分类： entertainment

To mark Mother’s Day, Jamaica-based Observer Online is shining a spotlight on five extraordinary women whose unheralded contributions laid the foundation and drove the evolution of reggae music, a cultural export that has resonated with audiences across the globe. These trailblazers, often overlooked in mainstream narratives of reggae history, shaped the genre from behind the scenes, on stages, and in recording studios, leaving an enduring legacy that continues to influence artists today.

The first, Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett Coverley, is widely regarded by many cultural scholars as the world’s first dub poet. A fierce advocate for Jamaican identity, Miss Lou dedicated her career to normalizing the use of Jamaican Patois in broadcast media and formal education, breaking down longstanding social stigma around the nation’s native dialect. Her witty, incisive works including *Nuh Lickle Twang* and *Dry Foot Bwoy* offered unfiltered, vivid snapshots of the collective social consciousness of Jamaica in the years leading up to the nation’s independence. By the 1970s, her work had become a core inspiration for a new generation of revolutionary poets and reggae artists including Mutabaruka and Yasus Afari, both of whom also drew influence from Rastafarian teachings.

Speaking to the *Jamaica Observer* in 2019, the centenary year of Miss Lou’s birth, Afari reflected on her unparalleled impact: “Miss Lou is the neuro-linguistic mother of the Jamaican language and culture, so we have to honour her every morning when the sun rises and in the evening when the moon goes down. This year marks 100 years since her birth; it’s a landmark year, and we are the beneficiaries of her brilliance and advocacy.” Though Miss Lou never recorded her own reggae tracks, she played a critical role in elevating the genre and lifting up young Jamaican talent through her popular weekly variety show *Ring Ding*, which aired on the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation throughout the 1970s. She passed away in Toronto, Canada, in July 2006 at the age of 87.

Next is Doris Darlington, a descendant of Jamaica’s legendary Maroon community and mother of Clement “Coxson” Dodd, who is widely considered one of the most influential producers in reggae history. Known affectionately as Nanny, in honor of the iconic Maroon freedom fighter and Jamaican National Hero, Darlington was a silent but foundational partner in her son’s pioneering Studio One sound system and record label. Before her work in music, she operated a well-known restaurant and liquor store in downtown Kingston, later opening Music Land, a popular record shop in Spanish Town.

Dodd consistently credited Darlington as the “founding mother” of reggae. For decades, she was a constant, familiar presence at Studio One’s Brentford Road headquarters in Kingston, helping to sell records from the label’s now-iconic catalogue of releases. She was even at Dodd’s side when he closed a landmark distribution deal with U.S.-based label Heartbeat Records, which brought Studio One’s vast reggae catalogue to mainstream audiences across the United States and Europe. Darlington passed away in 1998, leaving behind a legacy that shaped the genre’s global reach.

Patricia “Miss Pat” Chin, the matriarch of two of reggae’s most influential labels, Randy’s Records and VP Records, built the world’s largest reggae distribution empire alongside her husband, Vincent “Randy” Chin. Born to a Chinese family that settled in Jamaica’s Portland parish in the early 1900s, Chin was working as a trainee nurse when she met Vincent in the late 1950s, at a time when he was repairing jukeboxes across Kingston and preparing to launch his own music production business.

The pair quickly formed a formidable partnership, opening Randy’s recording studio and record label in downtown Kingston. The space soon became a creative hub for some of reggae’s biggest emerging acts, including The Wailers, Lord Creator, The Skatalites, Augustus Pablo and Burning Spear. After the couple migrated to the United States, they launched VP Records in Queens, New York, in 1979. Today, the company stands as the world’s largest distributor of dancehall and reggae music globally. Last February, Chin was honored at the Embassy of Jamaica’s inaugural “Reggae Night” event in Washington, D.C., where she received a formal citation from Jamaica’s Ambassador to the U.S., Major General Antony Anderson, recognizing her “extraordinary contribution to the island’s music and culture”. Her memoir, *Miss Pat: My Reggae Music Journey*, was published in 2021 to wide acclaim.

Sonia Pottinger made history as reggae’s only major female producer during the genre’s golden age, building an impressive, genre-defining catalogue of releases through her three labels: Tip Top, High Note and Gay Feet. Pottinger entered the music industry in the late 1960s, scoring her first hit with Joe White’s ballad *Every Night*. She learned the ins and outs of music production from her husband, fellow producer L.O. Pottinger, and quickly built a reputation for spotting hit talent. Her early chart-topping releases included *Swing And Dine* by The Melodians, *Hard to Confess* by The Gaylads, *That’s Life* by Delano Stewart, and *Guns Fever* by The Silvertones.

