MUSIC VOYAGER : JAMAICA BEYOND BOB MARLEY

SYNOPSIS

Ask the average person what they know about Jamaican music and
the first thing they will think of is Bob Marley. While the legacy of
Marley is alive and well, in this episode, Jacob Edgar visi
ts with some
of today’s most popular reggae artists who are keeping roots reggae
going strong. Edgar’s travels to St. Thomas, a small city east of
Kingston, to visit with
Tarrus Riley
, one of the hottest young reggae
singers. After a walk through a local m
arket, Tarrus takes Edgar
down bumpy back roads for an unplugged performance next to the
one
-
room shack by the sea that he lived in for seven years. After
catching Tarrus at his star
-
studded record release party and a blazing
show at Jamaica’s biggest musi
c festival, Sumfest, Edgar journeys to
the hills outside of Kingston for a visit with reggae star
Richie Spice
.
They explore Richie Spice’s family farm and discuss the social role of
reggae, what it means to be a Rastafarian and the joys of raising
bunny r
abbits. The episode ends with a visit with
Etana
, a young
singer who blends reggae and neo
-
soul who has become hugely
popular in Jamaica. Edgar and Etana discuss the struggles of women
to make their voices heard in the Jamaican music industry, and Etana
an
d her band treat the viewer to a stunning acoustic performance on
the picturesque Goldeneye beach