Keera Rootz, the upcoming roots/reggae artiste from the Kleva Roots Family Production label, believes message must be in the music and despite her desire to be trendy and appreciated by teenagers and young adults especially in Jamaica, she is adamant about keeping the authenticity of reggae music in her songs. Keera released a single, entitled Sweet Rub-A-Dub on a compilation album that also features tracks by stablemate Asante Amen as well as Little Hero, Determine and Teflon to name a few. The song she says “comes from the heart” and is a comparison between her love for music and love for a spouse.

Keera Rootz always knew she could sing but the thought of entertaining an audience had never crossed her mind until she braved the unthinkable, “her first performance”. It was the year 2008 and as she waited, it was as if she just stopped thinking, becoming almost oblivious to what was happening around her. Performance anxiety had just begun to get the best of her when the MC introduced her and in that instant, while making her entry, Keera Rootz came to life.

The performance lasted for about 15 minutes and went very well and Keera felt herself exhale, thinking to herself that she could continue doing this, ‘forever.’ She went through her routine basking in the positive response, satisfaction and appreciation of the audience; that mostly comprised of co-workers, managers and well wishers from her job, extended to her through cheers and the request for an encore. ‘It felt great’ she remembered as the performance seemed to end as quickly as it started.

The following day Keera was still receiving congratulations from her friends, colleagues and other patrons , who had attended the corporate party she performed at, who were still in awe at how well she had done. One of the calls she received was from the manager of the group L.U.S.T., who had also performed at the event. He told her that a well known local producer was interested in meeting her based on his report of her performance.

Unknown to her then, the producer was Fattis Burell, known for breaking international artistes such as Sizzla, Luciano and Capleton. Keera remembered her first studio session with Fattis, “just sing” he said as he recorded her. She recorded a few singles for him, which was not released before moving on. Since then Keera has matured, she has come to that place within her where she is able to “just relax and be creative”. The end product has been satisfactory thus far and marks for her the beginning of a new life of, ‘being in love with music’. Sweet Rub-A-Dub expresses just that as Keera Rootz’ clear crisp vocals belts out the lyrics, “You’re the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the morning” on the track. Her vocals are melodious, strong and harmonious. Keera Rootz, a promising new entrant to the Reggae music industry.

Related posts:

1. Best of Bangers R Mashed, Volume 2, with free dub music sample from Slinky Music Slinky Music has just released the  BEST OF BANGERS R...
2. Earth Rootz and Reggae Festival [ July 24, 2010 to July 26, 2010. ] We...
3. History of Dancehall Music History of Dancehall music Dancehall music first became popular in...

Dancehall music first became popular in the late 1970s, a decade after dub music had already demonstrated the rich possibilities for reggae subgenres. Dancehall began in the Jamaican dancehalls as when people wanted something different from the roots rock that dominated the Jamaican music scene at that time. Local soundsystems began experimenting with new songs that were simpler, more pop, less political, and less Rastafarian.

Some people link this transition to Jamaican political changes as a new right wing government replaced the nation’s socialist government. (If you’ve ever wanted to experience fascism in action, just stop by your local dance club and try arguing with a bouncer.)

Ironically, dancehall’s sound came from the past rather than new directions as Sugar Minott, Don Mais, and their contemporaries began recording new vocals over 1960s riddims. Early dancehall luminaries were singers including Junior Reid, Barrington Levy, Frankie Paul, Don Carlos, Ali Campbell, and Triston Palmer. Some older reggae musicians such as Gregory Isaacs and Bunny Wailer also evolved their sound into the new dancehall phenomenon.

Dancehall also experienced a surge in the popularity of deejays who toasted and rapped in a U-Roy style instead of singing, with artistes such as Captain Sinbad, Ranking Joe, General Echo, and Yellowman capturing listeners ears and dancers’ bodies. During the early 1980s these deejays became more popular than the more traditional singjays, often receiving first access to new riddims.

As dancehall’s sound became less harmonious and more macho, so did it’s content, with a new format – sound clash – evolving to feature deejays and soundsystems competing on albums, mix tapes, and at live shows. There was some variation within this aggressive trend though, as Yellowman and Eek-a-Mouse rose to fame with distinctly humorous lyrics and female deejays including Lady Saw and Sister Nancy also rising to fame.

