Sting and Shaggy reunite for reggae magic

Grammy-winning, platinum-selling artiste Shaggy has reached back into the catalogue of one of Jamaica's musical pioneers, Henry 'Junjo' Lawes, to construct a single that has number one stamped all over it. And this time around, he has taken English musician and multi-Grammy Award winner Sting along for the joyful, musical ride.

In an interview with THE WEEKEND STAR, Sting and Shaggy shared insights into the single, Til A Mawnin, which will be released on February 28 via VP Records.

Noting that the song is a celebration of sound system culture, Shaggy also emphasised the important role that late producer, engineer and sound system owner Junjo Lawes played as one of the architects of Jamaican music.

"Junjo had Flabba [Holt] and Dean Fraser as part of his tight riddim section. He worked with Roots Radics as his studio band, and all those songs that he produced were part of my street life .... from Josey [Wales] to Yellowman to couple John Holt and Barrington Levy. But I don't hear people talking about Junjo as much as they talk about other producers of that era," Shaggy told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Sting, who was the frontman, principal songwriter and bassist for rock band The Police from 1977 until their breakup in 1986, told THE WEEKEND STAR that he was exposed to Jamaican music early - "I'm a singer and bass player ... reggae is bass" - however, he wasn't aware of Junjo's catalogue.

"I'm always grateful for Shaggy's information," Sting said, as he praised Shaggy's knowledge of the history of Jamaican music.

"My knowledge of West Indian music comes from calypso, ska, blue beats ... that was all part of my growing up. But I didn't know about this catalogue until Shaggy introduced me to it ... and I love it. I feel that it is fantastic. Shaggy gave me this melody ... and it is a joyful song, and that is what the world needs now," said Sting.

On Til a Mawnin, Shaggy credits Junjo Lawes as one of the creators. A partnership between Shaggy's Ranch Entertainment and reggae/dancehall label VP Records, which owns Junjo's catalogue, the song was produced by Shaggy and Shane Hoosong, mixed by four-time Grammy Award winner Robert Orton and mastered by Gene Grimaldi. The accompanying Jay Will-directed music video is a celebration which brings to life the pulsating energy of the dance hall back in the day.

For Shaggy and Sting, this creation hinged on authenticity, and it's fair to say that the duo has achieved that.

When Shaggy says, " Selecta play da big chune yah fi mi right back til a mawnin," one can almost hear the Stone Love selectors reminding the massive that "day nah light til a mawnin". And when Sting croons, " pull up di vibes cause the music is sweet," it actually rings with authenticity.

"Sting's interest in, and love for, the music is solid. On this record he was delivering it with feeling," Shaggy said, in praise of a man who has become "like family".

"I can tell you something ... I wrote some of my biggest songs in Jamaica ... at GoldenEye [Resort]," Sting shared.

Sting and Shaggy won the Grammy in the Best Reggae Album category in 2019 for the album 44/876, a title which refers to the area codes of the UK and Jamaica. They have subsequently toured together and even released another album, Com Fly Wid Mi, which was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Reggae Album category in 2023.