After gaining recognition as a teenager for his harmony singing with Derrick Howard and Tony Tuff as the African Brothers, Mr. Minott (pronounced my-NOT) went on to a long career as a solo artist on record and in concerts around the world. Among his early hits were “Vanity” and “Mr. DC,” recorded for Studio One, Jamaica’s first black-owned recording studio and label.

“He mastered every reggae style and made significant contributions to each of them — from roots and message music into lover’s rock to the computerized techno music of the dancehall genre in the mid-’80s,” said Roger Steffens, a co-founder of the reggae magazine The Beat, which recently ceased publication after 28 years.

From the days of Bob Marley, who died in 1981, reggae has evolved from its Rastafarian message of peace, love and justice to a style called lover’s rock and the more stripped-down dancehall style, characterized by digital rhythm tracks and harsher vocals. The rappers, or toasters, who came to dominate dancehall “turned the music into homophobic and misogynistic rants,” Mr. Steffens said. But Mr. Minott, an early practitioner of the form, shunned the harshness.

“Sugar brought his trademark sweetness and humor, even to what can be quite a violent genre,” said Vivien Goldman, the adjunct professor of reggae at the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at New York University. “Reggae has always been loved for its golden voices, and Sugar Minott ranked among the greatest.”

Ms. Goldman cited his 1984 hit “Buy Off the Bar” as evidence of dancehall at its sweetest: an encouragement to forget the troubles of everyday life, buy drinks and keep the party going.

Mr. Minott’s biggest hit was a cover of the Jackson Five’s “Good Thing Going,“ which reached No. 4 in the British singles chart in March 1981. But the recordings that made him famous, Ms. Goldman said, came in 1979: “Hard Time Pressure,” bemoaning the plight of the poor, and “Ghetto-Ology,” about starvation and mass brutality, in which he sang, “I got an A in starvation, I pass my grades in sufferation.”

“One of the outstanding aspects of Sugar Minott was his commitment to poor youth,” Ms. Goldman said, pointing out that he started a label, Black Roots, that featured young artists from the deprived downtown areas of Kingston. Among those who became popular were Garnet Silk, Tony Rebel, Tenor Saw and Johnny Osbourne.

In recent years Mr. Minott recorded with the Easy Star All-Stars, singing “Exit Music (for a Film)“ on their album “Radiodread” (2006), a reggae interpretation of the Radiohead album “OK Computer,” and “When I’m Sixty-Four” on Easy Star’s “Lonely Hearts Dub Band” (2009), which took a similar approach to the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and reached No. 1 on the Billboard reggae chart.

Lincoln Barrington Minott was born in Kingston on May 25, 1956, one of eight children of Austin and Lucille Minott. He attended a trade school, where he learned how to install shelves, then worked with friends who built sound systems. That led to the formation of the African Brothers and his work with Studio One, which had been founded by Coxsone Dodd.

In 1993, Mr. Minott married Mr. Dodd’s niece, Ms. Stowe. Besides his wife, he is survived by his mother, three sisters, four brothers and 14 children. Ten of his children, Ms. Stowe said, came from two previous relationships.

An animated entertainer, Mr. Minott roamed the stage to reggae’s pulsating, off-beat rhythms, acting out the roles in his songs, dancing. But another “uniquely striking” feature encapsulated his exuberance, Mr. Steffens said: “a hugely gap-toothed smile that you could drive a minibus through.”

The suit, filed this week by lawyers for Jamaican-born stars, claims Universal Music Group, misappropriated and diverted monies owed to the act that had major hits, including Murder She Wrote,’ ‘Tease Me’ and ‘Twist and Shout.’

The suit was filed at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan under the artists’ real names John Taylor (aka Chaka Demus) and Everton Bonner (aka Pliers).

The artists claimed in the suit that they signed a worldwide recording deal with Universal-owned label Island Records in October 22 1992, which allowed the artists to retain all rights to the trademark Chaka Demus and Pliers.

It said Universal Music had “withheld the monies and royalties payments” from the inception the contract.

Not only are the two reggae stars asking for a court award of more than $10 million, but also demanding an injunction ordering Universal Music to cease the sale, production and performances of the their music.

A spokesman for Universal Music Group was not immediately available.

Universal Music Group is the world’s largest music company and is owned by French media giant Vivendi SA.

(Reporting by Yinka Adegoke; editing by Andre Grenon)

Copyright 2010 Reuters News Service.

Ziggy Marley’s record label says the reggae star has released his song “Africa Land” to celebrate the World Cup being played in Africa for the first time.

“The song is an anthem to unity, freedom and new beginnings; well-known principles championed by the legendary Marley family,” Tuff Gong Worldwide said in a news release.

“Africa Land” follows Marley’s 2009 Grammy Award-winning children’s album, “Family Time.”

For this song, Marley recruited his brother Stephen Marley and African mega-star Angelique Kidjo.

“Together they created a catchy, danceable song, which incorporates dancehall reggae, as well as African elements,” the label said.

The song is available as a free download at www.ziggymarley.com and www.tuffgongworldwide.com.

“The Bible says, ‘The first shall be last and the last shall be first.’ How fitting that South Africa — the last nation on the homeland to be free — is the launch pad for a global event that will showcase the rise of the African continent,” Marley said in a statement Monday. “‘Africa Land’ is the song which celebrates that dream becoming true.”

Entertainer Buju Banton, who has been in a Florida jail awaiting trial on drug charges since last December, will have to wait a bit longer to know his fate.

The trial was again rescheduled on Friday, this time to September.

According to the Tampa Tribune newspaper, district judge James Moody moved the trial without giving a reason. The new development reportedly angered Banton’s attorney David Markus who argued that the latest date change is costly for the defence which will have to re-arrange travel plans for witnesses.

