Multiple Grammy award winners, the royal family of reggae, Morgan Heritage is in town. The group is promoting its upcoming album, The Homecoming, which is more World Music than Reggae and features several artistes from Africa. Steven Odeke caught up with Mojo, Peter and Gramps Morgan to talk about music, gender, Chameleone and Kenzo
Qn: What are the 5 main points and lyrics fans should pay attention to about The Homeland album.
1st point is this album is an ode to the land of our ancestors from Jamaica and Africa.
2nd point is we combine the sounds from across Africa with the sounds from Jamaica.
3rd point is we want to highlight to the West and Europe that Afrobeats is just one genre from Africa. On this album, we explore many of the different genres, including Bongo Flava from East Africa.
4th point is we are bridging the generational gap between the existing legends in Jamaica and Africa.
5th point is we are doing our part to maintain the cultural exchange bridge between Africa and Jamaica and the entire Caribbean, for that matter.
Qn: On the album, did you consider gender balance, or you went with who was available?
This issue was heavily on our mind towards finalizing the album. We have to many male artist friends. On a serious note, we definitely got the female artist that Jah wanted on this album and they represented to the fullest, for ladies worldwide!
Qn: Your new album is producing hits. Can you tell us a brief about how your fans in East Africa have been receiving your songs?
The reception has been absolutely amazing! Can’t wait for East Africa to hear the songs with Otile Brown, Eddy Kenzo, Rophnan and Jose Chameleone.
Qn: Who was your best videographer up to the latest video “Who Deh Like U” from when you started dripping the first video in the album.
Jordan Hoechlin is the creative director for this album and all our directors for the previous videos for Headline Fi Front Page and Just A Number were great as well. Jordan and I (Mojo) will be directing the rest of the videos for the album though.
Qn: What was the most complicated collaboration to put together?
Can’t say any of them was complicated. I think we had to be patient as the music spoke to us and we figured out who was the best fit for each and every song because we have so many friends in the music industry across the globe.
Qn: Tell us what to expect after the listening party that took place last night.
After that we will film videos with Jose Chameleone and Eddy Kenzo before jetting off to Ghana to celebrate the album release on Friday and film a video with Shatta Wale.
You can pre-order the album at this link or go to our social media and click the link in the bio.
Qn: Gramps, Peetah, and Mojo, please explain how tight your relationship is musically.
Our musical relationship is something out of a fairytale because we slide in and out of the leadership roles throughout the creative process so seamlessly. I think it’s because we’ve been making music together for over 25 years. So we know each other very well.
Qn: Tell us the songs you have with Chameleone and Kenzo is brief.
Eddy is featured on a song entitled U Got To (See The World) with S’Villa from South Africa, and Jose Chameleone is featured on a song with Shatta Wale.
