Dalton Browne gets recognition
One of Jamaican music’s most respected session musicians, Dalton Browne, was never one for the limelight.
The guitarist, who died in November 2020, at age 64, recorded with some of reggae’s biggest artistes.
On September 15, Browne will be honoured during the Excellence In Music Ceremony at Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston.
His family will be presented with a silver plaque from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for playing on Wayne Wonder’s 2003 album No Letting Go.
Browne will also receive certificates for his contribution to Grammy-nominated albums by Wayne Wonder (No Holding Back), Jimmy Cliff (Breakout), The Wailing Souls (Equality), Luciano (A New Day), Buju Banton (Friends For Life and Rasta Got Soul), Freddie McGregor (Anything For You), Judy Mowatt (Working Wonders), Beenie Man (The Doctor) and Gregory Isaacs (Mr Cool, Private And Confidential, Brand New Me, and Isaacs Meets Isaac — Gregory Isaacs and King Isaac).
Kennedy Mensah of the London-based Back 2 Da Future Music Ltd, founder and organiser of the Excellence In Music Ceremony, in an interview with the Jamaica Observer, addressed the importance of recognising unheralded musicians like Browne.
“When we started this programme we didn’t realise how impactful this would be but as we have progressed and grown. We’ve come to realise that a good 90 per cent of the musicians we are honouring have never had the chance to be publicly recognised for the contribution they made to some classic anthems,” he said.
Browne was the second of five musician brothers who were taught by their mother Sylvia. Glen (bass), Noel (keyboards), Cleveland (drums), and guitarist Danny are his siblings.
For many years he was musical director for Freddie McGregor’s band. Browne and Freddie McGregor first met as members of the Generation Gap band in the early 1970s. He played on many of the singer’s hit songs, among them Big Ship, Push Come to Shove, and All in The Same Boat.
Previously known as the Grammy Certificate Ceremony, the event was first staged in South Florida in 2023. The inaugural event was followed that year by shows in Kingston and London.
This year, Mensah’s company will partner with the BPI to present platinum, gold, or silver discs certified by that company, to artistes, producers, and musicians.
For the second year, the Royalty Network Inc will be involved with the event. That company is a leading music publisher based in New York.
