Morgan Heritage's next generation ready to shine

The Grammy-winning group Morgan Heritage has cemented its place in the music industry as one of the greatest reggae bands of all time.

And the group is looking to tighten its grip on the reggae industry with the rise of the next generation.

The children of Gramps and Mojo Morgan will be seeking to build on their family's legacy as they transition into music.

Gramps' son, Jemere, and Mojo's son, Esh, say they are more than ready to take on the mantra as they jump-start their own careers.

Esh, who studied music at the prestigious Berkley College, told THE STAR that he was naturally drawn to music but points out that his family has never made it easy for him and has perhaps been his biggest critic.

"I feel very proud to come from a family of such high calibre, and sometimes I feel like it's a little bit pressuring because I have to uphold the Morgan name,. But the name and my family's legacy also remind me that I'm doing this for a purpose and that I have what it takes to hold up the legacy, so it's also motivation, and it keeps me in check; they keep me in check," he said.

CARRY ON THE LEGACY

Jemere said there is "a certain standard to live by" that's not easy to maintain.

"But I honestly love the responsibility of carrying on the legacy of my family," he said. "It's something that you have to be focused on, and you are reminded of what your family stands for every day you go out there, and that's a huge responsibility, but I'm prepared for it, and my family has helped a lot with that."

Both Esh and Jemere are aware there will be critics who will say they have no real talent and are only looking for a free ride to fame on their family's name.

"I've not experienced that yet, but I've only been in music (professionally) for a short while, but I'm pretty sure those comments will come up. But then, there will also be those that say, 'He can really play music', so I'll just let the critics say what they wanna say and let the music speak for itself," said Esh.

Jemere said if those people were to spend a day in his shoes, they would see how hard this music business is, even for the son of Gramps Morgan.

He thanked his father for showing him that coming from a family such as Morgan Heritage, he has to earn things and work twice as hard as everybody else.

"People are going to say anything, but if you really want something in life, you just have to go after it, regardless of what people will say," he said.