05
Wed, Aug

Jamaica Gleaner

  • Michael W. Smith, Papa San strike powerful balance at Come Alive

    Long after dusk settled over King’s House East Lawn, the crowd was still on its feet. Hands stretched into the night air, familiar choruses rolled across the grounds and, with each change in tempo, thousands responded as one. At times, the lawn felt like a sanctuary. At others, it became a full-fledged celebration, alive with dancing, singing and the unmistakable energy of an audience that had come prepared to participate.

  • Dream Weekend’s Montego Bay gamble pays off

    WESTERN BUREAU: Dream Weekend made an energetic debut in Montego Bay, earning praise from organisers, business leaders and many patrons, while transportation and logistical hiccups highlighted areas for improvement as the festival settles into its new home.

  • Reggae Icon Awards for Wayne Wonder, Busy Signal at Grand Gala

    This year, Von Wayne Charles and Reanno Devon Gordon will be the recipients of the annual Reggae Icon Award presented by the Government of Jamaica during the Independence Day Grand Gala. This award “honours artistes who shape the global reach of reggae and dancehall music”. In an interview with The Gleaner at Sunday’s Jamaica Gospel Star finals, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange confirmed the names.

  • Jamaica launches first actors’ union

    With a commitment to ensuring high professional standards, fair wages and safe sets for Jamaican actors, the Jamaica Actors Guild Association (JAGA) was officially launched last week at the Canopy Courtyard in St Andrew. It is the first union of its kind in Jamaica dedicated exclusively to representing and protecting the island’s actors. The launch marks a historic milestone for the local entertainment industry, giving Jamaican performers, for the first time, a collective, organised voice to negotiate fair compensation and proper working conditions, among other benefits.

  • ‘I was expecting to win’

    On Sunday night, a new Jamaica Gospel Star was crowned inside the Indoor Sports Centre at the transformed Independence Village in St Andrew. She is Chantal Smalling Stephenson, the gospel singer who placed second in the 2022 season of the competition and confidently returned this year to take top honours.