Bob Marley Lives!

Some 26 years after the passing of reggae legend Bob Marley, his force continues to live through his message, catalogue, countless pop cultural references and his progeny, who have kept the musical Marley tradition vibrant.

Only Marcus Garvey resides on the same plain as Marley in the pantheon of great Jamaicans who have made a significant impact on the world. Strong testament to this is the fact that Bob Marley continues to sell records, topping the Billboard Reggae Albums chart at the end of last year with "Forever Bob Marley", an album with tracks that pre-date his time at Island Records.

As if that wasn't proof enough of his continued relevance and influence, the number nine slot on the same Reggae Albums chart belongs to Bob Marley and the Wailers for the album "Africa Unite: The Singles Collection". The number 10 position belongs to - you guessed it - Bob Marley and the Wailers, for the album "Gold" off the Tuff Gong/Island/Chronicles/UMe label.

Stephen "Ragamuffin" Marley and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley hold down the number two and three spots on the year-end chart behind their dad, with "Mind Control" and "Welcome to Jamrock".

In the middle of last December, the Francis Lawrence-directed film "I Am Legend", starring the most bankable actor in Hollywood - Will Smith, was released. Bob Marley's music and philosophy featured prominently in the movie, and its title has a link of sorts to Marley's 1984 posthumously released compilation album "Legend", which is the best selling reggae album of all time.

Will Smith, a self-professed fan of Marley's music, advocated strongly for the inclusion of the reggae icon's material in the film two weeks after production started. His character is influenced by Marley's conviction that music could cure hate and racism and sings the lyrics to "Three Little Birds" and "I Shot The Sheriff". At the end of the film, "Redemption Song" accompanies the closing credits.

The life's work of Robert Nesta Marley, OM (Order of Merit, Jamaica's third highest honour), continues to bloom and win him a new generation of fans. His status has been affirmed by his induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the designation of "Exodus" as album of the century by Time Magazine in 1999 and the selection of "One Love" as the song of the millennium by BBC.

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Brick & Lace - 'Inna Di Place!'

The two absolutely stunning young ladies who comprise the group Brick & Lace refuse to divulge their ages, except to say that they are their 20s and born two years apart. Nailah (the younger) and Nyanda Thorbourne have a wealth of experience in the music industry that belies their apparent youth.

The Kingston-raised beauties are currently signed to Akon's Kon Live Distribution/180 Entertainment/Geffen Records label. They are back in the island after completing the "Sweet Escape" tour with Akon and Gwen Stefani, and having their international profile raised even further by being featured on Yahoo! Music.

In their music videos for songs such as "Never Never" and "Love Is Wicked", Brick & Lace are nothing short of gorgeous. The group's name came about when their mother suggested "lace" to represent her sweet little angels. The ladies added the "brick" to represent "an edge".

"It represents feminine strength and that every woman has at least two sides, sexy and tough at the same time," explained Nyanda and Nailah. They pointed out that the name Brick & Lace is representative of the group and should not be seen as individual labels for them.

They started out as a trio singing at church barbeques with their sister, Tasha, before evolving into back-up singers for the likes of Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths and Diana King. Tasha, now happily married in Canada, subsequently bowed out of the music business but still supports them.

After spending only two years at Miami Dade Community College in Florida, Nyanda and Nailah decided to move on and pursue their passion for music. Their time in Miami was not without benefits, as they managed to meet mega-producer Dallas Austin, who offered them a music publishing deal.

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Chaka Demus -
The Enduring Spirit of a Veteran DJ

The history of dancehall music is a rich and extensive one. It's filled with incredible stories and inspiring personalities of significant influence. One such character is Chaka Demus, who personifies dancehall music of the early 80s to the present.

Most might remember Chaka Demus from his alliance with reggae/dancehall singer Pliers. The duo made their impressions felt throughout the 90s, delivering many hits such as "Gal Wine", "Rough This Year", "Twist and Shout" and the Sly and Robbie-produced monster hit "Murder She Wrote", among others.

The song that made his name a household one in the late 80s was "One Scotch", a collaboration he recorded with Admiral Bailey.

"I was at Jammy's [Studio] one Sunday, jus' a hold a vibe, and I see Steely and dem man deh a play some rhythm with Admiral Bailey and me say 'Yo! unuh naw record nuh hit tune man…Admiral, come hear this'."

