REFLECTION & REASON

Toronto dancehall fans have been fortunate: for the past two years, the World Clash sound clash competition has been hosted right here in the city. Two years ago, Caribbean entertainment specialists Irish and Chin adjusted the process of their international event so that the winning sound would receive the honour of bringing the World Clash to their hometown to defend their title. With the 20th anniversary of World Clash taking place tonight in Toronto at the Tibetan Cultural Centre, reggae music lovers from Canada and international supporters who have travelled into the city to witness the show, will be treated to an evening of competition between the two-time champion King Turbo sound, and the Rumble Series champion sounds representing their own home towns, hoping to bring the event to their city next year in celebration. Tonight, clash fans will get to hear the best of the best from Rumble Series winners from across the globe: Jah Works (Japan Rumble), Empire Sound and Mour...

This weekend, Kingston, Jamaica will be bustling with artistic activity and progressive energy focused on the future of Jamaican music, as the Jamaica Music Conference (JMC) hosts their 6th annual edition of this education and networking event. The JMC's theme this year is "Constructive Conversations: Dialogue. Decisions. Development." with the goal of continuing to "provide a platform for independent music professionals to discuss challenges, opportunities, and solutions in the music industry." The JMC will take place from Thursday, November 15 through Sunday, November 18 at a range of venues across Kingston. Hosted mainly in the Edna Manley College and at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus, locations around the town from beaches to restaurants are also on board as community partners for this important celebration. The population of Jamaica is currently around the same mark as the population of Toronto: just short of 3 million people. Nearly ...

Roots reggae is the heart and soul of reggae music. While its mainstream popularity may fluctuate over the years, and it is often subject to trends and social movements, it still remains a staple of Jamaican culture, and an eternal asset to the genre of reggae music because its central tenets will never change. Roots reggae will never go out of style because by nature, it is rooted in messages of reality, Black/African pride, themes of spirituality, honouring God, and the preservation of social consciousness. It is an underground movement that continues to grow, indefinitely. Distinguished by its minor key melodies, strong vocals, smooth and soulful basslines, and "militant rockers rhythms," roots reggae is clearly defined by messages of politics, observation of the people, and a keen awareness of Jamaica's colonial past and global appeal. After the 1966 visit of Haile Selassie to Jamaica, political unrest became a common feature of roots reggae music, along with ...