Keeping the reggae ‘vibez’ alive
Carrie Mullings poses with an award she received at the International Women Achievers’ Award in February.
The JUNO Awards, Canada’s version of the Grammys, takes place Sunday at the Brandt Centre in Saskatchewan. Five artistes are up for Reggae Recording of the Year. Today, we present the third a series on the Canadian reggae scene.
IN the five years, she has hosted the weekly Rebel Vibez programme on Toronto’s CHRY 105.5 radio station, Carrie Mullings says keeping reggae music alive in Canada has been a priority.
Although the music on her show is 100 per cent Canadian, she says Jamaican music is not exempt.
“You need to either be an artiste residing here in Canada or a citizen living abroad or an artiste abroad making music with a Canadian production house,” Mullings explained.
She says this policy has helped build reggae’s profile in the Greater Toronto Area. Rebel Vibez’ ‘OutaNational Segment’ features the music of non-Canadian artistes, as well as live interviews.
Born in Canada, Mullings is the daughter of Jamaican impresario Karl Mullings who was instrumental in promoting reggae throughout Toronto in the 1980s and 1990s.
She started her broadcasting career on CHRY as co-host (with her mentor Luther Brown) of Caribbean Crucible, Toronto’s longest running reggae show.
Mullings is also chairperson of the Music Advisory Committee for Reggae Recording of the Year category for the Juno Awards which takes place Sunday in Saskatchewan.
