Rocky Dawuni
Rocky Dawuni[1] be Ghanaian singer, four-time Grammy-nominee,[2][3] songwriter den record producer wey perform ein signature 'Afro Roots' sound wey ebi mixture of Reggae, Afrobeats, Highlife den Soul music. Rydee, he dey live between Ghana den United States.[4]
| Ein sex anaa gender | male  |
|---|---|
| Country wey e be citizen | Ghana |
| Name wey dem give am | Rocky |
| Ein date of birth | 17 October 1968 |
| Place dem born am | Ghana |
| Languages edey speak, rep anaa sign | English, Twi |
| Ein occupation | singer-songwriter |
| Work period (start) | 1997 |
| Instrument | voice |
| Genre | reggae |
Rocky be musician den activist.
Music career
editDawuni get acquainted plus Reggae insyd Ghana wen he hear say some military band dey perform one of Bob Marley ein compositions insyd Michel Camp;[5] a military barracks wer na he grow up.[4]
Dawuni start ein annual "Independence Splash" festival, wey he dey hold am insyd Ghana on Ghanaian Independence Day, March 6.[4]
Dawuni rydee get eight full-length album records.[4] Ein sixth studio album wey he title am Branches of The Same Tree wey dem nominate am for Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album insyd December 2015 for de 58th Annual Grammy Awards,[6] he release am on 31 March 2015 wey emake am de first nominee from ein home country of Ghana.[7] Songlines Magazine name am de Branches of Same Tree album insyd demma top 10 most essential reggae albums of all time.[8]
Inspire by de soulful beats of Fela Kuti den Bob Marley, de album dey highlight Dawuni ein ability to communicate uplifting messages to de hear of millions.[9]
Beats of Zion, de 2019 album by Rocky, wey he release am on January 25[10] be ein precursor to ein 7th studio album wey san dey bear de same title den dey feature Ghana ein dancehall star, [Stonebwoy].[11][12][13][14] De last video for de albums be "Champion Arise", wey dem name am "Top Tune of the Day" on demma premier National Public Radio Station KCRW.[15][16]
Insyd June 2019 Rocky release ein new single "Modern Man", wey Gaudi remix am. Ein 8th studio release, Voice of Bunbon, Vol. 1 dem nominate am during de Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album insyd dema 64th Annual Grammy Awards, wey dey make Rocky a multi-Grammy nominee in 2022. Three music videos wey dem release am for de EP including "Ghost Town",[17] wey dem shot by photographer Casey Bridges (son of actor Beau Bridges). De music video "Beautiful People" from de album dem shot am insyd Rocky ein home village of Bunbon by Ghanaian cinematographer, Slingshot.
Rocky release de music video for Woara (wey edey translate as "you or it's you" insyd Twi) insyd September 2021. He sing insyd de local Akan dialect, Twi. Woara be love song wey he dey call den response style how he go express de beauty de triumph of being insyd love.[18]
Insyd 2022, Dawuni get ein third Grammy nomination, thus de Best Global Music Performance for ein work “Neva Bow Down” wey edey feature Blvk H3ro. He get two previous nominations insyd 2015 den 2021.[19][20]
Insyd 2024, he release a new single wey dem call am 'Rise'.[21][22]
Activism den Goodwill
editDe musician den activist wey dem know am to straddle de boundaries between Africa, de Caribbean den de U.S. to create sounds wey edey unite generations den cultures wey edey works to foster global peace. Dawuni share stage plus Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, Bono, Jason Mraz, Janelle Monáe den John Legend, among many others. CNN name am as one of Africa ein Top 10 global stars.
Dawuni ein stature as a cultural diplomat den successful melding of music den activism ebi dat wey lead am to become a spokesperson give various global causes. He bi United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Africa for UN Environment den he bi a Global Ambassador give de UN Foundation ein Clean Cooking Alliance alongside actress Julia Roberts den Chef José Andrés.
Dem namem Rocky de Global Ambassador give de World Day of African and Afrodescendant Culture wey UNESCO recognize am, through which dem use ein music to shine a light on crucial issues wey dey face humanity across de globe.
