[Photo: Davies Chirwa, founder of the African Achievement Awards, with singer Oltanie of Haiti, who won the Best Female Afro Caribbean Artist category at the December 15 event in Seattle, Washington.] African excellence was rewarded in chilly Seattle, Washington on December 15, at the annual African Achievement Awards. Held at Seattle Airport Marriott, it was the first physical show since…
REISSUE It’s been long overdue but Little Roy’s 10-track debut album is finally reissued. Initially released in 1975 on Munchie Jackson’s Aires label, which is associated with Wackies, the very hard-to-find album Tribal War has now been licensed and released by Deep Roots, a reissue label based in France. This collection features timeless tracks like the title song Tribal War,…
Lloyd Woodrow James, known as Prince Jammy until his accession to the dub throne following his success with Wayne Smith and Sleng Teng, has here a new release that is, to quote the title of the album he shared with Lee Perry, most definitely “dub the old fashioned way”. He has drafted in many of his Kingston 11 regulars such…
COVER VERSION VS ORIGINAL SONG Since the early 1960s and even prior, numerous iconic Jamaican hits were derived from popular foreign songs. The original pop and soul tracks were frequently embraced by audiences on the island, leading reggae artists to create their own renditions. Some of these artists gained fame by covering chart-topping songs, turning these adaptations into timeless classics.…