Legendary
Specials songwriter Jerry Dammers has been named a music industry inspiration
at a major awards ceremony.
The
founding member of the Coventry 2-Tone group picked up the inspiration award at
the 59th Ivor Novello Awards in London.
It came
three decades after his song, Nelson Mandela, stormed the charts calling for
the release of the anti-apartheid campaigner.
Dammers
scored a top 10 hit with the track performed by Special AKA.
The song
became an anti-apartheid anthem and Mr Mandela, who died in December, was
eventually released in 1990.
The
annual awards, known as The Ivors, are presented by the British Academy of
Songwriters, Composers and Authors and are highly prized because they are voted
for by songwriters and composers.
Dammers
was presented with his award by former Clash guitarist Mick Jones, who
described him as “the Tsar of Ska”.
Dammers
- who no longer performs with the reformed Specials - revealed that he had
almost missed the ceremony because his mother is ill, and dedicated his win to
her.
Speaking
backstage, the Ghost Town songwriter said he thought the idea of protest music
was still thriving.
“I don’t
think protest music necessarily has to have lyrics even,” he said. “You can
have instrumental protest music, you know - jungle, dub-step, all of those are
kind of abstract but still protest music like jazz was before.”
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