‘Nostalgic’ says Gramps Morgan of Buju at Barclays Center

Words like “captivating”, incredible”, “emotional” and “nostalgic” have been used by Gramps Morgan of sibling group Morgan Heritage, to describe how he felt about performing with Buju Banton at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, last Sunday. The sold-out concert has been receiving rave reviews and Gramps Morgan, who has been a part of Buju’s The Overcomer Tour, did not hesitate to express his feelings.

“The Buju show in Brooklyn, New York was very nostalgic,” an emotional Gramps told The Gleaner. “It was great to be back in the city of my birth and especially where most of Morgan Heritage was born. So, to share this stage in a historic venue where Morgan Heritage had performed in 2012 was very emotional … different from every other show that we’ve done together as Gramps Morgan and Buju Banton.”

Giving kudos to his friend and colleague, Buju Banton, whose Overcomer Tour was designed to celebrate his return to performing on US soil after more than a decade’s absence, Gramps added, “But, overall, to perform in this city with Buju was incredible! To a sold-out concert on top of that! I think it is a very great time for reggae and dancehall music again. Let’s all take note of this and keep pushing to make our country and our people proud.”

Gramps and Buju have done a number of collaborations in the past, the most popular of which is their rendition of the 23rd Psalm.

The singer and his siblings Peetah, Una, Mr Mojo and Lukes, all children of reggae artiste Denroy Morgan, formed their band in 1994 while still living in the US. A tight-knit aggregation, who fans refer to as the Royal Family of Reggae, Morgan Heritage has released more than one dozen albums, including their Grammy Award-winning Strictly Roots, and the Grammy-nominated Avrakedabra.

Their 2023 21-track project, The Homeland, heralded a new era for the group, as it officially introduced fans to what was called the Trinity, comprising the three brothers, Peetah, Gramps, and Mr Mojo.

Part of Gramp’s nostalgia on Sunday surrounded Peetah Morgan, the lead singer for the group, who passed away earlier this year after a brief illness. Gramps shared that he struggled to hold back tears when he saw a photo of his sibling at the venue.

“A very captivating moment was when I entered the venue and saw my brother’s photo inside. I haven’t been back inside of this venue to perform since 2012 … when I saw that, it was a very emotional moment. I had to hold it all together,” the People Like You singer said, as if reliving the moment.

Buju Banton’s The Overcomer Tour kicked off on a high note on July 13 and 14 with the two sold-out shows in New York. However, some US dates were cancelled altogether, while others were rescheduled and a Toronto, Canada date was added for October 13. Gramps Morgan was present for all of them.

The Overcomer Tour continues into 2025.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com