“The Future Of Reggae Music” - Nat Geo Music

Born in Senegal, West Africa, lead singer of Meta and The Cornerstones, Meta Dia, discovered his love for music and desire to be a musician at a very young age. When he was 14 years old he performed on the streets and stages of his hometown Dakar. In 2000, Meta’s first band YALLA SUUREN (God Bless) was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Group by the French Cultural Center. After relocating to the United States a year later, he finally formed his visionary band, Meta and The Cornerstones.

Meta & The Cornerstones’ sound is a melting pot rooted in diversity, strength and unity as they combine their creative differences from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Meta and The Cornerstones channel Roots Reggae while simultaneously breathing new life into the genre, thus creating what critics have called a “soul-pounding spiritual experience” during their live performances. In 2008 Meta and The Cornerstones proudly released their first album entitled “Forward Music”. Of this work Clive Chin; Jamaican producer for The Wailers, Dennis Brown, and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, notes, “Meta and The Cornerstones have taken us back to the foundation of reggae music”. 

Through VP, Meta and The Cornerstones released their second album 'Ancient Power' on April 30th 2013. Recorded at the Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston Jamaica and co-produced with Sidney Mills (Steel Pulse), Ancient Power links Africa to Jamaica by paying tribute to the ageless sounds of reggae preserved by the history of its legends. The 15-track work features U-Roy, as well as Capleton and Damian Marley. The album was given many top 10 ratings by worldwide reggae websites like Reggaeville (#4 best reggae album 2013), United Reggae, Worldareggae, Last FM and radio stations like Rhythm Vault International (best new reggae voice 2013) in California and RFI in France.

Following the release of Ancient Power, Meta and The Cornerstones toured Europe, Africa and the USA playing at legendary reggae and world music festivals such as Reggae on The River in California, Summerjam in Germany, Reggae Sun Ska in France, Rototom in Spain, Mundial in The Netherlands, Gnaoua in Morocco, Musa in Portugal, Afro Pfingsten in Switzerland, Shambala in the UK and Ostroda in Poland amongst others. By the end of 2014 a tour in the Pacific was realized counting eight shows in New Zealand.

A year later, Meta and The Cornerstones started recording their third album called "HIRA" at he Real World Studios of Peter Gabriel in England. Composed and produced by Meta Dia himself and lyrically expressing his spiritual background and growth, HIRA calls for spiritual unity, religious tolerance and finding oneself. Flavors of Bossa Nova, Middle Eastern sounds, Moroccan Gnaoua, Classical Jazz, Flamenco, Rock and African Rhythms are mixed into a backbone of Roots Reggae. Released on February 17 2017 by Meta Dia’s own label ‘Metarize LLC’ in collaboration with Dibyz Music and distributed by Baco Records and Believe Digital, the album was reviewed by Jeune Afrique Magazine a “perfectly produced and very mystical album”. The renowned German musicwebsite laut.de expects HIRA to “finally get Meta and The Cornerstones into the top of the reggae scene and possibly even further than that”. Reggaeville states “HIRA carries the potency to create meaningful and necessary change in the world through reggae music” and calls it “a highly recommended long player!"

In the years leading up to Meta and The Cornerstones fourth album "DIA" Meta Dia proclaimed himself as a solo artist, whilst always inviting musicians from across the globe to be his Cornerstones. "DIA" pronounced "Jah" was released with VP Records on september 17th 2021 in the midst of a Pandamic. Many of (DIA) tracks take you to the dark side of this time and planet – racism, poverty, war,destruction of the environment. But it does not leave its listener in the valley of rage and revenge. Meta leads them to the final destination, the valley of decision, where good wins over evil.

"DIA" comes at a crucial time: wars and violence in the false name of religions or cultures, separating the one human race into ever-more fierce adversaries and foes, and selfish nations anything but united. Meta Dia hammers the walls of division to create space for his doctrine of “Peace, Love and Harmony” – against all odds. For him, this is not a safe space of fake consolation or unconditional reconciliation. Quite to the contrary: this Reggae album is a yet another wake-up call to come together on a basis of equal rights and justice; for there is no other way of togetherness. With this fundamental mission Meta joins the ranks of the all-time Greats in Reggae. Who could be more predestined for this “mission impossible” than a Muslim Fulani Dread, full of Rasta vibes. Here comes trouble for the warmongers. With a superb package filled with the finest sounds and ideas from Dakar to Jamaica to New York and the rest of the globe.