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.
If you listen to the continually evolving Rootfire Progressive Roots Playlist, a wicked little dub number titled “Sunny Tubby” may have recently caught your ear. Its playful bassline, meandering organ and smooth saxophone may have transported you… Read More
To all the men who haven’t gotten their wives, girlfriends or lovers a Valentine’s Day gift yet, One Culture has you covered. The up-and-coming reggae band from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia premieres a new single on Rootfire today before releasing… Read More
For many people, Valentine’s Day seems to be a polarizing date on the calendar. Those in the throws of sizzling romances and stellar long-term relationships tend to welcome this Hallmark holiday as a prompt to celebrate their love, yet single people often reject it with bitterness, perhaps… Read More
Vintage dancehall music serves as the lifeblood of reggae historians, vinyl collectors, record selectors and soundsystem enthusiasts worldwide, yet you may be hard-pressed to find names like U-Roy and I-Roy listed as influences in the biographies of… Read More
Picture this:
You’re in The Elovaters, an up and coming reggae band near the end of a month-long tour which had you traversing the entire east coast, from Florida to Maine. Your recently upgraded tour bus provides a modicum of comfort but not a shred of privacy.…
Michael Franti is not on tour; he’s on a mission. A revival to spread peace, love, healing, acceptance, inclusion, tolerance and hope.
I often refer to my regular attendance at concerts as “church” because of the upliftment these experiences provide. While this may illicit… Read More
California Roots. Levitate. Reggae Rise Up. The Peach Music Festival, Reggae on the River, Lockn’. These days, music festivals have become all the rage, and unless it’s Fyre Festival, they typically provide a magical… Read More
In the mid 90s, I became enamored with a compilation CD that I had stumbled upon called Groovin High, Vol. 1., which introduced me to the serene and spacey yet rhythmic sounds of trip-hop. Delving into this… Read More
