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Kundai Marunya-Arts Correspondent
Three time Grammy Award winning reggae group Morgan Heritage will release its star-studded album “The Homeland” which features local artistes Jah Prayzah and Jusa Demantor on April 21.
The album raises the local duo’s profile as it also features seasoned African and Jamaican musicians, among them Shaggy, Beenie Man, Popcaan, Shatta Wale, Ice Queen Cleo, Youssou N’Dour, Mádé Kuti, Alpha Blondy, Otile Brown, Eddy Kenzo, Busy Signal and Capleton.
It comes as a huge endorsement, especially for Jah Prayzah, who has for a long time been working towards earning international recognition with little success.
This will not be the first time Jah Prayzah has worked with Jamaican musicians as he has songs with Luciano and Jah Cure.
It will be the first time he is invited to feature on a project done by Jamaicans, as the previous collaborations were on his songs.
Jusa Demantor, a producer par excellence, regularly works with international stars.
He core produces the project, a huge recognition of Zimbabwean talent that goes a long way in propelling local music to the global stage and opening doors for more opportunities.
Morgan Heritage, composed of a trinity of Peetah Morgan, Gramps Morgan and Mojo Morgan, all the children of late reggae great Ras Denroy Morgan, announced the album release at the same time sharing their lead single “Who Deh Like U” featuring Bounty Killer, Cham and Stonebwoy, which debuted at number one on the United States iTunes Afro-Beat chart.
In a media release statement, Mojo said the album will go down in history as a major project of the decade.
“This is set to be the biggest collaborative project of the decade and generations to come,” he said.
“The Homeland” comes as the group’s first major project since Denroy Morgan’s passing last year and marks a new era for Morgan Heritage, as they expand their global reach from the Caribbean to the African Continent and beyond.”
“The album is a project of rebirth for the Morgan brothers, built upon a lineage that has lasted decades and one that will continue to forge forward.
Musically, they take the listener on a journey that not only reminds them of days past, but the future ahead.
“The Homeland” kicks off a busy year for Morgan Heritage, who will also appear at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in United States and tour the globe later this year.
Heralded as the Royal Family of Reggae, Morgan Heritage has released 12 studio albums, including Strictly Roots, which won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album.
With a career spanning over two decades, Morgan Heritage has worked with numerous multi-Grammy award-winning artists and producers across multiple genres of music.
Along with the group’s global success, they also command a significant sonic impact over the reggae genre, fusing it with various rhythms and sounds from around the world.
They bring a riveting stage presence and showmanship to the culture which has made them synonymous with Reggae’s worldwide appeal.
At the end of the month, Morgan Heritage will be performing at the Grammy Museum (at LA Live) as guests for “The Drop Series” on March 28.
This is set to kick-start the culturally-iconic band’s global promotional tour, with planned stops in Los Angeles, New York, England, Germany, France, Uganda and Ghana.
Online Reporter