At the 2018 edition of the Jamaican reggae festival Rebel Salute, legendary singer Cocoa Tea interrupted his set to introduce a petite, teenaged female artist, excitedly telling the audience of more than 10,000: “This little 17-year-old from Spanish Town is Jamaica’s next female sensation; come in Koffee.” Although relatively unknown at the time, Koffee’s rapid-fire, patois-heavy vocals on that first …
Reggae great and Dub pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry dead at 85
A towering figure in reggae, the pioneering Jamaican musician and producer Lee “Scratch” Perry has died at 85. Early in his career, Perry famously worked with Bob Marley’s fledgling group, The Wailers, helping to turn the band from a buttoned-up rocksteady outfit into a spiritual and politically conscious force. He was an instrumental figure at Kingston’s famed Studio One, where …