Ragga Music

Ragga (also known as “Raggamuffin”) is a rap-influenced form of dancehall reggae that mixes hip hop-style lyrics and electronic instrumentation. The term raggamuffin comes from the description of impoverished Kingston youth who in turn applied the word to their music. Ragga describes the purely digital dancehall sound that emerged in the mid-1980s. Though it is a descendant of reggae, ragga bears little resemblance to the roots rock of the previous decade due to it’s digital riddims and synthesized deejay vocals. Some reggae purists debate whether ragga is really a genre of reggae music.

The dancehall sound continued to change in the 1980s, becoming more digitized. In 1985 King Jammy released the hit single (Under Me) Sleng Teng by Wayne Smith. While it may not have been the first purely digital reggae riddim, it was the first that became widely popular, ushering in the ragga sound.

Wayne Smith – (Under Me) Sleng Teng video

Ragga deejays included rough-voiced deejays such as Capleton and Shabba Ranks as well as more melodic singjays such as Pinchers, Cocoa Tea, Frankie Paul, Half Pint, Carl Meeks, and Barrington Levy. At home in Jamaica, many deejays such as Bounty Killer, Ninjaman, and Buju Banton adopted a violent aesthetic similar to American gangsta rappers. Internationally, dancehall music began to appear on the hit charts in the US and other countries, including Shabba Ranks‘ Mr. Loverman and Chaka Demus and Pliers‘ Murder She Wrote.

Modern Dancehall music: controversy and new directions

In the 21st century dancehall music’s popularity was challenged by critics of it’s frequent homophobic content, the most notorious song being Buju Banton’s 1988 hit Boom Bye Bye, which advocates shooting and burning gay men. In addition to journalists and music critics, civil rights activists began the Stop Murder Music campaign and openly campaigned against homophobic dancehall artists and concerts featuring those artists. As a result, some concerts were cancelled, police opened investigations of some artists, and international governments blocked some artists’ travel. The artists countered by arguing that their lyrics were permissible free speech and in some cases compromising by changing their lyrics for American and European shows.

At the same time that the homophobic backlash and other violence amongst popular dancehall artists spiraled out of control, some prominent dancehall deejays “found religion” (Rastafarian, of course) and began the conscious dancehall (aka conscious ragga) movement, which replaced violent content with the kinds of conscious, ital, and cultural messages that dancehall had originally left behind in the 1970s. Artists such as Garnet Silk, Tony Rebel, Sanchez, Luciano, Anthony B, and Sizzla built purely conscious careers, whereas other previously-violent deejays such as Buju Banton and Capleton transitioned over to a conscious direction (often bouncing back and forth between conscious albums and more pop/dancehall content).

More recent dancehall stars include Mavado, Bounty Killer, Lady Saw, Shaggy, Diana King, Spragga Benz, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, and Sean Paul, who has released several Billboard hits in the United States.

(For everyone who is writing research papers, this article was written by a guy named Chris Keane (me) on June 4, 2009. I’ve updated it a few times in the intervening months. If you do finish your paper and would like to share it on the site or contribute any other articles, please leave a comment!)

Related posts:

1. Introducing Keera Rootz – Music From The Heart “Sweet Rub-A-Dub”! (Kingston – Jamaica 18th, January 2011) “When music is a...
2. 2009 IRAWMA winners announced, everyone goes home happy? The 2009 International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) winners...
3. 15 Obama reggae tracks pay tribute to his first 100 days As Barack Obama‘s presidency reaches the 100 days mark today,...

Related posts:

1. 15 Obama reggae tracks pay tribute to his first 100 days As Barack Obama‘s presidency reaches the 100 days mark today,...

1. Get Ready by Ziggy Marley

Ziggy Marley kicks off the list with his redux of the Bob Marley classic, People Get Ready, which includes lyrics that mimic Obama’s speeches about faith, hope, and change across the nation:

People get ready
Train to Jordan
Picking up passengers from coast to coast
Faith is key
Open the doors and board them
There’s hope for all among the love the most

Here’s a video of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers performing Get Ready at David Letterman’s television show in 1997 with his siblings Cedella Marley and Stephen Marley:

You can download Ziggy’s People Get Ready MP3 from Amazon.com.