A sharp, savvy businesswoman, Pottinger made one of the most important moves of her career in 1974, when she purchased the entire Treasure Isle catalogue from the estate of iconic producer Arthur “Duke” Reid, shortly after Reid’s death, preserving a critical collection of early reggae recordings for future generations. Throughout the 1970s, she scored dozens of hit releases with legendary artists including Marcia Griffiths, for whom she produced tracks like *Dreamland*, *Hurting Inside* and *Stepping Out of Babylon*, and Culture, who recorded *Natty Never Get Weary* and *Stop The Fussing and Fighting* under her label.

Errol Brown, Pottinger’s lead engineer throughout the 1970s, recalled her no-nonsense, passionate approach to music production in a 2003 interview with the *Jamaica Observer*: “She loved the music … loved it too much. She knew what she wanted in the studio, and had a lot of respect for the musicians.” A recipient of Jamaica’s Order of Distinction for her contributions to national culture, Pottinger passed away in November 2010 at the age of 79.

The most contemporary figure on the list, Sister Nancy, pioneered the path for women in the deejay space, and her iconic work continues to gain new audiences decades after its release. In April 2025, VPAL Music reissued her groundbreaking 1982 debut album *One, Two*, which features her career-defining breakthrough hit *Bam Bam*. Produced by Winston Riley for Techniques Records, one of the leading Jamaican labels of the 1980s, *One, Two* marked the first mainstream breakthrough for a female deejay, setting a template for generations of women in reggae and dancehall including Lady G, Sister Charmaine, Shelly Thunder, and Lady Saw.

Like her brother Brigadier Jerry, Sister Nancy got her start performing on Kingston’s sound system circuit. When *Bam Bam* dropped more than 40 years ago, it was an immediate hit in Jamaica, as well as in reggae communities across the United States and United Kingdom. The track’s surprising cultural resurgence began in 1998, one year after Sister Nancy migrated to the U.S., when it was featured in the hit film *Belly*. In 2007, it found a new, younger audience among skateboarders when it was included in the soundtrack for the popular video game *Skate*. Since then, *Bam Bam* has appeared in a national Reebok television commercial, major feature films including *The Interview*, and the hit Netflix series *Ozark*. It has also been sampled by global superstars including Jay Z, Kanye West, and Lizzo.

In a 2017 interview with *Vibe Magazine*, Sister Nancy reflected on the track’s unexpected lasting success: “Living in Jamaica, I never heard *Bam Bam*. When I migrated here (United States) in 1997 that’s how I saw how big it was.” On May 8, *Bam Bam* was officially certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry, surpassing 400,000 units in combined sales and streams across the United Kingdom.

Four decades after its first vinyl pressing and nearly two decades since its digital debut, Sister Nancy’s iconic reggae track *Bam Bam* has hit a landmark career achievement, earning gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in the United Kingdom. The honor was officially granted on May 8, marking the track’s crossing of the 400,000 unit threshold for combined sales and streaming equivalent units. Now based in the United States, the legendary reggae artist expressed humble gratitude for the track’s enduring, cross-generational success in an earlier interview with Observer Online.

“I’m grateful and appreciative and say congratulations Bam Bam. Keep climbing to new heights,” she shared.

The road to this latest milestone began unexpectedly in 1982, when *Bam Bam* was added as a last-minute track to Sister Nancy’s debut album *One, Two*, recorded at Kingston’s world-famous Channel One Studios. Produced by iconic Jamaican producer Winston Riley and released through his Techniques label, the recording session was defined by the effortless, organic energy that defined 1980s Jamaican reggae production. Sister Nancy recalled that the full ensemble of legendary session musicians played together live in the studio, creating an unmatchable creative vibe. That ensemble included some of reggae’s most renowned names: Errol ‘Flabba’ Holt, Robbie Shakespeare, Carlton ‘Santa’ Davis, Sly Dunbar, Lincoln ‘Style’ Scott, Ansel Collins, Wycliffe ‘Steelie’ Johnson, Winston Wright, Marvin Brooks, Christopher ‘Sky Juice’ Blake, Dean Fraser and Ronald ‘Namboo’ Robinson, all of whom contributed to the album’s timeless sound.

