As a young journalist in London during the early 1990s, Kennedy Mensah wrote a weekly reggae column for The Voice newspaper. That slot, ‘Ragazine’, covered the music’s latest developments.

In 2008, he started Back 2 Da Future Music Limited, a publishing company that represents artists, musicians and producers in the United Kingdom, Africa and Jamaica.

On September 13th, it will stage a second Grammy Certificates Ceremony in Kingston to honor stalwarts who worked on Grammy-winning or Grammy-nominated projects.

This year, there will be 27 recipients including musicians/producers Steely and Clevie, who produced numerous hit songs during the 1980s and 1990s.

Mensah, whose parents are Ghanaian, said the response to last year’s show in Kingston was overwhelming.

“There’s always room for improvement, there’s always ways you can improve execution and planning, but as to the reception from the recipients it was glorious. I can’t say from all, but most,” he disclosed.

The documents are certified by the Recording Academy which organises the annual Grammy Awards. They officially recognize the contributions of persons to albums and songs, many of whom never got credit for their work.

Last year, two outstanding Jamaican musicians — keyboardist Ansel Collins and guitarist Rad Bryan — were among the Back 2 Da Future Music Limited honourees. During the 1970s, both men were members of The Revolutionaries, the house band at Channel One studio in Jamaica.

Singer Chevelle Franklyn, saxophonist/producer Dean Fraser, producers Donovan Germain, Clive Hunt and Lloyd “King Jammy” James, bassist Ranchie McLean and guitarist Lloyd “Gitsy” Willis (posthumously) were honored at the ceremony in Kingston.

Grammy Certificates ceremonies also took place in South Florida and London last year.

WRITTEN BY HOWARD CAMPBELL