Du dup and djun-djuns: the Laventille Rhythm Section
My first encounter with the Laventille Rhythm Section was a jaw-dropping moment. It was three o’clock on J’Ouvert morning, when...
Roy Heath: a man goes home
Roy AK Heath, who has died aged 81, was a writer whose work vividly explored the complex situation of contemporary Guyana. Heath’s...
Top 10 things to do in Grenada
Grenada is an unspoilt gem. Known as the Spice Isle for the nutmeg and cinnamon, clove, ginger, vanilla, lemongrass, bay leaf, thyme, and...
Love the Mikey Dread
Mikey Dread was one of those unusual artists that Jamaica produces every so often. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, particularly...
Shadon Beni and Spanish Thyme
At last summer’s Notting Hill Carnival in London, a new pepper sauce was doing the rounds. Dispensed from small glass jars decorated with...
Top 10 reggae CDs
After the explosion of ska during the early 1960s and then the development of rocksteady, reggae burst onto the Jamaican music scene in...
Burning Spear: do you remember?
Burning Spear holds a very special place in the rich history of reggae. He’s been a recording and performing artist for the better part...
Wadadli style
For many people, Antiguan popular music means the longstanding soca band Burning Flames. Older heads may recall when King Short Shirt’s...
