Erin MacLeod Archives - Page 2 of 4

R.I.P. Ranking Trevor, 1960-2012

Words by Erin MacLeod, photo by Martei Korley (shot at Sugar Minott's Black Roots/Youthman Promotions Studio)— Ranking Trevor, one of the most influential Jamaican deejays from the 70s, died in a road ac... Read More...

Rolling Stone Showcases Jamaica’s 50th Anniversary Party

Words by Erin MacLeod, Photos by Martei Korley, via Rolling Stone— There had been some worries about whether or not there had been enough organization. There were some arguments about the suppose... Read More...

Kartel’s Kingston Deluxe: Hear It Now Here

Words by Erin MacLeod— It was a big deal when the Dre Skull-produced Kingston Story dropped last year. Matching the innovative and interesting riddims of the MixPak label boss with the equally innovative... Read More...

Toppa Top 10: Bunny Rugs Shares His Top Spots Backayard

Words by Bunny Rugs and Erin MacLeod— You have to have somewhere to go when it's 96° in the shade. Of course Jamaica is a coastal paradise, but the white sand of its beaches is but one aspect of the coun... Read More...

Toppa Top 50: Fifty Great Jamaicans

Words by LargeUp Crew— Today marks 50 years since Jamaica was granted its independence from England, beginning its swift transition from a colony into a cultural capital. The level and pace of musical ... Read More...

Impressions: Blake Beats Bolt!

Words and Photo by Erin MacLeod— LargeUp contributor Erin MacLeod was at Jamaica National Stadium Friday night when Yohan Blake bested Usain Bolt in a stunning finish to Jamaica's 100-meter Olympic trial... Read More...

Natural Teng: Iris Ation x Tropical Fantasy’s “Hello Operator” Video

Words by Erin MacLeod— From jungle to dubstep, from Jamaica to Germany to Japan and all places in between, it's apparent that reggae and dancehall morph and move in some of the most interesting ways. Here'... Read More...

Seen: Nadira Lando, Dominica’s Kalinago Beauty Queen

Words and Photos by Erin MacLeod— Dominica’s Carnival Queen, 19-year-old Nadira Lando, has another crown, that of Miss Caribbean World. Notably, she is the first Kalinago (as the Caribbean's last remaini... Read More...

Le Quartier Francais: “Y’a quoi, Gwoka?”

Words by Erin MacLeod— Gwo ka means, quite literally, “big drum” in Guadeloupan Kreyol, but the music that is Gwo ka means that and so much more. It means dancing and singing, but it also means history, ... Read More...

Nature Sounds: Seen and Heard at Dominica Calypso Monarch

Words and Photos by Erin MacLeod— Watching the Calypso Monarch competition in Roseau, Dominica, I couldn't help but think that the antics of a Skerrit Bwoy--what with the role-playing and the dramatics, ... Read More...

Real Mas: Costume and Culture at Mas Dominik

Words and Photos by Erin MacLeod— Over the past week, the Eastern Caribbean spent quite a bit of time out in the streets partying. Trinidad and Tobago has, by far, the most famous Carnival, but the islan... Read More...

Le Quartier Français: Gwada Ragga and Roots

Words by Erin MacLeod— Want a new year’s resolution? How about expanding your musical horizons, and your definition of Caribbean music? The French Caribbean has a heck of a lot to offer—not just zouk... Read More...