In Summary
- Jamaican singer Burning Spear earns Grammy nomination a month after dropping his new album.
- The album dubbed No Destroyer came after a 15 year break from the crooner.
- With 14 Grammy nominations in the Best Reggae Album category Spear has won the Award twice, in 2000 for Calling Rastafari and again in 2009 for Jah is Real.
Jamaican Reggae icon Burning Spear continues to showcase his commitment to his musical journey with his latest project, the Grammy-nominated album No Destroyer.
No Destroyer, released via Spear’s own label Burning Music, has been ready since 2011 recorded at New York City’s Magic Shop and released in August 2023.
The 12 track album marks a significant change in Spear’s distinguished career and personal dimension to his renowned years of work.
Read Also: Burning Spear Drops New Album After a 15-Year Break
With 14 Grammy nominations in the Best Reggae Album category — only surpassed by Ziggy Marley‘s 17 nods — Spear has won the Award twice, in 2000 for Calling Rastafari and again in 2009 for Jah is Real.
His other nominated albums include Resistance (1986), People of the World (1988), Mek We Dweet (1991), The World Should Know (1994), Rasta Business (1996), Free Man (2004), Our Music (2006), and The Burning Spear Experience (2008).
The Genesis of Burning Spear
Born Winston Rodney, Spear’s upbringing in St. Ann’s Bay laid the foundation for his musical journey.
His stage name, inspired by African leader Jomo Kenyatta, known as the Burning Spear before becoming Kenya’s president, reflects his deep connection to African heritage.
Years later, he remains a true disciple of the teachings of pan-Africanist and Marcus Garvey, who preached self-reliance and political unification for all African descendants.
Read Also: Burning Spear,Beenie Man, & Buju Banton Among the Grammy 2024 nominees
In his live performances, Burning Spear often swings between righteous sermons urging people to live a righteous life and heartfelt laments about the state of affairs in the world.
He has not deviated from the path of uplifting his race through his oeuvre and the underlying message of righteousness, justice, and truth.
After declaring retirement in 2016, and making a huge decision to make a comeback in 2021, Spear has expressed that he dearly missed his fans while on break and that his decision to make a comeback is from the belief that God had assigned him a mission which he could not retire from.
Yes I man, took a pause or a break. We can’t retire from what His Majesty assigns us to do. It’s a mission and I am fan driven . I truly missed my fans. Their energy make I man bloom.
~ Burning Spear
