John Masouri

The reggae world has lost so many seminal figures in recent years that it truly feels like the end of an era. We pay tribute to two more in this latest Echoes - Lee "Scratch" Perry, who died in suspicious circumstances whilst undergoing treatment at a Jamaican hospital and then UB40 sax player and founder member Brian Travers, who finally lost his battle with cancer after a lengthy illness. I met both on numerous occasions and whilst they were very different personalities, th

Twenty years after they first started, I'm delighted to still be writing for Riddim Magazine. Although written in German, it's remained the world's leading reggae specialist publication ever since and the quality of the writing and presentation really hasn't faltered one iota. There's just one feature of mine in this latest issue but it's based on a recent interview I did with an artist who's long had a special place in my heart. I first met Sizzla when he was a high school s

The lead reggae interview in this month's Echoes is with Sizzla, the controversial Jamaican deejay who talks about his latest album So High and his many other activities as a community and religious leader in August Town - a ghetto neighbourhood in Kingston which is also home to Judgement Yard, where he lives and works. Elsewhere I interview the director and some of the cast from the forthcoming Marley musical Get Up Stand Up; our regular Vibes column tells the story of Jessi

I started writing the lead reggae feature in this latest Echoes just before the legendary U Roy passed away. The Deejay Godfather would have been celebrating the release of his new album Solid Gold and yet the piece sadly turned into an obituary - one that includes quotes from Solid Gold producers Zak Starkey and Sshh, as well from from past interviews I've conducted with U Roy over the years. Elsewhere, I talk to Jo Mersa Marley about life as a member of reggae's royal famil

In this latest edition of Reggae Vibes is a French language version of my interview with Alborosie, currently celebrating the release of his new album For The Culture. The Sicilian born reggae artist is a long term resident of Jamaica, where he has his own studio and produces songs that represent the island's rich musical history even more closely than many of the singers and musicians who were born there. You can read about his experiences regarding that - and also race - ri

I've been a contributor to the world's leading specialist reggae magazine - now only available in German unfortunately - for over twenty years and am thrilled to still be involved. In this latest issue I interview Alborosie about his new album For The Culture, released on VP Records. Apart from talking about the music, we also delve into the realities of a white European living and raising a family in Jamaica, and racist behaviour of a different, yet equally dispiriting kind.