Over the decades, *Bam Bam* has transcended its origins as a deep reggae cut to become a globally recognized cultural touchstone. It opened the 1998 cult crime drama *Belly* from director Hype Williams, and has been sampled repeatedly by hip-hop and pop artists looking to tap into its iconic riddim. One of the highest-profile samples came from rap legend Jay-Z, who wove the track’s core elements into his 2017 song *Bam* off the critically acclaimed album *4:44*. That Jay-Z track went on to chart in the UK, as well as on Billboard’s U.S. Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs rankings, introducing *Bam Bam* to a new generation of hip-hop fans.

Sister Nancy, born Ophlin Russell, says she never could have predicted the track’s decades-long popularity when she recorded it. “No, I did not know, but it did and I’m thankful,” she said. When asked what makes the track resonate so deeply with listeners across genres and regions, she pointed to its iconic core: “I think it’s the voice and the riddim pitch.”

The artist grew up in Jamaica’s St. Andrew parish before relocating to the U.S. in the mid-1990s, where she worked as an accountant for a New Jersey-based band before returning to music full-time more than a decade ago. *Bam Bam* is far from her only hit, with fan favorites including *Transport Connection* and the album’s title track *One, Two* also earning lasting acclaim.

Industry recognition of the track’s legacy has grown steadily over the past decade. In 2016, *Billboard* magazine named *Bam Bam* a “strong contender for the title of most sampled reggae song of all time.” Five years later, Rolling Stone placed the track at number 454 on its updated ranking of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, cementing its place in global music history.

Most recently, a fresh reimagining of the track has earned new chart success, proving its ongoing cross-genre appeal. A new Afrobeat-house-techno fusion rework titled *Jamaican (Bam Bam)*, produced by HUGEL and SOLTO, was released last November. The rework peaked at number 50 on the UK charts and hit number two on Billboard’s U.S. World Digital Song Sales chart, and it remains in rotation on regional charts across Central America, Latin America, and multiple European markets.

Jamaica’s celebrated gospel community is mourning the loss of one of its most distinctive and beloved voices, David ‘Kukudoo’ McDermott, who passed away after a short, aggressive battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The singer’s family officially confirmed his death in a statement posted to his social media channels on Friday, bringing an outpouring of tributes from fans, peers and public figures across the island and beyond.

McDermott was 56 years old, and leaves behind three children who survive him. The family’s post conveyed profound grief while asking for privacy as they process their loss: “It is with a heavy heart that we, the family of David ‘Kukudoo’ McDermott, have to tell the public that he passed this morning…at this time we ask for grace and respect in our time of grief.”

The beloved performer was only diagnosed with the blood cancer in late February of this year. According to his long-time manager Nicholas Marks, who began working with McDermott in 2018, delays in critical testing and the singer’s rapidly declining health cut short any chance of life-saving treatment. Speaking to the Jamaica Observer in an emotional interview, Marks explained, “The tests were sent to Florida to determine the best course of action to treat him but we never got back the results in time, it was supposed to take six weeks. David was too weak to do chemotherapy…he just ran out of time.”

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a widespread form of blood cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, occurring when infection-fighting white blood cells called lymphocytes mutate and begin to multiply uncontrollably, often forming solid tumors in the lymph nodes.

Beyond his talent as a performer, Marks remembered McDermott as a deeply authentic, driven person who poured his entire heart into every project he took on, especially his music. For years, the pair had been working toward releasing McDermott’s final studio album, titled *Life’s Journey*, a project that was repeatedly put on hold as the singer’s health declined. Three years after work began, only 10 of the planned 12 tracks had been completed when McDermott died. Marks remains committed to releasing the unfinished project, saying he believes it carries a special, greater purpose: “This album must have some greater purpose. From we decided to do the album he began to get sick; yuh cyaan tell me it don’t have a purpose.” This year, the pair had ramped up efforts to complete the record before his passing.

McDermott’s road to gospel stardom began with humble roots. Before launching his full-time music career, he worked as a machine operator at the now-shuttered Bernard Lodge Sugar Estate. He got his start performing at traditional Jamaican nine-night funeral wakes, known locally as dead yards, performing under the early stage name King David. His breakthrough came by chance one evening when a church band was playing a nine-night gig: a sound engineer recorded his impromptu performance, pressed it to a CD, and within weeks, tracks like *See People Business* and *Leave It Alone* dominated local radio airplay, becoming staples on public transportation across Jamaica. The once little-known performer was now a rising star.

