Gramps Morgan of the Grammy-winning Morgan Heritage reggae band says their current European tour was important in keeping the legacy and music of the group alive.

Morgan, who will shortly embark on his own solo tour, made the assertion in an interview with Observer Online on the weekend.

“What was significant about this tour was understanding the assignment that we need to keep the legacy of the Morgan Heritage family alive. It has been very emotional, and a lot of sacrifices are being made. We have to put our pain and emotions on the back burner just for a little bit in order to carry on this mission,” said Morgan, while adding that a lot of ground was covered on this recent trek in Europe.

“Well, a lot of ground was covered. The biggest thing is that people were able to see the band together being strong, playing the music that they’ve enjoyed for so many years, and we got a chance to heal together with our fans in Europe, which has been a significant part of the Morgan Heritage legacy and career.”

Gramps along with his siblings Mojo and Una, and his son Jemere, are the current members of the band, known for hits such as Reggae Bring Back Love, Send Us Your Love, Nothing to Smile About and Down by the River among others.

Asked what he enjoyed most about the tour, which made stops in Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, Gramps said: “What I enjoyed most about this tour was being able to celebrate the legacy of my brother (the late Peetah Morgan) with one of the most loyal audiences to the Morgan Heritage legacy and seeing the smiles on their faces as they saw my brother on the big screen behind us as we perform the songs, and I would say the biggest eye-opener was to see that all the loyal Royal fans, which we call the Morgan Heritage fans, showed up for us, especially at the big reggae festival call Reggae Land in the United Kingdom. They stood there and waited until we set up our equipment and packed that venue waiting to celebrate with us.”

He said the reception in the Netherlands was huge.

“Well, the Netherlands always has a very big turnout for us. When we first went to Europe the government did a documentary in our family that still is in their library to this day. They were really connected to us when it came to the story of the family. One of the countries that surprised me the most was the UK because the lineup was so diverse, but the audience really showed up for us. Looking forward to returning to them again for our own up close and personal concert just like the old days,” Gramps disclosed.

On August 15, Morgan Heritage performs in Serbia at the Nisville International Jazz Festival, while they head to Spain for the Rototom Sunsplash the following day. Carifesta in Barbados is on August 29, while from September 11-16, they will be on the Japan/South Korea Far East Reggae Cruise.