TMZ was the first to report the singer’s death, and the site reports that she was recording an album at the time of her death.
The Grammy-winning singer, nicknamed the Queen of Disco, had numerous hits in both the 1970s and 1980s, including “Last Dance,” “She Works Hard for the Money” and “Bad Girls.”

Summer was the first female artist to chart with back-to-back multi-platinum double albums.
She appeared in the 1978 film, “Thank God It’s Friday,” which won the best original song Oscar for “Last Dance.” Summer also appeared on the 1990s hit TV show “Family Matters.”

Summer won five Grammy Awards and six American Music Awards, and charted three multi-platinum albums.
Musician Questlove of The Roots tweeted, “I know that the whole ‘disco sucks’ stuff left a bad taste in the mouths of some. But Summer’s work was really a credible legacy.”
She is survived by her husband, musician Bruce Sudano, three daughters, and four grandchildren.

Source:http://todayentertainment.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/17/11745326-donna-summer-dead-at-63?lite

Beenie Man is scheduled to perform on the show. In the one minute, 35-second message, a remorseful Beenie Man pleads:
“Please I am begging you do not have me up for some songs I wrote a long time ago. I love each and every one and am just begging each and everyone to do the same,” he said.

Beenie Man also expressed his respect for every human being “regardless of which race or creed, regardless of religious belief, regardless of which sexual preference you have including gay and lesbian.”
His apology comes after years of intense pressure from the gay community, which caused many of his shows in North America and Europe to be cancelled.

Organisers of the Rototom Festival issued the following statement on its website:
“We have received and we are happy to publish a video message of Beenie Man in which he wishes to clear out any doubt about his position concerning homophobic lyrics appearing in some of his old songs. We would like to think that his words can put an end to all the controversies that the subject has generated.”

Also posted on the site is a copy of the 2007 Reggae Compassionate Act signed by Moses Davis, the deejay’s real name.
Other dancehall acts including Capleton and Buju Banton, allegedly signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, drafted by the organisers of Rototom to appease gay rights advocates.

Source:http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Beenie-asks-gays-for-forgiveness_11488519

This was disclosed by festival director Myrna Hague-Bradshaw at its launch at the Hotel Four Seasons, Ruthven Road, St Andrew.
“The main feature of this year’s jazz is that it is going to be mostly Jamaicans. All the very best, the very top-of-the-line Jamaican musicians will be there,” she said.
“We have Jimmy James who is coming in from the United Kingdom, he is not a jazz singer, but he is a Jamaican singer who has been part of the whole Jamaican 50th (musical) development since the earliest of days,” Hague-Bradshaw added.

James, a balladeer, has lived in the UK since the 1960s.
The festival, which is being held for the 22nd time, was conceived by Hague-Bradshaw’s husband, bandleader Sonny Bradshaw, who died in 2009.

Herbie Miller, director of the Jamaica Music Museum, in his address, said it is important that a new generation understand the importance of jazz to the development of Jamaican popular music.
“Seen that this year being Jamaica 50, it is fitting that the festival focuses on Jamaican jazz. We have produced some tremendous jazz musicians in excess of 50 years,” Miller stated.
“People like Dr Leslie Thompson, Bertie King, Dizzy Reece, Joe Harriott, just to name a few. And as much as we have a good crop among us today, the historic part if it is in danger of being lost.”

Miller noted that Jamaican musicians recorded with great artistes like Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, Mary Lou-Williams, Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
“Again, we look at what has jazz helped us to produce. You come right away to the Skatalites. Because when you listen to ska you are really listening to jazz on a ska beat,” said Miller.

The remainder of the lineup for opening night are keyboardists Marjorie Whylie, Dr Kathy Brown, Joy Brown, Dr Carol Ball and Kamla Hamilton along with singer Karen Smith and drummer Desi Jones.
The following evening, veteran keyboardist Harold Butler is featured act at Hotel Four Seasons.

From June 11-15, there will be jazz workshops at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts with Miller and Whylie as presenters.
Also on June 15, a banquet dubbed Dinner Jazz is scheduled for Glenn’s Jazz Club in Tower Isle, just outside Ocho Rios.
Jazz Treasures takes place June 16 at the Two Seasons Guest House in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth.

