Exco Levi .
4 of the nominees within the Reggae Recording of the Yr class of the 2025 JUNO awards are fairly upbeat about their nominations.
This yr’s nominees are Future, a 9-track album by the late Lee “Scratch” Perry, which was produced by Canadian producer Bob Riddim; Sky’s the Restrict, a 6-song EP by Skystar; Born to be Free, the fifth studio album by multi-JUNO nominee Exco Levi; Fallback, a collaboration by King Cruff and Runkus; and Rise by Tonya P.
The JUNO is recognised as Canada’s equal to the Grammy Awards.
Exco Levi, who has to this point acquired 12 nominations, 5 of them wins, stated Born to be Free, which was produced by Penthouse Data, was recorded in Jamaica.
“The songs had been put collectively by me and my band in Canada and we simply added the ending touches at Penthouse Data in Jamaica. I labored with quite a lot of nice musicians on the undertaking,” Exco Levi informed the
Jamaica Observer’s Splash on Tuesday.
The artiste stated he’s elated the award programme continues: “Final yr, we weren’t positive whether or not the reggae class would nonetheless be part of the JUNO awards. There are quite a lot of artistes throughout Canada who’ve by no means submitted for the awards. Nonetheless, this yr’s nomination has some new names that I’m not conversant in and that’s a great factor. This nomination signifies that persons are nonetheless streaming my music in Canada.”
In September final yr a choice by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to scrap the Reggae Recording of the Yr class and others was rescinded after backlash from the music trade.
Exco Levi, who’s initially from Clarendon, is at the moment within the island taking part in Reggae Month actions. The singjay says he has new music on the horizon.
King Cruff’s nomination has given the Tuff Gong label its first JUNO nomination for a collective artiste signed to the label.
“To me, the nomination itself exhibits us we’re shifting in the appropriate route. Hopefully by March I’ll be leaving Vancouver with the JUNO in hand,” stated the artiste, whose mom is Stephanie Marley.
“I see it [the nomination] as a testomony to my resiliency. Individuals are simply now studying about King Cruff, however I’ve been making music for a very long time. And music is a recreation of attrition. Having the ability to constantly have your foot on the fuel is what’s going to set you aside from most artistes. That isn’t a simple factor to do,” King Cruff shared, including “Once they made the announcement I used to be there cooking breakfast. My publicist, Stephanie Horak, was the one to inform me. Huge as much as her, as a result of we wouldn’t have gotten this far with out her due diligence.”
Fall Again was recorded on the well-known Huge Yard studio in Kingston. It was produced by Banx and Ranx.
Requested what it was like working with Runkus, King Cruff stated: “It was inspirational. There are few artistes who I really feel I can be taught from, and Runkus is one in all them. He’s decided to take reggae music to new heights, and that’s a objective I strongly align with. He’s criminally underrated.”
That is the primary JUNO nomination for western Canada-based singjay Skystar.
“To be nominated for the JUNO I felt like I used to be reborn. Tears fell from my eyes to see that my onerous work is lastly getting recognition on a nationwide stage in Canada,” Skystar informed the Splash.
He stated he learnt concerning the nomination from his supervisor, however he thought it was a prank. It wasn’t till he acquired an e-mail from a fellow recording artiste that he was satisfied.
“I ran from my automotive to my home shouting and celebrating,” he stated.
Skystar is initially from the Kingston 20 neighborhood of Patrick Gardens. For the previous 11 years he has resided in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Sky’s the Restrict options manufacturing work by Vigilanti Leisure, Food plan Monkey Leisure, and Cornatrendz Music.
Though she was born in Canada to Jamaican mother and father (her father is the late Clive “Kubba” Pringle who operated MX3, the house of the Bob Marley Bash in Negril), Tonya P has constantly highlighted the music of her heritage.
Final yr she gained two awards within the Reggae North Awards. That is her second JUNO nomination.
“Wow, it feels superb. It’s an unimaginable accomplishment to know that I’m nonetheless being recognised for my musical works 14 years after my first nomination,” she stated. “This nomination signifies that something is feasible with onerous work, consistency and religion.”
She too was in disbelief when she learnt concerning the JUNO nomination.
“Once I acquired the information I used to be in disbelief, if I’m being completely trustworthy. I’m nonetheless in shock,” she stated of the nomination for the track
Rise, which was produced by Radford “Dr Rad” Ettienne.
Launched in August final yr, she shared the inspiration behind the track.
“Somebody very close to and expensive to me was going by one of many hardest instances of their life. It was onerous to witness. I feel the track was my manner of telling them that, though all appeared misplaced, giving up was not an possibility. It doesn’t matter what number of instances you fall; it’s the way you rise,” stated Tonya P.
The 54th JUNO Awards will happen on March 29 at Rogers Enviornment in Vancouver.
Jamaican-born, Toronto-based producer Boi-1da, who has produced an array of hit hip hop songs, will obtain the Worldwide Achievement Award.
