The 1st Reggae Report Small Axe Awards & Show! And sadly, the only Awards show that featured winners that were voted for by the fans and readers of Reggae Report – Oct. 25, 1986 – Konover Hotel Theater, Miami Beach, FL
Update 2020: I have video of this unique awards show. It’s ready to be edited in iMovie. If anyone has iMovie skills & would like to advise me on how to make a decent video out of crazy footage & some bad sound, please reach out to me at mpq@reggaereport.com. 1Luv ~MPeggyQ
By Jennifer Ryan V9#7 1991
Amandla! The deep-throated roar of the crowd in Kingston’s jam-packed National Stadium reached and rattled the rafters of heaven. As the poignant strains melted into the thunder of myriad voices, Nelson and Winnie Mandela stood straight, tall and proud, fists clenched in the traditional salute to freedom. The Mother and the Father had returned home. The Children wept with joy
For 10 days, newspapers, radio and television had been trumpeting the news to Jamaica’s masses. The Mandela’s were coming! The dream about to be fulfilled. Not since the visit of his Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie, in 1966, had an event of such momentous import occurred. Unnatural mysticism filled the air since it appeared as though the Mandela’s would actually set foot on Jamaican soil on July 23, the birthday of His Majesty. [Update: The Mandela’s arrived July 24 and stayed 24 hours] Continue reading
By Howard Campbell. V14#5
A visitor to Judy Mowatt’s home is in for a fairly long walk before he or she reaches the spacious front porch which houses a piano. Mowatt’s not pounding the keys today; she’s enjoying some peace and quiet at the back of the home near the hills of St. Andrew, Jamaica, not too far away from where she was born in the small village of Gordon Town.
An admitted lover of the soil, Mowatt’s cozy back room hideaway is surrounded by a small farm of sugarcane and bananas. Gospel music wafts through the air as she appears, barefoot and bareheaded, her locks complimenting her African-style blouse. A photo of Emperor Haile Selassie greets you upon entering, with another postcard-sized photo of the Wailers, circa the Uprising album, occupying one of the shelves of a nearby cabinet.
