High time for a world-class Reggae museum

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Gov’t committed to establishing Reggae Hall of Fame Museum

The Government is committed to establishing a state-of-the-art Reggae Hall of Fame Museum and Performance Arts Centre in Kingston.

This undertaking was given by Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange.

“I have heard the calls for a world-class reggae hall of fame and performance arts centre, and I assure you that the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport is committed to fulfilling this vision,” she said.


https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/...ll-fame-museum

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Reggae museum in 2024?

MONTEGO BAY, St James - DownSound Entertainment is hopeful that a lease arrangement with the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) for use of Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay will be approved soon so it can begin rolling out its plans for developing the facility.

Part of the planned upgrade to the venue used for each summer's staging of Reggae Sumfest will be a museum dedicated to the work of reggae legend Bob Marley.

The collection was curated by American reggae archivist Roger Steffens.

DownSound Entertainment Deputy Chairman Robert Russell is hoping progress will be made within the next few months.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/ente...useum-in-2024/

[Jangle]

Reggae museum in 2024?

MONTEGO BAY, St James - DownSound Entertainment is hopeful that a lease arrangement with the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) for use of Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay will be approved soon so it can begin rolling out its plans for developing the facility.

Part of the planned upgrade to the venue used for each summer's staging of Reggae Sumfest will be a museum dedicated to the work of reggae legend Bob Marley.

The collection was curated by American reggae archivist Roger Steffens.

DownSound Entertainment Deputy Chairman Robert Russell is hoping progress will be made within the next few months.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/ente...useum-in-2024/

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60 greatest rocksteady personalities (45 – 31)

While never revered as ska, roots-reggae or dancehall, rocksteady is arguably the most loved of the Jamaican music forms.

The genre, which produced a series of top-flight vocalists, harmony groups and musicians, celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2026 and Observer Online marks that milestone with the 60 Greatest Rocksteady Personalities.

The list is compiled by Jamaica Observer contract writers Howard Campbell and Claude Mills, with assistance from Michael Barnett, a respected broadcaster and rocksteady authority.

The team looked at impact and the significance of contribution in assembling this august table which will be completed by a Top 20 Most Influential People in Rocksteady.

Here are numbers 45 to 31 on our list, presented in no specific order.

45 – Merritone

A label started by the Khouri family, it is usually associated with the Merritone sound system owned by the Blake brothers. Merritone’s biggest hit was Take it Easy by singer Hopeton Lewis, said to be the first rocksteady song. It was recorded at Federal Records, owned by the Khouris. Cool Collie by Lewis and Dance All Night by The Tartans are other noted productions by the Merritone label. Winston Blake, best known of the four brothers, went on to promote talent contests that helped launch the careers of his wife Cynthia Schloss and Beres Hammond. He produced several of Schloss’s hit songs, including Love Forever and Surround Me With Love. He died in 2016.

44 – The Jamaicans

The Jamaicans are best known for Ba Ba Boom, which won the 1967 Festival Song Contest. They started in 1964 as The Merricoles, consisting of Derrick Brown and childhood friend Norris Weir. Later joined by Martin Williams, Flats Hylton, and Errol “I Kong” Kong. It became a six piece unit when Tommy Cowan joined and, after a name change to The Jamaicans, they cut two singles for Duke Reid at Treasure Isle — Pocket Full of Money and Diana. Kong and Brown left in 1967.

That year, Ba Ba Boom, written by Cowan and Weir, won the Festival Song Contest. The Jamaicans had another hit with Things You Say You Love. They covered Curtis Mayfield’s Dedicate My Song to You, while their original, Black Girl, was covered by disco group Boney M. The group split in 1972. Cowan went on to become a successful producer/impresario. Weir migrated to the United States shortly after the group disbanded in 1972, and became a “travelling singing missionary evangelist” and an ordained minister in 2010. He died at age 72 on November 16 2018 at his home in Port St Lucie, Florida. Martin Williams died in the United States in May 2022.

43 – Eric Frater

A prolific session player known as Rickenbacker, Frater made his mark at Studio One playing guitar on hit singles such as Hello Carol by The Gladiators, Ram Jam and Who Done It, the Jackie Mittoo instrumentals. One of the songs on which his deft touches stands out is Sweet Talking by The Heptones. Frater’s riffs helped make that track a classic. He also played on Satta Massagana by The Abyssinians, considered by many to be reggae’s anthem, and later It’s A Shame by Delroy Wilson. Eric Frater died in 2007.