Markus also said the date change violates the Speedy Trial Act which requires a defendant’s trial to start within 70 days of them being arrested.

Objections overruled

Moody overruled Markus’ objections.

This is the third time the trial has been rescheduled. It was originally set for April 19 but two weeks before the start, Moody set it back to June 21.

The Tribune reported that a new date will be set in August.

Moody’s surprise switch is another setback for Banton and his legal team which is led by Markus, a high-profile Miami lawyer. In March, Markus lobbied for Banton to be removed to a facility where conditions are more suitable to his Rastafarian diet. That request was denied.

Banton has been incarcerated since his arrest by Federal agents inMiami on December 10. He and two other men were charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine, and face lengthy prison sentences.

The entertainer and his attorney have challenged the agents’ story, saying he was set up.

Banton (Mark Myrie) is best known for songs like Browning, Deportee and Driver. His 1995 album, Til Shiloh, is regarded as one of the great reggae albums.

He has had several clashes with gay rights groups in the United States and Europe, largely over his 1993 song Boom Bye Bye. Last year, his Rasta Got Soul tour of the US was marred by protests from gay activists.

Several shows in major cities had to be cancelled.

Strong Fya – Quilombo Hi-Fi Mix

Silly

Since The Washington Post reported in April on the involvement of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in the delicate talks between the State Department and the Jamaican leadership about the extradition of the powerful gangster Christopher “Dudus” Coke, statements by Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding have renewed questions about the extent of the firm’s involvement.

Reversing a previous denial, Golding said in a speech before parliament on May 11 that an emissary of his political party named Harold Brady retained Manatt for work to “resolve what was seen as a treaty dispute between Jamaica and the U.S.”

The firm, Golding said, “offered to assist on a professional, retainer basis” to pursue “discussions with relevant officials of the U.S. government.” Those discussions, he said in his speech, were for “issues relating to the extradition request.”

Manatt has maintained that it was working for the “government of Jamaica through Harold C.W. Brady of Brady and Co.,” which is how it lists its client on an official registration with the Department of Justice in an October 2009 contract. More nettlesome for Manatt is the allegation that it worked to assist the Jamaicans in their efforts to block the extradition of Coke, the alleged head of the Shower Posse criminal organization.

The firm said this week that Golding’s assertion that it had been hired to work on the extradition case was not true. According to a statement by Monte M. Lemann, Manatt’s general counsel, Jamaica hired the firm to work on treaty matters, including issues “related to the extradition treaty and not assistance with respect to any specific individual. The firm was not retained to deal with the Coke matter.”

U.S. officials, however, have said that the talks involving Manatt focused primarily on the Coke extradition case. Attorneys from Manatt had at least six contacts with Obama administration officials from October to December, including one meeting that included a Jamaican official and representatives of the State and Justice departments, according to U.S. officials and documents.

Golding and Manatt don’t disagree on everything. As far as the potentially explosive speculation in the Jamaican media that their $49,892.62 fee was paid out of Coke’s coffers, they are both emphatic.

“Rumors and speculation carried in the media that these funds were provided by Christopher Coke are completely false,” Golding said in parliament.

“The firm was never employed by or did work for Christopher Coke,” Lemann said in a statement.

Mountain Choon

The BBC’s Nick Davies describes the scene

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding has denounced unrest in the capital city Kingston as a “calculated assault on the authority of the state”.
He vowed that criminals would not triumph, after supporters of an alleged druglord took to the streets to stop him from being arrested.
One police station was set on fire and two others shot at by suspected supporters of Christopher “Dudus” Coke.

The authorities have declared a state of emergency in parts of Kingston.
The trouble began late last week when the authorities announced they would arrest and extradite Mr Coke to the US.
His supporters set up barricades and said they would fight to protect him.
The BBC’s Nick Davis in Montego Bay says the capital now represents a city under siege.

Troops and police have come under fire, and smoke is rising from the burning police station.

Christopher “Dudus” Coke is accused of being a gang leader
Mr Golding said security forces would be “moving swiftly to bring the current situation under control”.
“Criminal elements bent on violence and mayhem will be detained,” he said in a televised address.
“What is taking place is a calculated assault on the authority of the state that cannot be tolerated, and will not be allowed to continue.”
A state of emergency allowing police to conduct searches without a warrant and restrict movement was put in place in West Kingston and St Andrew districts, where the violence broke out.
The government said the measures would be in place for at least a month.

Jamaican PM vows ‘decisive action’

The areas are a stronghold of support for Mr Coke, 41, who says he is a community leader.
Our correspondent says Mr Coke’s supporters see him as a man who is fulfilling a role that the government does not, such as giving them money to support their children.
Because of that he has a huge amount of support in the area, our correspondent adds.
Police have called for his surrender and have described the barricades surrounding his area a sign of “cowardice”, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Most wanted
The US Justice Department says Mr Coke is one of the world’s most dangerous drug barons. He is accused of leading a gang called the Shower Posse – owing to the volume of bullets used in shootings – and operating an international smuggling network.

Some residents have protested in defence of Mr Coke
He faces a life sentence if he is convicted on charges filed against him in New York.
The gang has also been blamed for numerous murders in Jamaica and the US.
Prime Minister Golding said earlier this week that he was prepared to send Mr Coke to the US on drugs and weapons trafficking charges.
The decision reversed nine months of opposition to his extradition.
Mr Golding had argued that the evidence against Mr Coke was obtained illegally by intercepting mobile telephone calls.
But he changed his mind in the face of growing public discontent, and questions about his possible ties to Mr Coke.
He apologised to the nation and admitted he had mishandled the case.
The US and UK have warned travellers about possible violence and disorder in Kingston because of the situation.