Rootfire is based in Charlottesville, which is a little-bitty college town in the center of the state of Virginia. Not exactly a spot known for its reggae past, but the reggae future is pretty sunny. Let’s talk about the present for a moment, shall we?… Read More
Bob Marley would have turned 70 today and Rootfire is celebrating the man, the music, and the mystic. Skip work, skip class, skip down the street smoking a spliff and waving your Rasta flag… do what you like, but find a way to celebrate the impact Tuff Gong had on all of we.… Read More
On the 6th of July, 1980, Bob Marley played the now historic concert at Dalymount Park on Dublin’s north side, at that time the home of the soccer club Bohs. Rumours abound that Bob had a kickaround before the concert. Dublin was only starting to experience major music acts and Bob Marley was a major attraction.… Read More
While preparing for a solo acoustic show a few weeks ago, I looked down at my set list and realized something. Almost half of the songs on that piece of paper were Bob Marley tunes. I hesitated for a moment. “What am I doing?… Read More
“This album will change your life.”
Clichéd? Yes. Accurate? Absolutely.
Twenty-one years later, I’m sitting at the same coffee table. My Dad crafted it in 1973 from some wood and glass he salvaged from the Cooperstown Hospital. A new entrance was being built.… Read More
On my 30th birthday, a friend of mine gave me a black t-shirt with a picture of Bob Marley playing soccer on the front and the slogan “Free Bob!” printed over top of it. He had written a story for Slate with that title, but I didn’t know that when he showed up at my house in Boston and, besides, the gift was a symbol of something between us.… Read More
Things are moving fast and furious on Rootfire.net. If you haven’t yet had the chance to check out our previous issues, they’re conveniently packaged in our archives and make for fun late night reading when you’re craving a reggae music rabbit hole to swim down.… Read More
“Patience my friend. The key is just time,” sings Eric Rachmany on Through The Roots’ newest single “Bear With Me”. The electro-roots track is a collaboration between Through The Roots, Eric Rachmany of Rebelution, and Oahu’s freshest production trio Live Animaux (JP Kennedy, Leslie Ludiazo, Christian Mochizuki).… Read More
I’ll never forget the first time I heard “Rasta Courage” off SOJA’s debut album, Peace in A Time Of War. It was just about 10 years ago, long before the radios had played it, the promoters hyped it, and the record stores sold it.… Read More
“You must kill them. All of the batty men run when you see them. All up in your community, mon, me gon’ kill them. Man need a woman, can’t live without them, that’s why me comin’ after them!”
That’s what I sang into the microphone.… Read More
In high school I had a friend, two years older than me, who had Judah’s Lion tattooed on his arm. In D.C. that meant Bad Brains and to me it was cooler than cool. Never mind he was a star soccer player, had a hot girlfriend, and drove a brand new Mazda MX-6.… Read More
“I want you to get together, put your hands together one time.”
St. Germain’s “Rose Rouge” is playing in my headphones. It’s 10:03am EST on Friday morning and we’re putting the final touches on this week’s issue of Rootfire, the second since we relaunched.… Read More
