Last year, the Reggae category of the famous awards ceremony was given little chance of survival (news of 19/02/2010). So a lot was expected of this year's nominations, which might, who knows, renew the threatened category. Alas, we are still a long way from a faithful picture of the year's output.
The nominees in category 73 (Best Reggae Album):
- Buju Banton - Before the dawn (Gargamel Music)
- Gregory Isaacs & King Isaac - Isaacs Meets Isaac (King Isaac Music)
- Lee "Scratch" Perry - Revelation (Megawave Records)
- Bob Sinclar and Sly & Robbie - Made in Jamaica (Yellow Productions / Universal Music)
- Sly & Robbie and The Family Taxi - One Pop Reggae + (Phase One Communcations / Taxi Records)
- Andrew Tosh - Legacy, an Acoustic Tribute to Peter Tosh (Box 10 / Tuff Gong)
As we can see, the Marleys are no longer part of the party. Not even Damian Marley, who with Nas and their album "Distant Relatives" could easily have laid claim to victory. A collateral victim of the Grammys' new intentions or not, the duo is not nominated in the Hip-Hop category either. Make of that what you will.
Just as we cannot explain the absence of Gyptian, who nonetheless meets every criterion of a winner. Still awaiting his trial, Buju Banton, already nominated last year, is here again. With "Before the dawn", it is probably the best album on the list. Verdict on 13 February.