20 Oct
2026
For years reggae had fans all over the world but no category of its own at the Grammy Awards. That changed at the 1985 ceremony, when the Recording Academy presented its first award for Best Reggae Recording. The winner was Black Uhuru, a Kingston group whose sharp harmonies and modern sound had become one of reggae's most exciting forces of the early 1980s.
Black Uhuru took its name partly from Swahili, where "uhuru" means freedom. The group came out of Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1970s, and one of its founding members, Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, would remain at its center through many changes over the years.
The lineup most fans remember from the group's classic period brought together three distinct voices:
Together they sang about faith, struggle, injustice and everyday life in Jamaica, with a sound that felt both rooted and new.
The early 1980s were a turning point for reggae. Bob Marley died in 1981, and many people wondered who would carry the music forward on the world stage. Several Jamaican acts helped fill that space, and Black Uhuru was one of the most prominent, playing large concerts abroad and earning attention from critics who usually covered rock and pop.
Black Uhuru's rise is closely tied to drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare, known together as Sly and Robbie. The pair were among the most in-demand rhythm sections in reggae, and they played and produced on many of Black Uhuru's key records.
Sly and Robbie were known for pushing reggae forward. They experimented with new drum sounds and studio techniques while keeping the deep, heavy groove that made reggae move. Their work with Black Uhuru helped give the group a tough, modern sound that stood out from earlier roots reggae.
With the backing of Island Records, the label that had helped take Bob Marley to an international audience, Black Uhuru released albums such as Sinsemilla and Red and toured widely, building a strong following in Europe and the United States.
The album Anthem first came out in 1983 and was released internationally in a remixed version in 1984. It featured Michael Rose, Puma Jones and Duckie Simpson, with Sly and Robbie anchoring the rhythm.
When the Grammys introduced the Best Reggae Recording category at the 1985 ceremony, Anthem took the prize. It was a historic moment. A major American music institution was formally recognizing reggae as its own important genre, and a Jamaican group was the first to be honored.
For fans in Jamaica and across the Caribbean diaspora, from London to New York to Miami, the win was a point of pride. It said that the music they had grown up with, played at yard parties and on sound systems, belonged among the world's great genres.
The award did not change the music overnight, but it mattered. It gave reggae artists a place at one of music's biggest events and signaled that the genre had earned lasting respect. The category continues today, now known as Best Reggae Album, and many of reggae's biggest names have won it since.
Black Uhuru's story shows that tradition and innovation can work together. They honored the spiritual and social messages of roots reggae while embracing new sounds and studio ideas. That balance helped carry reggae into a new decade.
Their history also shows the power of collaboration. Three singers with different backgrounds, joined by one of the greatest rhythm sections in Jamaican music, created something none of them could have made alone. Lineups changed over the years, as they do in many long-running groups, but the music they made in that era continues to influence reggae and dancehall artists.
For listeners with Jamaican roots, Black Uhuru is part of a proud story about island music reaching the world stage. Jonathan Anthony Burkett, born in Miami and raised in Westmoreland, Jamaica, carries some of that heritage into his own music. His signature song, "One Life," was recorded with reggae artist Ambelique and carries a message that you only get one life, so make it count.
Recognition sometimes takes years to arrive. Reggae had been changing the world long before it had a Grammy. If your own work has not been recognized yet, keep making it with honesty and care. The right people notice in time.
Spend some time with the classic Black Uhuru albums and listen for the way the voices and the rhythm section work together. Then explore new music that grows from the same roots: hear "One Life" and more from Jonathan Anthony Burkett on Spotify.
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