The Griot | Stories Roots Legacy

In 1865, Paul Bogle — a Baptist deacon who had spent years filing petitions, writing letters, and walking forty miles to ask for a meeting that was refused — led a march on the Morant Bay courthouse in Jamaica. The colonial militia fired. Thirty days of martial law followed: 439 killed, 604 flogged, over a thousand homes burned. Then England was given three separate legal opportunities to prosecut...

In 1965 at Duke Reid's Treasure Isle, Alton Ellis recorded "Girl I've Got a Date" — and insisted he named the genre we now call rocksteady. But Lynn Taitt, Hopeton Lewis, Hugh Malcolm, and others all claim the credit. Part 4 maps the most disputed origin story in Jamaican music.

Before he was the Godfather of Rocksteady, Alton Ellis nearly quit music to work as a printer in Kingston. Part 3 traces his lost months, his vocal group the Flames, and the day ska died — when Hopeton Lewis, Lynn Taitt, and Gladstone Anderson invented a new sound called rocksteady.

The full Joel Andem story — the complete four-year manhunt assembled into one episode. From the urban-edge hill communities of eastern St. Andrew where the name was made, through the seized video that pushed a reputation into national consciousness, into the rural fog of Clarksonville, St. Ann where a six-bedroom house finally held him. We trace the architecture of fear, the structure of evasion,...

He was on Jamaica's most wanted list for 10 years. He was linked to over 100 murders. And he kept receiving government contracts. This is the story of Donovan "Bulbie" Bennett — Klansman Gang leader, Spanish Town's invisible billionaire, and the man politicians were shielded from naming. From the 1993 killing that started it all to the Operation Kingfish raid that ended it.

In 1959 Kingston, a young labourer named Alton Ellis scratched the lyrics of his first hit "Muriel" onto the wall of a building site. Part 2 traces his journey from Majestic Theatre talent shows to Coxsone Dodd's Studio One — and the birth of Jamaica's independent record industry.

The final part of the Joel Andem series moves out of the hills and into the courtroom. This episode separates legend from record — the Lennox Ffrench murder case that collapsed when the witness problem hit, and the 2005 Gun Court convictions for illegal possession of firearm and shooting with intent that became the legal anchor of the story. We close the arc with what the Clarksonville raid really...

Our latest exploration traces the origins of jamaican jerk, showing how indigenous knowledge and cooking traditions were foundational to this caribbean food. This video explores the historical context, suggesting the first meat was not chicken, and even mentions jerk pork as early ingredients. It offers a fresh perspective on this iconic jamaican cuisine, exploring its rich food culture.

Discover the incredible true story of Millie Small , the teenage Jamaican singer who changed music history with “My Boy Lollipop.” In this episode of Reggae Dancehall Pioneers , we explore how a young girl from Clarendon, Jamaica became Jamaica’s first international recording star and delivered one of the first global ska-pop hits . From her early days in Kingston’s Studio One , to Chris Blackwell...

Alton Ellis — the Godfather of Rocksteady — spent eighteen months walking the streets of Kingston after one sentence broke him: "All is mine." This is Part 1 of his story, and the words a Jamaican producer allegedly said when an artist asked where the money was. Born in Trenchtown, Kingston on September 1, 1938, Alton Nehemiah Ellis grew up in a yard full of music before Jamaica had its own popula...

Part 5 of the Joel Andem series closes the four-year manhunt. The rural shield of Clarksonville collapses as police and soldiers move close enough that the geography no longer belongs to the fugitive. The same fog that once felt like protection becomes the scene of capture. This episode unpacks why a hideout is a system rather than a building, the morning operation in May 2004 that finally found A...

Our latest cooking video dives into the rich history of authentic jerk, correcting common misconceptions about the scotch bonnet pepper and the origins of the word. We explore how jerk pork, often the oldest meat used, showcases traditional caribbean food preparation. This look at jamaican jerk offers a fresh perspective on its culinary journey.