His career quickly grew into a full-time calling, and he became a permanent fixture at the annual Jamaica Independence Gala, where he won over crowds with his signature blend of rousing mento-influenced gospel music. He built a large international fanbase, particularly in the United States, and is widely recognized as one of the most influential Jamaican gospel artists of his generation. “When you mention any gospel artiste out of Jamaica, Kukudoo has to be part of the conversation, he has to be mentioned. He was a wonderful performer and a genuine individual,” Marks added.

Jamaica’s Minister of Culture and Entertainment Olivia Grange was among the public figures to share her sorrow at the news of McDermott’s passing, honoring his outsized impact on Jamaican culture. She hailed him as “a cultural force whose work celebrated African-derived spiritual traditions within Jamaican society.” Grange noted that his music resonated with people across every generation and social group, adding that his passing is “a great loss and he would be sorely missed.”

Grammy Award-winning reggae recording artist Stephen Marley has exciting news for music and culture fans alike: his highly anticipated new solo single, *Hills of St Ann*, is scheduled for global release on May 8, 2026, through his independent label Ghetto Youths International. This upcoming track is far more than just a new standalone release—it serves as the first official preview of a full-length compilation project curated and produced by Marley himself. What makes this initiative unique is its intentional fusion of immersive musical composition and vivid cultural storytelling, with a core mission to shine a global spotlight on Jamaica’s extraordinary cultural heritage, breathtaking natural landscapes, and one-of-a-kind global cultural identity. The entire full-length compilation is framed as a sprawling, loving tribute to “Brand Jamaica,” honoring everything from the island’s centuries-old cultural roots to the stunning terrain that has sparked creative inspiration for countless generations of artists, thinkers, and creators. Diving into the details of the lead single, *Hills of St Ann* emerges as a soul-stirring acoustic guitar ballad, layered with the resonant, powerful Nyahbinghi drum rhythms that form a foundational part of traditional Jamaican reggae and Rastafarian musical practice. The track’s immersive sound design is crafted to transport listeners directly to Nine Mile, the quiet rural town in Saint Ann Parish that holds iconic status as the birthplace of reggae legend Bob Marley, Stephen Marley’s father. Blending intimate, personal lyrical storytelling with deeply rooted Jamaican musical tradition, the single delivers both raw emotional depth and uncompromising cultural authenticity that connects contemporary reggae to its foundational roots. The track’s creative credits reveal Marley’s hands-on involvement across multiple roles: he performs drums, bass guitar, and the signature Nyabinghi drums heard throughout the track. Completing the core recording lineup are Ranoy Gordon on lead acoustic guitar, Llamar Brown on keyboards, with rich layered backing vocals contributed by acclaimed vocalist Sherieta Lewis. Final recording and mixing engineering for the track was completed by sound engineer Adiambo Riley, who polished the production to balance organic, traditional instrumentation with modern clarity.

Dancehall music fans around the world are waking up to a groundbreaking new hit from rising artist Shawn Storm, whose latest single “Treason” has surged past global superstars to claim top positions on major United States iTunes charts. Released on March 14 under the Richboss Records label helmed by producer Richboss, the track has already outperformed every previous release in Shawn Storm’s career, marking a major career turning point for the artist. As the lead single from Shawn Storm’s recently dropped seven-track EP *Growth*, which debuted globally on May 1, “Treason” has earned unprecedented milestones for the dancehall act. Producer Richboss, who was born Travis Martin in St Mary, Jamaica and operates his label out of Portland, Oregon, shared that the single knocked out Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show track to claim the number 1 spot on the iTunes U.S. all-genre chart, while also topping the platform’s Reggae Music Video Chart. The milestone comes on the heels of a difficult period for Shawn Storm, who previously spent 13 years incarcerated alongside iconic dancehall artist Vybz Kartel. Reflecting on the artist’s remarkable journey from a prison cell to the top of the U.S. music charts, Richboss emphasized that the success is a testament to faith and second chances. Since its full release, the entire *Growth* EP has continued to perform exceptionally well on music charts across multiple regions, building on the momentum generated by its breakout lead single. For fans hoping to stream or download the hit, “Treason” is currently available on every major digital music platform worldwide, alongside the full collection of tracks on the *Growth* EP.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Emerging Jamaican fusion rapper Natalia Iñspiration is celebrating overwhelming early public response to her debut official single “My Love”, a cross-Atlantic collaborative project that pairs her distinct rap flow with the soulful vocal work of United Kingdom-based reggae balladeer Kenn Willis.

