upcoming

Sister Carol (reggae)

What:

Sister Carol, the trailblazer for women in reggae, will perform with the Yellow Wall Dub Squad on Saturday, March 12 at The Jambalaya in Arcata.

Grammy nominated singer, DJ, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, educator, and humanitarian, Sister Carol has been a leader in reggae for over 30 years.  Born Carol Theresa East in Kingston, Jamaica, her odyssey began in the ghetto of Denham Town in the midst of the exploding music scene.  Her father was a part of the Studio One sound and worked a long and dedicated career at Jamaica’s then number one station, Radio Jamaica.  At age 14, Sister Carol’s family immigrated to Brooklyn, New York; it was 1973 and the dancehall scene was thriving.  Following in the footsteps of her mentor and friend, DJ Brigadier Jerry, her musical journey drew force after winning talent contests in both JA and NYC.  She was offered a gig opening for one of JA’s finest vocal trios, The Meditations, which kicked off her recording career. Her first two albums, Liberation for Africa (1983) and Black Cinderella (1984) exposed her to a wider audience, establishing her firmly in the dancehall/DJ movement. 

During this time, Sister Carol dominated the music scene winning the coveted “Best Female DJ” for five consecutive years (1983-1987).  With these accolades behind her, she established her own “Black Cinderella” label in 1989 and in the late 90s received multiple Grammy nominations for “Best Reggae Album” and “Most Outstanding Reggae Artist” as well as numerous awards in NYC, Washington, D.C. and beyond for her cultural contributions, lifetime achievements, and for being a trailblazer for women in the male-dominated genre of reggae. 

Hailed as the queen of Reggae, Sister Carol maintains a loyal fan base from Kingston to Brooklyn, Ethiopia to England, East Coast to West Coast. With her she carries a message steeped in cultural heritage and consciousness (hence her titles, “Mother Culture” and “Black Cinderella”). All I Have is Love/Tribute to Studio One, Direct Hit, Empressive, Isis: The Original Womb-man and most recently, IDerful Words: Celebrating the Silver Jubilee are albums that best showcase her musical achievements. 

Sister Carol has played a role in three movies (all directed by Jonathon Denne), has been married for over 20 years, is the mother of four, grandmother of six, and launched the “Black Cinderella” clothing line.  In the midst of all her works and successes, Sister Carol found time to pursue and obtain a degree in education at the City College of New York.  Ever changing and growing, standing with extraordinary dignity and majesty, Sister Carol represents the best of what women have to offer to the field of reggae.  

Sister Carol’s show will be opened by local favorites, Northtown Dub.

This event is at The Jambalaya on Saturday, March 12.  Doors at 10 p.m. Tickets available for $20 at the gate/$18 advanced at NHS (Arc), Couple Cups (Arc), The Works (Eka) and online at www.BonusMan.info  Ages 21 and over.  For more information, call Bonus Entertainment at 707.223.7919.

When/where: