One of the foremost voices in Roots Reggae music, Vaughn “Akae Beka” Benjamin, of the Midnite Reggae band has passed away. He was 50.

On Tuesday morning, news of Benjamin’s death spread within the Reggae world. Benjamin was one of the most prolific writers ever seen in music, not just Reggae. He was a lyrical genius known for the skillfully crafty and precise manner in which he layered his messages in music.  His untimely death is now sending shock waves through the Reggae community. No reason for his death has been given.

A letter from the British government classifying Paulette Wilson as an illegal immigrant shook her sense of identity and belonging. ‘Hostile Environment’ policies years in the making meant that Wilson and other victims of the Windrush scandal had their right to residency in the UK called into question.

She had been detained for a week pending imminent deportation though she had done nothing wrong. It was devastating, but luckily she was released before she was deported. Her story is just one of many personal stories revealed by Amelia Gentleman’s committed reporting of the Windrush scandal. Her journalism forms the basis of this documentary.

Jamaican dancehall/reggae artiste and actor Louie Rankin best known as ‘Teddy Bruckshut’ or ‘Ox’ from the popular films “Shottas” and “Belly” respectively, has passed away.

The dancehall legend was involved in a fatal vehicle collision in Melancthon Township in Ontario, Canada at 9 a.m. on Monday (Sept 30). While more details regarding the crash are yet to be revealed, Louie Rankin is thought to have died from the injuries he sustained in the accident. Many dancehall fans and community members have been reacting to the sad news.

Jamaica’s Reggae Sunsplash, the groundbreaking music festival that established the blueprint for reggae festivals around the world, will return in November 2020, following a 14-year absence. The revived Reggae Sunsplash will be held at Grizzly’s Plantation Cove, Priory, St. Ann, a spacious outdoor venue located near Ocho Rios on Jamaica’s north coast.

Founded by Synergy Productions, the inaugural Reggae Sunsplash took place June 23-28, 1978 in the island’s resort capital of Montego Bay and featured six nights of dusk-til-dawn concerts showcasing several of Jamaica’s finest reggae acts, including Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, Jacob Miller and Inner Circle, Third World and Toots and the Maytals.

When Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw graduated with a communications degree from the University of Tennessee in May, it wasn’t hard to spot her. As she collected her diploma, the Jamaica forward burst into her trademark “infectious” smile and repeated three simple words: “I did well. I did well.” For anyone already acquainted with Shaw’s story, it was an understatement as huge as her grin.

The 22-year-old, nicknamed ‘Bunny’ because of a fondness for carrots at an early age, had completed her degree while simultaneously helping Jamaica reach their first World Cup. She did so after a young life touched by tragedy in her native country, where she lost three brothers and a nephew to gang violence. She also had to contend with her mother’s preconceptions about whether she should play football at all.