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Posts published in “Reggae/World”

MUSIC MONDAY: “Sonia Pottinger – The First Lady of Reggae” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Sonia Pottinger – The First Lady of Reggae” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on March 9, 2026

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Threads: @stlmarlonwest IG: stlmarlonwest Bluesky: @marlonweststl.bsky.social Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Women’s History Month! Welcome to another Music Monday at GBN. Your monthly groove wrangler is back with a new collection for your musical pleasure.

When discussing Jamaica’s greatest reggae producers, names like Lee “Scratch” Perry, Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, King Tubby, Bunny Lee, and Joe Gibbs are frequently bandied about. However, Sonia Pottinger—the “First Lady of Reggae”—is seldom included in that conversation.

Against all odds, Pottinger became a formidable force in Jamaica’s male-dominated music industry as the country’s first female record producer, record shop owner, and label head. Today, we are shining an audio light on her incredible work.

Affectionately known as “Miss P,” she was one of Jamaica’s most noteworthy producers from the 1960s through the 1980s. She excelled through an individualized approach to production bolstered by keen business acumen, leaving behind a catalog of outstanding breadth and quality.

Reggae producer Sonia Pottinger (photo via reggaereport.com)

From the rocksteady craze of 1966 and ’67 to the classic roots reggae recordings of The Gladiators, I have gathered this collection of Sonia Pottinger’s essential tracks.

Please enjoy!

As always, stay safe, sane, and kind. See you next month for another dose.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “Music Is The Weapon: The Essential Fela Kuti” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Music Is The Weapon: The Essential Fela Kuti” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on January 19, 2026

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Threads: @stlmarlonwest IG: stlmarlonwest Bluesky: @marlonweststl.bsky.social Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Music Monday! It’s your monthly Groove Agent back with another playlist on this Reverend Martin Luther King Holiday. Today we are celebrating the life and music of the legendary Fela Kuti.

He famously asserted “Music is the weapon. Music is the weapon of the future.” and some nearly 30 years after his death in 1997, his music is still inspiring generations.

Fela Kuti has been described as Malcolm X, James Brown, Bob Marley, Muhammad Ali, and Dr. King all rolled into one defiant package. All contemporary forms of Black music, from funk to hiphop, owe debt to the driving grooves of the Afrobeat genre that he created.

Fela recorded more than 60 albums and spent a lifetime fighting against political corruption in his homeland of Nigeria. He was in a decades-long cycle of recording music, being arrested and beaten for it, making a song  about that – REPEAT. In his homeland and around the world he was affectionately called “Black President.”

This collection was inspired by Jad Abumrad’s “Fela Kuti: Fear No Man” podcast. It’s a twelve- episode exploration of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and an amazing deep dive into the life and legacy of the multi-instrumentalist, sociopolitical powerhouse, and father of Afrobeat.

Kuti endures as one of  the most important musical figures of the 20th century.

Please enjoy 9 hours of the essential works of the man often simply called: Fela!

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
HOLIDAY MUSIC: “Groove Christmas 2025” Playlist (LISTEN)

HOLIDAY MUSIC: “Groove Christmas 2025” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on December 16, 2025

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Threads: @stlmarlonwest IG: stlmarlonwest Bluesky: @marlonweststl.bsky.social Spotify: marlonwest)

Hello and Happy Holidays,

It’s your friend and selector, Marlon West, with another collection for GOOD BLACK NEWS. GROOVE CHRISTMAS 2025 is an eclectic mix of Christmas music, much of which was released this year.

This collection features favorites from Donny Hathaway, Nina Simone, Lou Rawls and John Legend, alongside recent releases by artists like Rebel Rae, Aloe Blacc, Alex Harris and CoCo Jones. I’ve also included selections from Duke Ellington’s classic 1960 “Nutcracker Suite” as a unifying thread.

I hope this seasonal collection introduces you to new classics and favorites to enjoy this year and beyond.

Please also feel free to dig into my earlier offerings, including “Soulful Christmas,” “Cool Yule: A Jazzy Christmas Playlist,” and “Christmas Around The World,” all of which are still available.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season. I will be back with another offering in January 2026.

Until then, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “Fresh Reggae Tracks” Summer Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Fresh Reggae Tracks” Summer Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on July 14, 2025

Happy Music Monday, you all. It’s your pal and selector, Marlon, back once more with a collection to brighten your month.

We are into July and for my money, a particularly good time to enjoy some sweet reggae music.

This “Fresh Reggae Tracks” playlist is devoted to new reggae. Many of these tracks were released this year, while others are from recent years. Reggae has always been infused with social change, love, and unity.

Today the genre is as vibrant and diverse than ever. This collection gathers roots, dancehall, dub, and hip hop to showcase range of artists and styles.

