Excellence In Music honoured

Some of reggae-dancehall’s unheralded trailblazers were recognised at the Excellence In Music Ceremony, which took place at Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston on September 15. Among them were keyboardist/organist Ansel Collins, famous for creating the classic Double Barrel and Stalag rhythms. Noel Davy, who crafted the Sleng Teng beat that sparked dancehall’s digital age in 1985; and Neville Hinds, who played organ on Mother And Child Reunion, Paul Simon’s 1972 hit single. The event, previously known as the Grammy Certificate Ceremony, was organised by Back 2 Da Future Music Ltd, a London-based company operated by Kennedy Mensah. It saw 95 artistes, producers, musicians and studio engineers who contributed to Grammy-winning or nominated projects, being acknowledged with certificates and plaques. Two days before the ceremony, Collins received a plaque at his Portmore home from Mensah for playing on Pressure Drop, Toots And The Maytals’ 1971 hit song. It was certified silver in 2024 by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of 200,000 units. On Tuesday, Davy was presented with certificates for playing on Damian Marley’s 2005 Grammy-winning album Welcome to Jamrock. He received similar plaques for playing on Awake and As I Am, Julian Marley’s Grammy-nominated albums. Hinds was awarded a gold plaque for Negotiations And Love Songs, a 1988 compilation of Simon’s biggest hits which include Mother And Child Reunion. Guitarist Dalton Browne, who died in 2020, was one of the evening’s big winners. His daughter Abisha was presented with a silver plaque from the BPI for playing on Wayne Wonder’s 2003 album No Letting Go.

Ansel Collins (left) being presented with a silver disc for playing on Toots and The Maytals’ Pressure Drop from Kennedy Mensah, head of Back 2 Da Future Music Limited.

His family also received certificates for contributing to Grammy-nominated albums by Wayne Wonder (No Holding Back), Jimmy Cliff (Breakout), The Wailing Souls (Equality), Luciano (A New Day), Buju Banton (Friends For Life and Rasta Got Soul), Freddie McGregor (Anything For You), Judy Mowatt ( Working Wonders), Beenie Man (The Doctor) and Gregory Isaacs (Mr Cool, Private And Confidential, Brand New Me, and Isaacs Meets Isaac — Gregory Isaacs and King Isaac). Cleveland “Clevie” Browne, his younger brother, took home Grammy Certificates for Rock Steady (No Doubt), Black Magic and Jahmekya (Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers). Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson, Clevie’s partner in the production duo Steely and Clevie, was awarded a gold disc for co-producing Dawn Penn’s gold-selling single, You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No). He died in 2009. Posthumous recognition was for Gregory Isaacs, who died in 2010. His wife, June, accepted silver plaques for Night Nurse, his 1982 album and song. She also received certificates for four of his albums nominated for Best Reggae Grammys — Mr Cool, Private and Confidential, Brand New Me, and Gregory Isaacs and King Isaac — Isaacs Meets Isaac. Singer Richie Stephens, one of the evening’s performers, was another multiple winner. He was the recipient of five Grammy Certificates and three BPI-certified discs. One of the discs was a platinum plaque for Rihanna sampling his Sail Away rhythm for her 2016 global hit Work. Among the event’s highlights was veteran deejay Flourgon accepting a platinum plaque for Miley Cyrus’s 2013 song We Can’t Stop, which sampled his 1988 hit single We Run Things. He joked that the financial settlement he received from the well-publicised lawsuit he brought against the pop singer for using his song without permission allowed him to purchase a house. That home is emblazoned with “We Run Things”. He then paid tribute to his mother with a rousing performance of Glory. Mensah, born in London to Ghanaian parents, was pleased with the event. “I am elated! The most satisfying aspect was the ‘apprecilovtion’ that we bore witness to [and] the fact that many of our recipients have never been celebrated like this before,” he told the Jamaica Observer. It was the second year that Back 2 Da Future Music Ltd collaborated with the BPI and American company, The Royalty Network Inc, for the ceremony. A BPI platinum plaque was presented to deejay Agent Sasco for appearing on rapper Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly hit song; a Grammy Certificate for working on the album of the same name; and a second Grammy Certificate for Sean Paul’s Live N Livin. Delly Ranx earned a triple platinum plaque for Dutty Rock’s 2002 album. He produced one of the Grammy-winning set’s songs, Ganja Breed which features Chico. Aidonia received a platinum plaque for his song, Fi di Jockey, being sampled by will.i.am and Cody Wise for their 2014 hit It’s My Birthday. Reggie Stepper (Reggie Henriques), whose 1991 song Co-Oonuh was sampled for Mercy, Kanye West’s 2012 song, received a gold disc. Other winners were saxophonist Dean Fraser, who received Grammy Certificates for playing on The Wailers’ I.D., Toots and The Maytals’ True Love, and Mek Wi Dweet by Burning Spear. Singer Glen Washington was awarded certificates for collaborating with Capleton and Third World on their albums Still Blazin and Ain’t Giving Up, respectively. Engineer Chester Walker was awarded a platinum disc for working on Tease Me, Chaka Demus and Pliers’ 1993 hit single. His colleague, Roland McDermott, was recognised with Grammy Certificates for a similar role on Still Blazin, Awake, As I Am and The Cure by Jah Cure. Singer Brian Gold accepted Grammy Certificates for harmony work on Maxi Priest’s Fe Real and Protoje’s A Matter of Time. Producer Victan “Teetimus” Edmund got Grammy Certificates for Buju Banton’ Friends For Life and Bounty Killer’s Ghetto Dictionary: The Mystery.