Ten-Year-Old Rising Star Shines at Caliroots Sessions: San Francisco

 

Streetwise Radio One on One with Kailash

Ten-Year-Old Rising Star Shines at Caliroots Sessions: San Francisco

By Shelah Moody

October 24, 2021.

“You know what we’re doing is insane right?”.

Photographer Lee Abel and I were on our way to cover an indoor reggae festival, Caliroots Sessions, at the Midway in San Francisco. Lee thought it was insane, not only because we would be in a massive crowd in the midst of a pandemic; but because we were going out in the throes of a storm; the most aggressive to hit the Bay Area in two years.

“Do you think we should turn back?” I asked.

Nevertheless, writer and photographer pressed on, masked up and shielding ourselves from large drops of rain and gusts of wind as we entered the sprawling Midway venue, bracing ourselves for what was to come.

I got the first sign that I was indeed supposed to be at Caliroots Sessions SF that afternoon when Jah Warrior Shelter sound system: King Ivier, Rocker Tee, and Irie Dole announced our presence and gave us a shout out soon after we walked in.

“Big up Lee Abel and Shelah Moody!”

I was still floating on the vibe of feeling like a rock star when I saw the second sign that I was supposed to be there. Chilling out with his parents in the green room was none other than Kailash; the 10-year-old, reggae phenomenon I’d been stalking on social media for months.

Wooing audiences with his hypnotic, angelic vocals, Kailash established himself on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook,  and YouTube singing covers of Peter Tosh’s “Can’t Blame the Youth,” Wailing Souls’ “Jah Give Us Life” and performing on stages across the country with his mentor, acclaimed reggae vocalist Don Carlos.

Reggae/Dancehall great King Yellowman, one of the headliners at Caliroots Sessions SF, is one of Kailash’s newest fans and Instagram followers.

At such a young age; Kailash demonstrates a strong command of vocals over percussion and bass, channeling pure roots of a bygone era.

Kailash’s parents are Mark Brumwell, who works in the biotech industry, and Thato Brumwell, a medical doctor. The family lives in San Rafael, CA. Incidentally, Mark started out as a huge reggae fan.

“I grew up in Key West, Florida, which has a strong affinity for all things the Caribbean, especially Jamaican culture,” said Mark Brumwell.

“It’s kind of ironic, sitting here looking at Yellowman because he was a key fixture touring through the Florida Keys when I was a young boy.’

Kailash has an album with Don Carlos in the works, and his website will be available soon. According to Brumwell, the key to raising a gifted child is having a strong family unit; a good mother in particular.

“Our family is all different pieces of a puzzle in terms of how we operate,” said Brumwell. “But if it was just me making the decisions on my own, I don’t know if I’d be making them as soundly as without having the guidance of his mother to help balance the decision-making process.”

knew that Kailash was musically gifted before he started to formally train with anybody, but his mother and I got him into a music school when he had just turned three. He couldn’t really talk yet, at least with an instructor. We worked really hard to get him into a music school in San Francisco when he was three.. He started to train formally on piano at age three. We also knew that he was gifted vocally, but we only had so much time and resources to dedicate to one thing. He studied piano, principally, for a number of years and he’s still studying. He has a vocal teacher as well.”

I spoke with Kailash prior to his performance with Don Carlos at Caliroots Session SF. Kailash was perhaps the calmest person in the room.

Streetwise Radio: What does your name, Kailash, mean?

Kailash: It’s the name of a mountain in the Himalayas.

Streetwise Radio: Tell us how you got into singing, performing, and reggae music,

Kailash: Well, my dad was listening to reggae ever since he was a child, so naturally, he instilled it in me. It started with me making videos playing our piano; my dad was playing the guitar and we had a whole drum machine. I feel like it all just happened in the blink of an eye. All of a sudden, we’re here now. It feels like a dream.

Streetwise Radio: Tell us about the musical training you had growing up in San Francisco.

Kailash: I’m part of the MTAAC (Music Teachers of Association of California) certificate of merit program. I take classical piano lessons and I practice every day.

Streetwise Radio: What are some of your favorite reggae songs?

Kailash: I can tell you that I do love listening to Yellowman’s album, “One Yellowman.” Right now, I’m digging the “Answer” riddim, particularly “Turn Me Loose,” by Al Campbell (Channel One). It’s one of my favorites.

Streetwise Radio: I know you are already successfully working at your craft now, but what do you want to do when you grow up?

