Rocky Dawuni, Ghana’s two-time GRAMMY-nominated musician, returns to US stages this month with two appearances, hot on the heels of his latest single, ‘Neva Bow Down’. Which has been submitted for consideration for the Best Global Music Performance and the Best Song for Social Change categories for the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
‘Neva Bow Down’ is Rocky’s first new single since his nomination for the Best Global Music Album for Voice of Bunbon, Vol. 1, at the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards earlier this year.
Rocky teams up with rising Jamaican star Blvk H3ro for ‘Neva Bow Down’, a global roots anthem, distilling elements of pop, dub, and reggae for a modern take on rebel music. The collaborative spirit of the song reconnects Africa and the Afro-Descendant Diaspora, drawing on Jamaica’s powerful culture of resistance.
This protest anthem is a meditation on the current, dire state of global affairs and our collective power to change the course of history. It also serves as an inspiration for people to stand up for what is right and true.
The striking video for ‘Neva Bow Down” recently premiered on Afropop Worldwide and simultaneously on terrestrial TV in Ghana.
For Rocky, “the video is a thoughtful and beautifully shot visual feast of confrontation of an awakened people and the systems that impede expression.”
Directed by Slingshot, the rising young Ghanaian director and cinematographer who has already partnered up with Rocky on his ‘Wickedest Sound’ video (Beats of Zion) and on the ‘Beautiful People’ video (Voice of Bunbon, Vol. 1).
Slingshot describes the ‘Neva Bown Down’ video as “a visual depiction of the fatigue in the very fabric of the tolerance level of the masses who are tired of the elitism and are on a quest to break loose of their mind control.”
The video was shot on the streets of Accra, while Blvk H3ro was filmed at the beautiful Hen House Studios in Venice, CA.
“We can always count on Ghanaian Reggae veteran Rocky Dawuni to deliver robustly, Reggae earworms that provoke and delight. He’s done it again in the company of Jamaican reggae star BLVK H3RO.
‘Neva Bow Down’ is a defiant rebel anthem well suited to boost morale in a troubled time,” Afropop Worldwide.
Rocky Dawuni straddles the boundaries between Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas to create his appealing Afro Roots sound, which fuses Reggae, Afrobeat, Highlife and Soul, uniting generations and cultures.
Dawuni’s charisma and galvanizing performances have endeared him to crowds around the globe, where he has shared the stage alongside luminaries, including Stevie Wonder and John Legend, among many others.
Rocky has been a leading voice for social and environmental transformation as a dedicated activist. He currently serves as UN Goodwill Ambassador for the Environment for Africa. Rocky believes “that music is the medium to strike a chord that transforms our collective intentions into a vehicle for positive social change.
Blvk H3ro (pronounced Black Hero) is one of Jamaica’s most exciting and original young artists, but he’s far from new to the scene. Over the past half-decade, he built an impeccable track record and fervent following with his uplifting and ambitious modern reggae sound. While collaborating with the likes of Bunny Wailer, UB40, Equiknoxx and Skillibeng.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness sang Rocky’s praises, commending his song, ‘It Nuh Easy’, for its positive influence on Jamaican youth.
Rocky will be headlining alongside Angelique Kidjo, Dhaka Bhraka and Rising Appalachia on the main stage of the 50th Anniversary edition of the LEAF Festival in Asheville, NC, on Saturday, October 22nd. Rocky will also perform at the SOKA Performing Arts Center in Aliso Viejo, CA, on Saturday, October 29th, amongst other special engagements. Tickets are available on respective websites.