As a young man devouring music in Oahu, Roger Bong was captivated by the native sounds of the islands, from funk to soul, jazz, reggae and more. What began as collecting records eventually became blogging, and some years later Aloha Got Soul (AGS) launched the first and only record label devoted entirely to music from the Hawaiian islands.… Read More
Thank you to Carter Van Pelt for his contributions to the Jamaican Living Legends list.
So many of Jamaica’s foundational artist are no longer here on Earth. All too frequently we read that another legendary singer, musician, or producer has passed.… Read More
Wow. I just watched this. Laughed out loud at 11:34 and wanted to cry at 12:53, thinking about the disparity between an artist who pours their heart and soul into their art, and the kid with a communications degree from Pepperdine who can shelf the project and never let it see the light of day, taking home 6 figures while the artist can’t pay their rent.… Read More
Do you ever wonder why we make music? Why are we drawn to sounds? Why does music make us feel the way it does? I think it’s because at our most basic level, we ARE music.
I will explain. First though, a quick refresher.… Read More
Rootfire’s “Rare Record Showcase” is a bi-monthly series dedicated to sharing top-quality Jamaican and Jamaican-inspired records of the past, that have heretofore unjustly existed under the radar of all but the most deep-diving music lovers.
I discovered this record late, about 15 years into my reggae obsession.… Read More
Rootfire’s “Rare Record Showcase” is a new bi-monthly series dedicated to sharing top-quality Jamaican and Jamaican-inspired records of the past, that have heretofore unjustly existed under the radar of all but the most deep-diving music lovers.
For this second edition of the Rootfire “Rare Record Showcase,” I’ve chosen one of my favorite Dub records, the late 70s scorcher entitled The Force Of Music – Freedom Fighters Dub.… Read More
