NIGERIAN superstar Burna Boy (Damini Ogulu) has reignited one of T&T\u2019s most recognisable reggae exports.<\/p>\n
The self-proclaimed African Giant\u2019s latest single \u201c28 Grams,\u201d produced by Nigerian hitmaker Niph Keys (Adebajo Adebanjo) and featured on the new album No Sign of Weakness, samples T&T\u2019s reggae star Marlon Asher\u2019s (Marlon Sobers) 2005 global hit \u201cGanja Farmer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marlon Asher called Burna Boy\u2019s Afrobeat rework of his breakout single a validation of the timeless nature of good music.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
ALBUM COVER: Burna Boy\u2014No Sign Of Weakness album cover.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was humbled and excited at the same time,\u201d Asher told the Express via WhatsApp yesterday morning. \u201cBurna Boy is a massive artiste with global reach, and for him to recognise and respect the roots of a song like \u2018Ganja Farmer\u2019\u2014that meant a lot. It showed me the message is still powerful. Real music crosses borders and generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
A 20-year bud<\/p>\n
Burna Boy\u2019s team initiated the sample clearance through Atlantic Records. What followed was months of legal coordination to properly credit the track\u2019s original creators Asher, producer Carl \u201cBeaver\u201d Henderson and co-writer and co-producer Geron \u201cBig Gee\u201d Woodruffe.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the Express yesterday, Woodruffe said he had a feeling something big was on the horizon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember I started getting a feeling, like last year, that somebody huge will take the track, the original format, and use it to some degree,\u201d Woodruffe said. \u201cSo, I was pleasantly surprised when the call came in from Atlantic Records, first to start to negotiate, to clear this track, you know, and then to actually see it materialise, to see my name on the credits of a Grammy award-winning, and multiple award-winning artiste, such as Burna Boy…it was really a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2018A BLESSING\u2019: Marlon Asher<\/p>\n
Woodruffe added that the moment was even more meaningful considering how the song had taken on a life of its own.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is 20 years later from when I originally released the track, in July 2005. It just goes to show you that He\u2019s (God) never finished with his works,\u201d he said, referring to what he sees as divine timing. \u201cI felt very proud to be a Trinidadian, who was credited on such a huge moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beaver, the veteran producer who built the track with Asher and Woodruffe in his studio two decades ago, called it the biggest moment of his career. Beaver, a co-founder of 80s soca band Firelight, has produced several calypso classics including the late Lord Kitchener\u2019s (Aldwyn Roberts) \u201cSoca Jean\u201d, King Austin (Austin Lewis) \u201cProgress\u201d and Shadow\u2019s (Winston Bailey) \u201cDingolay\u201d as well as Francis Escayg and Ajala\u2019s (Keith Sutherland) haunting \u201cWhite Horse\u201d, among others.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Ganja Farmer\u2019 is my biggest hit globally, and having it sampled and my name credited on an album of one of the biggest A-lister artistes in the world takes it to a whole different level,\u201d Beaver said.<\/p>\n
The clearance process, he explained, was handled with precision.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were contacted by the record label Atlantic Records for clearance on the use of \u2018Ganja Farmer\u2019 as a sample on the then-upcoming Burna Boy album,\u201d he related. \u201cWe immediately put it in the hands of the legal team of our publisher Jack Russel Publishing, who is one of the top publishers in the UK and Europe. We worked closely with them until completion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roots that keep growing<\/p>\n
More than a weed anthem, \u201cGanja Farmer\u201d has grown into a protest chant, a rally cry for herbal rights and a meditation on freedom. With Burna Boy\u2019s version looping through international playlists, the song is once again connecting with a new generation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the truth in the message, bredrin,\u201d Asher said when asked why the song continues to resonate. \u201c\u2018Ganja Farmer\u2019 speaks to struggle, to freedom, to the bond people have with the land and the herb. Whether you\u2019re in the Caribbean, Africa, or Europe, people relate to oppression and healing. The vibe, rhythm, and story make it timeless.\u201d<\/p>\n
That truth, Asher said, has evolved over time: \u201cWhen I first made the song, it was personal\u2014it told a story that needed to be heard. But over time, watching people connect with it, seeing it become a kind of anthem for liberation and herbal rights\u2014it\u2019s grown beyond me. It\u2019s the people\u2019s song now.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fact that Burna Boy, a Grammy winner and one of Afrobeats\u2019 leading voices, saw value in that message only amplifies its reach.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a long time, we\u2019ve been overlooked compared to other regions,\u201d Asher said. \u201cBut this shows the world that our sound, our message, and our talent can\u2019t be ignored. It\u2019s inspiring for the youth\u2014proof that a Trini voice can make a global impact.\u201d<\/p>\n
Woodruffe echoed the sentiment but stressed the importance of being business-ready.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe business of music is to me of more importance than the music itself, right?\u201d he said. \u201cIf you don\u2019t do your business properly, meaning your copyright, meaning protecting your copyright and your intellectual property…you could end up in problems in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sow good seeds<\/p>\n
Woodfuffe credited the Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT), along with international partners like BMI and ASCAP, for helping secure long-term gains.<\/p>\n
\u201cImagine you didn\u2019t have those things protected and registered, you\u2019ll be losing out, you will definitely lose out,\u201d he mused. \u201cSo, my advice is always to make sure when you finish your stuff, go and register it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beaver hopes the success of this international placement will be a reminder to young local producers of what\u2019s possible with preparation and persistence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere the quality of your work is concerned, always go that extra mile knowing that your product can stand up anywhere in the world,\u201d Beaver advised. \u201cSurround yourself with a solid business, management and legal team that you can depend on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asher, looking ahead, sees this Burna Boy moment as the beginning of a larger movement linking Africa and the Caribbean through music.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe share so much\u2014culture, rhythm, history. When Afrobeat meets reggae or soca, magic happens. Collaborations like this are bridges\u2014linking Africa and the Caribbean through music. This is just the beginning of something powerful,\u201d Asher concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NIGERIAN superstar Burna Boy (Damini Ogulu) has reignited one of T&T\u2019s most recognisable reggae exports. The self-proclaimed African…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4296,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[49,48,75,5105,1337,341],"class_list":["post-4295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-entertainment","tag-features","tag-local","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4295\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}