WHOEVER thought the quality of roots-reggae died in 1981 with Bob Marley, has another guess coming. The music - which some thought was at death's door - is on the rebound, according to the June 21 issue of Billboard Magazine.
The decline, wrote Patricia Meschino in an article headlined 'Movement of the People', began with the increased dominance of computerised dancehall beats, which caused authentic reggae rhythms to be relegated to obscurity. She, however, saw saxophonist Dean Fraser as instrumental in this revival.

Fraser produced Tarrus Riley's Parables, Duane Stephenson's From August Town, and Luciano's Jah is My Navigator, three of the strongest albums recorded in Jamaica during the last two years.

Producer and songwriter Mikey Bennett also shares this optimistic view and sees the music regaining its former status.

"It is a wonderful time for roots- rock reggae music," said the man who penned Maxi Priest and Shabba's mega-hit, House Call. "Music goes through cycles and presently, roots is flourishing."

Female singers


Etana

Bennett lauded female artistes for carrying the mantle as well.

"We're especially blessed with a wide selection of female singers; for the first time you see the females in the spotlight," Bennett said.

In the Billboard article, Fraser names Etana and Queen Ifrica as females rooted "in the struggle" of restoring the music to its former place in the international market.

Another hurdle roots-reggae faces, according to Meschino, is the scant commercial airplay the music receives. She, however, credits the band Rootz Underground for its creativity in creating a download link to its music. Bennett sees this as critical for the music's longevity and has seen some strides in this regard.

"Radio, producers and selectors have become more open to playing roots music and this is beneficial for the business, as it allows the audience to appreciate the music," he said.

Billboard proclaims six albums that heralded the roots-reggae resurgence. This includes Parables by Tarrus Riley, Movement by Rootz Underground, The Strong One from Etana, Diedem by Taj Weekes and Adowa, From August Town by Duane Stephenson, and Mission In Progress by Morgan Heritage.