分类： entertainment

The global music community is mourning the loss of one of ska and rocksteady’s founding trailblazers, Stranger Cole, who passed away at 83 on Thursday at the University Hospital of the West Indies. His death was confirmed by his son Wilburn “Squiddly” Cole, a professional drummer, in an exclusive conversation with Jamaica’s Observer Online. According to Cole’s son, the iconic singer had been in poor health for an extended period before being admitted to the medical facility two weeks prior; no official cause of death has been released to the public.

A beloved figure across international music scenes, Cole maintained an active performance schedule well into his later life. As recently as December 2023, he completed a run of six sold-out shows in Australia, where he retained a fiercely loyal fan base built on his decades-old catalog of 1960s hits. He also commanded a large, dedicated following across Europe for decades.

Born in the rural parish of Portland, Jamaica, Cole relocated to the capital city of Kingston during his childhood, eventually settling in the iconic neighborhood of Trench Town. In the early 1960s, Trench Town emerged as the creative heartbeat of Jamaica’s burgeoning music movement, as ska began to capture the attention of clubgoers and dance attendees across Kingston. It was in this fertile creative environment that Cole launched his professional recording career.

His first breakout charting singles, *Rough And Tough* and *When You Call My Name* (a collaborative track with vocalist Patsy Todd), were produced by legendary Jamaican producer Duke Reid. He followed this early success with a string of enduring hits that remain staples of the ska and rocksteady genres, including *Just Like A River* recorded with keyboardist Gladstone Anderson, and *Bangarang*, which he cut with Lester Sterling of the iconic Skatalites collective.

Beyond his own celebrated recording career, Cole played a pivotal, often underrecognized role in nurturing the next generation of Jamaican reggae and rocksteady talent. He supported the early careers of legendary artists Ken Boothe and The Mighty Diamonds, even writing and producing the group’s very first commercial release, *Oh My Baby*.

In the early 1970s, Cole immigrated to Toronto, Canada, where he quickly became a core member of the city’s fast-growing Jamaican expatriate reggae community. His decades of contributions to Toronto’s cultural landscape were chronicled in the 2018 documentary *Ruff and Tuff — Stranger Cole’s Toronto Roots*, directed by filmmakers Chris Flanagan and Graeme Mathieson.

Cole is survived by seven children, as well as multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Nearly 20 years after first stepping behind the radio microphone, one of Jamaica’s most beloved broadcasting figures, DJ Amber, has marked a career-defining milestone that goes far beyond personal accolade: it puts a long-overdue spotlight on the countless contributions of women shaping the nation’s media and entertainment industries.

Amber was among the standout women recognized during the 10th annual Queens of Reggae Island Honour Ceremony (QORIHC) Awards, a celebration that elevates the work of trailblazing women across five key sectors: reggae music, media, entertainment, business, and grassroots community development. For the veteran broadcaster, the award carries extra weight, as it shines a light on a cohort of professional women whose labor often flies under the public radar.

“Getting this show of public appreciation feels incredibly meaningful,” Amber shared in an interview after the ceremony. “Women working across media, broadcasting, music, and entertainment rarely get this level of formal recognition. So this is a double honor: I’m being recognized as a woman, and as an outstanding professional in my field, which makes it that much sweeter.”

The recognition also serves as a sobering reminder of the persistent barriers women face in creative and media industries that have long been dominated by male leadership and ownership. “Across the board, this is still a male-dominated landscape,” Amber explained. “No matter if you work in film, music, or the arts, men still hold most of the power and most of the public recognition. That’s what makes QORIHC’s work so important—they consistently lift up the excellent work that women like me and my fellow honorees are doing.”

Amber’s rise to become one of Jamaica’s most recognizable radio voices began at Linkz Radio in the coastal town of Savanna-la-Mar, before she made the jump to the nation’s iconic IRIE FM. There, her warm, approachable persona and down-to-earth conversational style helped her build a large, fiercely loyal listener base. She attributes that deep connection with audiences to her refusal to adopt a performative “on-air persona.”

“I don’t put on a fake ‘radio voice’ when I get behind the mic,” she said. “I just talk to my audience like I would talk to my friends, my family, or someone I run into at the grocery store or on the street. That authenticity is what keeps people coming back.”

What many listeners may not see is that Amber’s influence extends far beyond the airwaves. She has earned widespread acclaim for her off-air humanitarian work: organizing disaster relief campaigns for vulnerable communities hit by hurricanes and tropical storms, leading advocacy to protect public access to Jamaica’s world-famous beaches, and leveraging her platform to amplify conversations about pressing social issues that impact working-class Jamaicans.

This commitment to public service grows out of a core belief that people in media have a unique responsibility to drive progress. “I truly believe media personalities have a responsibility to use their platforms to push for social change,” she said. “The media is the most powerful space we have to influence public opinion and support positive change across our society.” She credits her parents with instilling these values of service early in life, and says community outreach remains one of the most meaningful parts of her entire career.

Even as she basks in the recognition from QORIHC, Amber has already turned her attention to what comes next. Beyond continuing her daily work on Jamaican radio, she plans to expand her growing business portfolio, explore new opportunities in reggae music production, and scale up her humanitarian outreach to reach more communities across the island. “I stay busy even when listeners don’t see or hear me on the air,” she joked.

