Burning Spear ADD

No Destroyer - New Burning Spear Album in August 2023

06/22/2023 by Shrik Kotecha

There are some events in the music calendar which will spark attention instantly and one such event is the long-awaited release of a new Burning Spear album. The world has been patiently waiting for nearly two years after Winston Rodney (aka Burning Spear) announced a new single Mommy from a forthcoming album No Destroyer. Given that his last studio album release was way back in 2008, the Grammy-winning Jah Is Real, the wait is finally over. The twelve-track album on Burning Music Productions is due out on August 18 and is sure to delight his fans.

In 2022, Spear spoke to Reggaeville’s Gerry McMahon for the 2022 edition of Festiville when he made a welcome return to live venues after an absence of over ten years. These saw Spear performing to sold out venues across the States as part of the Fan Appreciation Tour before heading over to Europe to bring sheer delight to his fans worldwide, yearning to see him perform live on stage. Here in 2023, he’s heading back on the road once again. […]

Shrik Kotecha spoke to Burning Spear about the new album No Destroyer, the magical live shows throughout his career and his musical legacy.

INTERVIEW: BURNING SPEAR - NO DESTROYER

Your new album No Destroyer has kept your fans worldwide patiently waiting since it has been almost 15 years since the Grammy-winning Jah Is Real album was released. Why has it taken this long?

Well, you see when you’re putting something together, especially music, you know it’s going to take time before I as the artist think that the time is right to do this, to come with another album or another album or another album. So, everything has been done orderly and timely. The time’s right now for the album No Destroyer.

Your beaming smile tells me that you’re very happy with the new album.

Yeah. I think it's a very strong album dealing with a lot of things where people can relate to things which people see every day. You know, all these things I've been saying through the album. And I think my creativity working on this album was really outstanding with the help of my wife, Mrs. Sonia Rodney. She gave me a lot of strength when I was going back and forth in the studio. She might just hear something, and if she think that I could do better than that then I just get right on top of it and do what needed to be done. So, with the help of her influencing me to go to a distance I never been to before it worked. As I said, I think it's a strong album, one of the best Burning Spear albums I ever come forward with, in my time doing my own business, Burning Music Production. Of course, Marcus Garvey and Man In The Hills were some strong albums that were for different people. Now, what I do now is for me, and I think that it is one of the most outstanding albums for Burning Music Production - No Destroyer. 

And the time felt right to release No Destroyer here in 2023. Is there anything specific or particular that made you make that decision to release this in 2023?

Yeah, the time is right. This album going like 12 years now since I record it and never release it. The time was not right at that time to release the album. Now I think the time is right to release the album No Destroyer. Moreover, the fans been asking what is going on with Spear, how come Spear not releasing no songs, no album, no nothing? I have to remember the people, for I’m a people person. Without the people, maybe today I wouldn’t be able to talk to you, maybe I wouldn't be Burning Spear. So, the people play a big role in what I do musically, So I say OK they been asking and waiting for a long time, why not release the album. […]

FULL INTERVIEW @ FESTIVILLE 2023

ALBUM REVIEW 'NO DESTROYER'
by Steve Topple

The album’s opener The Spear is a piece of winding, funky Roots with his signature, swaying horn section (Greg Glassman’s trumpet, Jason Jackson’s trombone, and Jerry Johnson’s sax). Spear’s strong vocal about him as an artist is compelling, too. 

[…] Overall, No Destroyer is well worth the wait. A highly competent, engaging, and attractive project that shows just why Spear is the legend he is: glorious, endearing, and deft.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW & NO DESTROYER ALBUM REVIEW
@ FESTIVILLE MAGAZINE 2023