Morgan Heritage"Music is a universal thing. Our message is that life is a miracle and a gift from God, and what we do with our lives is our gift in return. We want to inspire people to value life." - Una Morgan
The five multi-talented children of veteran Reggae star, Denroy Morgan -- Una, Gramps, Lukes, Mr. Mojo and Peter -- each possess an unmistakable sense of spirituality that's reflected in every groove of their smooth blend of urban roots rock Reggae. Morgan Heritage shines the light on their latest LP, "ONE CALLING" (VP Records), produced by Steely & Cleevie, Mafia & Fluxy, Danny Brownie, Jazwad, and Dean Frazier. Featured are inspirational songs such as, "One Bingi Man," "Come And Arise," "One Calling," "Prison Cell," "Trodding To Zion," "Goodbye," "Down With You," "Iziz To Jah," "Wicked Seeking Hiding Place," "God Is God," "Oh Isreal," "Warning To Wicked Man," "Why Do We," "Coming Home," and "Give We A License," featuring Denroy Morgan. "One Calling"is a brilliant fusion of gripping rhythmic grooves, infectious melodies, and potently positive messages.
Protect Us Jah (VP/Brickwall), their second album, was released in 1997 and contains 15 beautiful songs produced by internationally acclaimed producers Bobby "Digital" Dixon and Denroy Morgan. "It is a reflection of our lives and we put a lot of ourselves into it," says Gramps. "We were brought up as soldiers of the Lord and we want our music to touch people, inspire them to have faith, and to be strong."
The fact that we live in an ever-changing, diverse world is reflected in the maturity and newly found rawness of Morgan Heritage's music as they return to the roots of not only their music, but also, their culture.
In 1995, the group made an enlightening trip to Africa. During this trip, the group focused their direction through Rastafari. This direction was further fueled by returning to Jamaica -- the birth place of their parents as well as Reggae. They have spread their message of faith and love all over the world including a celebration for the King of Morocco, recently in Europe alongside Reggae's greatest inspiration Buju Banton. Their performance experience extends many years on stage with some of Reggae's premiere entertainers such as Judy Mowatt and 1996 Grammy Award Nominee Sister Carol to mention a few; and at such prestigious New York venues as the Apollo Theater, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Madison Square Garden. After their electrifying performances at Reggae Sunsplash, '92 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Morgan Heritage was signed straight off the stage to MCA Records which produced their debut LP, MIRACLE.
The return to the group's Jamaican roots to record "One Calling" and "Protect Us Jah" can be felt through the vibe of hard-edged rhythms and melodies as well as powers of positive lyrics. "We want to uplift people," states lead singer Peter Morgan. "We're not trying to dictate how people should live. We're saying, 'know who you are and live life to the fullest in love, peace and righteousness.'"
Morgan Heritage's sense of spirituality was nurtured from birth, thanks to the influence of their father, Denroy Morgan. The group members were born in New York, where their dad had relocated in the early '60s (and where he had later scored the historic Reggae R&B cross-over smash single, "I'll Do Anything For You"(Becket). Though they were based in Brooklyn, they pursued their education in the less pressurized environment of Springfield, Massachusetts. Weekends were dedicated to music. Every weekend they commuted to Brooklyn, where they developed their musical craft and created beautiful songs in their father's recording studio.
During their early days the group honed their musical skills by exploring a variety of styles. "In order to become the musicians that we are now, we had to learn how to play other kinds of music," explains keyboard player and vocalist, Gramps. "We played R&B and Rock 'n' Roll to develop our musical chops. But we always knew that our base was Reggae, and that's what we always came back to."
With the release of ONE CALLING and the success of PROTECT US JAH, Morgan Heritage -- Una, Gramps, Lukes, Mr. Mojo and Peter -- Soldiers of the Lord -- confirm their faith through their new album, DON'T HAFFI DREAD, on sale March 16, 1999. It's another testament of faith, genuine inspiration, and feel good music!
