Trinidad and Tobago: Damian Marley, Nas and Jah Cure are Coming Your Way

Damian Marley and Nas the distant relatives are ready to bring the reggae-hiphop fused vibe to the people of the beautiful and tiny islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Jah Cure is also expected to join them for the event scheduled for next Saturday, December 4th at the Hasley Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain.


Tri-Star Promotions, collaborating with other promoters are producing the concert featuring American rapper Nas and reggae artistes Damien “Junior Gong” Marley and Jah Cure. Marley and Nas have been on tour across the world promoting their album, Distant Relatives, a collaborative effort released in May this year.

Matisyahu Releases New Chanukah Song “Miracle” Ahead of his 5th Annual Staging of Festival of Light

Matisyahu has released a brand new Chanukah song, "Miracle," available on iTunes, one week ahead of the Festival of Light, his fifth annual series of shows celebrating Chanukah. An uplifting pop gem arriving just in time for the holiday, "Miracle," produced by Dr. Luke protégé Kool Kojak (Flo Rida, Katy Perry, Ke$ha), is drenched in a joyful spirit and features chiming synths, bouncing beats and an irresistible chorus. "Miracle" is now streaming on Matisyahu's site www.matisyahuworld.com and is available on iTunes here: http://bit.ly/i0DJbv

The playful and spirited video for "Miracle," featuring Matisyahu's tongue-in-cheek humor and ever-present message of optimism and unity will be aired shortly and will be available for you to view, right here on i-reggae.

Judge has Denied Buju Banton's Request to Perform Live

Banton, 37, whose real name is Mark Myrie, wanted to perform a live concert in Miami on Dec. 26. However, U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli denied his request on Tuesday, saying "whatever financial pressures Banton faces do not outweigh the risk that he might flee".




Banton's attorney Wednesday asked the judge to reconsider, saying the 24-hour security detail ordered to monitor Banton as a condition of his release costs $20,000 a month. Plus, there's the cost of preparing for his upcoming drug trafficking retrial. Banton's security detail does not object to him doing the concert and would be present for the show, his lawyer says. The prosecutor does object. No word on whether he would attend.

Amazura Reggae Extravaganza Will Honor Sugar Minott

This Friday, November 26, Amazura nightclub, at 91-12 144 Place, in Queens, will  host a Reggae Thanksgiving extravaganza featuring: Mykal Rose, Coco Tea, Frankie Paul, Everton Blender, Brigadier Jerry, Pinchers, General Trees, Chrisinti, Di Ras, Ragga Lox and Twitch.

The show will honor the great singer “Sugar” Minott, who died on July, 10, 2010. He was only 54. 

Known as the “Godfather of the Dancehall,” Minott had been diagnosed, in 2009, with heart problems. He  died of a heart disease named Angina pectoris, which causes chest pains due to blocked or clogged arteries.

Zimbabweans are Already Prepping the Stage for Capleton's Arrival

CAPLETON (popularly known as ‘King Shango’), will bring his latest album Iternal Fire when he performs here and Harare is already feeling the heat.

The Jamaican reggae star is expected to perform at Andy Millar Hall on December 31 and Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex on January 1, 2011. 

Most ghettos in the capital have been shaking to exciting open air gigs that are being staged in preparation of King Shango’s arrival.

He is expected to jet into the country on December 24, a week before the show and spend his Christmas holiday in Zimbabwe.

“Sierra Leone is my Motherland" says Jimmy Cliff

Jamaican reggae legend and film actor; Jimmy Cliff has disclosed that Sierra Leone is his mother land considering the fact that his ancestors came from Africa where they were taken by slave masters and were later resettled in Caribbean after the abolition of slave trade.

Jimmy Cliff came to Sierra Leone as a guest of honour for the 2010 ECOWAS Peace Pageant that was held on the 13th November, 2010. This is his second visit to the West African state that was once referred to as the “Province of Freedom” after his first visit in 1977.

Speaking to the media at a brief meeting the Reggae legend said: “I am happy to be home and I want to liberate the minds of my brothers and sisters through music and it is my hope that my presence here in Sierra Leone will inspire the youths” He added.

Great Article by TIME: "The Death of Gregory Isaacs: Jamaica Mourns a Reggae Legend"

Unless you're a reggae devotee, you might have assumed that the heyday of Jamaica's most famous music ended with the death of the legendary Bob Marley in 1981. After that, Marley's elegance seemed to have been overtaken by the louder and often lewder strains of dancehall reggae. But the thousands gathering to bid farewell to Gregory Isaacs this weekend know better: thanks to Isaacs' silky vocals and stage mastery — he was called the "Cool Ruler" — the reggae born at the time of the Beatles still pulses strong. Isaacs "kept the tradition of pure singing alive," says Jamaican musicologist Vaughn "Bunny" Goodison. "He remained endeared to the people."