Aza Lineage, Lila Iké and Burna Boy are but a few of the artists featured in this collection. There are members of the Marley Family and emerging acts gathered here for your listening and dancing pleasure.

Do enjoy.

And always stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: Celebrating the “Afroclectic Best of 2024” on MLK Day (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: Celebrating the “Afroclectic Best of 2024” on MLK Day (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on January 20, 2025

by Marlon West (Bluesky: @marlonweststl.bsky.social, Spotify: marlonwest)

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroPunk: Reggae Meets Punk” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroPunk: Reggae Meets Punk” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on May 13, 2024

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Threads: @stlmarlonwest IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

While Reggae is a true import from Jamaica, it really gained a global footing in England. It and Punk both arose out of the economic depression and social inequality in the late 1960’s and 1970’s.

Many Reggae songs of the time like Bob Marley’s “Punky Reggae Party” and “Concrete Jungle” were overt commentary on life in London, while many Punk artists adopted some of these traits and spreading a message of rebellion against the Establishment.

He was not the only one to see that punks and Rastas shared a same idea of freedom and of rebellion against social norms and the setting of said norms.

Hope you enjoy this free-wheeling collection of songs celebrating the intersection of Reggae and Punk. As always, stay, safe, sane, and kind.

I’ve included tracks for the “Second Wave” of ska where bands like The Specials, English Beat, and Selector combined traditional ska song and grooves with a sped-up rhythms of punk music, introducing ska to new generations.

I’ve also included tracks from “Rocket To Kingston” credited to Bobby Ramone. It is a melding of the isolated vocal tracks from Bob Marley dropped over edited Ramones backing tracks. It shouldn’t work, but it does.

Marlon West

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroBeatles” – A Soul-Filled Beatles Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroBeatles” – A Soul-Filled Beatles Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on November 20, 2023

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Monday, y’all!

I’m back with another collection in my “Afro” playlist series — “AfroBeatles.”

Earlier this month the first new Beatles song “Now And Then” dropped with the help of master filmmaker, Peter Jackson, and the surviving members. It is the first new release from the group in 45 years.

The Beatles are rightly known for the unmatched songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Towards their later years, George Harrison and Ringo Starr also pitched in with originals. Together, the group created a body of work that inspired no shortage of covers.

Few songwriters have been so thoroughly covered as Lennon/McCartney, and the diversity of Beatles covers is a tribute to their indelible mark on pop music. Here at Good Black News, we are going to focus on the covers by Black artists around the world.

The Beatles (and The Rolling Stones) cut their teeth opening for Little Richard; both bands came away forever altered by his singing style and stage presence.

Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger have made no secret of biting his vocal stylings and dance moves. When it came to doing covers they overt about acknowledging it.

On their first five albums of 1963-1965, almost all of the covers were originally recorded by Black soul artists, including Arthur Alexander’s “Anna (Go To Him)”, The Cookies’ “Chains”, The Shirelles’ “Boys” & “Baby It’s You”, The Top Notes’ “Twist & Shout”, The Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman”, The Miracles’ “You Really Got A Hold On Me”, The Donays’ “Devil In Her Heart”, Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” and Larry Williams’ “Dizzy Miss Lizzy.”

They are all included here, including their versions of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and other greats of Soul giants, though the lion’s share of the collection is devoted to R&B, reggae, ska, and jazz covers of Beatles songs.

Here are hours of Beatles music by Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Nina Simone, Marica Griffiths, Gary Clark, Jr., and so many others. Please enjoy AfroBeatles!!

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)

Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang and Global Citizen Partner to Establish 1st Major Touring Circuit Across African Continent

Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang and Global Citizen Partner to Establish 1st Major Touring Circuit Across African Continent

By goodblacknews on November 3, 2023

K Dot is making his mark on the world of music yet again.

According to Variety.com, Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free‘s company, pgLang, is teaming up with philanthropic organization Global Citizen to create a major music touring circuit across the continent of Africa.

The initiative’s kickoff event Move Afrika: Rwanda,  is slated to take place Dec. 6 with Lamar as the headliner.

Additionally, over the next five years, pgLang has committed to curating more “Move Africa” shows, with an expansion to producing shows in Rwanda’s neighboring countries by 2025.

To quote from Variety.com:

“Global Citizen has been operating on the continent since our very inception,” says Global Citizen co-founder and CEO Hugh Evans, whose organization is renowned for its all-star consciousness-raiser concerts. “We were honored to be there to celebrate Mandela’s 100th anniversary in 2018, alongside Beyonce and Jay Z and so many incredible artists.