He recreated the ensuing scene by beginning to "chump" the bass line melody of the song and singing in the style of the hit record. "The whole place turnover!" he stated emphatically.

A catalogue of hits followed, as he grew more involved in the dancehall circuit. His partnership with Pliers in the early 90s helped to solidify his name in the history books as one of dancehall's greats. He described that period as the happiest time of his career.

"It was such a joy and still is a joy," he said. Chaka Demus added that while Pliers remains his friend and they still perform and record together, there comes a time when "every man have to do dem own ting". Motoring on his original vibe, he released a new solo album last November, appropriately titled "DJ Spirit".

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The 'Art and Soul' of Alphanso Blake

The colours of his art pieces jump out at you from the medium. Creative, dazzling, bold and at times hypnotically subtle, the hues readily draw attention. However, there is so much more to the paintings of Alphanso Blake that appeals to the eyes as well as the mind.

His semi-abstract cubist style is thought provoking, to say the least. Blake's purposeful attention to form and composition, as well as his adept use of geometric shapes in his paintings, work to engage the consciousness of the viewer. They are at once captivating and fascinating, and also resonate with Caribbean verve.

Originally from the school of realism, Blake spent the early part of his 18-year career building his reputation as a talented landscape painter. As he travelled to places outside of Jamaica, he kept hearing the comment that Jamaican artists were preoccupied with landscapes. At this point in his career, a kind of boredom had started to set in, and he now wanted to explore new challenges.

"I knew that there were other Jamaicans painting semi-abstract, so I started to paint semi-abstract. My career took a different turn at that point. I developed a style for myself and started out painting musical semi-abstract pieces."

Through art books, he became drawn to cubism, a 20th century style that deconstructed reality and reassembled it in an abstract form marked by geometric shapes on flat plane. He saw the work "Girl With A Mandolin" by Pablo Picasso, the famous Spanish painter who co-founded the cubism movement, and created a version of his own called "Rhythms".

"I started to paint Jamaican cubism…I started to paint market women, lovers and Jamaican scenery in cubism. Then I found out that there was a whole marketplace waiting for that sort of expression and my love for it just kept growing."

Blake revealed that the source of his inspiration comes from looking at colours, which he uses to create moods. He is also inspired by smooth jazz music, nature, the relationship between men and women and family. However, he is not always dependent on inspiration to paint, as sometimes it is one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration.

Among the persons who he cites as his influences are renowned Jamaican artist Alexander Cooper, Leopold Barnes, Richard Hall, Maurice Evans, Essud Fungcap and Joseph Holston. The latter three artists feature prominently on the black American art scene.

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Jason 'Jay Will' Williams -
Rewriting the Rules of the Music Video Game

Wading neck-deep in one of the most strenuous and controversial professions, Jason 'Jay Will' Williams has proven that he's got what it takes.

But what exactly does it take to succeed as a video director? Well, for starters, a lot of energy, a clear vision of what you want to achieve and lots of persuasive power. Oh, and it does help to have several years of experience under your belt, just in case…

Jay Will did not rely on the coincidental popularity of his name to state his claim to fame (there are at least two other well known contemporary Jay Wills). He is busy making his own name, hammering out his own rules for the video and film production game. Presently the Director of Jay Will Films, he professed that he has always had a love for the movie camera.

After leaving Jamaica for Florida at age fourteen, Jay Will started to seriously explore the world of TV in high school. He studied film and video at Full Sail, a private university geared towards the entertainment industry, and later got a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Florida A&M University (FAMU).

"I used to take the songs of famous reggae artistes and make my own amateur versions of their videos," he fondly recalled.

"At FAMU, I produced a college TV show called 'Pon Di Hill', which led me in the direction of entertainment as opposed to journalism, which is what I studied."

Jay Will moved to New York after graduating from college, and eventually started to work in the entertainment field as a personal assistant at MTV. He eventually started to produce segments for MTV and later got an opportunity to work alongside personnel on Kanye West's first music video, 'Through the Wire'. After that, he directed his first video for KC Jockey, a New York-based artiste. The song was 'One Diggy Diggy', which featured Elephant Man.

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