Fans: 1,830
Jah Roots has quickly gained a hard-earned reputation as one of America’s most talented homegrown reggae bands. Lead singer, Ras Josh, perfectly employs his soulful, fervent, vocals while delivering cerebral, thought provoking, lyrical content in which themes of love, oppression and spirituality are often explored. His voice possesses sonic features that can best be described as undeniably roots reggae, and yet, also uniquely his own. The roots reggae element of the Jah Roots sound is generously supplemented by the dancehall stylings of rapper, I-Ron, who’s expertly crafted flow flawlessly infuses Jah Roots live performances with an infectious, joyously frantic energy. Once you find yourself in the audience at a Jah Roots live set, the tightness of the band is immediately apparent, as is the fact that each and every member of Jah Roots is obviously a highly capable and accomplished musician. The moment Jah Roots launches into the first song of the night, there is no room for confusion concerning their sincerity; these six guys from Springfield, Missouri, are not merely a reggae band out having fun out on the road, but rather a collective of highly talented performers dedicating their lives work to echoing Jah’s message down from the stage and out to the masses. The undeniable quality inherent in Jah Roots music must be the reason their 2007 release "Crucial" wound up, rather unexpectedly, on the list for “Top Ten Reggae Albums of 2007” on the tiny island nation of Guam!! In the past two years, Jah Roots has taken the stage at The Wakarusa Musical Festival, SXSW, Schwagstocks 32 & 33, Tulsa Reggae Fest, Dayton Reggae Fest and The High Times Reggae Fest. In addition to these festivals, Jah Roots has recently played dates with the Marley children, Bunny Wailer, Burning Spear, Prezident Brown, Michael Franti, George Clinton, and many, many more. Through little more than word of mouth, Jah Roots repeatedly packs every venue they play, the band’s success serves as an irrefutable testament to the power generated when authentic music is performed live, by passionate, purpose-driven artists. Recently, Jah Roots, recorded their upcoming album, entitled “JOY,” (Release date: 4/18) at Lion & Fox Studios, in Washington, D.C. which is known internationally as America’s preeminent reggae recording studio. Once in the studio they were joined by legendary reggae guitarist, “The British Hendrix” himself, Junior Marvin – who served as lead guitarist for Bob Marley & The Wailers from ’77-’80. He contributed guitar on four of the album’s tracks! As the release date for “JOY” looms ever closer, Jah Roots music is poised, ready to vault into a higher level of society’s collective consciousness, and as the music grows and touches more and more people, we, as a world, will be the ones “JOY”-fully reaping the benefits.
