Jamaican music icon Buju Banton has received his fifth Grammy nomination in the Best Reggae Album category for his prophetic new project, Before The Dawn. Recorded mostly at his own Gargamel Music studio in Kingston, the album boasts some of the most powerful songs written by Banton since his professional entry into the music business over 20 years ago. Released in September to critical acclaim, Before The Dawn debuted at number two on Billboard's Reggae Albums chart, and number 26 on the mag's Heatseekers chart. Currently the album is perched at number one on both the South Florida and the New York Top 20 Reggae Albums charts, number one on Richie B's Jamaica Music Countdown, and number four on CMJ's World Music chart.
Highlights include Do Good, In The Air, Struggle Together, and the especially potent Battered & Bruised. The album's unofficial anthem, Innocent, strikes a highly personal chord that resonates deeply, considering the artiste's ensuing legal battle. Banton was previously acknowledged by the Recording Academy for his albums Rasta Got Soul (2009), Too Bad (2007), Friends for Life (2004) and Inna Heights (1999). News of the 2010 Grammy nod comes on the heels of a federal court ruling by Judge James Moody that allows Banton, who is out on bail, to perform at an event in South Florida during Martin Luther King, Jr Weekend. The veteran reggae artist, who had been incarcerated at Pinellas County Jail for 11 months, has not performed live in over a year. The Before The Dawn Concert featuring Buju Banton & Friends, will take place on January 16 at Bayfront Park Amphitheater in downtown Miami.