In advance of their upcoming RISE AND REGGAE (LIKE NEVER BEFORE) West Coast Tour, REGGAE FESTIVAL GUIDE (RFG) catches up with band members from Dubtonic Kru to learn more.
Imagine heavy basslines, one drops, psychedelic guitar riffs, echoing keyboards and conscious lyrics.
Now imagine roots reggae, imagine dub, rock…
Put them all together and you get a new breed of Jamaican music called Dubtonic Kru.
Appearances by Aaron Nigel Smith
RFG:
What is the concept behind the name Dubtonic Kru?
Jubba:
The concept behind the name of the band, comes from the vibe of our music through the conjoining of these two words; Dub & Tonic.
“Dub” relating to the anchor of roots reggae music and “Tonic” referring to medicine.
From ancient times, music has played an essential role in the development and evolution of life and has always been around us; we then say that music is part of our foundation. Dub Tonic = Foundation medicine. Our music represents that very feeling.
RFG:
How many albums do you have together as a band, and what are their names?
Jubba:
Dubtonic Kru has five albums to date: The titles are; Jungle Fever, Dub Tonic, Dub Tonic [Gold Edition], Evolution and Dub Conscious.
RFG:
Which of your songs is your favorite and why?
Stone:
OVERCOME, because there is a message in the music.
RFG:
When and where was your first performance?
Jubba:
Our first public performance was in Europe; in 2006. This was the first time that the name Dubtonic Kru was announced publicly on stage. Though the full line-up of the band was not complete yet and has evolved since, the honor of performing Dub instrumentals as Dubtonic Kru ahead of the Icons, U-Roy and Junior Murvin was momentous.
It was not new to us as musicians to be backing or performing among those great icons in different parts of the world since myself and Stone were already doing it for a decade, but it certainly was different to have your own brand being mentioned in such a line up.
However, Spain 2008 was the landmark date for Dubtonic Kru. Our first performance that included vocals, was in Bermeo, Basque country (Spain), later during that tour, we also were blessed with presenting our music on the main stage of one of the biggest reggae platforms in Europe called; Rototom Reggae Festival.
RFG:
What is your most memorable experience as a Dubtonic Kru band member?
Jallanzo:
My most memorable experience as a Dubtonic Kru member is the first time we went on the road in 2008 as Dubtonic Kru featuring Kamau & Jallanzo. It was a joy on the road doing music in such a way that there are no words to explain the powerful feeling and sense of freedom we experienced. We experimented while we performed on stage and the improvising jams became a part of our performance and before the tour finished we all decided to come together as one, as Dubtonic Kru.
RFG:
What is Plug N’ Play?
Jubba:
Plug N’ Play was a weekly collaborative event, in Jamaica, between myself and a production partner, with the support of friends, family and numerous artists and musicians that participated. The concept was to bring both developing and veteran artists together on one platform, in an intimate setting, that would foster further development and also bring the community together. My main production partner of that event is now in Dubai, bringing the reggae culture by way of an event called Reggae Beach Fest. So many greats participated: Big Youth, George Nooks, Tinga Stewart, Kabaka Pyramid, Rootz Underground, Protoje, Raging Fyah, and many others.
RFG:
What is Bands Incorporated?
Jubba:
Bands Incorporated is another brain-child event which was very special to me.
That concept came as a result of what I saw as a lack of youthful presence, among self-contained bands, on our Jamaican music scene.
Our goal was to create a platform for others that were inspired by what we and our colleagues Rootz Underground were doing at the time, and to further bring attention to that part of our culture.
Again through the partnership and support of my good friend John McKinley, making his property available, as well as playing other integral roles, we were able to stage Band’s Incorporated for 5 years.
From the influence of that event, we’ve seen a surge of younger bands turning up out of Jamaica.
RFG:
What do you feel was your most valuable contribution to the reggae
community?
Jallanzo:
I think our most valuable contribution to the reggae community is being able to inspire and set examples for younger generations of musicians. We’ve created a unique brand and invested time and effort. We set a foundation by building platforms for young musicians to express themselves freely through events like “Born Jamaica” “ Bands Incorporated” Plug n’ Play, etc. Dubtonic Kru is one of, if not, the most influential group of musicians for the “new roots movement” or “Reggae Revival” out of Jamaica. Our movement has influenced, and inspired many such as Jah9, Protoje, Raging Fyah and many more. We brought dub back in style.
RFG:
Why is the tour called; ‘Rise and Reggae Like Never Before’?
Jubba:
The title of the tour is ‘Rise and Reggae Like Never Before’ because it represents this season in so many ways. It’s autumn which many people call Fall, but we prefer to call it Rise. We also have been off the scene for a while, so it’s time to rise again.
The title of our new single is; “Reggae Like Never Before.”
RFG:
Aaron Nigel Smith, how did you get to participate on the Rise and Reggae Tour with Dubtonic Kru?
Aaron:
I’ve had the great pleasure of collaborating with Jubba from Dubtonic Kru on two albums.
We are preparing to release the second project very soon and thought it would be good to start getting the songs in the consciousness of the reggae community. This tour provides the perfect platform to give fans a sneak peak of what’s to come.
RFG:
Tell us more about your new project.
Aaron:
We are excited to release the new album In Our America early in 2019. The project is a reflection of the past few years in America. The new single from the album, More Love is out now on all digital streaming and download platforms.
RFG:
What is 1 World Chorus?
Aaron:
1 World Chorus is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that my wife and I formed to promote peace by connecting and empowering youth around the world. We offer collaborative chorus, drumming and multimedia production residencies for youth ages 8-18 in The United States, Kenya and Jamaica.
RFG:
What is next on the radar for Dubtonic Kru?
Stone:
Lots more great music!
RFG:
Anyone you want to give special shout out to?
Jubba:
To our immediate families for their patience and support and to our fans and supporters globally. We are truly thankful.’’
For information about RISE AND REGGAE (LIKE NEVER BEFORE) TOUR, visit
https://www.facebook.com/events/192062708384563/
Coming to a city near you.