All in the family

>> Roots sensation Morgan Heritage practices better living through reggae

by SCOTT C

Imagine growing up in a reggae band made up of your brothers and sisters and guided by the watchful eye of your father. Now imagine that under that watchful eye you were brought up not only valuing the positive power of music, but the amazing strength of family. Morgan Heritage's members include Mr. Mojo (age 21), Lukes (23), Peter (24), Grandpa (25), and Una (26), all children of reggae star Denroy Morgan and front-runners in the world of real, conscious reggae. The Mirror got on the line to Jamaica to chat with Grandpa.

Mirror: You all must live on the Morgan Heritage compound. It's like you guys have your own phone switchboard or something.

Gramps: We used to live in Springfield, Massachusetts in one house on different floors and now that we're in Jamaica there's basically one yard and more than one house.

M: You got a couple acres there?

G: Yeah man! (laughs) But we were born in Brooklyn. My father decided to move to Springfield because it was more of a suburb and comfortable to raise so many children. Every weekend we used to drive to Brooklyn 'cuz that's where my father's studio was. There, we would rehearse and make music.

M: So when did you move back to Jamaica?

G: After we graduated, we moved to New York for three years. After that my father kind of got fed up with the stress of living in America. He needed to move somewhere more relaxing and we said, "We're coming with you!"

M: So just how many kids did you grow up playing music with?

G: Well, there are five children in Morgan Heritage, and then there's another group in the family called LMS. That's eight right there, but altogether I have 29 brothers and sisters. The youngest is five.

M: Where do you see yourselves in reggae music today?

G: I feel the time has come around again and the people are ready for positivity. Once you get money, bills are paid and your family's health is all right, what more is there to have other than to live and praise God?

M: Is there anyone in your family who has expressed any interest in making dancehall as opposed to the strictly roots regimen that you stick to?

G: No man. It's "livity." This is the way we live. The same thing we talk about on stage is what we live and talk off stage. So it's not just lyrics for the Morgan family, it's a life. We're trying to inspire families to stay together and do positive things through the vehicle of music.

At Rainbow-ites on Sunday, Oct. 29, 10pm, $20 in advance