A legendary reggae icon was the lone Caribbean singer to walk away with a Grammy Award Sunday night.Jamaican Burning Spear grabbed the Best Reggae Album award at the 51st annual Grammy Awards last night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Rihanna, the other Caribbean singer nominated for the 2009 awards, failed to win. She had been nominated for three awards including Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals and Best Dance Recording for `Distubia.` The sexy Bajan singer scrapped her planned performance at the Grammy's just before the award show kicked off Sunday night. Her decision came hours after LA police said they booked R&B singer Chris Brown for allegedly beating up a woman, not long after he left a party with Rihanna. Brown, 19, also was a Grammys no-show last night. Reports indicate he was being questioned by LA cops.

Born Winston Rodney, Spear won for `Jah is Real,` which appears on his own label, Burning Music Production. He beat out Elephant Man, Heavy D, Shaggy, Sly & Robbie and Lee `Scratch` Perry. It was his second Grammy, though he has been nominated 13 times. Spear won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album at the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000 for Calling Rastafari. For more than 35 years, Spear's music has since his debut, implored listeners to fight oppression in all its forms, to work at improving their own condition and to consider the social impact of their actions.

His music builds upon the Jamaican native's legacy of musical activism. Spear was born in Saint Ann's Bay, Saint Ann, Jamaica. He was inspired by Bob Marley and Marcus Garvey, both of whom were born in St. Ann. It was Marley who indirectly helped Burning Spear get started in the music industry by introducing him to Clement Dodd. In 2002, Burning Spear and his wife, Sonia Rodney who has produced a number of his albums, founded Burning Spear Records.

He was awarded the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer on October 15, 2007. Meanwhile, Leona Lewis, a British singer with Guyanese roots who became famous after she won the reality television show The X Factor, the British version of American Idol, also failed to win a Grammy.

Derrick A. Scott
JIS Washington DC

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