FILE PHOTO: Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert.
Germaine Smith, Staff Reporter
FREDERICK 'TOOTS' Hibbert and his group The Maytals were awarded the 2004 Grammy Award for Reggae yesterday.
The group edged their reggae counterparts for the award at the prestigious Grammy Award ceremony, which is now in its 47th year and was staged at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California.
Toots and the Maytals secured the coveted golden gramophone for their album titled "True Love" in the 'Best Reggae Album'
category.
In so doing, he and his gang beat Jimmy Cliff for his effort "Black Magic", musicians Sly and Robbie with The Dub Revolutionaries, Steel Pulse with African Holocaust, and the compilation album titled "Def Jamaica".
The album "True Love" was released under the V2 Records imprint last year, and features an impressive hit list of leading American and local artistes who were guests on the project.
These included Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Ryan Adams, and from Jamaica, Ken Boothe, Bunny Wailer and Marcia Griffiths among others.
"I am in the studio working right now, but I am feeling great," stated Hibbert when contacted shortly after the news became public.
Toots was busy in a recording session here in Jamaica at the time the award was given. He told The Gleaner that he could not celebrate immediately, as he was busy working on another album to be released soon. He noted, however, that it was fulfilling for for him to snatch the award.
"I can say to Jamaica, it was good to be nominated, and to win this Grammy is great. I say thanks to the Jamaican people for their support, and those who have helped in the project both here and abroad."
"It was good just to be nominated. Even if I did not win, just to be nominated was great. I feel happy to receive it."
The Grammy Awards give honours to recordings in over 100 categories across 31 fields. The reggae category was instituted in 1984, and was won by Black Uhuru in that year. Last year's winner was Sean Paul for the double platinum selling "Dutty Rock".
