博客

KINGSTON, Jamaica — One of Jamaica’s most promising emerging dancehall talents, Kemado, is gearing up for a long-awaited mainstream breakthrough with his highly anticipated new single *This Girl A Problem*, crafted under the production banner of Ibless Music Entertainment.

Kemado’s artistic roots stretch back to his childhood in Lemon Walk, a small community in Lowe River, Trelawny, before he relocated to Little Lane in Central Village, St Catherine, where he refined his performance and songwriting skills. He completed his secondary education at Spalding High School, an experience that anchored his early years before he fully committed to a career in music.

In a recent interview, the artist opened up about his personal and artistic identity, describing himself as a grounded, warm-hearted, and driven creator whose on-stage persona is fueled by relentless ambition, unwavering focus, lived experience, and a natural ability to engage audiences. “As an artiste, I am a star. I am hungry, focused, experienced and very entertaining. I am dedicated,” he affirmed.

A passionate advocate for his home country’s cultural heritage, Kemado emphasized that Jamaican culture remains one of the nation’s most powerful and globally sought-after exports. “From the energy I carry, it is easy to sell Jamaica using our culture as the product. People around the world prove that our culture is important and it sells,” he shared, noting the enduring global appeal of authentic Jamaican sound and storytelling.

Like many independent artists, Kemado’s path to the cusp of success has been marked by obstacles and setbacks, but he says critical feedback and pushback have only strengthened his craft and resolve. “Criticism is what made me and moulded me. I took all the stones thrown at me and built a stone wall. I am destined to be one of the greatest in dancehall,” he said, outlining his ambitious long-term goals for his career.

Renowned for his high-energy stage presence, sharp lyrical skill, versatile sound, and unshakable determination, Kemado has maintained a loyal growing fanbase by centering his music on themes of inspiration and motivation that resonate with listeners across demographics. His upcoming lead single *This Girl A Problem* draws inspiration from a real-life narrative, adding a layer of authentic storytelling that aligns with his artistic brand. Beyond the new single, the artist is putting the final finishing touches on his debut extended play (EP), which is expected to drop in the near future.

Alongside promoting *This Girl A Problem*, Kemado is currently pushing a second standalone single titled *Tomorrow*, which he co-produced alongside DJ Barber. Speaking about the track, he expressed confidence in its global potential: “This song has the energy, the story and the vibe to turn heads worldwide. People are going to relate to it because it’s real, exciting and full of authentic dancehall flavour.”

Closing with a heartfelt message to his growing audience, Kemado shared his core life philosophy: “Be true to yourself, show love, give thanks for life, and be responsible for your actions.”

For decades, the quiet contributions of Sheila Lee to the growth and institutionalization of Jamaica’s iconic music industry have flown under the public radar. Now, as tributes pour in following her passing on June 6 at 83 years old in South Florida, those closest to her are highlighting the foundational role she played in building the legacy that defined Caribbean music for generations.

As the wife of legendary Jamaican music pioneer Byron Lee — founder of Dynamic Sounds recording studio and Jamaica Carnival, who passed away in 2008 after 41 years of marriage to Sheila — many have reduced her role to that of a supportive spouse. But her family and longtime colleagues say that description badly underestimates her impact on the sector. According to her daughter Julianne Lee, Sheila’s organizational and advocacy work laid groundwork that allowed her husband’s career and the broader Jamaican music scene to flourish.

“When Byron was able to tour 45 weeks out of the year, she was the anchor and the point of contact,” Julianne explained in an interview with Observer Online. Beyond holding the enterprise together during Byron’s extensive travel, Julianne noted Sheila was one of the first industry leaders to prioritize formalizing copyright and intellectual property protections for Jamaican artists. To advance that work, she invited New York-based music industry expert Paul Marshall to lead educational workshops for creators at Dynamic Sounds, filling a critical gap in knowledge for artists who had long been excluded from understanding their legal rights.

Born Sheila Khouri in Kingston, Sheila grew up as the eldest of 10 children in a Lebanese-Jamaican family, with deep existing ties to the nascent Jamaican music business. Her father Michel was a cousin to Kenneth Khouri, the owner of Federal Records and one of the first major pioneers of recorded music in Jamaica. A graduate of Kingston’s Immaculate Conception High School, she met Byron Lee through mutual connections to the Nasrallas, another prominent Lebanese-Jamaican family, and quickly became integrated into his early music work.

During the global ska boom of the early 1960s, when Lee’s band The Dragonaires rose to national fame, she accompanied the group to performances and popularized the energetic ska dance that became a core part of the genre’s public identity. By the 1970s, as Dynamic Sounds grew into Jamaica’s preeminent recording and production hub, Sheila had shifted her focus to building the business side of the operation, a role that earned her widespread respect from industry peers.

Tommy Cowan, who served as a marketing executive at Dynamic Sounds during that decade, recalled that Sheila brought a rare focus on artist discipline and rights advocacy to a largely unregulated industry. To address the gap in royalty and rights management, she founded Sheila Music, a dedicated music publishing company that helped artists collect rightful compensation for their work. Beyond her own ventures, Cowan noted she was a consistent behind-the-scenes supporter of key Dynamic Sounds projects, including the popular Christmas reggae album series, and breakthrough releases from iconic artists like Eric Donaldson and Adina Edwards. Cowan credits her sharp business acumen with turning Dynamic Sounds into the thriving, influential institution it became.

Sheila Lee is survived by three daughters — Judy, Julianne, and Danielle — three grandchildren, three stepchildren, and seven siblings. She was preceded in death by one brother. A thanksgiving service to honor her life and legacy is scheduled for June 19 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness in Pembroke Pines, Florida.