We continue our journey into the origins of authentic jerk, exploring how pimento was once the soul of this Jamaican jerk seasoning. This video highlights the historical evolution of flavor, showing how early recipes, unlike today's common peppers, might have featured ingredients like the birds eye pepper. Discover the true roots of Caribbean cooking and the spices that defined it.

Part 4 of the Joel Andem series follows the manhunt out of the city and into rural Jamaica. With pressure building around the St. Andrew hills, the story shifts to Clarksonville, St. Ann — quiet farming country where distance, silence, and absorption work very differently from urban cover. This episode unpacks the broader fugitive pattern that pushed police to learn a new map, the shift from patro...

Part 3 of the Joel Andem series follows the moment a seized video turned a fugitive into a national symbol. For police, the footage was proof of reach and attitude. For the public, it gave faces and movement to a name that had only lived in rumor. For Andem, it transformed an underground reputation into a legend the country could not look away from. This episode traces the shift from physical manh...

Our latest exploration traces the origins of jamaican jerk, showcasing how this caribbean food is traditionally prepared. This video explores the historical context, suggesting the first meat was not chicken, and even mentions jerk pork as early ingredients. It offers a fresh perspective on this iconic smoked meat, demonstrating how to make it over an open fire.

This is the full story of Tesha Miller, the alleged Klansman gang leader at the center of one of Jamaica’s most feared criminal networks and the long, bloody war for Spanish Town. From Bulbie’s rise, the Klansman-One Order feud, the battle for the Spanish Town bus park, the JUTC murder case, Andre “Blackman” Bryan, political connections, prison sentences, appeals, and the system that never died —...

Our latest video explores the traditional methods of preparing authentic jerk, focusing on jerk pork. This outdoor cooking technique, essential for food preservation, showcases primitive cooking methods. It also touches on wilderness survival strategies, highlighting how these ancient skills ensured sustenance.

From rural St. James Parish to the Kingston streets of The Harder They Come — the full story of Jimmy Cliff, his early career at Beverley's Records, the Island Records years, the mysterious departure before Bob Marley's international breakthrough, and the film that gave reggae its first global cinematic moment. History of the Caribbean | Reggae Dancehall Pioneers Series.

William Augustus Moore was born in the concrete towers of Arnett Gardens — one of Kingston's most volatile garrison communities — and died on the corner he built into a cultural landmark that attracted tourists, Grammy-winning artists, and Cabinet Ministers. He was forty years old. Three men stepped out of a car on April 18, 2001, and no one was ever charged. This is the full, uncut story of Willi...

Our latest exploration traces the origins of jamaican jerk, showing how indigenous knowledge and cooking traditions were foundational to this caribbean food. This video explores the historical context, suggesting the first meat was not chicken, and even mentions wild boar and jerk pork as early ingredients. It offers a fresh perspective on this iconic caribbean culture.

Christopher “Dudus” Coke was called many things — kingpin, fugitive, community leader, and President of Tivoli Gardens. But in 2010, one extradition request turned West Kingston into a battlefield and exposed the deadly connection between Jamaican garrison politics, organized crime, and state power. In this full episode of Jamaican Gangster , we trace the rise of Dudus Coke from the legacy of his...

Our latest exploration delves into the origins of jerk, tracing its roots from a basic survival food to a revered culinary tradition. We investigate the historical context of jerk, the Taino people's influence on the cuisine, and how outdoor cooking techniques shaped its development. This video uncovers why the oldest pit stories point west, even as the famous Jerk Home thrives in the east, offeri...

A powerful voice and rhythm emerge from a London flat in 1969, captivating listeners with a sound England had never heard before. This video explores the compelling history of music, showcasing how a single live performance can provide context and preservation for a country's cultural narrative. It's an educational video that tells the story of how music transcends borders and time.

Welcome to another episode exploring the history of food, specifically focusing on the origins of Jamaican cuisine. We dive into the story behind jerk chicken and pork, highlighting the evolution of this authentic jerk cooking method. Discover how smoke, initially a tool for concealment, became a signature element of Caribbean food.