Rooted in warm, earnest celebration of romantic connection, the track layers Natalia Iñspiration’s signature smooth rap delivery over an upbeat, rhythm-driven hip-hop instrumental. The organic collaboration came together by chance after Willis, who had penned the core of the track years before meeting his collaborator, reached out to finish the incomplete work. As Natalia Iñspiration recalls, the process happened in a single spontaneous evening: during a late-night voice call, Willis shared the draft, and within hours, she had written and recorded her original verse to send back. Impressed by her work, the pair moved forward to officially release the finished track, dropping it to streaming platforms and radio on May 1.

The final production blends the two artists’ contrasting styles into a cohesive, engaging track. Willis leans into his reggae balladeer roots, delivering a heartfelt, love-letter-style vocal that showcases his lyrical tenderness and passion, while Natalia Iñspiration brings energetic momentum with her uptempo rap verse that cuts straight to the emotional core of the song.

In the weeks since its release, the single has earned fiery public feedback across social media platforms, and quickly climbed the local airplay charts in Jamaica, positioning “My Love” as the long-awaited breakthrough moment Natalia Iñspiration has spent years working toward. For the rising artist, the first time she heard her own voice playing on mainstream radio was a surreal, life-changing moment. “Since I was a little kid, music has been my biggest passion, and I always dreamed of being a performing artist,” she shared in an interview. “When I heard ‘My Love’ playing for the first time, I just couldn’t believe it. It was an amazing, out-of-body experience — I never imagined my voice would sound that good.”

Born Brithney Natalia Lovelace, the artist grew up in the small community of Flamstead, Hanover, Jamaica, raised by her parents Marlene Lee and Donovan Lovelace alongside seven siblings. While her family faced significant financial hardship that disrupted her formal education at Merlene Ottey High School, she describes her childhood home as a warm, joyful space. As a teenager, she underwent a religious conversion and became a devout Christian, a identity that would later shape her long-term creative goals.

Before stepping into the music industry full-time, Natalia Iñspiration explored multiple creative paths: she published written works, and built a following as a social media content creator and comedienne, known for her popular comedic sketch series. It was not until 2024 that her musical talent was pushed into the spotlight, when she entered a TikTok-based talent competition that highlighted both her sharp songwriting and dynamic rapping ability. She advanced all the way to the competition’s semi-finals, and gained a large base of loyal online fans in the process.

That experience rekindled her childhood passion for music, she says. “That competition helped me realize I had the talent to really make an impact on the world,” she explained. With steady encouragement from Willis and other industry contacts, she made the decision to shift her full focus to building a music career.

While she recorded an earlier debut track titled “My Life”, “My Love” marks her first official commercial release. The rising star already has a pipeline of new projects in the works, including an upcoming uptempo collaboration with dancehall artist Predator. She is also actively pursuing collaborative opportunities with other Jamaican and international artists, and has teased a future full-length gospel-rap album that aligns with her personal faith. With the breakout success of “My Love”, the pair are already preparing to film an official music video for the single in the near future.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Longtime Jamaican dancehall creative Caboowie is sounding the alarm over a troubling rise in violent confrontations between school-aged young people across the island, arguing that overly negative lyrical content in popular music has contributed heavily to this harmful cultural shift.

In a recent conversation with Observer Online, the Spanish Town-born performer laid out his perspective bluntly: “We see children lashing out and acting out both in school halls and on public streets constantly today. So much of the music they consume is saturated with negativity, and it is shaping their behavior. What they need right now is uplifting messaging and tracks that encourage them to grow and thrive.”

After years of observing this steady creep of harmful content influence, Caboowie says the time for honest conversation and action is long overdue. “Negativity has seeped into young people’s worldviews gradually over time, and we need to stop avoiding that truth. They desperately need positive inspiration to guide them,” he explained. “As an artist, I have a platform, and I am choosing to use that platform to do my part: I want to fill young minds with music that lifts them up and brings them joy, not division or violence.”

To turn this commitment into action, the artist dropped his new single *Cash Cash (Hot Cash)* one week prior to the interview, framing the track as a reflection of his mission to deliver uplifting content to young listeners.

While he points to negative music as a key contributing factor to youth behavioral issues, Caboowie also acknowledges that multiple societal forces shape young people’s choices. “It all comes down to what you feed into young minds. There are other issues at play, of course, but when you look at what kids are listening to daily — the tracks blaring in minibuses, the lyrics they dance to — it is impossible to ignore how worrying it is. Discipline starts at home, and parents have a critical role to play in nurturing the next generation’s minds in a positive, supportive way.”