42 – Eric “Monty” Morris

Although he made his name as a ska singer with hit singles such as Sammy Dead Oh and Oil in My Lamp, Morris also had success in the rocksteady era. Most of his songs in that genre were recorded for producer Clancy Eccles, including Say What You’re Saying, which was later covered by Dennis Brown. Morris grew up in Trench Town, Kingston. He competed in talent contests during the early 1960s, including the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour. He recorded his first song with Derrick Morgan, then went on to cut several singles for producers Prince Buster and Duke Reid. In January 2020, Eric “Monty” Morris received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA).

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2026...alities-45-31/

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60 greatest rocksteady personalities (60 – 46)



While never revered as ska, roots-reggae or dancehall, rocksteady is arguably the most loved of the Jamaican music forms.

The genre, which produced a series of top-flight vocalists, harmony groups and musicians, celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2026 and Observer Online marks that milestone with the 60 Greatest Rocksteady Personalities.

The list is compiled by Jamaica Observer contract writers Howard Campbell and Claude Mills, with assistance from Michael Barnett, a respected broadcaster and rocksteady authority.

The team looked at impact and the significance of contribution in assembling this august table which will be completed by a Top 20 Most Influential People in Rocksteady.

Here are the first 15 personalities on our list, presented in no specific order.

60 – The Hamlins

A duo that formed in the early 1960s, its best-known members were Alton “Canute” Brown from Jones Town in Kingston and Clarendon-born Egbert “Alphonso” Stewart. Their greatest triumphs came in 1968 with two big hits — Sentimental Reason, made famous by Nat King Cole and Soul And Inspiration, an original by The Righteous Brothers. Those songs were produced by Clement Dodd at Studio One. The Hamlins also recorded songs for producer Lloyd “The Matador” Daley.


59 – Karl “Cannonball” Bryan

A graduate of the Alpha Boys School in Kingston, this talented saxophonist was a session musician who played mainly with The Supersonics, house band at producer Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle studio. Bryan, who was once a member of The Skatalites, also had success as an artiste. His instrumental, Red Ash, was later covered by Sly and Robbie while Soul Scorcher is a blazing take on the vaunted Cuss Cuss rhythm. Now in his late 80s, Cannonball Bryan is still musically active in Toronto, Canada.


58 – Rudy Mills

Rudy Mills hit the charts at the tail of rocksteady with Long Story and John Jones, both produced by Derrick Harriott. He is from Allman Town in Central Kingston, which was home to several top artistes including Bibi Seaton and The Gaylads. John Jones became a strong seller in the United Kingdom where there was a growing West Indian community in the 1960s. The song also caught on among the Skinheads, restless white youth who had embraced Jamaican culture early that decade. Like many of his contemporaries, Mills migrated overseas and maintained ties with music. He retains a fan base in Europe, the United States West Coast and Mexico.




57 – The Silvertones

In addition to learning a professional trade, a lot of Jamaican youth formed musical groups during the 1960s. Among them were Delroy Denton, Keith Coley, and Gilmore Grant of The Silvertones. The trio formed in Kingston in 1964, and had a clutch of rocksteady hits with True Confessions and It’s Real for producer Duke Reid. Their biggest hit of the rocksteady era came with Guns Fever, a song produced by Sonia Pottinger, Jamaica’s first female producer. Like many of their contemporaries, The Silvertones’ fortunes declined with the rise of roots-reggae in the 1970s. However, they scored their biggest hit in 1977 for Studio One with Smile, which is driven by the timeless rocksteady sound. Gilmore Grant died in 2016.


https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2026...alities-60-46/

[Assasin]

on my visit to Jamaica earlier this year. I was walking through Mobay square and looking at the exhibits regarding history and was introduced to a museum in the old court house. It exhibited historical stuff and Rastafari's history. This was very cool as I took my sons through it. Of note there is a man at the exhibit inside the square who can give you all the history regarding revolt, hanging etc outside. The Museum cost a few dollars and it also includes the name of people charged or hang in the town of Mobay in and around the revolt. It is worth the view.