Reggae Month celebrations to hit high note

The organisers of Reggae Month are pushing to make the 2010 event its best yet. Several live events are planned as well as the launch of a Walk of Fame at Emancipation Park in New Kingston.
Reggae Month is observed during February, but its third staging officially gets under way on January 31 with a reception at Jamaica
House, hosted by Prime Minister Bruce Golding.
Charles Campbell, chairman of the Reggae Month committee and a director at the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JARIA), says maximum effort is being made to lift its profile.
"From a personal perspective, it is a bit too low-key. What we intend to do is broaden the programme," Campbell said.
That "broadening" will include establishing a Walk of Fame at Emancipation Park, a popular spot in New Kingston for joggers and weddings
Campbell says his committee is currently discussing induction placement with the National Housing Trust, owners of Emancipation Park.

“No Woman, No Cry” Songwriter Vincent Ford Dies

Vincent Ford, the man credited with writing Bob Marley’s classic “No Woman, No Cry,” passed away in Jamaica on December 28.

According to Intrepid reporter Brittany Somerset, the songwriter’s death comes after a long struggle with diabetes. Both of Ford’s legs had been amputated due to complications from the disease. Ford became good friends with Bob Marley as the two grew up in the Trench Town ghetto of Kingston, Jamaica in the 1960s. The song “No Woman, No Cry” first appeared on Bob Marley’s 1974 album Natty Dread. The most well known version of the track remains the concert version off the 1975 album Live!. The song later gained even more international fame with its inclusion on the greatest hits compilation Legend (1984), now recognized as the best selling reggae album of all time. Although Vincent Ford is officially credited as the sole songwriter of the seminal hit, rumors persist that Marley added Ford’s name to ensure his friend would have royalties for the rest of his life. Despite the whisperings, Ford went on to write three more songs for Marley’s breakthrough album Rastaman Vibration: “Positive Vibration,” “Roots, Rock, Reggae,” and “Crazy Baldhead. After Marley succumbed to cancer in 1981, Ford ran a soup kitchen in his native Jamaica and made no further forays into songwriting. “No Woman, No Cry” continues to be a popular cover song.

Vincent Ford was 68 years old. Rest In Peace...

Marley Resort Celebrates Anniversary

Marley Resort & Spa is located in Nassau, Bahamas, just a 60-minute flight from Miami. Once a governor's mansion, Rita Marley purchased the property after falling in love with it at first sight and the family used it as a summer getaway for many years. The summer retreat of the Reggae Royalty welcomes guests to 16 luxurious, themed suites, all of which reflect musical legacies of Bob and Rita Marley. The property has two free-form pools, resort boutique featuring Cedella Marley fashions, music gallery, the Natural Mystic Spa, the Stir it Up Bar, and a Caribbean-fusion restaurant that offers some of the Marley's favorite dishes. An intimate escape into the talented life of a legendary family, the Marley Resort & Spa blends the best of the region's rich culture with the artistic energy of this acclaimed family. www.marleyresort.com.

Playing For Change debuts 'One Love (2009)'

In conjunction with Bob Marley's 64th world-wide birthday celebration on February 6th, Playing For Change, the cross-cultural global musical movement, will debut their version of Marley's timeless classic "One Love".

This five-minute video shows the song performed around the world featuring American blues wunderkind Keb' Mo and Spain's Manu Chao playing with an incredible group of 35 musical artists. "One Love" was produced by Playing for Change's creator and driving force Mark Johnson, the Los Angeles based Grammy(R)-winning producer and engineer.

Bob Marley's 64th birthday will be celebrated by millions around the globe through live performances, lectures, film festivals, the internet and beyond.

Reggae Film Festival debuts at Red Stripe Boss

This year's annual staging of the Boss Sounds Festival in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, has been renamed the Red Stripe Boss Sounds Festival after the club secured a deal with the famous Jamaican brewer.

Bob Marley's re-imagined for kids by Ziggy Marley

B is for Bob, a collection of Bob Marley's most beloved songs re-imagined for kids, will be released June 23 by UMe/Island/Tuff Gong.

The 28th Anniversary of Bob Marley's Death

Today is the 28th Anniversary of Bob Marley's Death.

May 11th marks the 28th anniversary of Bob Marley’s death. He died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 36.

Rest in peace Bob

Bless
Jah live