The Camera spotlight two great Reggae performers and the Juno Awards agrees

By Stephen Weir

Jay Douglas and Yvette Martin

Do the people who run the Juno Awards read the Caribbean Camera newspaper?  We think so.

Last month our paper ran a feature by this reporter about Toronto’s all-time favourite Reggae performer Jay Douglas. The story reported Douglas dropping his first new song in years.

Still going strong after some 50-years of performing, the Jamaican born, Toronto singer had just released a tune he called ” Jah Children”.  It was a single he had recorded with Jamaica’s Dancehall DJ General Trees.  The list of nominees in the running for Juno 2020 awards was released earlier this month and, Jay Douglas and Jah Children is on it!

Coincidence? Maybe so, but recently, we were at it again, covering a Black History Month press conference at Harbourfront. One of the presser performer’s name and picture made it into our story. It was Exco Levi and he too is in the running for a Juno.

 

Jully Black and Exco Levi

Both men are competing in the Reggae Category along with fellow performers Lyndon John X and Petraa. Douglas is the oldest person to be nominated in the Reggae Category and Exco Levi is in the running for a record 6th time.

The Juno Award is considered Canada’s top music prize. This year marks their 49th annual ceremony and the show will be beamed out from Saskatoon on Sunday, March 15th.

There are many different award categories in this year’s Junos ranging from pop music to country and western songs.

A number of Caribbean Canadian performers are nominated for Junos this year. Names include: Tory Lanez (Juno Fan Choice and Rap record), 88Glam (Rap record) and Killy Light (Rap record). In the R&B Soul category Daniel Cesar; and, Jessie Revez, Tony Lanez and Tainey are nominated for a Juno.

Two Afro-Cuban female performers who call themselves OKAN are nominated for a Juno in the World Music category and ordained Minister Rob Wilson (better known by his stage name Fresh I.E.) is competing for a Juno in the Christian album category.

You can see the complete list of nominated performers at www.juno-awards.ca. To see our prophetic pictures of Jay and Exco, visit our website https://thecaribbeancamera.com/ and look around!