Closing day has a packed slate. It comprises Guitar Conversations with Wigmoore Francis and Rupert Bent; Battle of the Horns with Everald Gayle, Ian Hird, Vivian Scott, Harold Tinglin, Romeo Gray and Micky Hanson; Ba Boom, Mary Isaacs, Desi Jones, and Harold Davis.

Source:http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Jamaican-jazz-in-the-spotlight_11445740

Festival organisers are promising patrons lots of excitement in a series of promotions leading up to the event.

The one-day family-friendly food festival is scheduled for Sunday, July 22 at Roy Wilkins Park, Queens, New York. It is anticipated that more than 10,000 patrons will attend to feast on spicy and succulent jerk fare, as well as enjoy a variety of cultural, culinary and entertainment presentations from noon to 8:00 p.m.

Grace adds special flair

Title sponsor Grace Foods will again add spice with an exciting series of in-store promotions at several leading retail outlets beginning in May right up to festival day.

“We are exceptionally proud to participate this year as we celebrate a very special milestone for the festival and Grace Foods,” said Ricardo Bryan, North America market manager.

“We would like to reaffirm our commitment to the community and also to laying the foundation for an enduring tradition for many more years.”

Quality entertainment

The entertainment on the main stage will feature singing sensation Tarrus Riley, Fab 5 Band among others as well as a Gospel segment featuring local gospel groups.

“We at VP are very pleased to see the Festival established as the most anticipated annual summer event in the community,” said Neil Robertson, Live Events & Agent at VP Records the World’s leading Reggae label and co-producers of the festival with Jamaican Jerk Festival USA, Inc.

The Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival is presented in association with Digicel and VP Records, and is sponsored by Western Union, The Jamaica Tourist Board, Jet Blue Airways, Bigga Sodas, Irie Jam Media, and VitaMalt.

Source:http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120508/ent/ent5.html

He was fined $80,000 or six months on the charge of assault and another $20,000 or six months for malicious destruction of property.
Both sentences are to run concurrently the RM also ruled.
The conviction came out of an incident that took place in rural St James in July last year.

Brooks had injured a man who he claimed was blocking his way by using the wheel of his Sports Utility Vehicle to squeeze the man between his car door and the car the man was driving, causing swelling to his foot and a cut to his shoulder.
The court also heard that the damage to the car was about $25,000.

Source:http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Mavado-fined

The younger Brevett had just returned home after collecting a lifetime achievement award on behalf of his father at the annual awards show organised by the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association during Reggae Month.
Speaking to the Jamaica Observer, close family friend Maxine Stowe said the family was distraught at Brevett’s passing and that his widow, Ruth, was doing “very poorly”.

Source:http:http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Family-distraught-over-Lloyd-Brevett-s-death

According to a post via Twitter, Cess Silvera — writer/director of Shottas — said Mavado (given name David Brooks) began filming on April 20.
Silvera never indicated the direction of plot, but tweeted: “Mavado and Shottas 2 is a lethal combination.”
Marley, son of reggae legend Bob Marley, will reclaim the role of ‘Biggs’ for the project.

Shottas, is the Jamaican term for gangsters, chronicles the lives of two friends who participated in organised crime in Jamaica and the United States. The 2002 flick had a cult following long before its 2006 American debut.

Last year, Mavado — whose signature calling card is Gangsta For Life — played a a gangster in American rapper Drake’s video Find Your Love. Since then he has inked a deal with DJ Khaled’s We the Best Music Group. He has released singles such as Emergency which features hip-hop artiste Ace Hood and Survivor, a collaboration effort with Akon.
Mavado will be performing in Manhattan, New York on Monday, April 30, alongside American rappers Tyga, Wacka Flocka, Fabolous, French Montana, Travis Porter and Busta Rhymes.

Under the guidance of dancehall artiste Bounty Killer, Mavado released his debut single in 2004 called Real McKoy. This was soon followed by a string of hit songs including Weh Dem A Do and Dying. In 2007, he released his album ‘Gangsta For Life: The Symphony’ of David Brooks.
In 2008, the artiste who goes by the moniker The Gully Gad, won a United Kingdom MOBA (Music Of Black Orgin) Award for Best Reggae Act and two years later he took the Male Singjay of the Year at the EME (Excellence in Music and Entertainment) Awards.

