Koffee Says There Should Be Separate Grammys For Dancehall And Reggae
Share
The popular reggae artiste Koffee says that dancehall and reggae music should be acknowledged separately on the international stage and the Grammys.
Koffee spoke to Billboard about the evolution of reggae music in recent years, her history-making Grammy win and her debut album titled ‘Gifted’ which is scheduled to release in March.
In 2019, the reggae singer rose to the spotlight with her hit single Toast. The track got international fame and went up to 194 million views. Releasing more songs that included the popular singles ‘Pressure’ and ‘Rapture’, Koffee became a great reggae sensation. With the release of her first EP, Koffee became the first female Reggae artist to win such an accolade after winning a Grammy award for her project.
In present times, the singer is viewed as one of the top reggae artists, and she has a stronger voice in the industry. This is why she is voicing her opinions about dancehall and reggae being acknowledged as separate entities.
The subject of the distinction between dancehall and reggae is an old debate that has still not been settled. The 22-year-old pointed out to Billboard that internationally, reggae and dancehall are viewed as reggae, but to Jamaicans, there is a major difference, which is why it would be good to see the two genres get their own recognition and praise.
This highlighted the fact that both Spice and Etana were nominated for best reggae albums of 2022, which is the first time two females were nominated at once in the same category.
Even though it is said that Dancehall’s music was developed from the Reggae community, in the 1970s Dancehall transitioned into a distinct sound. As Dancehall music gained its own identity, its globally recognized platform gave birth to some of the world’s most famous and infamous musicians. This is why many people have been requesting that the dancehall genre be given its own category in the annual Grammy awards ceremony.
Sharing this notion, Mark Kenny, who is a popular television producer, agreed that it was time for Dancehall to be added as a separate category in the Grammys.
Similarly, Eek-A-Mouse whose a Reggae and Dancehall icon shared that “Dancehall should be, a must in the Grammy category”. He went on to say that Dancehall was always being held down.
As Koffee and many more artists plead for the two genres to be separated, Grammys have stated that they have created an avenue to bring exposure to new music by launching a new ‘Genres Page’ on their website Grammy.com
According to the Grammys, “GRAMMY.com remains your go-to destination for new music discovery, Recording Academy, industry updates and engaging music-first content.”
RELATED: Koffee Drops “Pull Up” Music Video
RELATED: Not Jamaican Buju Banton Touring USA With Koffee
RELATED: Koffee Looking To Take Music Videos To A New Level With “Pull Up”
