Burning Spear, Elephant Man, Sly & Robbie among 2008 nominations for Best Reggae Album (uhhhhh).

The results are in. The 2008 nominations for Best Reggae Album are: ‘Jah is Real’ by Burning Spear, ‘Let’s get Physical’ by Elephant Man, ‘Vibes’ by Heavy D, ‘Repentance’ by Lee “Scratch” Perry, ‘Intoxication’ by Shaggy and ‘Amazing’ by Sly & Robbie.

Ummmm, Okay.

Is it me or does anyone else think people at The Grammys are OUT OF TOUCH? So, you are appeasing that segment of music by giving a Reggae music category (#73 out of 110, no less) and THEN clump them all together?

How can you put dancehall (Elephant Man) and Roots and Culture (Burning Spear) and then Shaggy and Heavy D (Damn!) somewhere in between? I am confused. That’s like trying to put hmmm, let’s say Lil’ Wayne in the same category with Al Green – hey, it’s all music!

The ‘category’ was just created in about 1985, in which it was called ‘Best Reggae Recording’ from 1985 to 1991. As I take a look at the nominees from the past 30 + years, they have all been a WTF type of thing.

I have listed the winners and nominees from 2000…..

2007 - Ziggy Marley, ‘Love Is My Religion’
Nominees: Buju Banton ‘Too Bad’, Matisyahu ‘Youth’, Sly & Robbie
‘Rhythm Doubles’, UB40 ‘Who You Fighting For?’

2006 - Damian Marley ‘Welcome to Jamrock’
Nominees: Burning Spear ‘Our Music’, Sean Paul ‘The Trinity’, Shaggy ‘Clothes Drop’, Third World ‘Black Gold & Green’

2005 - Toots & the Maytals ‘True Love’
Nominees: Jimmy Cliff ‘Black Magic’, Sly & Robbie ‘The Dub Revolutionaries’, Steel Pulse ‘African Holocaust’

2004 - Sean Paul ‘Dutty Rock’
Nominees: Buju Banton ‘Friends for Life’, Burning Spear ‘Free Man’, Third World ‘Ain't Givin' Up’, Wayne Wonder ‘No Holding Back’

2003 - Roger Lomas (engineer/mixer & producer) & Lee "Scratch" Perry (producer & artist) ‘Jamaican E.T.’,
Nominees: Alpha Blondy ‘Merci’, Bounty Killer ‘Ghetto Dictionary: The Mystery’, Capleton ‘Still Blazin’, Freddie McGregor ‘Anything for You’

2002 - Arlick Thompson (engineer), Stephen Marley (producer) & Damian Marley ‘Halfway Tree’
Nominees: Beres Hammond ‘Music Is Life’, Ky-Mani Marley ‘Many More Roads’, Luciano ‘A New Day’

2001 - Beenie Man ‘Art and Life’
Nominees: Dennis Brown ‘Let Me Be the One’, Gregory Isaacs ‘Private & Confidential’, Pato Banton ‘Life Is A Miracle’

2000- Burning Spear ‘Calling Rastafari’
Nominees: ‘Aswad’ Roots Revival, Beenie Man ‘The Doctor’, Steel Pulse‘Living Legacy’

…see what I mean? I am sure this is not a new issue with Reggae music and The Grammys, and I sure it will not be the last. But with so many different types of reggae music (lover rock, roots, dancehall, gospel) is it even worth a category?

But, I guess, at the end of the day – does it matter? People like what music they like NO MATTER what any awards show says. Trust me it was not any awards that make us fall in love with the melodies of Beres Hammond or the bass of a new Serani tune... so, does it matter?

Wow!

Bashy