Voters came out loud and proud in reggae Grammy category – Cristy Barber
Published:Wednesday | November 16, 2022 | 12:11 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
With the announcement on Tuesday afternoon that albums by Shaggy, Sean Paul, Koffee, Protoje and Kabaka Pyramid all received Grammy nominations, Grammy-nominated producer and music executive Cristy Barber is shouting loud and proud.
The five reggae albums nominated by the Recording Academy are Scorcha – Sean Paul; The Kalling – Kabaka Pyramid; Com Fly Wid Me – Shaggy; Gifted – Koffee; and Third Time’s The Charm – Protoje.
Singer John Legend announced the nominees in the category at the live stream event on Tuesday.
A clearly thrilled Barber shared that although she has been working particularly closely with one of the nominees, she was “happy for these nods”.
“I am really excited about the nominees this year,” she said. “I have actively been working with Shaggy’s record, doing marketing and promotions for them. Shaggy and Sting came out here to Nashville and did an amazing interview with the Recording Academy here, and we also did one with the museum in New York. They put a lot of work and time, and effort into the promotion of that record and I was very honoured to be a part of that. I am so, so happy that that nomination happened,” Barber declared.
Rock icon and 17-time Grammy Award winner, Sting, produced Com Fly Wid Mi, which showcases Shaggy singing the Frank Sinatra songbook in a reggae style. The two artistes won the Reggae Grammy in 2020 for their collaborative album, 44/876.
In explaining the background for Com Fly Wid Me before its release, Sting stated, “This idea of getting my friend to sing 10 iconic songs from the Frank Sinatra songbook in a reggae style had been brewing for a while … I know, it sounds crazy! But every time the idea crossed my mind, it made me smile. And what does the world need now, more than anything else … something to smile about!”
In a social media post, he added, “There is a joy about reggae. There is an energy about it that is similar to the energy that Frank’s music had at its summit in the late ‘50s, early ‘60s. I could hear it in my head – veteran Jamaican musicians playing these beautiful changes, Shaggy singing these complex chromatic melodies and exceptionally literate lyrics.”
Barber hailed Shaggy and Sting for embracing this project and doing an exceptional job.
“I like when our artistes in Jamaica go outside the box. It’s something that I like to do. When I do songs like Reggae’s Gone Country where I try to do my genre-bending type of record, so I am super excited for that,” she said.
She added, “I always love to see Sean get nominated, and Koffee is doing so, so well, but it’s great to see Protoje again, and it shows that our voters are coming out loud and proud and Kabaka Pyramid ... loud and proud. So proud of the Ghetto Youths team. So proud of Damian Marley; this is something that he is amazing at. Not just being an artiste and an artiste label president, but also a producer.”
Music marketer and producer, Sean ‘Contractor’ Edwards, who had listed Koffee, Protoje and Kabaka Pyramid as three of his picks before Tuesday’s official announcement, conveyed his total satisfaction with this year’s nominees.
“It’s really refreshing to see first-time nominee Kabaka Pyramid because he really does consistently positive music. And it’s good to know that his album, The Kalling, was produced by Damian Marley, and it’s also good to know that Jemere Morgan, son of Gramps Morgan, is on the album,” Edwards said.
The Kalling is Kabaka’s sophomore album; upon its release, he shared his thoughts. “I am really proud of this amazing body of work, and I hope you will be as well. Thanks to @damianmarley for sacrificing many nights to help me along my musical journey. It’s truly a blessing when you get to work with someone who inspires you and who set the blueprint for your career ... Thanks to every featured artiste, all the producers, musicians, vocalists and songwriters involved.”
Among the artistes featured on The Kalling are Peter Tosh, Jesse Royal, Answelle, Black Am I, Stephen Marley, Damian Marley, Tifa, Buju Banton, Jemere Morgan and Protoje.
Contractor hailed Shaggy and Sean Paul, who “have become regular Grammy nominees and are also Grammy winners”.
“They are constantly flying the banner high globally for reggae and dancehall, and their names are still prominent in America despite not having any commercial hits in America from their albums. The fact that Sting produced Shaggy’s album is a big plus. Protoje and Koffee do make really good reggae music, and the fact that they are both signed to a major label definitely helped them to garner votes,” he noted.
Taking to social media on Tuesday, Sean Paul wrote, “Honoured 2 have been nominated for Best Reggae album #Scorcha for the 2023 Grammy’s @recordingacademy & best Caribbean Music Act at the @moboawards Thank u 2 all the committee members 4 always showing me love.”
Rastafarian singer and songwriter Blvk H3ro received a nomination for Best Global Music Performance for his collaboration with Rocky Dawuni on his Neva Bow Down release. Other nominee in the category, previously known as Best World Music Album, are Arooj Aftab and Anoushka Shankar for Udhero Na; Matt B and Eddy Kenzo, Gimme Love; Burna Boy, Last Last; Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini and Nomcebo Zikode, Bayethe.
In his opening remarks, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr noted, “If anything deserves a season to honour it, it’s music.” He shared that the Academy will be saluting 50 years of hip hop this year.
The 2023 Grammy nominations live stream event also included Grammy winner Smokey Robinson, a 2023 MusiCares Persons of the Year honouree.
The 65th Grammy Awards is scheduled to take place on February 5, 2023, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will be hosted by comedian Trevor Noah.