6 days ago
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With royalty embedded in their DNA, five of the children of ska, reggae and rocksteady great, Denroy Morgan, formed a band in 1994, and it’s no surprise that Morgan Heritage has stood the test of time, touring internationally and securing quite a few accolades, including Grammy awards, along the way.
The fantastic five, comprising Peetah (now deceased), Gramps, Lukes, Mr Mojo and their sister, Una, gave the world more than a dozen studio albums and a parade of hit songs such as Down by the River, Tell Me How Come, Don’t Affi Dread, Your Best Friend, She’s Still Loving Me, A Man is Still a Man and Nothing to Smile About.
A few years ago, the members of Morgan Heritage took time away from the group to focus on solo journeys and subsequently regrouped with a trio which included Peetah, Gramps and Mr Mojo. With the passing of Peter ‘Peetah’ Morgan in February last year, it was left up to Gramps and Mojo to lead the charge and plot the way forward, while ensuring that the legacy of the Royal Family of Reggae continues to be firmly rooted in its strong musical foundation.
This week, 5 Questions With caught up with Memmalatel ‘Mojo’ Morgan.
1. As the Morgan who was always in the background, but still very present, you’re now representing in a different, more upfront way. What brought that on?
I had my début solo album for 10 years in the making, but due to me administrating our business as Morgan Heritage, it naturally wasn’t my priority. With Peetah being gone, the time it has taken me to come to terms with our new reality sparked my creative energy again– as a way to ensure the legacy we built together lives on forever.
2. How did you get the name ‘Mr Mojo’?
I received my name as a joke from a scene in a movie series we loved as children called Police Academy. As a kid, I was, and still am very mysterious and sometimes have this magical mystique about me. So, my siblings gave that nickname to me because of how the character looked during that scene in the movie. He was tall, dark, and had long dreads.
3. Give us a snippet of the behind-the-scenes making of ‘Make It’.
Make It is a time piece that took two years to manifest in small pieces. JAforLife provided the track. I immediately wrote the hook and sent it to Peetah to record, which took five months. Contractor connected me with Pablo YG, who was the first featured artiste to record. Popcaan and I got very close after Peetah ascended and introduced me to Chronic Law, and the rest is history, as they say.
4. Morgan Heritage is back on the touring circuit in a big way. Share with us some of the exciting details.
It’s not easy to forge ahead, but we are very optimistic about the future. As we prepare for the MH 2.0 World Tour, Jemere is in fine form, and Una is back on tour. We’re looking forward to sharing the stage with the biggest artistes in our genre and other genres as we embark on a tour that will take us to Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, the UK, Spain and Japan just to name a few.
5. What is the most powerful lesson learned from the passing of your brother, Peter, and how would you like him to be remembered?
The most powerful lesson we’ve learned from the passing of our beloved brother is to make the most of the time we have within this realm and live life to the fullest. Our health is like gold and should be treated as such. In addition to being a loving son, brother, father, and husband, we want Peetah to be remembered as a messenger of the most high that never wavered in his conviction and dedication to the mission we are on. Heritage for life until the year 3000 and beyond.
BRAWTA
What would people be surprised to know about Mojo Morgan?
People would be surprised to know that I love to play football, I’m am a master chef, and an aspiring farmer.
English (US) ·