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Rocky Dawuni is a
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
ian singer, a four-time Grammy-nominee, songwriter and record producer who performs his signature 'Afro Roots' sound which is a mixture of
Reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
,
Afrobeats Afrobeats, not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing, is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Ghana, Nigeria, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Afrobeats is less of a st ...
,
Highlife Highlife is a Ghanaian music genre that originated along the coastal cities of present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its Gold Coast (region), history as a colony of the British and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It encompasse ...
and
Soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
music. He currently lives between Ghana and United States. Rocky is a musician and activist.


Music career

Dawuni got acquainted with Reggae in Ghana when he heard a military band performing one of
Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...
's compositions in Michel Camp; a military barracks where he grew up. Dawuni started the annual "Independence Splash" festival, which is held in Ghana on Ghanaian Independence Day, March 6. Dawuni has recorded eight full-length albums. His sixth studio album titled Branches of The Same Tree was nominated for a
Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album The Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards for quality works in the reggae genre. Originally called the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Recording, the honor was presented to artists for eligible songs or albums. ...
in December 2015 for the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, released 31 March 2015 making him the first nominee from his home country of Ghana. Songlines Magazine named the Branches of Same Tree album in the top 10 most essential reggae albums of all time. Inspired by the soulful beats of Fela Kuti and Bob Marley, the album highlighted Dawuni's ability to communicate uplifting messages to the hear of millions. Beats of Zion, the 2019 album by Rocky, which was released January 25 is a precursor to his 7th studio album which also bears the same title and featured Ghana's dancehall star, tonebwoy The last video for the albums is "Champion Arise", which was named "Top Tune of the Day" on premier National Public Radio Station KCRW. In June 2019 Rocky released the new single "Modern Man", remixed by Gaudi. His 8th studio release, Voice of Bunbon, Vol. 1 was nominated during the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album in the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, making Rocky a multi-Grammy nominee in 2022. Three music videos were released for the EP including "Ghost Town", which was shot by photographer Casey Bridges (son of actor
Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor. He is a three-time Emmy Award, Emmy, two-time Golden Globe Award, Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nomine ...
). The music video "Beautiful People" from the album was shot in Rocky's home village of Bunbon by Ghanaian cinematographer, Slingshot. Rocky released the music video for ''Woara'' (which translates as "you or it's you" in Twi) in September 2021. It was sung in the local Akan dialect, Twi. ''Woara'' is a love song with a call and response style to express the beauty and triumph of being in love. In 2022, Dawuni got his third Grammy nomination, thus the Best Global Music Performance for his work “Neva Bow Down” featuring Blvk H3ro. He has had two previous nominations in 2015 and 2021. In 2024, he released a new single called 'Rise'


Activism and Goodwill

The musician and activist who is known to straddle the boundaries between Africa, the Caribbean and the U.S. to create sounds that unite generations and cultures works to foster global peace. Dawuni has shared the stage with
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
,
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
,
Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
,
Jason Mraz Jason Thomas Mraz ( ; born June 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come'' (2002), which spawned the single "The Remedy (I Won't Wo ...
,
Janelle Monáe Janelle Monáe Robinson ( ; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She has received ten Grammy Award nominations, and is the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Children's and Family Emmy Award. ...
and
John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...
, among many others. Named one of Africa's Top 10 global stars by
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
. Dawuni's stature as a cultural diplomat and successful melding of music and activism have led him to become a spokesperson for various global causes. He is a
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
Goodwill Ambassador for Africa for UN Environment and is a Global Ambassador for the UN Foundation's Clean Cooking Alliance alongside actress
Julia Roberts Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. Known for her leading roles across various genres, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Award ...
and Chef José Andrés. Rocky was named the Global Ambassador for the World Day of African and Afrodescendant Culture recognized by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
, through which he uses his music to shine a light on crucial issues facing humanity across the globe.


Discography


Videography


Music featured in movies


Music featured on television


Music featured on video games


External links


Official Website

Official Youtube Page


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawuni, Rocky Ghanaian reggae musicians Ghanaian singer-songwriters 21st-century Ghanaian male singers Ghanaian Rastafarians Living people 1969 births 20th-century Ghanaian male singers Ghanaian activists