2. Barack Obama – the Mission Riddim by Stephen Marley featuring Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

Following their brother Ziggy, Damian Marley and Stephen Marley’s original track, the Mission, is a tribute to Barack Obama. The Mission is available exclusively on Reggae Gold 2008 from VP Records. Although the original song focuses on social inequality in Jamaica, it’s global message and uplifting message are relevant to Obama’s rise in the American public’s awareness and his message of hope, with lyrics like:

Theres a brighta mornin star
Its shinin, wake de town
An tell de people near an far
U seek an u wi search
Wid science and research

But it’s more than just feel-good fluff – the Mission riddim, produced by Trevor “Baby G” James is a pure dancehall beat that was also used by Mavado on his I’m On the Rock track featuring Jay-Z. Here’s the video:

3. We Need Barack by Mavado & DJ Green Lantern

I hadn’t heard of this track from dancehall sensation Mavado before, but this is the video from the “Yes We Can” & “On the Rock” remix:

4. Obama we believe by Kritikalbliss

Reggae artist Kritikalbliss released Obama we believe on Dub & Reggae several months ago, and it’s still a great track from a rising musician. Listen to it now and leave a comment for Kritikalbliss to he keeps giving us more music!

5. Black Man in the White House by Sizzla

Sizzla Kalonji released Black Man in the White House on his recently-released Ghetto Youth-Ology album.

Download Black Man in the White House for free here. Thanks to Jamworld 876 for the link. Another free download link, with a so-so review, is available from this blog.

Here’s an Obama-themed video of Sizzla’s Black Man in the White House track:

6. Barack Obama by Osezua

Osezua is a true roots reggae musician, sticking with a classic, conscious reggae sound when so many other musicians turn to more-popular dancehall beats. His political endorsement of Barack Obama is further strengthened by the fact that he lives in Chicago, Illinois (Obama was an Illinois senator prior to his presidency) where he is also a baker and father.

You can see a video of Osezua’s Barack Obama song here.

7. Rise and Shine for Obama by Glen Adams

Glen Adams was the original keyboardist and composer for the Upsetters, who famously collaborated with Lee “Scratch” Perry in the early days of dub music. Rise and Shine was originally released on The Upsetters a Go Go album, and has been rereleased as an Obama tribute song.

Here’s his video of Rise and Shine for Obama:

8. Barack Obama by Cocoa Tea

I don’t know anything about Cocoa Tea‘s reggae music, so here’s the video:

9. Barack Obama by Papa Michigan

10. Obama Be Thy Name by Makadem

11. Barack Obama by Blakk Rasta

12. Obama for History by Prince Thompson

13 and 14. Obama Row the Boat Ashore and Obama Beat Them in a Dancehall by Barack Reggae

15. Barack Obama by Sarah Lufungula

This track has been critically panned, but yes, it’s Obama-themed reggae.

Cocoa Tea, Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, Ziggy Marley, and Glen Adams have each been nominated for a 2009 International Reggae and World Music Award for their Obama tribute reggae songs. Soca legend Mighty Sparrow has also been nominated for his calypso song Barack the Magnificent, and Rootsman‘s Calypso for Obama is also worth a listen if you’re interested in Caribbean music.

The “100 days” presidential review originated with the first 3 months of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal leadership, a series of government reforms and programs frequently credited with ending the Great Depression in the United States. Since then, every new American presidency is compared to the incredible progress of FDR’s first term at the hundred day mark. Although it would be difficult for Obama to achieve FDR’s level of legislative progress, the 100 day point is used by political pundits to assess new executives’ leadership styles.

With progress in torture reform, improved relationships with Cuba, talk of finally ending the invasion of Iraq, and strenuous efforts at economic reform, Obama’s 100 days show definite progress on his campaign promises. He has been particularly succesful in the environmental arena, as Huffinton Post reporters Dan Becker and James Gerstenzang write:

“He has put a new and proper reliance on science. He has named dedicated environmentalists to key positions within the White House, at the Environmental Protection Agency and at the Energy Department. And he has unveiled substantial measures to directly tackle climate change.”

