Jimi D excited for inclusion on Grammy provisional list

While growing up in Portmore, St Catherine, Jimi D had always been surrounded by music.  His uncle Don Carlos is an original member of Grammy-winning reggae group Black Uhuru, and he had family members who were versatile singers.  Often, several entertainers would visit his home where he learnt a lot from conversing with them. After moving to the United States more than 10 years ago, Jimi D continued his musical pursuits. On August 21, the reggae singer released his latest album The History of Creation: The Past, The Present and The Future, a 17-track roots reggae opus, which speaks about how the corruption and injustice of history keep repeating today. The album is among 119 entries included on this year's Grammy provisional list for the Best Reggae Album category.  The singer is quite excited about this. “First and foremost, I’m grateful. To see an independent reggae album that I put so much of myself into appear on the Recording Academy’s official first-round ballot for Best Reggae Album is a meaningful milestone,” Jimi D told Observer Online on Thursday. “Coming from Jamaica, reggae has always been more than entertainment to me. It’s a vehicle for consciousness, truth, history, and uplifting people. I’m not taking anything for granted. Being on the ballot is not a nomination, and I understand that distinction, but it tells me that the work has reached a level where it can be considered alongside other albums in the genre. Regardless of the outcome, I’m proud that I stayed true to my vision and completed this project,” he said. Jimi D, whose real name is Christopher Chambers, highlighted the work that went into creating the album. “This album required a tremendous amount of work, dedication, research, creativity, and sacrifice. I wanted to create more than just a collection of reggae songs. I wanted to tell a story about humanity—where we came from, where we are today, and where we may be heading. “From writing and arranging the songs to recording vocals, working on instrumentation, mixing, and mastering, I was deeply involved in the creative process. Every song needed to serve a purpose within the overall concept. There were moments when I had to revisit arrangements and rebuild parts of the production because I wasn’t satisfied with the result,” he explained. Jimi D previously released the album Multiple Personality Disorder in 2010. “Over the years, I also released singles and other recordings, including Defiance (We Not Giving Up) and No Fear, a collaboration with Geo. Those earlier projects helped shape my musical identity and ultimately prepared me for the direction I took with The History of Creation,” he reasoned. The History of Creation: The Past, The Present and The Future was produced by Jimi D and released via his Hard Doe Entertainment LLC label. “One of the most rewarding aspects of creating this album was bringing together an extraordinary collection of musicians from Jamaica and different parts of the world, combining the rich musical heritage of Jamaican roots reggae with international talent and musicianship. I had the privilege of working with some of Jamaica’s most accomplished musicians, including legendary bassist Errol “Flabba” Holt, renowned keyboardist Robby Lyn, acclaimed drummer Kirk “Kirkle Dove” Bennett, and guitarist Mitchum Khan Chin,” he disclosed. The international collaboration also brought together musicians including Salvo Volpe on bass, Emma Tato on acoustic guitar, Thushan Duvinda on electric guitar, Manuel Trabucco on saxophone and clarinet, along with additional brass and keyboard contributions from musicians working in different parts of the world. Engineers who contributed to the project include Conrae “Rad HD’ Campbell, Alex “AR15/ARVX” Robers and Delroy Pottinger. Said Jimi D, “What makes this album special to me is that these musicians represent different generations, musical traditions and geographical backgrounds, yet their contributions came together to create one cohesive musical statement. As producer and executive producer, my responsibility was to bring those individual talents together, guide the arrangements and ensure that every contribution served the album’s overall artistic vision. It was truly an international collaboration, grounded in the authenticity of Jamaican reggae music.”