Cat Coore and Jarcat Records Launch into Cyberspace

Words and photos by M. Peggy Quattro

Kingston, Jamaica – Master musician Stephen “Cat” Coore has an impeccable reputation amongst industry peers and music fans in Kingston, Jamaica. Therefore, it was no surprise when the internationally acclaimed Third World Band guitarist, cellist, and producer aligned with veteran Kingston hotelier, actor, and aspiring singer/songwriter Donahue Jarrett, and Jarrett’s longtime friend and successful businessman Philip Hill, to launch Jarcat Records in Kingston, the heart of the reggae music industry.

The multi-faceted recording company has been in development for more than two years. Cat and Donahue have been writing and recording songs featuring themselves individually, while also capturing the talents of local singers and songwriters. The result is a 13-track CD entitled Jarcat Grooves Vol. 1. The first single to reach the airwaves is Donahue Jarrett’s “All I’ve Got to Give,” featuring guest vocals by Third World’s Bunny Rugs Clarke. This debut release offers a sampling of the songs that will be found on future solo albums for Cat and Donahue, as well as new recording artists Kai Wakeling and Sean Dayes. Continue reading →

Rain Forest – Bobsled Jamaica at Mystic Mountain: Jamaica’s Newest Eco-Friendly Attraction

Words and Photos By M. Peggy Quattro

The opening of Mystic Mountain, the latest attraction to grace the Ocho Rios skyline, was slated for July 19, 2008 — rain or shine. And rain it did! From drizzle to downpour, the grand opening ceremony proceeded under a beautifully decorated white tent. Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett, Rain Forest CEO Johan van der Goltz, and Mystic Mountain Managing Director Mike Drakulich welcomed the hundreds in attendance with the reminder that this was, well, a rainforest! Director of Tourism Basil Smith and Director General Carrole Guntley, as well as members of Jamaica’s original bobsled team, were among the friends, family, and press who donned the supplied rain slickers and umbrellas to ride the Sky Explorer from its coastline base to over 700 feet above sea level at the peak of Mystic Mountain. Barbara Lulich, Mystic Mountain marketing consultant, and Norma Clarke adeptly coordinated this delightful history-making event.

Six years ago, when creator Mike Drakulich dreamed of a bobsled ride through the rainforest adjacent to Dunn’s River Falls, many thought he was crazy. Continue reading →

Reid Denies Fight with Banton

by Kevin Jackson (reprinted from EURweb.com)

Junior Reid denies a fist fight with Buju Banton…..and tells his side of what really happened in Miami

June 5, 2008 – Jamaican reggae artiste Junior Reid has denied media reports that he and Buju Banton were involved in a fist-throwing altercation backstage during the Best of the Best show at the Bicentennial Park in downtown Miami in late May.

He told one876entertainment that the whole situation stemmed from an incident in which Buju Banton maligned his name in front of Reid’s 13 year-old daughter, Destiny.

“I was there holding a vibe for the show and my daughter and her friends went over to Buju Banton because she is a big fan of Buju. She introduced herself as Junior Reid’s daughter, and Buju said, ‘who Junior Greed?’ My daughter was very embarrassed, and she asked me, ‘daddy, what you and Buju Banton have?’  I told her ‘no worry yourself, him no approach me to my face in that way’,” he explained. Continue reading →

Sisters to Sisters TV Mediathon

Raises JA$6.5 Million Dollars for Jamaica’s Young Women
by A. Frischauer-Bernard

Sunday, April 13, was a day of shared joy and pain, a celebration of lives and achievements, the ability to endure abuse and suffering, and to overcome through strength and determination. But most of all, it was about Sisterhood. The CPTC’s (Creative Production & Training Centre) studios were host to a live ‘Mediathon’ entitled “Sisters to Sisters,” under the International Women’s Day theme, “Financing for Gender Equality.”

Sponsored by the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports (MICYS), the objective was to raise JA$10 million for the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation and the establishment of a shelter being built by the Bureau for Women’s Affairs for battered women. Continue reading →