As she reflects on nearly 20 years in the industry and her latest honor, Amber hopes her career journey can inspire the next generation of women hoping to build careers in media and entertainment. Looking ahead to her legacy, she says: “When people hear my name 20 years from now, I’d love for them to remember me as a kind yet bold woman. I want to be remembered for having done all the good I could in this lifetime.”

Nestled in the bustling core of New Kingston, Jamaica Pegasus hotel has breathed new life into its weekly culinary gathering, the “Tuesday On The Grill Experience”, transforming it into a standout al fresco dining destination that pairs world-class hospitality with authentic Caribbean flavor. Set against the glimmering backdrop of the property’s iconic Olympic-size outdoor pool, this reimagined weekly event welcomes guests to a relaxed yet refined evening of unlimited dining, live entertainment, and local culture for a price point of J$9,000 per person, with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available for separate purchase at the on-site bar.

For three judges from the Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards – lead reviewer Oneal Johnson, Adolph Raynor, and guest judge Selena Mohammed-Wilson – a recent visit to the relaunched series turned into the kind of effortless, memorable night that many local diners and visitors crave. From the moment the group arrived, the poolside setting felt inviting and perfectly suited to Jamaica’s tropical climate. Soft, warm lighting danced across the pool’s surface, while a curated live band provided a dynamic yet unobtrusive soundtrack: energetic enough to lift the mood, but quiet enough to let guests enjoy uninterrupted conversation over their meals. It is a rare balance that makes the venue ideal for both group outings and intimate date nights.

The undisputed star of the evening, however, is the expansive all-you-can-eat buffet, which showcases a thoughtful mix of beloved Jamaican specialties and popular international dishes. The spread includes everything from richly seasoned jerk pork from a live carving station and succulent grilled pork chops to tender, fresh-caught crayfish, flaky roasted salmon fillet, crisp seasonal salads, and creamy house-made macaroni and cheese. Diners with a sweet tooth are equally well-catered for, with a dedicated dessert stand stocked with rum chocolate mousse pudding cups, glazed donuts, moist chocolate cake, creamy cheesecake, and artisanal cupcakes. With such a wide range of options, every return trip to the buffet brings a new opportunity to discover a dish that excites the palate.

Beyond food and music, the experience adds extra layers of fun for guests. For those inspired by the live band, an open dance floor is available to let loose, while rotating local artisans set up stalls throughout the evening to showcase and sell handcrafted Jamaican goods, giving guests the chance to sneak in a little retail therapy while they dine.

What ties the entire experience together, the judges noted, is the attentive, professional service that has become a hallmark of the Jamaica Pegasus brand. Staff members greeted guests warmly upon arrival and checked in consistently throughout the night, ensuring every guest felt comfortable and well-cared for, upholding the hotel’s long-held reputation for premium hospitality.

After an evening of good company, incredible food, and live music under the starlit Caribbean sky, the three judges agreed that the relaunched “Tuesday On The Grill Experience” checks every box for anyone seeking a standout night out in Kingston. It delivers a winning combination of stunning natural setting, diverse, high-quality cuisine, engaging entertainment, and top-tier service that keeps guests lingering long after the last course. For locals and travelers alike, this weekly poolside gathering has quickly cemented its place as a can’t-miss Kingston dining destination.

For two millennia, Judas Iscariot has stood as history’s most reviled figure, his name a global byword for treachery and betrayal after he handed Jesus Christ over to authorities for just 30 pieces of silver. Now, a first-time Christian author is upending centuries of conventional wisdom with a provocative new take on the infamous disciple, framing his story as a mirror for the internal moral struggles that all people face.

Paloma Price, a South Florida-based practitioner of Christianity originally raised in Portmore, St Catherine, spent three years crafting her debut book *Learning From Judas*, which hit shelves in April. Long passionate about writing but never having pursued it as a professional career, Price says the project was born from divine direction. According to Price, God prompted her with a probing question: “Who is a son of perdition?” That inquiry launched her into months of deep research focused on how people who are seen as righteous can lose their moral direction, eventually leading her to the figure that has puzzled biblical scholars for centuries.

Unlike traditional interpretations that paint Judas as a one-note villain, Price’s work reframes him not as a distant, one-dimensional figure from ancient scripture, but as a reflection of the conflicting internal battles every person navigates. The book invites readers to confront the parts of themselves that long for God’s will but repeatedly resist the path God lays out. Drawing together spiritual revelation, psychological reflection, and actionable practical guidance, *Learning From Judas* guides readers toward deeper self-awareness, emotional healing, and alignment with the divine plan Price argues God has for each person’s life.

Price explains that Judas emerged as the ideal subject to illustrate a critical lesson: when people refuse to let truth reshape their character and choices, the damage can become irreversible. The author emphasizes that her work is not a text focused on condemnation of Judas or any reader; instead, it is an open invitation to personal transformation. Her core hope for audiences is that after engaging with the book, they will leave with greater compassion for their own failures, clearer insight into their inner world, and the courage to confront the subtle internal forces that drive their choices. For Price, examining the story of Judas is ultimately a journey of self-discovery: confronting the betrayal and moral struggle embodied by the infamous disciple is how people come to better understand themselves and realign their lives with God’s purpose.