And the GRAMMY for Best Reggae Album goes to… well we’ll find out Feb. 15th, 2016 when it airs on CBS at 8:00pm (EST). However, the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards nominees have been announced and out of all the great Reggae albums that were released in 2015, this year’s nominees are:
58th Grammy Awards – The Reggae Album Nominees Are:
Rocky Dawuni – Branches Of The Same Tree
Release Date: March 31st, 2015
Label: Cumbancha
Named one of Africa’s Top 10 global stars by CNN, Ghana’s Rocky Dawuni is not only an international music star but also a renowned humanitarian and activist. He’s performed in some of the world’s most popular venues alongside many music icons, and has even had his music featured in FIFA 2010, as well as popular TV shows like ER, Dexter and Weeds. Before the release of Branches Of The Same Tree, Dawuni’s album Hymns For The Rebel Soul was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding World Music Album” and won many other awards. Dawuni uses his music as a rallying point on clean water, HIV/AIDS, poverty eradication, and education among other things, and has become the epitome of a global ambassador.
Purchase album HERE!
Watch: Rocky Dawuni – “African Thriller”
Jah Cure – The Cure
Release Date: July 10th
Label: VP Records
Born Siccature Alcock in Hanover, Jamaica, Jah Cure is a Jamaican reggae musician, who was raised in Kingston. Jah Cure hasn’t enjoyed the typical path to success, having found fame while serving an eight-year prison sentence for a crime he was not justly prosecuted for. His first three albums were released during his time at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre in Kingston, Jamaica, which has a digital recording studio for inmates to use. Since being released in 2007, Jah Cure has continued working with his mentor Beres Hammond, and has become a married man. With his incarceration now behind him, Jah Cure has been able to devote his full attention to his music. The Cure is entirely co-produced by Jah Cure, along with acclaimed reggae producers Christopher “Sketch” Carey, Clive Hunt, Llmar “Riff Raff” Brown, Justin “Jus Bus” Nation and Trevor “Baby G” Washington James.
Purchase album HERE!
Watch: Jah Cure – “Made in California”
Barrington Levy – Acousticalevy
Release Date: May 5th, 2015
Label: Doctor Dread Presents
One of the great success stories of the 80’s, the iconic Barrington Levy arrived on the dancehall scene as a teenager and swiftly remodeled it in his own image. Although numerous DJ’s and vocalist would rise and fall during this decade, Levy was one of the few with staying power, and he continues to release hits today as he has more than 25 albums under his belt. Levy has collaborated with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Long Beach Dub All-Stars, and Slightly Stoopid. Battling everything from old record labels to a recent bout with Dengue Fever, Barrington Levy has stood the test of time and has become an international superstar with major fan bases is the U.S, the U.K, and Jamaica, and now has himself a new GRAMMY nomination to show for it.
Purchase album HERE!
Watch: Barrington Levy – “Under Mi Sensi”
Luciano – Zion Awake
Release Date: November 4th, 2014
Label: Vpal Music
Born Jepther McClymont, Luciano is a Jamaican Roots-Reggae artist. He is the seventh of nine children and was born to extremely spiritual and musical parents while growing up in Daveyton, a small district in the central parish of Manchester, Jamaica. He began recording in 1992 with his debut single “Ebony & Ivory” on the Aquarius Record label and followed with his debut album Moving Up for RAS records in 1993. Luciano rose to prominence in the mid-1990s, at the height of the “Rasta Renaissance” in Dancehall music and continues to be a prominent figure in the reggae scene today.
Purchase album HERE!
Watch: Luciano – “Thanking You God”
Morgan Heritage – Strictly Roots
Release Date: April 21st
Label: CTBC Music Group
The legacy of reggae vocalist Denroy Morgan has been passed on to his sons, who have performed as Morgan Heritage since 1991. While its mellow, R&B-influenced vocals and Rastafarian lyrics have been compared to Garnett Silk, the group has continued to pave its own musical path. The band’s many hits include “Let’s Make Up,” “Tell Me How Come,” “Set Yourself Free,” “Mama and Papa,” and “Protect Us Jah.” Initially an octet featuring eight of Morgan’s 29 children, Morgan Heritage began recording in the early ’90s and has recorded over 15 albums to date.
Purchase album HERE!
Watch: Morgan Heritage – “Perform and Done”
Related Links:
Grammy Official Website
57th Grammy Reggae Album Nominees
56th Grammy Reggae Album Nominees
Article By: Andrew Aroche