http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/h...ER_STEFFENS.asp

Noted historian Roger Steffens, in an effort to clear the air regarding what has been a long-standing perception that he was responsible for who wins the annual Reggae Grammy Award, has admitted to what has equally been a widespread speculation that the Reggae Grammy is not based on merit nor on the sales of records. But instead on name recognition.

"I don't know what the Grammy is based on, I don't know how many people voted in the category, it could be 200 people, it could be all 14,000. They never told us. It's not based on merit, it's not based on sales. I think it's probably mostly based on name recognition or major label behind the artiste. So please, I don't have any power, I don't even vote to maintain my neutrality. I hope that is understood and I've made that clear," said Steffens who is the chairman for the Reggae Grammy Screening Committee.

The leading reggae archivist was speaking at the Global Reggae Conference at the Assembly Hall of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, on Wednesday. Well aware of the thinking that the name Marley is an advantage when it comes to the Reggae Grammy and the fact that a Marley has never been nominated and lost, Steffens, who has been lecturing on reggae since the 1980s, for the first time gave what he called a biographical lecture.

"This may be the only time in my life that I do a biographical lecture . and also to correct some misperceptions that I heard during the week about my various roles in things like the Grammy," he told his attentive audience of reggae enthusiasts.

Steffens gave a long explanation as to how he became involved with the Reggae Grammy. "In 1984, Mike Melvin the head of NARAS (National Academy of Recording Artists And Sciences), called us and said 'it's time to start a Reggae Grammy; we would like you to be the chairman of a committee and help us put the committee together. We realise that reggae music is an important musical form and we want to honour it.' So since that time, I have been the chairman of the Grammy Screening Committee."
Steffens, who on the previous night launched his fifth book on reggae music, was at pains to correct the misunderstanding.

"We do not choose the nominees, we do not choose the winners," he emphasised. "We," he continues, "screen to make sure that it is only reggae music that gets into the category. This is the four thousandth time I am saying this in Jamaica. I'm not responsible for you not winning the Grammy.

"I've been attacked on the air by Tanya Stephens; I was mobbed by Eka Mouse in the House of Blues last month, he looked like he was about to pounce on me like a panther when he walked into the dressing room. 'You why you nuh give mi nuh Grammy'. I say well, you want to win a Grammy, you want me to tell you how to win the Grammy? I have the fool-proofed way for you to win a Grammy, if you do what I tell you to do, I guarantee you, you'll win a Grammy. Change you name to Eka Marley."

The laughter which followed was like music to the ears.
And in an exclusive interview, Roger Steffens told Splash that as far as the Reggae Grammy is concerned, it's no secret that name recognition is what is at work. "It's no secret, all you have to do is look at the winners. It's either been Bunny (Wailer) or the kids, and they have won I think half of all the Grammys. It's Americans voting on it, it's really not Jamaicans. It's basically an American organisation (NARAS), there are Jamaican members, but not in great numbers as far as I know. So, it's people voting more or less on name recognition.

"We don't have any control in NARAS over who votes in the category, and anybody who belonged to NARAS can vote in the category if they choose to. But there are over a hundred sub-categories and reggae is just one of them, which is why you'll never see it on the broadcast. It is designed to reach the greatest possible worldwide audience with the biggest stars and the biggest names, so reggae doesn't even fit into the equation."

Returning to the nomination process, Steffens who has been a convert of reggae music since 1973, when he heard Bob Marley's Catch A Fire album, added, "With the nominations, I can't think of any album involving Bob Marley's children, well just a few, like Julian and Kymani didn't get nominated, because if they did they would have won of course," Steffens chuckled.

"But virtually everything else ever made by them were given nominations. I can't think of any common denominator among all the past 24 years of winners other than name recognition. I am not saying that they don't deserve it, don't make it look like I'm saying that these people don't deserve it. All I'm saying I don't see a common denominator other then name recognition."