A former student at Jonathan Grant High School, Caboowie brands his artistic style as “educator aka the Instructor” — a unique blend of classic, foundational dancehall sounds and modern, contemporary delivery. Drawing creative inspiration from dancehall icons Shabba Ranks and Bounty Killer, he is focused on building his own distinct niche in the industry while protecting the core authenticity that makes dancehall such a beloved global genre.

“I make clean, timeless music to educate the younger generation in a positive way,” he said, stressing how critical meaningful, purpose-driven lyrics are in an era he says desperately needs stronger unifying messaging.

Caboowie currently collaborates with King Nifty of Baff Music Group and producer Gideon of Gideon Records, while also actively supporting the next generation of Jamaican talent by building a network of emerging creators including Taskia, Landolyrical, Davidon, and Daki.

The artist, born Duran Jeffrey Burnett, recently made the decision to rebrand from his original stage name Unit. “The name Unit felt outdated after a while, especially once 50 Cent’s G-Unit rose to prominence. I never wanted to be tied to that space. I wanted an entirely original name to match my completely original sound,” he explained.

With 20 years of experience working in the music industry under his belt, the most impactful lesson Caboowie says he has learned is to persist through setbacks. “Never stop pursuing the work you love, even when it feels like no progress is being made. Just keep pushing forward,” he said. “After two decades in this industry, this is the first time I have gotten such overwhelming positive public feedback for any of my releases. Honestly, that response has given me a whole new burst of motivation to keep walking this positive path.”

Beyond his work with youth, Caboowie also raised concerns about deep divisions and disunity within the wider Jamaican music community. “The first rule of this industry should be: every established artist should lift up a new emerging artist,” he argued. “We also need to stop this toxic culture of competing to see who ‘runs’ music or who is the ‘baddest’ in the scene. That infighting is killing our culture. Fans don’t want to see public animosity on social media dividing entertainers — they want to see artists collab on new tracks and create together.”

The year 1976 stands as an unparalleled turning point in the history of reggae music, a 12-month stretch that delivered some of the most influential and enduring albums the genre has ever produced. That legendary year brought landmark releases from reggae’s biggest names: Bob Marley and The Wailers’ *Rastaman Vibration*, Bunny Wailer’s iconic *Blackheart Man*, and Peter Tosh’s bold *Legalize It*. Alongside these celebrated works came another historic debut: the self-titled first album from Kingston-born reggae collective Third World, dropped three years after the group first formed in Jamaica’s capital. Widely considered one of the four greatest reggae albums of that era, Third World’s debut remains the most sonically diverse of that iconic quartet, blending influences from across the musical spectrum that would come to define the band’s cross-generational appeal.

Nearly five decades after that groundbreaking release, the legendary reggae outfit is set to take the stage once more in Kingston, headlining the *To Mom With Love* tribute concert on May 10 at the city’s AC Hotel. They will share the lineup with a stacked roster of talent including fellow reggae icon Marcia Griffiths, American R&B star Glenn Jones, vocalist and event promoter Robert Minott, and rising artist Nesta.

For Minott, sharing a bill with Third World is more than just another performance—it is a full-circle moment for a lifelong fan. “They’re a great band, I’ve been listening to Third World for years. I even did a song with Bunny Rugs,” Minott told *Observer Online*, describing the group as a “special group” whose music resonates with fans across all demographics and geographic boundaries. Bunny Rugs, born William Alexander Clarke, served as Third World’s beloved lead vocalist from 1976 until his passing in 2014, and delivered lead vocals on many of the band’s biggest crossover hits, including *Now That We Found Love*, *Try Jah Love*, and *Committed*.

The upcoming show comes at a bittersweet moment for the Third World collective, which has lost two of its founding members in the last 16 months. In January 2024, co-founder and acclaimed guitarist Stephen “Cat” Coore died at the age of 69, just a year after the passing of the band’s other co-founder, keyboardist Ibo Cooper, who died in 2023. Despite these losses, the band’s enduring legacy has kept its place on Jamaica’s live music circuit, with this tribute to motherhood set to draw fans old and new to celebrate the group’s decades of contributions to reggae.

Organizers have planned two separate performance slots to accommodate high demand for the event: the first show kicks off at 1 p.m. local time, with a second evening show scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.