ReggaeMe

Queens, NY: Irie Jamboree, North America’s premier reggae festival will not be held this year. The executive team made the agonizing decision to forgo the seventh annual staging this year. We will instead focus our resources on planning for the 2011 festival on Labor Day Sunday and promise another spectacular, exciting presentation then.

To set the record straight about why this beloved annual concert was forced into hiatus this year, we list 5 reasons that are the cold facts.

There’s a well known adage in the Caribbean that “if America sneezes, the Caribbean...

Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, and producer Beres Hammond’s “For The Love Of It” 2010 Tour kicked off in Florida last week and will continue throughout the U.S. and Canada making stops in 35 cities including Atlanta (July 30), Washington, DC (August 1), New York (August 6,7 & 8), San Francisco (August 27), Los Angeles (August 29) and wrapping back in Florida’s West Palm Beach (Sept 12). Joining Hammond on the tour will be Kenyatta Hill & Culture and Inner Circle.

Known to many as the originator of “lover’s rock,” Hammond has been writing, producing and...

Inga "Foxy Brown" Marchand was arrested on Thursday, July 22, 2010, in Brooklyn for violating an order of protection put in place by a neighbor, Arlene Raymond.

Brown apparently got into a shouting match with Raymond, in Brown’s driveway, because Raymond stared at Brown, and complained about loud music coming from Brown’s house.
Brown is said to have used profanity toward Raymond and exposed herself to Raymond.

When police arrived, Brown was immediately taken into custody and charged with one count of criminal contempt, for violating the order of protection...

Merlene Joyce Ottey born May 10, 1960 in Hanover, Jamaica. She is a Jamaican-born, Slovenian track athlete. Ottey began her career representing Jamaica, but since 2002, has represented Slovenia, where she now resides.

Fifty-year-old Merlene Ottey could become the oldest athlete to compete at the European Championships after Slovenia named the sprinter to its 4x100 relay team.
Ottey, a naturalized Slovenian of Jamaican origin, would make her Barcelona debut in the July 31 heats.

Ottey has won 29 medals at major competitions, including seven Olympics starting...

The Japanese have been making reggae almost as long as Jamaicans have been exporting it. This phenomenon could have started as early as the mid-’70s, when the film “The Harder They Come” grafted the crime drama to Kingston’s reggae scene and became an international cult classic. Or, more likely, it began sometime around 1979, when Bob Marley landed for the first time in the Land of the Rising Sun. Since then, the reggae scene in Japan has cycled through several styles and sub-subcultures, but only in recent years has one crucial aspect of its identity fully...

The department's Special Enforcement Team, with the assistance of the police, and as part of their ongoing operations to clamp down on delinquent taxpayers, carried out the raid at O’Neil " Elephant Man" Bryan house in 3 Hillcrest Avenue, off Hope Road. Kingston.

Earlier, the tax department started its operation in Haven Dale St Andrew at a house owned by Elephant Man but investigators said they found nothing of value. The tax officials along with the police then went to the Hillcrest Avenue house belonging to Elephant Man where the motorcar was seized.

The...

This is the black couple who have amazed medical experts after their baby daughter was born with white skin, blue eyes and blonde hair.

Benjamin and Angela Ihegboro's daughter, Nmachi, has flummoxed genetic experts who are unable to explain why she looks they way she does.

Doctors say the white-skinned newborn is not an albino. The blonde, blue-eyed girl's Nigerian parents say they don't know of any white ancestry in either of their families.

Doctors say baby Nmachi Ihegboro is not an albino and attribute her appearance to an unknown genetic mutation. Nmachi...

The 21st Central American and Caribbean Games is taking place in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, from July 18, 2010 to August 1, 2010.

ALIA Atkinson gave Jamaica its first medal of the 2010 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games after clocking a games record 2:30.99 minutes to claim gold in the girls 200m freestyle swimming on the opening day of the Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico yesterday. The 21-year-old, swimming from lane four, was almost 500th of a second faster than second place Byanca Rodriguez of Mexico (2:35.82) and Alegria Medina, also of Mexico, in 2:36.67.

Over 300 people thrilled to the sound of Sean Paul, during the opening show of the Big Brother All Africa Stars, who sung three songs.Sean Paul turned the show that was dedicated to the 14 participants in the program into a night of stars, thus fulfilling the aim of the organization.

The night was also marked with homage paid to former South African president Nelson Mandela who turned 92 on July 18, and Ghana national soccer squad.

Geto Boys member Bushwick Bill is facing deportation to Jamaica. Bushwick Bill's visa status came into question when he failed to appear or even comment on the 2010 VH1 Hip Hop Honors.

The 2010 Hip Hop Honors payed homage to the south and Rap-A-Lot, Geto Boys and Bushwick's label, was the main honoree. Willie D and Scarface are the other two members of the legendary Geto Boys. Willie D performed at the Hip Hip Honors and Scarface made headlines with his highly publicized boycott of the event.

Bushwick is a native of Jamaica and was taken into Atlanta...

Chaka Demus & Pliers are suing Universal Music Group for unpaid royalties. Chaka Demus & Pliers, known for their smash hit "Murder She Wrote", has filed a lawsuit seeking $10 million in damages.

The lawsuit claims that Universal withheld money owed them and participated in trademark infringement. Chaka Demus & Pliers signed a contract with Universal back in 1992 giving them full rights to the trademark Chaka Demus & Pliers, but Universal has...

Paris (AP) Paris Hilton was briefly detained in Corsica after sniffer dogs detected a "quite small" quantity of marijuana in her bag, a French newspaper reported Saturday.

Corse Matin newspaper said officers at the airport in Figari found about one gram's worth of marijuana. Hilton, who was transiting the French Mediterranean island in a private jet on Friday, was hauled in for questioning and released about 30 minutes later, the report said.

The “I AM JAMAICA” Campaign will premiere simultaneously in Jamaica, USA, Canada, UK and other locations around the world with the international premier of the theme song, music video and Declaration signing on Saturday, July 17, 2010 through to Sunday, August 14, 2010.

The “I AM JAMAICA” campaign, an initiative of the Jamaican Diaspora, calls on all Jamaicans, at home and abroad, celebrities, community leaders, artists, entertainers, entrepreneurs and others, to encourage a sense of personal responsibility, to inspire each other in embracing our talents and...

Adijah "Vybz Kartel" Palmer was freed last night, ending a two-week incarceration for the entertainer under special provisions under the State of Emergency that allow Jamaica Police to detain individuals for lengthy periods without charging them.

Vybz Kartel is set to perform on Thursday night July 22, 2010 at the annual Reggae Sumfest show at Catherine Hall in Montego Bay.

Gyptian’s new album “Hold You” releases on July 20. It contains 15 tracks and 2 iTunes exclusive tracks. This album introduces the World to the new era of Sexy Reggae Music. The melodic opening coupled with Gyptian’s gentle vocals on “Prelude (To Be Held)” sets the perfect mood to start off the album. Gyptian dedicates this album to ladies across the globe. Included is the up-tempo and romantic track “Beautiful Lady” from his debut album. This song displayed Gyptian’s potential as the Casanova of Reggae Music and it’s fitting that it was added to Hold You.

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