Read more : http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2032282,00.html#ixzz15mgTzQ8P

Jimmy Cliff Cautions Africans Against Adopting Foreign Cultures

The Honourable Jimmy Cliff, OM renowned Jamaican Reggae singer and actor has advised Africans that adopting foreign cultures may have a bad effect on the continent's development.


He used China and Japan's development as examples. He pointed out that both nations were able to forge ahead because they remained true to their own cultural identity and lifestyle.


Mr. Cliff, who is also an ECOWAS Peace Pageant made this observation at the Kotoka International Airport yesterday when he made a stop-over on his way to Sierra Leone to attend the ECOWAS Peace Pageant. 


He has called on the leaders of the continent to start resisting all forms of foreign influences saying "we do not want foreigners to rule us anymore" . He asked them to redirect their resources towards providing quality education for the people, particularly children.

Jimmy Cliff Arrives in Ghana en route to Freetown, Sierra Leone

International reggae music star, Jimmy Cliff has arrived in Accra en route to Freetown, Sierra Leone to participate in Miss ECOWAS Peace Pageant on Saturday. 

While in Ghana for a day, he would be holding discussions with a cross section of interest groups. 

Mr. Cliff was met on arrival by the Deputy Minister of Information, Samul Okudzeto-Ablakwah. 

The reggae star said he cannot be in Africa without stepping foot on the soil of Ghana. He said Ghana played a major role in the liberation of the continent from colonialism to independence. 

30 Cities, 32 Concerts: Dubtonic Kru's FOUNDATION MEDICINE TOUR a success

America continues to embrace the fresh organic sound of DUBTONIC KRU

Their songs and spoken words are consciously thought provoking, while their rhythm/dub section walks through the passage of time with a gritty sound that rolls stones and break fences.

After what was considered to be a sold out pairing of Mykal Rose and Dubtonic Kru for a spring 2010 U.S.A tour, it was evident that this new sound, brought to the scene by this unique band, was going to be a rocker for audiences.

It was with this understanding, that they had the drive to independently take their music to the West and mid west regions of the U.S.A… and they did so for summer, with performances at several Reggae and world music festivals as well as club appearances.

There is a  saying "third time a charm"  and  "Foundation medicine" autumn 2010 tour was just that with 32 concerts in 30 cities.

The impact of Dubtonic kru's  music on audiences throughout this tour was very intense and the overwhelming response brought numerous requests yet again for another speedy return.

Marley Unseen: Rare Photographs of Bob Marley the Reggae Legend

SPIN Magazine has since week published a few intimate and never before seen photo of Bob Marley the Jamaican Reggae star.


Bob Marley wasn't well-known beyond college campuses when Kim Gottlieb was dispatched to Jamaica in the early '70s to photograph him in his homeland. Gottlieb was hired by Marley's label, Island Records, but she ended up shooting more than just album covers and publicity stills: She walked away with hundreds of intimate photos of Marley at home and on the road.

Those pics are compiled in the new book Bob Marley and the Golden Age of Reggae, which features rare and never-before-published images of Marley, whose smash album Legend has sold a whopping 25 million copies worldwide. (Marley didn't live to enjoy his global fame: he died of melanoma in 1981 at the age of 36.) Also featured are photos of other reggae greats like Peter Tosh, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Bunny Wailer, Jimmy Cliff, and more.

Memorial Service for the 'Cool Ruler', Gregory Isaacs in London

Reggae`s `Cool Ruler` Gregory Isaacs is set to be remembered next week in a memorial service in London.

The UK service, according to his wife Linda, is scheduled to be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday 10th November at the All Saints` Church in Harrow Weald where Isaacs lived with his family.

Following the service, Isaacs` body will be flown to his homeland, Jamaica on Thursday 11th November for a state funeral and burial. He will be escorted by a cortege comprising his children and grand-children who reside in Britain.

Jamaica`s Culture Minister, Babsy Grange, has organized a state funeral to be held at the National Arena on the island. Isaacs died in London on Monday, October 25, after a battle with lung cancer. He was 59.

Buju Banton's Retrial Delayed until February

TAMPA - The retrial of Jamaican reggae singer Buju Banton is being delayed until February at the request of the defense.

Banton, whose real name is Mark Myrie, is trying to secure his release from jail pending the federal trial, which follows a trial that ended in a hung jury in September. He is charged with trying to traffick in cocaine.

U.S. District Judge James Moody, who had said the new trial would be in December, granted a defense motion to postpone, and set the case for his February trial calendar. But the judge did not set a specific date.