Since Big Ben struck midnight on New Year’s eve and the South Bank lit up large in anticipation of the Olympics on the East-side, it seems that Jamaica has thrown up a daily dose of evocative bass-ical vibrations into this scribe’s regime. To tell the truth, I’ve been on a mission with regards to 50 years of Jamaican Independence for a good while now and and while a couple of very sweet ideas have sadly failed to manifest, right now,  a bunch of projects are fast become a reality. From Punch Records to Dune Music to British Underground at SxSW… Jamaica 50 is happening.

Firstly, I have to say that since the early Seventies, reggae music has underpinned a good portion of my life. It has shaped me as the person I am. Reggae confronts us with history, mystery and prophesy. It forces us to think, to evaluate our past…