Caribbean Entertainment News Roundup

By NAN ET Editor

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Friday, Oct. 11, 2019: Here are the top headlines making news on the Caribbean entertainment scene for this week:

GoFundMe Launched For Louie Rankins Children

A GoFundMe account has been launched to raise money for the creation of a trust fund for the young children of dancehall star and actor Louie ‘OX’ Rankin. Rankin, born Leonard Forbes, passed away suddenly in a car crash in Canada on September 30, 2019.

He was known for his roles in iconic films ‘Belly’ and ‘Shottas’ and his hit song ‘Typewriter.’ His youngest children are 1-year-old twin girls, a 3-year-old girl and 2 stepchildren aged 8 and 11. “At this time, we are asking for support with funeral expenses and for his youngest children’s future,” wrote organizer Julie Sykes from Ontario.

The account has so far raised over USD 11,000 of its $30,000 goal.

Meanwhile, another account claiming to be raising money for his funeral has been since deleted.

Caribbean Roots Actress For “Fatal Affair”

Caribbean-roots, Hollywood actress, Nia Long, known for her roles in movies including Boyz n the Hood, Love Jones, Soul Food and The Best Man, is set to produce and act in her first movie for Netflix.

Long will produce and star in “Fatal Affair,” with Omar Epps (House, Shooter) and Stephen Bishop (Moneyball) co-starring. The plot follows a woman who tries to mend her marriage after a brief encounter with an old friend, only to find that he is more dangerous and unstable than she’d realized. Filming is slated to begin this month in Los Angeles.

Rihanna Says Reggae “Always Feels Right”

Caribbean born singer, actress and entrepreneur, Rihanna, has admitted that reggae “always feels right” to her.

The star who has been teasing her new album for months told Vogue her ninth studio album will be reggae-inspired.

She also opened up about how she truly feels about the genre. “Reggae always feels right to me. It’s in my blood. It doesn’t matter how far or long removed I am from that culture, or my environment that I grew up in; it never leaves,” she was quoted as saying, ‘It’s always the same high. Even though I’ve explored other genres of music, it was time to go back to something that I haven’t really homed in on completely for a body of work.”

Jamaican Roots Actress In New Netflix Series

“Raising Dion,” a new Netflix series executive produced and acted in by Michael B. Jordan and launched on October 4, 2019, features a Jamaican roots actress.

Alisha Wainwright plays “Nicole Warren” in the series which tells the story of a family that attempts to deal with their young son who has newly developed superpowers.

As the story unfolds, the character of Nicole must face raising her son Dion as a single parent after the death of her husband, who is played by Michael B. Jordan. Her experience as a single mother are amplified when Dion begins to show his super-hero abilities.

It’s Carnival Time In South Florida

Caribbean carnival comes to Miami this weekend as the 35th annual extravaganza gets underway at the Miami-Dade County Fairgrounds on Oct. 13th. The Parade of Bands is set to feature 15,000 masqueraders and will be followed by a concert from 3 p.m. featuring Kes, Dil-E-Nadan, Farmer Nappy, Mr Killa, Christy Delve, King Bubba, Trevon Vibez and Kiprich and Stacious.

However, before the parade of the bands on Sunday, pan fans will be in for a treat tonight, Oct. 11th as five steel bands compete for the title of SteelBand of the Year from 4 to 11 p.m. at Broward Regional Park, 3700 NW 11th Place in Lauderhill. On Saturday night, J’ouvert, featuring more than 25 mas bands from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. also at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill.

Billboard Reggae Charts

Spragga Benz’s new album, ‘Chiliagon’ has this week grabbed the number one spot on the Billboard Reggae Charts from Stick Figure and ‘World On Fire.’ The album from the top Jamaican born singer, debuted at number one, pushing World On Fire to number two.

‘Chiliagon’ dropped on Friday, September 27th. Produced by Andrew Oury, Paul Fowler, Cristy Barber and Spragga Benz, the album melds the artist’s formidable delivery with some of the top UK producers and artists working today, blending roots, riddim, drum and bass, garage, grime and hip hop into a diverse kaleidoscope of infectious beats. Tracks include “Wicked Love,” “Good Suh,” and “Differ” as well as “If Yuh Ready,” which features the trademark chops of General Levy.