MARCIA Griffiths said she is pleased to be considered a recipient of the Key to the City of Kingston.
The decision was made at a Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Council (KSAMC) meeting in downtown Kingston last month.
“I’ve not been officially advised, but it’s a great feeling to receive any accolades and to be recognized. I would say it’s a wonderful achievement,” she told the Jamaica Observer.
“I got the Keys to Miami City years ago; I had a police escort in a Rolls Royce to the venue. However, it is wonderful to receive any acknowledgement from your birth land. To be recognized in your homeland, it’s the greatest feeling,” she continued.
Griffiths is among four veteran artists to be presented with Kingston’s key. The others are Bunny Wailer, Ernie Smith, and Beres Hammond.
At the KSAMC meeting, the artists were described as “outstanding musical icons” who have put Jamaica “further on the map”. A date for the official presentation is yet to be decided on.
Griffiths, a former member of Bob Marley’s harmony trio I-Three, is considered one of the standard-bearers of reggae music.
Marcia Griffiths & Beres Hammond
She said she has several gigs lined up for summer and has been busy in the studio.
“I have a show on June 22 at New Jersey Performing Arts Center, as well as some California gigs with Sly and Robbie. There’s Reggae on the River, also in California, in August… Judy Mowatt, Cherine Anderson, and myself will be performing on that show. I also have a couple of dates in St Lucia,” she said.
“I currently have three new songs out… Super Woman (Penthouse); King of Babylon, a Junior Byles cover which was released a month ago; and Hold You Close (Silly Walks Discotheque). I’m also working on two albums — Songs I Love To Sing and Marcia Griffiths Sings Studio One,” she continued.
Marcia Griffiths in the early 1970’s
She said the latter set will be 14 or 15 tracks and a remake of popular Studio One songs.
“So we’re talking songs by Delroy Wilson, Ken Boothe, The Heptones, and most of the great Studio One artists. I also have a nice collab of Never Grow Old with Toots (Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals). The set is being produced by Donovan Germain of Penthouse and will be out this year,” said Griffiths.
Started in 1963 by Clement “Sir Coxson” Dodd, Studio One is one of Jamaica’s most recognised labels. It has released songs for recording artists across all genres, including The Skatalites, Bob Marley and The Wailers, Burning Spear, John Holt, Dennis Brown, and Alton Ellis. Dodd died of a heart attack in 2004. He was 72.
Marcia Griffiths @ 16
“It’ll be a great set. Listeners should really enjoy it,” she said.
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