Mar 31, 2022Member-only‘A full-force trinity’: the glory and tragedy of reggae group the Mighty DiamondsThe death of Donald “Tabby Diamond” Shaw aged 67 in a drive-by shooting, followed three days later by the death of Fitzroy “Bunny Diamond” Simpson aged 71 from diabetes complications, brings a terribly tragic end to one of reggae’s most enduring and revered harmony trios. …Tabby Diamonds4 min readTabby Diamonds4 min read
Feb 3, 2022Member-onlyBob Marley One Love Experience review — corporate exhibition can’t satisfy the soulfrayed sheet of A4 paper bearing the lyrics to Turn Your Lights Down Low, with scribbled corrections; a pair of old football boots still with mud in the cleats; the surface of a battered acoustic guitar, deteriorated through overuse. …Bob Marley3 min readBob Marley3 min read
Dec 9, 2021Member-onlyRobbie Shakespeare married funk and reggae to create a catalogue of classicshe death of the venerated Jamaican bassist Robbie Shakespeare at the age of 68 finally ends the incomparable partnership he forged with the drummer Sly Dunbar in the dingy nightclubs and hothouse recording studios of 1970s Kingston. Having backed virtually every reggae star and collaborated with an array of international…Robbie Shakespeare4 min readRobbie Shakespeare4 min read
Jul 28, 2021Member-onlyThe OriginatorU-Roy at SOB’s in New York City, August 1995. Original photo by David Corio/Redferns.U Roy16 min readU Roy16 min read
Jul 21, 2021Member-onlyRapso: discover the pride and power of Trinidad’s rap-soca musicou would expect a song called Dancing Shoes to celebrate the unfettered joy of a good boogie, but Network Rapso Riddum Band’s 1981 track did quite the opposite. …6 min read6 min read
Jul 13, 2021Member-onlyMenelik Shabazz obituaryThe groundbreaking film director and activist Menelik Shabazz, who has died aged 67 of diabetes-related complications, produced a compelling body of work depicting the lives of black Britons, underlining their struggles with pervasive racism, and countering the often reductive narratives of the mainstream media. He began his career with unsparing…Menelik Shabazz5 min readMenelik Shabazz5 min read
Published in The Attic·Sep 19, 2020Member-onlyRadiola State of Mind: The Strange Case of Reggae in São Luís, BrazilSão Luís is one of Brazil’s most beguiling and unusual cities and the site of a highly unusual reggae scene that cuts across boundaries of race, class, age and gender, despite no obvious links with Jamaica. — São Luís is one of Brazil’s most beguiling and unusual cities. The capital of the state of Maranhão in the country’s far northeast, this former slave trading port lies midway between the tourist hustle of Fortaleza and the ornate Amazon gateway of Belem. There are large black and indigenous communities…Reggae14 min readReggae14 min read
May 26, 2020Member-onlyBobby Digital: Jamaican reggae producer dies aged 59Renowned Jamaican record producer Robert “Bobby Digital” Dixon died in a Kingston hospital on 21 May, aged 59. The cause of death was kidney disease. One of the most respected producers of the dancehall era, Dixon transformed contemporary reggae several times over, enjoying tremendous international success with Shabba Ranks, Garnett…Bobby Digital3 min readBobby Digital3 min read
Mar 30, 2020Member-onlyBob Andy obituaryThe Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Andy, who has died of cancer aged 75, enjoyed a long and fruitful career. Best known in Britain for the chart successes he achieved with Marcia Griffiths in their duo, Bob and Marcia — notably with Young, Gifted and Black (1970) and Pied Piper (1971) —…Bob Andy4 min readBob Andy4 min read
May 2, 2019Member-only‘Original raggamuffin’ Jah Stitch, pioneering reggae vocalist, dies aged 69The Jamaican reggae vocalist Jah Stitch died in Kingston on Sunday aged 69, following a brief illness. …Jah Stitch4 min readJah Stitch4 min read
