Morgan Heritage and Stonebwoy talk music, Africa and Guyana

By Shaniya Harding

IN 1994, the children of one of the world’s biggest reggae stars, Denroy Morgan, formed a musical group whose legacy would live on for years to come. Morgan Heritage, considered royalty in the reggae industry, has a history and foundation that holds family, culture and love above all else.
Today the musical dynasty has branched out while on a mission to unite people. They have travelled all across the world, Africa included. It was also while on a trip in Ghana, that the Morgan brothers say they met and gained a friend. Livingstone Etse Satekla commonly known by his stage name, Stonebwoy, is a Ghanaian musician. And Stonebwoy says that Morgan Heritage has been more than a friend to him, they have been like fathers. The Pepperpot Magazine sat down with both Stonebwoy, and Peter ‘Peetah’ Morgan from Morgan Heritage to discuss their thoughts on music, culture, tradition and Guyana.

An undeniable connection
Recently the music industry has been a flood of collaborations between Caribbean singers and African musicians. This is a move between two nations, two people. That is how Peetah defines it. “As Jamaican people, we pretty much share the same history with people across the Caribbean. We all came over here from Africa- our ancestors, and even though we have been displaced in different places across the Caribbean, some of us probably came from the same village.

He then went on to say that the inspiration behind the partnerships stemmed from the simple fact that they, as people of African descent, share so much; and that is hard to look past or deny. “It’s just an essence that has been awakened in our DNA that has been laying dormant for so many years because it has been beaten down in us through slavery. The more time goes on, we black people in the west are becoming more aware of ourselves. And it’s a thing that you just can’t deny. Because once you feel it, it comes out,” Peetah shared.

This connection is perhaps what led the Morgan brothers to Stonebwoy and what led Stonebwoy himself to music. Having been born and raised in Ghana, Stonebwoy says that his life hasn’t been easy, but music has always been a part of him. “My musical career started years back. And I always say that music chooses you. Nobody ever chose music and survived because music chooses you,” he said.

Although he arguably has the record for the most music put out with Caribbean singers today, music wasn’t always what Stonebwoy thought he’d be doing. “Over the time period when I realised my calling, I actually became very dedicated, and very inspired. And that is where we are today, continuing to bridge the gaps between the African people both in the diaspora,” he shared.
From Ghana to Guyana
Both Peetah and Stonebwoy express their connection with people of African origin everywhere and Guyana is no different. As Peetah stated, “Our connection to Guyana is the connection to all black people. When I see people that remind me of myself it’s just a natural connection. We visit places like Europe, Japan, America and Canada, and it’s great to entertain humanity. I say you can say you are a lover of humanity, and you can’t love yourself.”

Peetah then went on to emphasise the importance of self-love. “Before you can love any other race, you have to love your own first. If you can’t dance at home, you can’t dance abroad. The connection with Guyana is real. When we in Guyana we feel like we in Jamaica or anywhere in Africa,” he explained.
“The cradle of life and the beginning of civilization,” is what Stonebwoy calls Africa in his song ‘Africa Jamaica’ which the Morgan Brothers also worked on. This song, he says, was made to show that the two nations are not that different. And while in Guyana, he says he can confidently say ‘Africa Guyana’. “Ghana and Guyana. We are actually linked in so many interesting ways, as a people with our culture, heritage and so on. I am honoured to be here in Guyana as a Ghanaian artiste. I know that we have maybe two of our Ghanaian legends perform here before. It’s only nice to be added to that which signifies the continuous connection and unity among the two nations,” Stonebwoy related.

On the topic of how they hope their music makes a difference, Peetah stated that they hope their music becomes a part of people. “We are hoping to impact people in a strong way. Sometimes you have to get to people through the vibration of music. We do more than just reggae. Because sometimes people want to feel themselves become alive through different sounds of music. But the message remains the same. And we’re just hoping that the message reaches the people. And it penetrates the people and they absorb the message and it becomes a part of their daily life,” Peetah said.

Finding Your Place
Today Morgan Heritage is highly established in their Reggae music and Jamaican roots. But Peetah’s advice to other up-and-coming musicians is not to be afraid to venture far from home. “It’s a rough road and you can’t give up. And, we have something that we say, ‘It’s not where you were you were born, means that where you are supposed to be.’ Sometimes where you come from, the people aren’t always happy to see you prosper and grow. So, you have to find another place. Find your rightful place within creation. You have to take a chance and relocate to somewhere else to see if your talent can explode from a different point.”

He then went on to say he understood wanting to represent their country, saying, “Granted, you want to represent and build from where you are from, but sometimes it’s hard to do that. You have to be willing to explore. The world is yours. Find your place in the world.” To the question of possibly collaborating with Guyanese musicians, Peetah stated, “We hope so. We always say anything is possible. And we don’t close the door on anything and if it’s Jah will, it will happen.”

Keeping the history alive
Peetah’s message to Guyana is a simple one as he stated, “My message to Guyana and to maintain our African roots is to never let it go. Because this is who we are, we can’t hide from ourselves. When you know your past, you are stronger in the future. So, it’s important for us as black people from the diaspora in this modern day to make sure our true history is a part of us.”
He went on to express the importance of the past, saying, “It will help to make us stronger to know what our fore-parents have been through wasn’t easy. For us to be here today, where we can sit here and have an interview, and we aren’t being chased out, that’s what our fore-parents went through. For us today, we have to understand how we got here. And that’s understanding our history and keeping our history alive within us.”
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