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.
Given that reggae music emerged out of poverty and desperation among the common people of Jamaica as a unifying voice that nurtured hope and provided cathartic resistance to the oppressive powers, one might think that reggae fans would largely object to the regressive and restrictive policies of… Read More
My love and admiration for California-based reggae artist, Stick Figure, goes back to some of his earliest days releasing music, and I’ve enjoyed watching his career steadily progress.
I remember when Stick Figure was just Scott Woodruff aka “Stick” releasing music… Read More
“Yearning,” the sizzling new single from Brooklyn-based artist/producer, Double Tiger (Jay Spaker), brings together a whole heap of talent from different eras of reggae.
For starters, Spaker, in addition to his solo work as Double Tiger, has lent his guitar and singing skills to John Brown’s… Read More
If you follow Rootfire with some degree of regularity, you’re probably familiar with our playlists on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. These include our Progressive Roots playlist curated by Kayla Kush, a rolling list of 40 songs with ten new songs added… Read More
Admittedly, when an artist I’ve never heard of comes across my radar, I typically receive their music with a dose of skepticism. However, it didn’t take long for me to embrace Chili Island, the second LP from the Miami collective, Chili Guys, with excitement and curiosity.… Read… Read More
If you follow the American reggae-rock scene with some degree of regularity, you likely have come across the name Brendan Clemente. You may recognize his name from years past as a blogger covering the scene for Hill Kid, a clothing company founded by Rebelution’s bassie, Marley D.…… Read More
As Brooklyn progressive reggae act, SunDub, puts the finishing touches on their new LP due out later this summer, they have spearheaded a new riddim project named for their home borough, “Brooklyn Riddim.” Riddims, of course, are a Jamaican musical tradition in which an artist, producer, studio or… Read More
Reggae fans can do themselves a favor by listening to the Rootsland podcast. The creator/narrator of the pod, Henry Karyo, a longtime music industry professional who got his start interning at Tuff Gong, does a fantastic job recounting the history of reggae music by sharing his own experiences… Read More
