Jamaica never really developed formal diplomatic relations with Cuba until Michael Manley’s government established diplomatic relations in 1972. That year Manley established multi-level relations with Cuba that included trade, bi-lateral technical assistance, loans and other direct aid. Today, there are many Jamaicans studying in Cuba – particularly in health-related professions,…
Prince Buster (Cecil Bustamante Campbell) was born in Kingston, Jamaica on May 24, 1938. His work as song-writer and produce during the Ska and Rock-Steady era has made him one of the giant figures of Jamaican music. This work has earned him an Order of Distinction (OD) honor from the…
At the bottom of the web page promoting the 2015 Reggae o the River (ROTR) music festival, there is a quote from a Bob Marley song that has served as the inspiration for this web platform. It states “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no…
Call it by either of its branded names “The Greatest Reggae Show on Earth” or the “World’s best Promotion of Music as a Universal Force”, it comes down to one thing – the best experience you will have at a music festival (including the latest trends of festivals on the…
Chris Blackwell (born Christopher Percy Gordon Blackwell) was born in Westminster, London. His father –Joseph Blackwell was an Englishman who came to Jamaica as a major in the Jamaican Regiment of the British army. His mother – Blanche Lindo was a Jamaican Jew of Costa Rican descent. Chris came from…
Vere Johns (Joseph Vere Everette Johns) was born in Mandeville, a city located in the parish of Manchester in central Jamaica on November 28, 1893 and died on September 10, 1966. He was a journalist/actor and one of the island’s earliest radio personalities. He was producer and host of the…
In 2014 reggae artists Tessane Chin and Sister Nancy (Ophlin Russell-Myers) came out of the shadows to emerge as reggae music’s top female artists. Tessane, because she put her talents to the test on the US television program – the Voice and beat all the competition, and Sister Nancy, as…
Breadfruit is unlike any other fruit you’ve eaten before. That’s because breadfruit does not have the look, feel or consistency of a typical fruit, but like its name suggests, looks much like bread. When the breadfruit is ripe it is relatively soft and the inside has a yellow, cream colored…
It is health which is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. – Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi What is health? A medical “check-up” often focuses on making sure we are not sick – checking our blood pressures, mammograms, colonoscopies. These are all excellent things to keep on top…
Dub is often described as a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a sub-genre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae with the recent work of producers such as Major Lazer. The music in this genre…