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After winning the ‘Best Reggae Song of the Year’ at the just ended Vodafone Ghana Music Awards 2012, controversial, reggae dub poet, Blakk Rasta has stated that winning the award was already ordained by Jah, so there was little man could do.
The hard-hitting musician before the awards appeared rather confident of picking the only award on the night for Reggae musicians. He said winning the award was long overdue.
“The organizers [Charter House] could not have done otherwise as everything was signed and sealed,” said the award-winning artiste.
He said he was not in the mood to go for the awards that day but, after observing his Rastafarian Sabbath which ended Saturday night, he was ordered by Jah to move and this, he did with no hesitation.
It can be recalled that in 2008, he had the opportunity to pick up an award with his hit track ‘Barrack Obama’, a song he did to support Barrack Obama’s bid for the American presidency. After series of criticism of the awards, he was banned for labeling the awards and organizers as ‘cruel and ‘unprofessional’.
The ban lasted for three years. He said before the awards, he had cut all umbilical cords with the organizers after brutally criticizing them. The ‘Barrack Obama’ track earned him an invitation to dine with the American president when he visited the country in 2009.The song and diner shot Blakk Rasta into instant fame to the point he was featured in THE NEW YORK TMES – a world acclaimed newspaper and international television channels; CNN and Al-Jazeera among other channels.
“I speak my mind after convincing myself I need to. I work for Jah and not for awards. If the awards come, they are just embellishments or decorative and we give Jah the glory. I never regretted the ban since I only aired critical concerns at the time which practically helped the organizers better their act in the long run. Probably, out of anger, a few more unwarranted utterances seeped out. But, in all things, to Jah be the glory. I am glad to be back,” Blakk Rasta said.
He continued that, initially he did not submit any entry for the awards. But it appeared that fans and Industry players submitted his works for the awards. He said “I was told by the organizers the ban was over so they felt I deserved a nomination for the category as several nominations had come my way”.
Blakk Rasta said his first reaction was to ask for an apology for the undeserved three-year ban but he was advised against it, as he agreed both sides, partly shared in the blunder. Asked if he thinks his criticism of Charter House earned him the award, he said it was not possible since his song ‘Miss Right’ was well recorded, technically and melodically superior and, well-circulated on TV and radio.
He put up the first-ever reggae tour for this album which saw him visiting seven out of the ten regions of Ghana promoting the work by way of concerts supported by rLG. According to Blakk Rasta, the song ‘Miss Right’ is very popular around the country and beyond as it also came with a world-class video done by Phamous Philms which even got nominated for ‘Best Reggae Video’ at the 4Syte Music Video Awards.
“Winning the award is a victory for reggae music,” observes Blakk Rasta, continuing that, “It will be a big stepping stone to the world as I am on the verge of unleashing on the world my new African brand of reggae called ‘Moon Splash’. To Jah be the glory.”
Blakk Rasta has been a very strong pillar for reggae music in the country since he landed on radio in the late nineties. He has had positive stints with Happy FM, Goodness FM, Radio Savanna, Radio Upper West, Radio Contatto, Skyy Power FM and now with Hitz FM in Accra where he hosts an extremely popular primetime reggae show, ‘Taxi Driver’.
He has seven albums and four singles to his credit. His first work, ‘Rasta Shrine’ was released in April 2000. He is presently working on his brand new traditional African reggae called ‘Ancestral Moon Splash’ to be released in September this year.
The dub poet (spoken word reggae artiste) thanked his fans, Charter House, industry players, Zapp Mallet, Kaywa, Gyo of Phamous Philms and the other nominees in the category for spurring him on to greater heights.
The hard-hitting musician before the awards appeared rather confident of picking the only award on the night for Reggae musicians. He said winning the award was long overdue.
“The organizers [Charter House] could not have done otherwise as everything was signed and sealed,” said the award-winning artiste.
He said he was not in the mood to go for the awards that day but, after observing his Rastafarian Sabbath which ended Saturday night, he was ordered by Jah to move and this, he did with no hesitation.
It can be recalled that in 2008, he had the opportunity to pick up an award with his hit track ‘Barrack Obama’, a song he did to support Barrack Obama’s bid for the American presidency. After series of criticism of the awards, he was banned for labeling the awards and organizers as ‘cruel and ‘unprofessional’.
The ban lasted for three years. He said before the awards, he had cut all umbilical cords with the organizers after brutally criticizing them. The ‘Barrack Obama’ track earned him an invitation to dine with the American president when he visited the country in 2009.The song and diner shot Blakk Rasta into instant fame to the point he was featured in THE NEW YORK TMES – a world acclaimed newspaper and international television channels; CNN and Al-Jazeera among other channels.
“I speak my mind after convincing myself I need to. I work for Jah and not for awards. If the awards come, they are just embellishments or decorative and we give Jah the glory. I never regretted the ban since I only aired critical concerns at the time which practically helped the organizers better their act in the long run. Probably, out of anger, a few more unwarranted utterances seeped out. But, in all things, to Jah be the glory. I am glad to be back,” Blakk Rasta said.
He continued that, initially he did not submit any entry for the awards. But it appeared that fans and Industry players submitted his works for the awards. He said “I was told by the organizers the ban was over so they felt I deserved a nomination for the category as several nominations had come my way”.
Blakk Rasta said his first reaction was to ask for an apology for the undeserved three-year ban but he was advised against it, as he agreed both sides, partly shared in the blunder. Asked if he thinks his criticism of Charter House earned him the award, he said it was not possible since his song ‘Miss Right’ was well recorded, technically and melodically superior and, well-circulated on TV and radio.
He put up the first-ever reggae tour for this album which saw him visiting seven out of the ten regions of Ghana promoting the work by way of concerts supported by rLG. According to Blakk Rasta, the song ‘Miss Right’ is very popular around the country and beyond as it also came with a world-class video done by Phamous Philms which even got nominated for ‘Best Reggae Video’ at the 4Syte Music Video Awards.
“Winning the award is a victory for reggae music,” observes Blakk Rasta, continuing that, “It will be a big stepping stone to the world as I am on the verge of unleashing on the world my new African brand of reggae called ‘Moon Splash’. To Jah be the glory.”
Blakk Rasta has been a very strong pillar for reggae music in the country since he landed on radio in the late nineties. He has had positive stints with Happy FM, Goodness FM, Radio Savanna, Radio Upper West, Radio Contatto, Skyy Power FM and now with Hitz FM in Accra where he hosts an extremely popular primetime reggae show, ‘Taxi Driver’.
He has seven albums and four singles to his credit. His first work, ‘Rasta Shrine’ was released in April 2000. He is presently working on his brand new traditional African reggae called ‘Ancestral Moon Splash’ to be released in September this year.
The dub poet (spoken word reggae artiste) thanked his fans, Charter House, industry players, Zapp Mallet, Kaywa, Gyo of Phamous Philms and the other nominees in the category for spurring him on to greater heights.
