Engineer Rorey Baker honoured by JaRIA award – First Jamaican honour excites Grammy winner | Entertainment

Engineer Rorey Baker is further than energized about currently being singled out by the Jamaica Reggae Sector Association (JaRIA) as one particular of the recipients of its 2021 Honour Awards. He will be officially handed his award at a ceremony scheduled for Sunday, February 28, one particular of the highlights of the once-a-year Reggae Month things to do.

“When I received the simply call in December, I could not quit smiling from ear to ear, and later on I received it in writing via e-mail. I am honoured,” an really pleased Baker told The Gleaner.

Baker and Shane Brown, who just happens to be his great good friend, are the two recording engineers currently being recognised through Reggae Month for their amazing influence on the reggae business. “I felt definitely great due to the fact I have by no means gotten a area award prior to. So it is fantastic to be recognised amongst my peers,” he defined.

When quizzed if he had shared the great information, his response was instant. “What yuh chatting about, guy? Ah blast it out all around!” he shouted. “Throughout the decades, ah see the engineers that I seem up to acquiring this award, people like Bulby York, Fatta Marshall and Syl Gordon. I don’t forget calling Bulby to congratulate him and he said ‘Is you up coming, yuh know’. And then to be acquiring it the same time as Shane who is mi bona fide good friend. Shane taught me a whole lot and when he went on tour with Shaggy, prior to I start touring, he would suggest to Pass up Marley that I sit in for him as the engineer at Tuff Gong the place he worked.”

ENGINEER Occupation

Baker, given that starting off his vocation in the mid-’90s as a trainee engineer at The Mixing Lab recording studio, underneath the mentorship of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, has worked on quite a few Grammy-nominated and also Grammy-profitable assignments. He is credited on dozens of one, EP and album productions from a extensive selection of musical genres, and has been concerned in big productions equally locally and internationally with artistes, which includes Wyclef Jean, Maxi Priest, No Question, Madonna, Shaggy, Jimmy Cliff, Beenie Person, Sean Paul, Bounty Killer, Elephant Person, Lady Observed, UB40, and Cherine Anderson.

“For nine consecutive decades, I have been on a Grammy-nominated album, both as engineer or co-producer. These include Sly and Robbie’s Good friends, which was my initially Grammy as a 22-year-old when the album won the Reggae Grammy in 1999 Rocksteady by No Question, Midway Tree by Junior Gong and Sean Paul’s Dutty Rock,” Baker shared.

He has also been nominated for the JUNO award on a selection of instances and has released an album titled Little ones Reggae, which was built to introduce reggae to a young era. The musical compositions are completed to regular kids’ bible music, and regular Caribbean people music, and are meant to entertain while also educate.

RECORDING STUDIO

But the attained engineer, who started out his very own history label, The Baker Productions, and with the help of Sly and Robbie, a recording studio and output organization, One Pop Tunes, is definitely not caught up with awards and benefits. “I am really appreciative, and I sense great to make my mom proud, due to the fact after I resolved that songs was what I wished, she supported me 100 for every cent. And when I felt like quitting, equally she and Sly would explain to me to adhere to my enthusiasm. The enthusiasm for function arrives initially and all the things else arrives immediately after. It is vital that am contributing in a significant way to this fantastic system of musical function out of Jamaica,” an introspective Baker said.

His musical footprints and legacy are vital. “I listen to so significantly about persons like Ernest Hookim and Steven Stanley and I speculate what will be said about me. To get a reward or award, the process starts with putting in great function,” he emphasised.

Continue to on the topic of gratitude, Baker recalled the place it all started out. “I have to identify the persons who opened the doors for me, these as Handel Tucker, who was the initially human being to choose me to a studio. Escalating up, they said I was going to be both a politician, a preacher or a musician, due to the fact I performed the drums in a natural way, and I even manufactured a radio station that my 3 neighbours could listen to. Then there was Honeyboy Martin who opened the door for me with Roy Francis (proprietor of Mixing Lab) and, of course, Sly and Robbie. I definitely want Honeyboy Martin had been alive to witness all of this,” he concluded.

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