Rootz Underground celebrates 20
LOCAL reggae band Rootz Underground is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
As part of the commemoration the band , which comprises front man Stephen Newland, Colin Young, Jeffrey
Moss-solomon, Charles Lazarus, Leon Campbell and Paul Smith, has released a triple album titled Red, Green and Gold.
Newland explained that he and his bandmates really just wanted to give back some of the music which they have become known for to their fans who have been with them since inception, as well as introduce their sound to the younger generation.
“Yes, a triple album…this is the first time this is being done in reggae music out of Jamaica. What we have is 32 tracks, all produced by Rootz Underground, which just celebrated the music we have been pushing over these past two decades. We just didn’t want to do a regular anniversary album, like a ‘Best of’ or something like that…that feel like all the members dead off and gone. So we came up with this and the reception to this work has just been amazing,” he shared with the Jamaica Observer.
The three individual albums which comprise this compilation have all been curated based on various themes.
‘Red’ showcases original music with the exception of one track, as they have included a Nyabinghiinfluenced version of Across the Universe that was originally recorded by The Beatles. According to Newland, this playlist features some of the hard-hitting, rebel spirit music the band is known for.
On ‘Gold’ Rootz Underground collaborated with a number of female acts for a string of duets.
“This is all about the empress dem,” noted Newland.
“It’s not all about love, but it’s lovely. We called on Natalie Rize, Brina X and Desiree Dawson, who is a young vocalist out of Vancouver, Canada. I first hear Desiree sing at a live session years ago and was blown away. I really had to have her on a project. So, we brought her to Jamaica and recorded five tracks, four of them are on this album. We have some amazing covers such as Young, Gifted and Black and Valerie by Amy Winehouse. There is also an original track, No Fairytales, which features Natalie Rize.”
For the final set, ‘Green’, the band has drawn on some of the tracks that their fans have come to know and love from previous projects.
“We pulled some of the scorchers which were favourites of fans, as well as those tracks which didn’t get all that much love for whatever reason. Some of these tracks are 18 and 19 years old, so they really showcase the lifespan of the band and tell a story of what we have stood for since day one,” said Newland.
“What is interesting is the excellent response to this project, even in these COVID-19 times. With previous projects we were all wrapped up in promotion yet this album has performed better than all the albums that have come before, with zero promotion. The secret lies in the fact that the quality and message have been consistent, and that will always win. It’s just Jah works. We did what we’ve always done, that quiet magnificence, and it just bubbled out to the people,” he continued.
The current global health crisis has directly impacted Rootz Underground, like it has with the entertainment industry worldwide. Newland shared that the band’s three annual tours were cancelled due to COVID.
“We have all experienced that cut in income. Our spring, summer and fall tours were all scrapped; they would have been in March, June and October. Had things gone as planned we would have just come off the road last week. But, we must continue so we’re working on a new album which should be released next year.