1 Comment
Words by Jesse Serwer—
Over the weekend we received the news about the passing of Jamaican sax great Cedric Im Brooks. Brooks, who was 70, had been in a coma-like state for more than three years, before succumbing to cardiac arrest in New York City Thursday.
0 Comment(s)
Words by Jesse Serwer, Photos by Martei Korley—
The Alpha Boys School in Kingston, Jamaica is generally acknowledged as the birthplace of ska music. The four original members of the Skatalites—Tommy McCook, Johnny “Dizzy” Moore, Lester Sterling and Don Drummond—got their start in the Alpha Boys band, as did other figures in the music’s development, including Rico Rodriguez. Other notable alumni who have passed through Alpha’s doors include Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace, Yellowman and Leroy Smart. Today, the school, run by Sister Susan Frazer, continues to be an oasis for troubled boys in Jamaica, and an incubator for musicians. Its famed music program was even featured in a key scene in the recent Snoop Lion documentary Reincarnated.
1 Comment
Words by Jesse Serwer—
In January, we told you about the so-called First International Reggae Poster Contest organized by US-based, Jamaica-born poster artist Michael Thompson and Greece’s Maria Papaefstathiou The contest, celebrating Jamaica and reggae music’s rich tradition of poster art, received 1142 entries by 678 designers from 80 countries, the best of which are set to appear in World-A-Reggae: The 100 Best Entries from the First International Reggae Poster Contest, opening Sunday, Sept. 30 at the National Gallery of Jamaica. Have an undying passion for reggae-inspired posters but can’t make it to Kingston before the show wraps Nov. 20? See all 100 selected posters here.