Kailash: Keep being a musician, keep doing what I’m doing now.

Streetwise Radio: What’s it like working with Don Carlos?

Kailash: It’s absolutely awesome, I have to say! Also, I’ve been digging deep into Don’s history and listening to some of Don’s old songs. They are pretty fascinating. I’m listening to his “Harvest Time” album, and some of my favorite songs are, of course, the title track, “White Squall,” and “Hail the Roots.”

Streetwise Radio: Besides making music, what are your hobbies?

Kailash: I like going on bike rides with my parents. I like shooting basketball hoops at my school; they have a full basketball court. I also like playing kickball; it’s one of my favorite sports. Most of the time, it’s usually music.

To watch the full interview with Kailash at Caliroots Sessions SF, go to: https://youtu.be/ZLAvkMoAPUc

To see Kailash perform with Don Carlos at Caliroots Sessions, SF, go to: https://youtu.be/tCW2fndtEIA.

Fortunate Youth

 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGGAE POWERHOUSE FORTUNATE YOUTH ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM GOOD TIMES (ROLL ON)

ALBUM DUE OCTOBER 1, TITLE TRACK OUT NOW

Good Times (Roll On) is Due out Friday, October 1 on Controlled Substance Sound Labs!

Hermosa Beach,  CA — The So Cal powerhouse reggae-rock band Fortunate Youth is back with the announcement of their fifth full length studio album Good Times (Roll On) due out October 1 on Controlled Substance Sound Labs. The announcement comes out today with the release of the second album single and title track “Good Times (Roll On).” The new single is out now and available everywhere you stream music: https://moremusic.at/GoodTimesRollOn. 

Born in the throes of lockdowns and conceived around 2018, the new album Good Times (Roll On) is a range of throwback sounds to current vibes. With the new album, Fortunate Youth rekindles the spirit of their early days from backyard grillin’ and chillin’. Bringing a fresh sound dotted with influences of blues, ska, rock, world, soul, and punk with the hope to reunite, once again, with their fans worldwide. And also, there’s a wish: that the return of those feel-good vibes finds brighter days for the planet.  “We’re trying to change the world through the music we write and play, and the lives we live out performing onstage,” says singer Dan Kelly.  

Reflecting on the release, Corey Draskovich (bass, guitar, keys), comments “Embracing the new, and reflecting on the old. Every album we make is a new process, we learn from each experience and try to incorporate those lessons into our new music. If there’s one thing that we hope people take away from the album is, enjoy the moment and memories last a lifetime.” Adding perspective to the title Jared Draskovich (keys/bass) comments, “We are all living through this global event and to me we chose the title to help ensure that Good Times are indeed going to roll on regardless of all the hardships that our recent environment has provided for everyone.”

Crafted over the last year Good Times (Roll On) is reflective of its time. “This is probably the first time we’ve put an album together where we had the time to review and refine each song for as long as we felt necessary. 2020 was a tough year, especially for the touring music industry. With the down time at home, we were able to spread out the sessions and take our time,” comments Cory. Comparing the recording process from previous albums, what would typically take the band 3-4 weeks, lasted about 9 months to piece together as they took time with each track and to create a stellar 12 track album.

The new album is stacked with standouts including the glistening title track, “Good Times (Roll On),” as the album’s next single to be released July 23rd. With the new song, Fortunate Youth turns a slightly nostalgic eye to its humble beginnings in the backyard, plus a few new tasty surprises under the lid.  “We always hope our music can change the outlook of anyone’s day,” comments Dan.  Cory adds, “The lyrics are true to us as a band, and reflect where we come from and the things we appreciate in life. Dan’s vocals on this track still give me goosebumps.”

With more time to craft the new album the band reflected on their ever evolving sound. Over the last 2 years Fortunate Youth had toured with a sax player and trumpeter, so they added parts for a horn section and enlisted premier players John, Art, Bryan, and Geoff. They also include features and special guests including Nathan Feinstein (Iya Terra) on “Groovin” and were joined by their good friend Gonzo (Tribal Seeds/ Fortunate Youth) for background vocals. Additionally,  “Around the World” features Italy’s own twin fronted group Mellow Mood backed by stellar horns that really hits home on the global reach of reggae music. “Burning With You” showcases the band’s soul and R&B chopps. And what started as a backstage jam session while on tour in Mesa, AZ became “Riddim Rydah” feat. Skillinjah & Dread Kennedy. Cory comments “Dread Kennedy and Skillinjah were hanging out and we randomly just did a live dub plate/ toasting version of the song and these guys absolutely killed it.” 

