Burning Spear isn’t just putting out a charity record. He’s asking fans to back it for Grammy consideration too.
In a Facebook post signed by Winston Rodney and his wife Sonia Rodney, who calls herself “mama,” the reggae elder thanked a long roster of artists for what he called their “unselfish love” in contributing to a new album for charity.
The guest list covers several generations of reggae. Jesse Royal, Kumar Fyah and Hempress Sativa represent the roots revival crowd, while Big Youth, credited by his given name Manley Buchanan, reaches back to the deejay era that helped shape dancehall. Julian Marley, Luciano, Glen Washington and Queen Ifrica are all on board as well.
There’s a family-legacy thread running through the lineup. Kenyatta Hill, billed as “Jr Culture,” carries on the work of his father Joseph Hill of Culture, and Julian Marley needs no introduction on that front. Brinsley Forde, best known as a founding member of Aswad, brings a UK roots connection.
The reach goes beyond Jamaica and Britain. Alpha Blondy, the Ivorian star who has spent decades carrying reggae across West Africa and Europe, is also on the list. The remaining credits go to ZAZAN ZAZAN LOUD aka Mytania Samuels, Mathew Nya Humble Lion, Lawgiver the kingson and Liz Tomlinson.
My fans please recognize and support these artists,” Rodney wrote, before adding a line that shifts the tone a little: “Also for your Grammy consideration.” Burning Spear has won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album twice, for “Calling Rastafari” and “Jah Is Real.”
He knows how that process works, and he knows that a well-timed nudge to voters and fans can carry weight.
That pairing of charity and awards will read differently depending on who’s listening. Some longtime fans will see the Grammy mention as a practical way to get attention and money flowing toward the cause.
Others may wonder whether awards talk belongs in a charity announcement at all, especially in a category that has long drawn criticism for rewarding familiar names over newer voices. With half the lineup made up of younger or lesser-known acts, this record could test that pattern.
The post is short on logistics. It doesn’t name the album, the charity it will benefit, a tracklist, or how the contributors are paired up. It also doesn’t say whether Burning Spear sings on every track or mostly acts as curator and host.
For now, the credits are what’s out there. Fans are likely to start guessing which of these voices end up sharing a track with the man behind “Marcus Garvey,” and whether Rodney and “mama” will share more before voting season.
