BURNING SPEAR (born Winston Rodney, 1 March 1945), a leading singer-songwriter in the world of reggae, helping to shape the genre since its emergence in the 1960s. Burning Spear specializes in a variety called roots reggae. He is known for his distinctive vocal style, danceable rhythms, and lyrical emphasis on Rastafarianism, African culture, and world poverty. Burning Spear was born in Saint Ann Parish, a rural district of northern Jamaica. He was raised in a highly religious Pentecostal household. He was not very musical in his youth but turned to it as an expressive medium after converting to the Rastafari religion. The Rastafarian movement in Jamaica significantly influenced the popularity of roots reggae, a genre dominated by Bob Marley. A chance meeting with Marley, also from Saint Ann Parish, kickstarted Burning Spear’s career. Upon Marley’s advice, Burning Spear met with the producer Clement “Coxsone” Dodd at Studio One, a well-known Kingston record label, and secured a record contract. In 1969, Burning Spear released his first single, “Door Peep Shall Not Enter.” Over the next few years, he released several singles and two albums through Studio One with the support of studio musicians and backup singers such as Rupert
Willington and Delroy Hinds. Burning Spear initially referred to this group of musicians and instrumentalists. However, that distinction blurred with time, and Winston Rodney took the name for himself, alluding to the nickname of Kenyan leader Jomo Kenyatta.
Burning Spear’s thoughtful lyricism, reflecting Rastafarian tenets, was rare in dance music of the time, and that quality strongly influenced the development of roots reggae. In 1976 Burning Spear and his partners moved to Island Records, an international label. Over the next few years, they recorded some of their most substantial records, including an homage to another native of Saint Ann, Marcus Garvey (1975). Burning Spear’s celebration of Garvey became central to the entire roots movement, with Marcus Garvey emerging as a crucial figure in the genre. Between 1973 and 2009, Spear released over twenty major albums that elicited strong praise. In 1990 he received the Jamaican Federation of Musicians Merit Award. However, broader international recognition lagged until 2000, when his 1999 album Calling Rastafari received a Grammy for Best Reggae Album of the Year. Nine years later Burning Spear received another Grammy for Jah Is Real. In 2007 the Jamaican government awarded him the Order of Distinction. Burning Spear has since headlined at concerts and festivals worldwide, including in Nairobi upon the request of the United Nations amid rising political tensions in Kenya.