Live music
Attention reggae fans, Trevy Felix wants a word with you. And the charismatic founder of US-based roots reggae outfit Boom Shaka (right) has plenty to say.
It's a message that resounds and reverberates via Boom Shaka's melding of the Afro-Caribbean sound with rock, dance, blues, ska, funk, rocksteady - you name it and you'll hear it at the second Hong Kong Reggae Jam tonight and tomorrow (September 21-22).
'I feel that music is the quickest way to communicate with people, so we're looking forward to having a conversation with people on that level in Hong Kong,' says the Dominican Republic-born Felix. 'The music people like to hear is the music they feel a connection with, music that speaks to them and that's what we're about, having a conversation.'
To date, Trevy and the other four members of Boom Shaka have played to audiences throughout the Americas, Europe and Africa, touring with big roots-and-dub names like Burning Spear, Aswad, War and Third World - now it's Asia's turn to listen up. Founded in 1987, Boom Shaka also comprises Ray 'Bassie' Felix, Antiguan keyboard player Binhi-I, guitarist Lester Fari and former drummer for the Rastafarians, Shakaman. Their first album Creation met success in Europe, South America and Japan and a second, 1992's Best Defences was heralded for fusing roots with rock and pop. Two other releases, Freedom Now in 1996 and Rebel Lion in 1998 cemented their reputation and led to major international tours.
Felix says 'it's a beautiful thing' that Bob Marley helped make reggae probably the world's most popular musical form, opening listeners' ears to the boombastica of roots and dub. 'This music is all over the planet now,' he says. In a feast for reggae lovers, Boom Shaka are joined at Big Mama's Juke Joint, Wan Chai, by DJs Mikey Dread and Rude Boy Johnson.
