Unity in the music industry is necessary – Kabaka Pyramid

Winning the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 65th ceremony last year was a game-changer for singer Kabaka Pyramid.

With his career now on a sustained high, the entertainer is in demand, and is on a mission to move reggae music forward in a unified way.

"That Grammy changed the whole landscape of my career. Everyting has elevated ... from the shows, to the bookings, to the interest from the fans, the streaming numbers improve ... everything improve. It's a great feeling to get that validation from Recording Academy [which hands out the Grammys] and the fans. It means so much. It's like winning a gold medal ... it just mean so much to the entire nation" Kabaka Pyramid told THE STAR while backstage at the Bob Marley birthday celebration concert at Emancipation Park on Tuesday.

Kabaka Pyramid was given the star treatment, with everybody wanting to take a picture with him, or just stopping to say 'Hi', and he obliged every single one. He said that it was important for him to be present.

"l always like to support anything to do with reggae music in Jamaica, because I feel like unity around the industry is necessary. If we don't come together and support it, the thing a go wither down. It's Bob Marley 'Earthstrong' so it's just a great thing to represent for the legend. His sons have helped me so much in my career and his music has inspired me from I was a little kid and my father used to play him songs. So to be here and represent, and just show mi support, is just a great thing," the Bebble Rock artiste said.

He spoke of his joy at Julian Marley winning the Grammy on Sunday for his reggae album, Colors of Royal.

"Very proud of Julian. He is like my big brother so I was very happy when I heard it was him, and Julian is a man who put in whole heap a work over the years. He was nominated twice before, so to get the win for the first time, I'm sure he's elated. He's touring and wasn't able to be there and have the experience in person, but everybody happy fi him," said Kabaka Pyramid.

A deluxe version of his Grammy-winning album, The Kalling, is in the works, and it comes with some remixes "with big names like Sean Paul".

"We hope to drop it in March. And I have a new reggae song ... a part of a juggling riddim with Zion I Kings ... coming out next week, Valentine's week. It's a love song so we looking forward to nicing up the woman dem and the empress dem with that one," he said.

Kabaka Pyramid also has "a whole heap a shows on the cards". He is off to Miramar, Florida, next Saturday; California the following day; Hawaii, a few days later; Mexico in March; California again in April; and then a US tour with Tribal Seeds in May.

"That's just the life of Kabaka Pyramid ... on the road representing internationally with my band the Bebble Rockers. Just bringing the Grammy album around the world," he said.