Vandelin “Vonnie” Mcgowan (Arscott), PhD, OD Vonnie McGown, died in Miramar, Florida on August 18, 2016. Vonnie’s contribution to promoting Jamaican culture and advancing Jamaican causes in the USA, as well as her selfless work on behalf the less fortunate in Jamaica is now legendary. She is credited as…
The Jamaica Jazz & Blues (JJB) music festival which is normally schedule for January (the last full weekend prior to the US Super Bowl) was cancelled for 2016. Not only was the cancelation regrettable, but the late announcement of the cancellation (11/16/2015) was most unfortunate, because many of the customers…
New Music Fridays (9:00 PM – 2:00) Every Friday night on Kingston12: Conscious Reggae Party host Sydney White introduces listeners to the latest reggae releases from countries around the world where reggae music is produced. Artists from Jamaica, Hawaii, Germany, New Zealand and Great Britain are regulars in the playlists.…
The tradition of Jamaican dancehall Sound System has often been referred to as a kind of mobile disco. The “dancehall disco” was the linchpin for the development of the entire Jamaican music industry – which today has evolved into reggae and modern dancehall genres. These “mobile discos” actually gave rise…
Three or four years ago one of the hottest portable audio items one could have was the BOSE SoundDock Portable Digital Music Player – Series III. It has a docking “station” that allow you to load your music library on your IPhone, IPod, IPad or any other music player and…
Yoga seems to be increasing in popularity. If you are a member of a local gym, you will likely see it listed as one of the group fitness options. You may also have noticed that yoga studios are popping up in various parts of your city or town. And perhaps…
When DUBTONIC KRU was awarded the BEST NEW BAND IN THE WORLD title for 2010-2011 ahead of several hundred of their contemporaries who entered the Global Battle of the Bands competition in Malaysia in February 2011, very few people outside Jamaica and Europe new the name – irrespective of the…
The John Hope Franklin Research Center at Duke University has acquired the Robert A. Hill’s Collection of the Marcus Garvey and Universal Negro Improvement Association Papers. The collection includes the research materials and documents collected to compose the twelve-volume – Marcus Garvey and Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) Papers (University…
In the past, music lovers use to look forward to music festivals in places like New Orleans, the Caribbean, the British Isles, New Port, Rhode Island and Monterey, CA. Today these festivals have solid competition from a new kind of music festival at high seas. One can sail the Caribbean with his/her favorite band and be treated to intimate performances and chances to meet artists face-to-face, while having the vacation of a lifetime. From big band, classic jazz, contemporary jazz, country music, R & B, Blues to reggae – these cruises appeal to a broad range of melodic taste. Guest on these cruises may even be treated to special performances.
If you have had the opportunity to attend both a land-based music festival and a recent music cruise in the in the past 12 months, tell us in 100 words or less – which was your preference and why?
In the future, if you can only attend one music festival in a single year and you are asked to make a choice which would you choose?