Source:http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/MAVADO-FOR-SILVER-SCREEN_11318384

That little-known side of Bob’s life story is the subject of “Marley,” an intimate biopic produced by his son, Ziggy, and directed by Scotsman Kevin Macdonald. Because of the participation in the project of so many relatives, friends and colleagues, the picture paints a fascinating portrait, which fully fleshes out its subject, thereby resisting the temptation of merely placing him on a pedestal.

At the point of departure we learn that Robert Nesta Marley was born in 1945 to Cedella Malcolm, a young local gal, and Captain Norval Marley, a British plantation overseer already in his 60s. Bob never really knew his father or the rest of the Marleys, a prominent family with a construction business on the island. In fact, his request for financial help to kickstart his career was rebuffed out of hand by his relatively-rich white relations.

Rejection was a recurring theme during Bob’s formative years, when he was teased as a “half-caste” by other boys for being mixed. And he was equally unpopular with the opposite sex, since “Every girl’s dream in Jamaica was to have a tall, dark boyfriend.” He was even abandoned by his mom who moved to America while he was still in his teens.

Fortunately, Bob eventually found salvation through a love of music and the embrace of the Rastafarian community. Seeing his guitar as a way out of poverty, he let his hair grow while writing popular songs about equality, world peace, and cannabis, which is considered a sacred herb by the dreadlocked adherents of his pot-smoking religion.

After struggling to make it for over a decade while getting ripped-off by unscrupulous producers and promoters, Marley finally landed his big break in 1973 when he and the Wailers signed with Island Records. The group went on to record such hits as “One Love,” “Jammin’,” “No Woman No Cry,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Redemptive Song,” “Get Up, Stand Up,” “Stir It Up” and “Is This Love?” to name a few.

The 2½ hour combination concert/interview flick allocates a decent portion of time to archival footage of The Wailers’ performing many of the aforementioned anthems. Attention is also devoted to the reflections of folks like Bob’s widow, Rita, who talks about how she was really more his guardian angel than his wife.

After all, he had 11 children by seven different women and often needed help juggling his groupies and baby-mamas. As Bob’s attorney, Diane Jobson, explains it, her client considered himself faithful to God, if not his spouse.

Among Marley’s many lovers was gorgeous Cindy Breakspeare, Miss Jamaica 1976, who went on to win the Miss World title. Not so lucky was Pascaline Ondimba, the daughter of the African nation of Gabon’s prime minister. She recounts how Bob had called her “ugly” because she straightened her hair, and had encouraged her to cultivate and appreciate her natural beauty.

A wonderfully-revealing, warts-and-all tribute to the human spirit of a Rasta rock god!

Tyrone would have been 70 years old this year.

Monty Blake told The Gleaner that Tyrone passed away in the company of himself and Winston, shortly after speaking to Trevor on the telephone. They were about to attend a brunch and “as we got there, he felt that he was not feeling well, and then he said he wanted to sit in the car a bit”. Tyrone also complained of cold sweats and a severe headache.

“In the space of talking to you now, he was gone. The good thing is that he died with us – Winston, myself, and some good friends,” Monty said. Tyrone did not respond to smelling salts. Paramedics were early on the scene, as was a personal doctor. Early indications are that an aneurysm could have been the immediate cause of death.

Source:http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120423/lead/lead5.html

The beach party features dancehall acts Vegas, Cham and Popcaan. Vintage Night on April 27 has singers Admiral Tibet, Freddie McGregor, Glen Washington and Ernie Smith.
Home-grown artistes take the spotlight on Bajan Reggae Night the following evening. They include Biggie Irie, Crimeson and Barbados and West Indies cricketer Sulieman Benn.

Closing day, Reggae On The Hill, takes place at the scenic Farley Hill National Park where Jah Cure, Third World, Capleton, Chris Martin, Konshens and Tanya Stephens will perform.
With the Barbados Jazz Festival on hold for the past two years, the reggae festival and the traditional 11-week Crop Over event in May have become the major live shows in that country.

Jamaican pop music, particularly dancehall, has taken off in the eastern Caribbean, the Bahamas and Guyana in the last 15 years. Artistes such as Kevin Lyttle of St Vincent and the Grenadines (who had a massive hit in 2004 with Turn Me On) and Trinidadian Machel Montano have recorded in Jamaica and collaborated with dancehall stars Spragga Benz and Shaggy.

Source:http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Barbados-Reggae-fest-starts-Sun