GRAMMY-WINNING producer Tony “CD” Kelly has earned an enviable track record in the reggae/dancehall industry. Throughout the years he has been responsible for a string of hit songs which have not only scaled local charts, but have gone on to achieve global acclaim.

Kelly is scheduled to receive a Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) Honour Award for exceptional contribution to the reggae industry in the producer’s category.

The virtual awards will be aired on JaRIA’s social media pages on the Easter weekend.

Kelly is upbeat about the acknowledgement.

“Well, any time your peers recognise and honour the work that you put in, it is always extremely special. I was pleasantly surprised when JaRIA contacted me to inform me of this. I usually fly under the radar of awards and accolades but still keep the same drive and positive energy because, at the end of the day, it’s all about the music. Eventually your work will speak for itself so, I’m honoured,” Kelly told the Jamaica Observer.

It’s been more than 30 years since Kelly got his start in music. He shared what has kept him in the game all these years.

“The music, the love, keeping my country on the map, and challenging myself to outdo and better the younger version of me. I learnt about production along the way while I was an engineer at Tuff Gong and later at Penthouse studio. Having worked with all the big generals in the business, you pick up a thing or two along the way; then it’s about practising and figuring out stuff in order to get to your sound,” he said.

The Shocking Vibes Productions project, Yu Dead Now rhythm, was the first project that Kelly worked on. That beat featured Tiger’s number one hit Yu Dead Now and Little Kirk’s top 10 hit All I Know, a cover of the Barbara Weathers original.

Among the other projects he worked on were the Up Close and Personal rhythm for Penthouse and the Cloak and Dagger rhythm for Shocking Vibes. He also mixed Mad Cobra’s gold-selling international hit Flex.

In the late 1990s Kelly started his own production and debuted with the labels K-Licious Music and GQ (Ghetto9). He scored big with the Buy Out, Unda Wata, Kiki, and Bookshelf rhythms.

The Buy Out rhythm featured songs including Money to Burn by TOK, She Drives Me Crazy (Mr Easy), Like Glue (Sean Paul), and Miss L A P (Beenie Man), while Unda Wata had hit songs such as Kingston Hot (Beenie Man), The Woman Dem Fat (Buju Banton), Big Phat Fish (Machel Montano), and Sucky Ducky (Mr Vegas).

The Kiki rhythm’s hit songs included: Desperate Measures by Baby Cham and Head a Di House (Delly Ranx); while Bookshelf featured illboard-charting hits Deport Dem (Sean Paul), and Dat Sexy Body (Sasha), Bookshelf (Beenie Man), Gal Say Woee (Tanto Metro and Devonte), and Jack it Up (Mr Vegas).

Kelly shared some of the major highlights of his career.

“We’ll, I’d say it’s a lot of highlights I’ve been blessed with. From being involved in four Grammy-winning albums, receiving awards for Most Popular Song at two different BMI awards, to being an influence in the creation of a genre (reggaeton), to my songs being in countless films ( 2 Fast 2 Furious, James Bond’s No Time to Die), to being involved in Shaggy’s diamond-selling album Hot Shot, to being a part of Sean Paul’s career and success. Being able to help artistes realise their dreams and rise out of the rubble, to helping ghetto youths to become engineers and making a life in our industry, to having the chance to tour and see the world with Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers and Maxi Priest, to have my name and work be a part of the now-famous ’90s era of dancehall’ that you hear in so many pop songs all over the world. Just too much to mention,” he said.

Tony (real name Anthony Kelly) is the brother of famed producer Dave Kelly. He grew up in several areas of St Andrew, including Love Lane in downtown Kingston, Vineyard Town, and Rollington Town. He is a past student of Jamaica College.

Other JaRIA recipients this year include: Pama Records (Lifetime Achievement); Barrington Levy and the late Jacob Miller (Male Icon); JC Lodge (Female Icon); The Abyssinians (Icon Award for duo or group); guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith (Mentorship); Neil “Mad Professor” Fraser (Producer); and producer Mikie Bennett (Songwriter).