In previous articles covering the modern reggae community, I have noted how the pandemic, despite how awful it had been for numerous reasons, did offer a silver lining for some musicians. In addition to inspiring creativity, the lack of touring allowed people to spend more time with their families… Read More
Win a copy of Greensleeves Records’ “Greensleeves Reggae Gold” 10-Track LP, released August 19, 2022 courtesy of Greensleeves Records (VP Music Group). Enter below.
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45 years of London’s iconic Reggae label
1977, Shepherd’s Bush, London. A record shop at 44 Uxbridge Road, selling Jamaican music, decides it’s time to… Read More
Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted and article written in January 2022 but Rootfire decided to publish it in celebration of the one year anniversary of the release of Ease & Grace.
According to Spotify, my primary streaming platform of choice, my most listened-to artist of 2021 was Iya… Read More
It’s been a momentous year for the John Brown’s Body massive. 10 Ft. Ganja Plant played a rare show… Read More
Win a copy of Opie Ortiz & Family feat. Crazy Baldhead “The Right Way B/W The Right Dub” 7-inch Vinyl, courtesy of Rootfire. Enter below.
“This song is about helping the youths,” stated the one and only Opie Ortiz about “The Right Way,” the ebullient new track he sings on produced by
The Slackers must be the most inappropriately named band within the international reggae/ska scene. While their moniker alludes to underperforming and procrastinating, as the hoodie I’m… Read More
I’ve only had so many ocean encounters in my life. One particularly memorable experience found me with a snorkel, mask, and flippers, coasting over a very shallow coral reef. If I just let myself float, the waves would carry me intensely over canyons of wild and beautiful reef,… Read More
In the late eighties and early nineties, if you wanted reggae music, it was probably coming from RAS Records, straight out of Washington D.C. They had a mail-order catalog (pre-internet) and served as publisher for a lot of the famous acts coming out of Jamaica at the time. …
