JAMAICAN reggae star Shaggy believes the Caribbean must build its own Grammy Awards to honour and recognise regional artistes.

In a recent interview with Guardian Media, Shaggy, whose real name is Orville Richard Burrell, also said the time has come for soca to be promoted outside the Carnival season.

“We should get to a point where we start doing our own Caribbean-type Grammy following in the same footsteps as the Latin guys, where they created what is known as a Latin Grammy,” Shaggy said.

“Within the Latin culture, there are different styles. There is reggaeton, bachata and all these different styles of music. I think if we come with a Caribbean-style Grammy instead of a dancehall Grammy, reggae Grammy or soca Grammy, and instead just create a Caribbean Grammy where our music will be able to compete instead of just one style of music.”

Last week, soca artiste Machel Montano said he believes he has the key to taking soca to the Grammys and other international award shows.

When asked about the potential of such an undertaking, Shaggy said it is certainly not impossible but pushed the idea of the Caribbean honouring its artistes.

With physical events back this year following two years of restricted activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Shaggy warned the local artistes that the genre must transform from something that is right now too seasonal.

“I think one of the big things that has become a ceiling for soca music is that seasonal type of thing, where they feel it’s only in a season. So, when we did Mood with me and Kes, I was in that feel-good mood, cause this is the land and the culture of feel-good and that should not be a season, it should be year-round. You don’t have to feel good just for a season, and the minute we move that whole seasonal thing from soca, I think you definitely have a shot of doing crossover success.”

He emphasised that Caribbean artistes have to work harder than those in developed countries to make it internationally and that is something that should not be underestimated.

Shaggy explained, “These majors are spending around $100k or $5m, so to speak, on a roll-out on any one particular act. We don’t have that privilege, so we have to make up our mind, as Jamaican and Caribbean artistes, to really realise if we really want our music to go, we have to work 10 times harder with 10 times less and get 10 times less sleep and make music 10 times better, just to even have a shot. And once we have that mindset, then we’re certainly on our way.”

Shaggy, who was awarded the Order of Distinction in Jamaica in 2007, featured in the Kes’ IzWE concert at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Tuesday night. (Trinidad Guardian)