Kirk Diamond Chats With Our Emily Plunkett After His Win at the 2024 JUNO Awards
There was an underlying historical theme to the 2024 Halifax JUNO Awards. On top of its long storied history as one of Canada’s major ocean destinations, Nova Scotia’s stories of the original Mi’Kmaq peoples and centuries-old Black settlements took center stage when over 20 nominations went to indigenous artists, and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame inducted Maestro Fresh Wes, marking the first time the institution has honoured a rap/hip-hop artist.
Kirk Diamond was one artist visiting Halifax who felt inspired by the vibrant threads of history. After winning his third JUNO for Reggae Recording of the Year for his album, DREAD, Diamond was reflective on the important roots of the deeply traditional record.
“The inspiration behind Dread was the perseverance of reggae music. I think right now with so much the internet and with artists traveling, there’s so much blending of cultures that’s happening,” he said in an interview with Canadian Beats. “I think that it’s good, but there’s also a bad side to it, where the younger audiences may not know where it’s all coming from. So I feel like it’s necessary for someone to bridge the gap between where it’s coming from and where it’s going. To always still have the culture intact is very important.”
He says that he and producer, Finn, took their inspiration starting from the early, 1970s roots of the genre, all the way to 90’s Dancehall; and says that the album has received important nods of approval from veterans.
However, the most impactful compliment about the album, Diamond says, came from collaborator and 15-year-old phenom, Kairo McLean, who said “it might be the best Canadian reggae album ever.”
“With all respect to him, he’s a reggae nerd. He could tell you how the most random member of a reggae band from the 70s walked. I’m like, how the hell? Did this guy die before you were born?! So for Cairo to tell me that it was like, okay, I’m onto something. And it’s, you know, him being younger than me, and even though we perform together, for any of my peers to give me a compliment like that, it’s always special. I’ll never forget it.”
Looking ahead, make sure to catch Kirk Diamond on June 7 at Toronto’s The Baby G, as he headlines a night of pop, electronica, R&B, and soul as part of Canadian Music Week; as well as Blue Mountain’s Reggae on the Mountain July 26 through 28, along the shores of Georgian Bay. The 2024 JUNO Award-winning Dread can be found on all streaming platforms.
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