Related posts:

1. Best Bob Marley Quotes Bob Marley surprised the world when he rose from his...
2. Damian Jr. Gong Marley biography Damian “Junior Gong” Marley is one of Bob Marley’s children...
3. Win a free trip to Reggae Sumfest… if you’re Jamaican Reggae Sumfest organizers announced the 2009 Royal Reggae Giveaway sweepstakes...

With got Mojo?, Mojo Morgan has crafted an alternative rasta rock album infused with heavy reggae, hip hop, and R&B flavors. The lyrics maintain the conscious messages common to previous Morgan Heritage albums, with a heavy dose of rock and soul to keep audiences grooving. Mojo has been compared to voices as unique as Jack Johnson, 311, and Bob Marley, the original roots rocker.

Mojo Morgan continues the trend of many recent conscious reggae albums such as Sizzla‘s Ghetto Youth-Ology with a varied track list on got Mojo? that includes socially conscious tracks like Petrified (which addresses domestic violence) and ranges from the party track Tonight to the far mellower, soulful lover’s tune Till the End which features Mischu Laikah & Laza. Mojo even channels a little Easy Star All-Stars vibe with his reggae cover of The Police classic, Roxanne.

got Mojo? reflects Mojo Morgan‘s myriad life experiences, from his youth in Brooklyn, New York, to later life in Massachusetts, and finally a return to Jamaica as 1 of 5 sibling members of internationally-acclaimed “reggae royalty” group Morgans Heritage. Morgan Heritage’s most recent album, 2008′s Mission In Progress, included the singles Faithful and Raid Rootz Dance. Morgan Heritage‘s hits were regularly played on national and international radio as well as music television stations BET, VH1, and MTV. Surrounded by sessions of intensive vocal and instrumental training, Mojo was exposed to everything from the godfathers of roots reggae to Top 40 American Radio.

Born Memo Morgan and later called Mr. Mojo, Mojo is one of legendary reggae artist Denroy Morgan‘s 30 children. Mojo’s album release follows shortly after Denroy Morgan’s recent solo reggae album, Theocracy Reign.

Mojo Morgan‘s Jamaican roots were always an important part of his style, and got Mojo? chronicles hiss evolution from reggae to his own new definition of Rasta-Rock.

You can preview Mojo Morgan’s roots rocker music on MySpace: www.myspace.com/mrmojomorgan
You can hear a stream of Mojo’s tracks on imeem: www.imeem.com/mojomorgan

Related posts:

1. Xie Tianxia announces upcoming album, The Chinese Style of Reggae Xinhua reports that Chinese grunge rock singer/guitarist Xie Tianxiao –...
2. Reggae Sumfest 2009 [ July 19, 2009; 2:00 pm to 11:59 pm. July...
3. History of Dancehall Music History of Dancehall music Dancehall music first became popular in...

Related posts:

1. Best of Bangers R Mashed, Volume 2, with free dub music sample from Slinky Music Slinky Music has just released the  BEST OF BANGERS R...
2. Julian Marley releases Awake, his 3rd album Julian “Juju” Marley has announced the May 26 release of...
3. Morgan Heritage member Mojo Morgan debuts with solo album, got Mojo? On April 27, 2009, Mojo Morgan, a member of Morgan...

This release features a return to Sizzla’s roots reggae teachings, including the hit single Black Man In the White House and is being hailed as his best album since Da Real Thing. It was entirely produced by his touring band the Firehouse Crew, who also provided live reggae riddims for all of the tracks.

