I made my father proud, Aston Barrett Jr says of Grammy nomination

With one Grammy nomination already under their belt for their 2020 album, One World, reggae group The Wailers was quite excited to have their name called again on Friday morning when the nominees for the 67th annual awards were announced. They quickly took to social media to share the news with fans.

“ Evolution has just been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Reggae Album category! We’re incredibly honoured to see The Wailers’ latest work, produced by the legendary @emilioestefanjr, receive this recognition. This album marks a powerful new chapter in our journey, and we’re beyond grateful to share it with all of you,” the group wrote.

Band leader Aston Barrett Jr, whose father, Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, was the band leader for Bob Marley and the Wailers, was quite excited when The Gleaner contacted him shortly after the announcement.

“I feel that I made my father proud. See it deh, Daddy. Yuh give me your name, and here it is, we have another nomination. My father trusted me with the name, and we are still representing for high-quality music. My father … he was the main guy. He was the one who go in with Chris Blackwell and the engineer dem and turn out excellence,” Aston Jr, who played his father in the Bob Marley: One Love biopic, told The Gleaner.

Family Man or ‘Fams’, as the senior Barrett was affectionately called, was the co-producer of Bob Marley’s albums and was also the man in charge of the overall song arrangements. He passed away in February after a long illness.

“This is a good look for Jamaica,” Aston Jr said, sharing that although he wasn’t confident about the album receiving a nomination, he was “very hopeful”.

“Honestly … mi did nervous. Mi did a wonder if we did a go mek it. The first album was the test from the father to the son. We worked hard on One World, and we worked even harder on Evolution. But all the other artistes and producers worked hard on their projects, too, and congratulations to all the nominees. Evolution is all about the message, and we needed a nomination to spread the message,” he shared.

Over on Instagram, he wrote, “If you haven’t heard Evolution yet, now’s the perfect time to dive into the Grammy-nominated sound that’s resonating with fans worldwide – experience Evolution with us!”

Evolution was released on August 30 and features Marcia Griffiths, Mykal Rose, Gramps Morgan, and Emily Estefan.

Gramps Morgan, who was the first person to congratulate the group, shared with The Gleaner that he was not at all surprised that Evolution was nominated for a Grammy Award.

“The minute I heard this album … when Aston sent me the files … I knew it was special. This has been something in the making for a very long time. Aston is an incredible drummer, bass player, keyboard player, and guitar player, and his production is first-class. He only sees the best when it comes to equipment in the studio. I’m looking forward to working with him in the studio again,” Gramps said.

Also reacting publicly to his nomination for his album Take It Easy was Collie Buddz, who is savouring back-to-back nominations. His Cali Roots Riddim 2023 was nominated in the Best Reggae Album category last year.

“[The] younger me is smiling and getting jacked up on Capri Suns. Congrats to all the nominees! What an honour to be nominated amongst legends and such talent. Thank you to the @recordingacademy for continuing to recognise reggae music, a genre loved and cherished by countless millions worldwide. Thank you everyone who helped make this album possible,” Collie Buddz wrote on Instagram.

Rounding out the five nominations in the Best Reggae Album category are Vybz Kartel – Party With Me (Adidjahiem Records); Shenseea – Never Gets Late Here (Rich Immigrants/Interscope Records); and Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired By The Film (Deluxe) by various artistes (Island Records).

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com