| Event Name | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Adinkra International Arts & Crafts Festival (GEPA) 2024 | Brand Ambassador, Speaker & Performer | 2024 |
| African Youth Conference, Accra, Ghana | Speaker | 2024 |
| United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA), Nairobi, Kenya | Speaker/Performer | 2024 |
| COP28 Dubai, UAE | Speaker & Performer | 2023 |
| Accra Reparations Conference 2023 | Performer | 2023 |
| Swiss Embassy Recycling & Upcycling Event, Accra, Ghana 2023 | Speaker | 2023 |
| Italian Embassy IRENA Action for Climate Event, Accra, Ghana 2023 | Speaker | 2023 |
| AMCEN Conference, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2023 | Speaker | 2023 |
| World Environment Day, Abidjan, Cote’Ivoire 2023 | Performer / Panelist | 2023 |
| International Concert Against Racism, Salvador Bahia, Brazil 2023 | Performer / Speaker | 2023 |
| Earth Day Beach Clean Up, Ghana 2023 | Speaker | 2023 |
| International Concert Against Racism, Costa Rica 2023 | Speaker / Performer | 2023 |
| UNEP Celebration of World Ocean Day, June 2022 (virtual) | Speaker | 2022 |
| United Nations Environment Assembly, Nairobi, Kenya March 2022 | Speaker / Performer | 2022 |
| Launch of Diaspora Flag for Sixth Region of Africa, Accra, Ghana February 2022 | Speaker | 2022 |
| World Day of African & Afrodescendant Culture, Accra, Ghana January 2022 | Speaker | 2022 |
| COP26, Scotland, UK October 2021 | Ambassador | 2021 |
Discography
edit| Album | Year |
|---|---|
| The Movement | 1996 |
| Crusade | 1998 |
| Awakening | 2001 |
| Book of Changes | 2005 |
| Hymns for the Rebel Soul | 2010 |
| Branches of The Same Tree | 2015 |
| Beats of Zion | 2019 |
| Voice of Bunbon Vol. 1 | 2020 |
Videography
edit| Year | Title | Director | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Walk The Talk | - | |
| 2010 | African Reggae Fever | ||
| 2010 | Download The Revolution | ||
| 2015 | Nairobi | ||
| 2015 | African Thriller | ||
| 2017 | Shine a Light | ||
| 2019 | Beats of Zion | ||
| 2019 | Elevation | ||
| 2019 | Champion Arise | ||
| 2022 | Neva Bow Down | Slingshot | |
| 2023 | Shade Tree | Ema Ribeiro |
Music featured in movies
edit| Soundtrack | Movie title | Movie Genre |
|---|---|---|
| Shine a Light | Fist Fight | Comedy |
Music featured on television
edit| Track | TV Program | TV Station |
|---|---|---|
| Wake the Town | ER | NBC |
| Jammin Nation | Weeds | Showtime |
| Jah Be For Us | Weeds (TV series) | Showtime |
| Shashemane | ER | NBC |
| Jah Be For Us | Dexter (TV series) | Showtime |
| Knockin on Heaven's Door | ER | NBC |
| Turn it Up | Animal Kingdom | TNT (U.S. TV network) |
| Burn One | Animal Kingdom | TNT (U.S. TV network) |
Music featured on video games
edit| Track | EA Games | Year |
|---|---|---|
| African Thriller | 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil | 2014 |
| Reggae Carnival Style | The Sims 3: Island Paradise | 2013 |
| African Soccer Fever | 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa | 2010 |
| Download the Revolution | FIFA 10 | 2009 |
| The One | The Sims 2: Castaway | 2008 |
| Wake Up the Town ft. Nana Ama x Shee | FIFA 08 | 2007 |
External links
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Rocky Dawuni music, videos, stats, and photos". Last.fm (in English). 2023-05-09. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
- ↑ "as of 2023 Rocky became a three-time Grammy Nominee". theafricandream.net. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ↑ COOMSON, NANA KWESI (2024-11-11). "Rocky Dawuni earns 4th Grammy nomination in 67th edition". The Ghanaian Chronicle (in British English). Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "'Ghana's Bob Marley' spreads message of brotherhood". CNN. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ↑ "Rocky grew up in Michel Camp, Ghana". katc.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
- ↑ "Branches of the Same Tree album". iTunes. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
- ↑ "Rocky nominated for a Grammy". theafricandream.net. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
- ↑ "Roots Reggae Albums | The Essential 10". Songlines (in English). Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ↑ "Rocky Dawuni". Cumbancha (in English). Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ↑ "2019 single release". TheAfricanDream.net. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ↑ "2019 album". TheAfricanDream.net. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ↑ "Beats of Zion". PopMatters. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ↑ "Beats of Zion album". PopMatters. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
- ↑ "Rocky Dawuni Aims to Re-energize the Forces of Love and Hope on "Beats of Zion" (premiere), PopMatters". PopMatters (in American English). 2019-01-22. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
- ↑ "Rocky Dawuni: "Champion Arise" | Today's Top Tune". KCRW (in English). 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ↑ "Rocky Dawuni 'Champion Arise' video premiere". Music-News.com (in American English). Retrieved 2022-06-28.
- ↑ Rocky Dawuni "Ghost Town", retrieved 2022-06-28
- ↑ Rocky Dawuni "Woara", retrieved 2022-06-28
- ↑ Nwafor (2023-01-22). "Sheila O fetes Grammy nominees, Tobe Nwigwe, Rocky Dawuni". Vanguard News (in British English). Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ↑ Francis-Pitt, K'Shema (2023-01-30). "Who will win the Grammy for Best Reggae Album?". IrieFm (in American English). Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ↑ Debrah, Ameyaw (2024-08-30). "ROCKY DAWUNI UNVEILS BRAND NEW SINGLE 'RISE' - AmeyawDebrah.com" (in American English). Retrieved 2024-09-01.
- ↑ Rocky Dawuni (2024-08-30). Rocky Dawuni "Rise". Retrieved 2024-10-10 – via YouTube.