Jamaica Gleaner

• 5 Questions with … Kevin Downswell

  With close to two decades in the music industry, Kevin Downswell has been a guiding light for Jamaicans as a gospel artiste who has kept it real and authentic with his fans over the years. 
  Recently, he felt moved to reach out by issuing what for him is a compelling clarion call in the form of a powerful musical message titled Steady on the WYFL riddim. Just ahead of his upcoming album launch, we dropped five questions on the Take The Lead singer to address what to him seems like a troubling trend of young people losing their identity; his current projects and why he continues to choose God over everything.

•  ‘Pickney Sinting’ a hit at PBCJ Watch Party

  Closing out Child Month with a bang, the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) staged their quarterly Watch Party last Saturday under the theme ‘Pickney Sinting Edition’. The series started in 2025 when the organisers resurrected old archival tapes of local films, commercials, sitcoms, comedies, panel discussions, and game shows shot at the studios of the then Broadcasting Corporation in the mid- to late-20th) century. They have also incorporated new short films and documentaries that have won awards, demonstrating how the past shapes the current and future media landscape.

• Festival Song Competition finalists revealed 

  The names of the Top-10 finalists in the 2026 Jamaica Festival Song Competition,  have been disclosed. Minister of Culture, Gender Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange made the announcement following an exhilarating semi-final showcase held on May 16 at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in St. Andrew, where 31 talented semi-finalists delivered vibrant performances. After careful deliberation, the judges selected the 10 entries that will move forward in the competition.

• Judge rules in favour of Kanye West concert

  AMSTERDAM (AP) — A judge in Amsterdam on Wednesday rejected an appeal by a Jewish organisation to block two performances by the rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West, ruling that the concerts are not a threat to public order.

• ‘All Peabo Bryson wanted was some Jamaican jerk chicken’ - June Isaacs remembers singer’s performance at Red Rose for Gregory

  Following Tuesday’s passing of R&B legend and two-time Grammy Award-winning singer Peabo Bryson, entertainers across the globe and civic leaders have shared tributes acknowledging his unmatched legacy. The legendary voice on two Oscar-winning Disney film duets –  Beauty and the Beast with Celine Dion and A Whole New World with Regina Belle from Aladdin,  –   Bryson passed away in hospital in Atlanta a few days after having a stroke. He was 75.