Ever since becoming deeply moved and then essentially obsessed with reggae music as a teenager, Dave has always strove to learn as much as possible about the history and culture of reggae music, Jamaica and Rastafari, the ideology and lifestyle intertwined with reggae.
Over the years, he has interviewed many personalities throughout the reggae world including Ziggy Marley, Burning Spear, Lucky Dube, Bradley Nowell and many artists in the progressive roots scene.
Dave has also written and published a novel, “The Cosmic Burrito,” a tale of two friends who drive across the USA in search of the ultimate burrito. He plays ice hockey weekly for a recreational team he founded and manages, Team Rasta.
Reggae music has filled his life with a richness for which he will forever be grateful, and he gives thanks to musicians far and wide, past and present, whether they perform roots, dub, dancehall, skinhead, rocksteady or ska, whether their tools are analog or digital, as well as the producers, promoters, soundsystems, selectors and the reggae massive at large who comprise the international reggae community.
You can follow Dave on Instagram at @rootsdude and Twitter at @ElCosmicBurrito.
Several weeks ago, this article was published in the San Diego City Beat, reporting on the cultural appropriation of modern reggae music. The article has stirred up some controversial discussion within the scene, and as someone who has followed reggae music for over 30 years, I’d like to… Read More
The long distant views in Bryce Canyon National Park will take your breath away. Copper-colored cliffs stretch as far as the eye can see, their brilliant hue and jagged shapes accentuated by lingering patches of bright white snow that sparkle under… Read More
There are many reasons to be excited for 4/20, the counterculture “holiday” recognized internationally as a day to celebrate the consumption of cannabis, or as we refer to it in our household, the “High Holy Holiday.” Surely many Rootfire readers have plans locked down for this festive… Read More
Not long after becoming friendly with Rootfire founder Seth Herman several years ago, he introduced me to the music of the Virginia-based collective, Buddha Council.
There are some bands that don’t move you upon first hearing them, but then after further listening and/or seeing… Read More
Nowadays, with the Amazon Echo, Google Home and other smart speakers, people can access music without even having to get up off of the couch. Digital technology revolutionized the distribution of music while wireless capability transformed the way we listen to it, creating a new world… Read More
Music is a powerful medium. We’ve seen it trigger visceral reactions in toddlers who, bereft of self-consciousness, dance enthusiastically without even realizing it when the music moves them. For those of us who have lived a bit longer, often a… Read More
In anticipation of the March 9 release of New Hampshire reggae rockers Roots of Creation’s Grateful Dub tribute album on Bombshelter Records, today Rootfire premieres the song “Sugaree.” A beloved track amongst legions of Deadheads, this song… Read More