The CEO noted that Lamar has a history with his org that goes back to first performing at a Global Citizen Festival back in 2016. “I sat down recently with Kendrick and the pgLang team, and whether it’s Kendrick, Dave Free, Anthony or their entire team, they all share this massive passion to see that touring across the entire continent would become as prolific as it has become across Latin America, across North America, across Europe, across Australasia and across so many other continents.

“pgLang are going to be involved in every aspect of this initiative. They’re going to be involved from a musical curation point of view, helping to determine which artists are involved following in Kendrick’s footsteps. But they’re also going to be involved creatively as well, thinking through the creative rollout of the campaigns over the years, the look and feel, and the global broadcast. They really have become partners in this endeavor. And personally, I can’t think of anyone better on the planet than Kendrick Lamar and pgLang to be the curator. Kendrick has spent so much time on the continent himself; he’s so passionate about it. So when they said that the first performance that he does on the continent will be with Move Afrika, it’s a huge honor for this initiative.”

“The most exciting thing, honestly, is the hunger I see from the artist community to achieve this dream. I don’t think this is Global Citizen’s dream per se; I think this is the world’s dream,” he says. “I think everyone has dreamed of doing this, and we’re just working to modestly try to create some scaffolding around it. In fact, probably not a week goes by when I don’t speak to an artist about their dream to do more across Africa.”

To learn more about Move Afrika, including how to obtain tickets for the December show, go to this Global Citizen page, or via text on WhatsApp at +250 790 008 555.

MUSIC MONDAY: “Funky Halloween Music” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Funky Halloween Music” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on October 2, 2023

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy first Monday of October, you all!

It’s Halloween time once again, and I’m back with another Funky Halloween Music playlist for this spooky season. Here is 13 hours of more Soul, Reggae, Funk, Jazz, and movie soundtracks.

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Sry7T5O1DwY2mzATClKC6?si=979978a5499a44c7″]

I freely admit to casting a very wide net for this playlist, including tracks simply featured in The Blackening, Nope, Get Out, Us, The Master and others.

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Beyoncé, Gravediggaz, The Weekend, Ella Fitzgerald, Little Simz, Exuma, King Tubby, Geto Boys, Bessie Smith, The Specials, Ray Parker Jr., and others are all present on the ever-evolving collection of Halloween music.

This music won’t scare trick-or-treaters from your porch — you can use my collections, “Blacula Strikes!: Black Horror Music” and “Phantom Of The Panther: Black Horror Scores and More” for that.

However, this collection will keep your spooky spirits up all month long.

Until next month, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroBowie” – A Soul-Filled David Bowie Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroBowie” – A Soul-Filled David Bowie Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on July 24, 2023

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

I’m back with another batch of tracks. “AfroBowie” is a collection devoted to David Bowie, who,  in a 1976 Playboy interview, described his own album Young Americans as “the definitive plastic soul record. It’s the squashed remains of ethnic music as it survives in the age of Muzak, written and sung by a white limey.”

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1jO16S5awIEKB9cpxkcTJf?si=9c8629b0d66f41fa”]

Though those funky soulful tracks made Bowie one of the few white performers to be invited to perform on Soul Train.

He would also go on to call out MTV on not featuring Black artists: “I’m floored by the fact that there are so few Black artists featured on [MTV]. Why is that?” “The only few black artists one does see are on in about 2:30 in the morning until 6:00,” Bowie continued, “Very few are featured prominently during the day.”

Almost a decade before James Brown would become constantly sampled, the Godfather of Soul would borrow Carlos Alomar’s guitar riff from David Bowie’s crossover hit “Fame” to create his track “Hot”.

Bowie would later team up with Queen Latifah for a version “Fame” in 1990. This collection features Bowie covers from Black artists like Robert Glasper & Bilal, Durand Jones & The Indications, Rhonda Dakar and others.

There are Bowie tracks written with his longtime collaborator Alomar including: “D.J.”, “Fame”, “Never Let Me Down”, “Red Money” and “The Secret Life of Arabia”. And of course his team-up with young Luther Vandross on “Young Americans” is in the mix.

I’ve included David Bowie’s covers of “Almost Grown” by Chuck Berry, Nina Simone’s “Wild is the Wind” and versions of “Knock on Wood” (by Eddie Floyd) and “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” (by Ohio Players) from DAVID LIVE.

There are a few tracks from Ziggy Stardub, a spectacular reggae recasting “Ziggy Stardust” by the Easy Star All-Stars.

There are also songs from the tribute record Modern Love. It features covers from across Bowie’s catalog by Helado Negro, Khruangbin, Jeff Parker, We Are KING, Meshell Ndegeocello, and more. P

lus, Seu Jorge’s beautiful set of Bowie covers from Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Hope you enjoy AfroBowie as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.

As always, stay safe, sane, and kind. See ya next month.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)