BY KEVIN JACKSON—
Observer writer—
Lyndon John X—
LYNDON John X is the winner of the Juno Award for Reggae Recording of the Year. The virtual ceremony was broadcast live on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday night.
The Juno Award is Canada’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards. It was originally scheduled for March 15 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but was cancelled days before its staging due to restrictions brought on by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The win was somewhat of a surprise for the Canadian-born reggae and ska singer.
“Well, I was really surprised. I didn’t know that the awards were broadcast or streamed until I heard screaming from upstairs my home. It’s really nice to have the music acknowledged, especially reggae music,” Lyndon John X, 43, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
“For me, winning this award signifies that I can do a lot more with music. [I’m] learning as much as I can about reggae music and myself so I can move forward in a steady fashion,” he continued.
Lyndon John X’s winning album is the self-produced Warning Track. He beat Sing Jah Children by Jay Douglas, Another Man (Storry), Never Broken (Petraa), and Wah Gwaan (Exco Levi). Exco Levi has won the award five times.
“Lyrically, I just drew from my personal experience and perspective. I produced the album myself, which was released last summer. It has eight tracks and I wrote and played the music,” he said.
This was Lyndon John X’s fourth nomination. He was previously nominated for Two Chord Skanking (2008), Brighter Days (2011), and Escape From the Mongoose Gang (2016).
Lyndon John X, whose parents are from Grenada, shared how he was introduced to reggae.
“My parents moved here in the 1970s and I have lived here all my life. I currently reside in a small town far west of Toronto called Brussels,” said Lyndon John X.
“My father had a nice-size music collection so I was always digging up in it. So, he was the one who really introduced me to reggae music. I have a long list of artistes that inspired me while growing up. Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Steel Pulse, Burning Spear, Third World, Wailing Souls, Hugh Mundell, Junior Reid and Dennis Brown are among them. I am also a big fan of Mutabruka’s show on IRIE FM. He’s a powerful brother,” said he continued.
He said he was always fascinated by music and, as a child, learnt to play the guitar and piano.
“I used my guitar to learn from those reggae musicians I was hearing on record. When I was in high school I recorded my first track, All My Lovin’, which I later revamped for my first album. Later on I met a man from Jamaica who told me that I should start recording to get my music heard. From then, I haven’t stopped,” said Lyndon John X.
Lyndon John X, who said he would love a collab with Protoje, is working on his fifth studio album.
“I am sharpening my skills at dub so I can add that element to my music. Other than that, I am always practising my guitar, keeping my chops up, and learning as much as I can about music production,” he said.
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