WHENEVER a Jamaican artiste wins a Grammy Award, their musicians rarely get any acknowledgement. Guitarist Ranoy Gordon, however, had plenty to celebrate on Sunday when Kabaka Pyramid won Best Reggae Album for The Kalling.
He played on three of its songs, including Red Green and Gold featuring Damian Marley and Mary Jane featuring Black-Am-I.
"I worked on the songs at my home studio in St Ann. I've been doing work with Stephen Marley [Gordon is also a member of Marley's band, Jah Army], and he and Damian sent me those tracks to play on," Gordon told the Jamaica Observer.
He previously worked on Grammy-winning albums Strictly Roots by Morgan Heritage, Stony Hill by Damian Marley, and Stephen Marley's Mind Control Acoustic and Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life.
Gordon, who is also a singer, is pleased that The Kalling won the Grammy.
"I'm happy that a young artiste like Kabaka won; and I find that it's good that a younger artiste has been winning in the last few years," he said.
Gordon has been a professional musician since his teens. He honed his skills with support from his parents who bought him a guitar and guitar pedal.
"My interest in music stemmed from my dad. He is a music enthusiast and has always been interested in playing music. He plays the guitar, and he taught me my first lesson on the guitar. He bought me my first guitar and a keyboard, while my mom bought me a guitar pedal," said Gordon, a distant relative of late music producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes who operated the powerful Volcano label and sound system during the 1980s.
He is originally from St Mary and attended Guy's Hill High School. Later, Gordon entered Edna Manley College for The Visual and Performing Arts where he studied popular music, but left the institution during his final semester to tour with Stephen Marley.
Gordon has played on several hit songs, including Gimmi Likkle One Drop by Tarrus Riley and Lightning by Mortimer.
His guitar of choice is the Gibson Les Paul, a solid- bodied instrument favoured by legends like Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and Slash.
HOUSE RULES
- We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
- Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
- We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
- Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
- Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
- If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
- Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
