| Irie Island Vibes with Ras
Digital
Article and Photographs by
Diane “Livonn” Adam © 2005
It’s not often that I can write about
a local artist that impressed me as much as the young Ras Digital (Roosevelt Pacquette). I caught his show on June 30, 2005 at the newly
opened Irie Café in Vallejo, California. Irie Café has an intimate and homelike atmosphere
and was a very nice setting to get up close and personal with Ras Digital and his backing
band, Lickshot Crew. After receiving a call from my friend telling me
that they were headed over to see Ras Digital in Vallejo, something told me that it would
be a good idea to get over there to see this artist perform since missing his performance
last year to Dreadstock Festival.
The Irie Café is a
co-op inspired by Lickshot Band member Ras David
Richmond and co-owners Monica Doss and Christine Gude.
Walking into the small restaurant with about 8 tables set up in the old
café style with counter ordering of veggie patties and burgers and the Irie Café
specialty of Jamaican Jerk Chicken, I was immediately greeted by friends who set right
next to the Lickshot Crew who were preparing
to perform their second set with Ras Digital. I was
happily surprised to see the |
Ras Digital & Lickshot Crew
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Lickshot Crew there because I
knew the music would be irie all night. Ras
David with his Lickshot Crew can always be heard around the Bay Area and are really
appreciated, especially when all the high-profile Reggae performers are taking a hiatus
leaving fans high and dry. A few minutes later
Ras Digital appeared and greeted me with a beaming smile and genuine warmth, thanking me
for coming to the show. With such close
proximity |
to the band all of
us sitting at the table got a personal and sweet performance by Ras Digital and the
Lickshot Crew who include along with Ras David on bass guitar, Nicholas Newman on keyboards and vocals, and Ahkil Mustafa on drums.
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Hailing from the
Island of Dominica, Ras Digital has been involved in music since he was a youth and was
inspired by his uncle Phillip “Chubby”
Mark of Midnight Groovers who gained fame
on the island for his contribution to the genre of Kadans
a musical amalgamation of Calypso, Mazouk and |
Benuine. Relocating to New
York in the early 1990s, Ras Digital honed his current Reggae influenced music by
performing with many top Reggae artists like Sugar
Minot, Sister Carol, The Meditations and Nasio Fontaine and later recorded the popular
single, “Shashamane On My Mind” with Sidney
Salomon from the Twelve Tribes Of Israel Band
a song that is dedicated to the Shashamane Health
Clinic in Ethiopia. |
Ras Digital
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Conscious lyrics and music is what Ras
Digital is all about. His debut CD release, Calling Israel H.I.M. which he wrote, arranged and
produced, features him on  vocals/drums/keyboards
along with contributions from Ras Michaels on
keyboards, Wadell Bell on bass, lead guitarist Fazel Pnedergast (who recently passed on to Zion)
and the helping hand of veteran engineer Larry
“The Brain” Crain. Calling Israel H.I.M. contains some really sweet
Reggae music and I was especially impressed with the Roots songs “Going Home”
which truly reflects the longing to go home to Mama Africa and “Jah Never Fail I
Yet”, “Jah Love Is Mine” and the title track, “Calling Israel
(H.I.M.)”. Ras Digital proves he is no
stranger to love songs and melts the heart on the Afro-mantic
song, “I Feel”. Though I’m not
a big fan of Rap, I did enjoy his combination with Bay Area rap artist South Paw on the songs “Baby It’s
OK” and “Groovin”.
Ras Digital and Lickshot’s
performance at the Irie Café included songs from Calling
Israel H.I.M. along with rocking the small crowd with renditions of Steel Pulse’s “Steppin’ Out”
and the Mighty Diamonds “Pass The
Kluchie” which even got the owners on the dance floor to strut their stuff. As Ras Digital skanked and laughed during his
performance it was clear to see that he really loves
Reggae and performing to all of us who share his affection for the music. Ras Digital’s enthusiasm is truly infectious
& |
Ras Digital & Nicholas Newman, Ras David Richmond
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I couldn’t help
singing along and smiling as he performed his new song, “Jah Jah Is Real”. Also shining was vocalist, pianist, composer and
producer, Nicholas Newman who is also
celebrating the release of his new CD, The Nicholas
Newman Project. |
If you’re looking for bona fide Roots Reggae with an urban edge that not
only captures the spirit of love and reverence for H.I.M. but also manages to entertain
and inspire, Ras Digital has captured that spirit and will surely rise to the top with his
irie island vibes.
Give Thanks & Blessings to Marsha Alexander and
Ja’nice Adele Island For their invaluable assistance
Blessed
Love |
