!
STUDIO ONE SKA FEVER! Ska was born in Jamaica during the late-fifties. At first Jamaican musicians seemed determined to replicate the sound of American R&B. Both the beat and tempo were similar. Then having tired of copying their American counterparts, Jamaican musicians decided to give this new musical genre a Jamaican twist. So, Caribbean and …
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