Dr. Myrna Hague-Bradshaw, better known as Myrna Hague, known as "Jamaica's First Lady of Jazz", is a Jamaican

lovers rock Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid-1970s.Larkin, Col ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

singer and actress, who recorded for

Coxsone Dodd Clement Seymour "Coxsone" Dodd (26 January 1932 – 4 May 2004) was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond. He was nicknamed "Coxsone" at school due to his talent ...

's Studio One.

Biography

Hague's career began in the mid-1960s.Olivia Leigh Campbell (2006),
Myrna Hague: Over the cancer trauma and searching – Ten questions for Myrna Hague
, ''

Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...

'', 9 January 2006. She performed at jazz venues in London and recorded for Studio One, notably the ''Melody Life'' album.McDonald-Whyte, Novia (2008),
There's Something About Myrna
, ''Jamaica Observer'', 27 January 2008. ''Melody Life'' included some of her most popular singles, including the title track, "How Could I Live", and " First Cut Is The Deepest".''Melody Life''
at Roots Archives.Cooke, Mel (2011)

, ''Jamaica Observer'', 6 March 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2012. Hague is a member of the board of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), and a former tutor at the Jamaica School of Music. She won the Caribbean Broadcasting Union Song Festival in 1990, and has won the Jamaica Music Industry Award for jazz several times as well as the Jamaica Federation of Musicians Award and Special Merit Award in 1993.''Jamaica Observer'', 8 December 2001. She is often referred to as "Jamaica's First Lady of Jazz".Reckord, Michael (2008),
JAZZ in abundance at Pegasus
, ''

Jamaica Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the Western Hemisphere. Original ...

'', 12 June 2008. Hague founded the

Ocho Rios Ocho Rios (Spanish for "Eight Rivers") () is a town in the parish of Saint Ann on the north coast of Jamaica, and is more widely referred to as ''Ochi'' by locals. Beginning as a sleepy fishing village, Ocho Rios has seen explosive growth ...

Jazz Festival with her husband, jazz musician

Sonny Bradshaw Cecil "Sonny" Bradshaw CD (28 March 1926 – 10 October 2009), known as the "dean of Jamaican music", and the "musician's musician", was a Jamaican bandleader, trumpeter, broadcaster, and promoter who was a major figure in Jamaican music for mo ...

, and continues to organize the festival.Gambrill, Tony (2007),
Sonny Bradshaw is 81 years young
, ''Jamaica Observer'', 27 May 2007.Edwards, Michael, "Jazzophonic" (2007),
Jazz First
, ''Jamaica Observer'', 11 March 2007. In 2004, Hague was diagnosed with breast cancer, but after a long course of treatment made a full recovery. She has toured internationally, recently as guest vocalist with

Jazz Jamaica Jazz Jamaica is a British jazz/reggae music group founded by musician Gary Crosby in London in 1991. History In 1991, inspired by the rhythms of traditional Jamaican music and the largely improvisational nature of jazz, Gary Crosby — one of ...

, and as part of Women in Jazz and the Jamaica Big Band.LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL: Jazz Jamaica with Ernest Ranglin/Marjorie Whylie/Myrna Hague + Abram Wilson/London Community Gospel Choir
''Time Out'' London.Walters, Basil (2008),
Women in Jazz open annual Ocho Rios Jazz Fest Sunday
, ''Jamaica Observer'', 4 June 2008.Walters, Basil (2008),
All set for Jazz on the Green February 17
, ''Jamaica Observer'', 14 February 2008. In November 2012 she received a Caribbean Hall of Fame Award from the Caribbean Development for the Arts, Sports and Culture Foundation. Since 2011 she has held the annual 'Simply Myrna' concert series, and recordings from the first two years of the concerts were released in December 2012 on the album ''The Best of Simply Myrna Concerts Live''.Cooke, Mel (2012)

, ''Jamaica Gleaner'', 24 December 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012. In October 2015 Hague was awarded the Silver

Musgrave Medal The Musgrave Medal is an annual award by the Institute of Jamaica in recognition of achievement in art, science, and literature.Webster, Valerie J. (2000), ''Awards, Honors & Prizes, Volume 2'', Gale Group, , p. 447. Originally conceived in 1889 ...

for her contribution to music."Gold for Sly and Robbie"
''Jamaica Gleaner'', 30 October 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2015. Later that month she received a Doctorate in Cultural Studies from the

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 18 English-speaking countries and territories in t ...

, her thesis examining Jazz in the Caribbean.Johnson, Richard (2015)
'Good job Doctor Myrna'
, ''Jamaica Observer'', 2 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.

Discography

Singles

*"A Song I'd Like To Sing" (1970), Faze Four *"Best Thing That Ever Happened" *"First Cut Is The Deepest" *"For All We Know" *"How Could I Live" *"Melody Life" *"Never Never" *"On A Clear Day" (1971), Faze Four *"Our Day Will Come" *"That's What Friends Are For" *"Time After Time" (1971), Faze Four *"Touch Me Baby" Studio One *"What About Me" (1976), Studio One *"What Colour Is Love" *''Honey'' EP (2012)

Albums

*''Melody Life'' (1972), Studio One *''The Best of Simply Myrna Concerts Live'' (2012)

Compilation appearances

*"What About Me" on ''Feel Like Jumping'' (2000),

Heartbeat Heartbeat, heart beat or heartbeats may refer to: Science and technology * Heartbeat (biology), one cardiac cycle of the heart * Heartbeat (computing), a periodic signal to indicate normal operation or to synchronize parts of a system ** Heartbea ...

*"Touch Me Baby" on ''Studio One Lovers'' (2005),

Soul Jazz Soul jazz or funky jazz is a subgenre of jazz that incorporates strong influences from hard bop, blues, soul, gospel and rhythm and blues. Soul jazz is often characterized by organ trios featuring the Hammond organ and small combos including sa ...

References

External links

Myrna Hague at Roots ArchivesMyrna Hague at Last.fm
*Edwards, Michael A. (2008)
"Musical treats aplenty at Jazz on the Green"
''Jamaica Observer'', 19 February 2008. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hague, Myrna 20th-century Jamaican women singers Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Jamaican jazz singers Recipients of the Musgrave Medal 21st-century Jamaican women singers