Ghetto Youth-Ology includes 15 reggae tracks, running nearly a full hour of new reggae music:

1. Jah Love
2. Ghetto Utes Dem Ah Suffer
3. Stop It Right Now
4. Gwaan Bear
5. Hey Youths
6. Black Man In The White House
7. Future Is Yours
8. Premeditate
9. I”m Loving You
10. Open Up The Doors
11. What Am I To Do Baby
12. I Love You So
13. Tax Payers Money
14. Qualities in Life
15. Babylon Ease Off

This release has been hailed as a return to Sizzla’s singjay roots. Ghetto Youths Dem A Suffer is the album’s first single, focusing squarely on social issues in Jamaica. But Sizzla isn’t content to identify the problems and walk away. Instead, Gwaan Bear, Hey Youth, and Future Is Yours all seek to correct some of these problems by presenting uplifting reggae roots messagse to young listeners. He also points to an obvious role model for anyone growing up in a troubled world with Black Man In The White House, his tribute to American president Barack Obama. Finally, he includes some love songs with What I’m I To Do, featuring Conradine “Connie” Campbell and I’m Loving You.
Sizzla’s Ghetto Youthology CD is on sale from VP Reggae for $13.99. It is also available as an MP3 download for $8.99 from Amazon.com. You can get a free Sizzla mobile wallpaper if you join the VP Mobile Group today by texting JOINVP to 30303 (US only, standard text message rates apply).

Listen to Sizzla’s Black Man In The White House at Greensleeves Records site and download the MP3 for 99 cents.

Sizzla Kalonji, born Miguel Collins, gained popularity in the late 1990s as a modern leader of conscious dancehall reggae. His releases have varied between roots reggae and dancehall, and his lyrics frequently contain Rastafarian messages. Sizzla’s past dancehall reggae hits have included Praise Ye Jah and Anytime Now. His positive actions contrast sharply with his anti-gay hate. His response to critics, Nah Apologies, was also a hit.

Sizzla Kalonji recently made headlines when his St. Andrew, Jamaica rental house burned down on March 21. Sizzla was staying in the house while building a mansion in Stony Hill. Authorities blame an electrical problem.

VP Reggae’s latest announcement also includes some other nuggets of reggae goodness:

• A new VP Reggae YouTube channel, with reggae music videos from VP Reggae recording artists Queen Ifrica, Etana, Gyptian, and Assassin. All of the reggae videos are also available to download from their reggae website, planetreggae.com.
• Members who join PlanetReggae.com will receive 5 free reggae MP3 downloads. Tell them you heard it from Dub & Reggae!

Related posts:

1. Elephant Man, Etana, and Reggae Love songs sale at VP Records VP Records has announced 3 sales on their albums, for...
2. Fire Burning by Sean Kingston is USA Today’s Pick of the Week USA Today chose Sean Kingston‘s Fire Burning as their “pick...
3. 15 Obama reggae tracks pay tribute to his first 100 days As Barack Obama‘s presidency reaches the 100 days mark today,...

The Festival will include 3 events:

The Digicel Reggae Beach Party kicks things off Sunday, April 20, 4pm until midnight On Lower Bay Street, in association with the Boatyard and the new Whispers restaurant The Vintage Reggae Show and Party continues the festival Friday, April 25, doors open at 9pm At the Plantation Garden Theatre, fused with the venue’s popular monthly Boogie Night Reggae on the Hill caps things off Sunday, April 27, starts at 11am At Farley Hill National Park in St Peter.

Past Reggae on the Hill festivals have included international reggae artistes such as Steel Pulse, Biggie Irie, Sizzla, Richie Spice, Buju Banton, Beres Hammond, Sean Paul, Maxi Priest, Dobby Dobson, Ken Boothe, Boris Gardener, and the FAB 5 Band, as well as popular local stars.

Al Gilkes of FAS Entertainment Services (the event producer) has reported that the Festival will include a total of 15 international foreign acts, a new record for the 3-day event.

Marquita Sugrim, Digicel’s marketing executive, explained that “Barbados is fast becoming renowned for hosting international sporting and entertainment events, and the Digicel Barbados Reggae Festival is no exception. We are sure that the Digicel Barbados Reggae Festival will satisfy the thousands of reggae lovers attending the 3 events, and they can expect great entertainment.”

Digicel is also running a text promotion where listeners can win VIP access to the various events. More contest details are located on the Digicel website .

Related posts:

1. 2011 Raggamuffin Music Festival in New Zealand [ February 5, 2011; ] Raggamuffin 2011 has been announced...
2. 2010 Brooklyn reggae music festival [ July 4, 2010; 12:00 pm to 11:00 pm. ]...
3. Barbados Reggae Beach Party 2009 [ April 19, 2009 12:00 am to April 25, 2009...