Why Jamaica Must Choose Long-Term Resilience Over Short-Term Fixes- By Richard Hugh Blackford; Fine Artist, Author, and Social Commentator Three of Jamaica’s leading engineering and construction bodies—the Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica, the Jamaica Institution of Engineers, and the Jamaican Institute of Architects—have issued a sober warning at a critical moment. In a rare unified statement, these organizations are urging the Government to rethink its gr

Sugarcane cutters in Westmoreland, Jamaica. Hurricane Melissa has left more than one-third of Jamaica in ruins, tearing through communities and crippling everyday life across the island. The storm’s devastation has also placed a hard question at our door: If the country has supposedly enjoyed five years of economic growth, why were so many Jamaicans living in structures so vulnerable that a single natural disaster wiped entire communities off the map? The truth is uncomfortab

By Richard Hugh Blackford; Fine Artist, Author, and Social Commentator Eric Donaldson 7-time Jamaica Festival Song Contest winner As Jamaicans everywhere wrestle with the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, something remarkable is happening. Across social media, images flood in from New York, Miami, London, Toronto, and beyond; photos of shipping depots stacked to the rafters with barrels, boxes, and containers filled by Jamaicans in the Diaspora. These scenes, overflow

The fact is that in a free society, citizens should be able to comment, criticize and hold their government to account, even during emergencies. Yet when Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness' warning that those attempting to “be famous” by spreading misinformation about the relief efforts for Hurricane Melissa will be “tracked” and face consequences, felt less like caution and more like a muzzle.

By Richard Hugh Blackford; Fine Artist, Author, and Social Commentator In the face of disaster, effective leadership is more crucial than ever. Unfortunately, the recent response to Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica has exposed a glaring weakness in the country's leadership structure. It would appear that the Prime Minister's decision to assign himself to multiple critical portfolios, including Land, Housing, NWC, NHT, NEPA, and more, has led to a catastrophic failure in disaster

By Richard Hugh Blackford; Fine Artist, Author, and Social Commentator Hon PJ Patterson, Hon Bruce Golding -Former Prime Ministers of Jamaica. The news that Jamaica’s two retired Prime Ministers PJ Patterson , now 90, and Bruce Golding , 77, have been invited to join the island’s hurricane recovery effort has been widely framed as a moment of national unity . On the surface, it’s an image designed to inspire: two elder statesmen, one from the PNP  and the other from the JLP ,

In April/May of 1995, West Indies Cricket experienced its first Series loss in more than 15 years when they were toppled by Steve Waugh's...

Bunny “Striker” Lee is one of the most influential and prolific producers in reggae history who grew up in the Greenwich Town area of...

West Indies Cricket Team Logo The recent collapse of the West Indies cricket team- being bowled out for a mere 27 runs by Australia in...

Mike McCallum - The Body Snatcher The CVM TV post flashed across my Facebook page at around 8pm yesterday. It said simply "Mike McCallum...

I came across Junior Byles somewhere around 1972 when his song “Beat Down Babylon” was released. The Peoples National Party had won the...

The evolving process of Reggae. Painting by Richard Hugh Blackford The Birth of Reggae It was the middle of the 1968 and Jamaican...

"Honestly, guys, if the support system doesn’t change, my kids not running for Jamaica. I’m sorry to say that …but it’s just facts. My...

Cover image for proposed Jamaica Invitational Relays Jamaica has been attending the Annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field, PA for more...

Michigan & Smiley- Diseases It was the second half of the 1970s and I had just transferred to Camperdown High School in East Kingston...

Yaawd Media tribute to the late Reggae singer Cocoa Tea.

Robert Nesta Marley -Painting by Richard H Blackford (c) 2013

Osbourne Ruddock was born on January 28, 1941, in Kingston Jamaica, where he grew up to become a radio repairman in the late 1950s. At the time the Sound-systems were becoming extremely popular, having developed into quite an enterprising business. As a radio repairman, Tubby found frequent work for the sound systems, since the Jamaica’s tropical weather, combined with sabotage by rival sound system owners, led to malfunctions and equipment failure. In the course of time, Rud

In 1965 at age 34, Sonia made the full transition into music production on her own when she opened her record shop “Tip Top Records” at 37

Max Romeo , born Maxwell Livingston Smith on November 22, 1947, in St. D’Acre, St. Ann, Jamaica, emerged as one of reggae music’s most...