Ever evolving and always collaborative, the writing and composing process is a band effort. Songs are fleshed out on the road or created with a riff or melody. While working the new album the band did a handful of pre production recordings at Kona Town Studio. And in July of 2020, mid-lock down, they tracked key essentials at Total Access Recording. Looking back, Jared recalls, “It was definitely weird having to wear masks in the studio when we first started tracking… it was our first time recording at Total Access which is in our minds, a legendary spot (Pennywise, Sublime) so that was rad…” Cory adds, “Total Access being located in the area we grew up in and with its history of great recordings we were all excited to get in there. With the state of the world at the time we had to maneuver around a handful of obstacles and move our recording dates around to accommodate.” They also worked with Lewis Richards at 17th Street Studios and tracked the horns remotely at Kromatic Sound recording studio in the East coast.

The band is comprised of long time friends Dan Kelly (vocals), Travis “Travi Bongo” Walpole (percussion), Jered Draskovich (keys/bass), Greg Gelb (bass, guitar), Corey Draskovich (bass, guitar, keys), Revelation Kalauli (drums). Since its inception in 2009, Fortunate Youth remains devoted to its roots and a simple mission: Spread peace, love, and unity with music.  It’s a mantra of sorts for the multi-faceted sextet from Hermosa Beach, driving a relentless thirst for live performances and an ever-evolving cache of original material. Including the forthcoming Good Times, Fortunate Youth has also catalogued over a dozen releases and notably, all have been recorded, produced, and distributed, in DIY style, by the self-invested band. Garnering top Billboard charting success the band has seen their albums hit #1 Billboard Reggae Album Chart 5x, Billboard Heatseekers Chart 2x, #1 iTunes Reggae Chart 10x plus millions of streams across all platforms!  

They are devoted to their fans as much today as they were when they started performing live, ticking off countless miles in the van crisscrossing the U.S. Fortunate Youth has graced the stage in support of brethren such as Slightly Stoopid, Stick Figure, and SOJA on major tours as well as continuing to headline national treks of their own; totaling over 27 tours since their inception. Over the last year the band has missed their normality of tour life but is also grateful for the time they have with loved ones. They look forward to seeing their fans and performing live again. Catch their full tour here.

The new album is due out October 1st and will be available everywhere you stream music. Stream title song here.

Track Listing:

1) “Too Big”

2) “Around The World” (Feat. Mellow Mood)

3) “Burning With You”

4) “Sunlight”

5) “The City”

6) “The Situation”

7) “Good Times (Roll On)”

8) “Friend”

9) “Emin Interlude”

10) “Riddim Rydah” feat. Skillinjah & Dread Kennedy

11) “Groovin” feat. Iya Terra

12) “The Cure”

 

Connect:

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/FortunateYouth/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/fortunateyouth310

Twitter – https://twitter.com/fortunateyouth

Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/c/FortunateYouth

SoundCloud – https://soundcloud.com/fortunateyouth

Bandsintown – https://bandsintown.com/a/937707

Curfew Roadblock

Akae Beka feat. Chronixx - Black Carbon Official Music Video

Indubious

 

THE FAST-RISING REGGAE TRIO RELEASES NEWEST ALBUM ON EASY STAR RECORDS

 

Indubious’ highly anticipated full-length album The Bridge is out now on Easy Star Records. The record finds a strong balance between Indubious’ unique production and sound coupled with an all-star lineup of guests including Sizzla, Capleton, Anthony B, Jah9, Mike Love, Zion I, Wookiefoot, and others. Stream or purchase the album now at http://moremusic.at/TheBridge. The four singles that preceded the album release helped push the Bend, OR-based trio to new highs of listeners, streams, and fan activity, which is expected to continue growing, especially once the band can get back on the road.

Evton and Skip, brothers and bandmates (along with drummer Matty T. Wells), have cultivated a dedicated fan base, affectionately called Indubians, with their impressive instrumental skill, powerful harmonies, and an electrifying stage presence. In addition to their memorable live shows, which have put them on numerous U.S. festival stages, as well as on tour with The Movement, Stephen Marley, and others, Indubious are no strangers to chart success. Their 2019 album Beleaf debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Chart and #2 on the iTunes Reggae Chart, which marked a new high for the band building on the previous success of their 2017 album From Zero, which debuted at #6 on the Billboard Reggae Chart and #8 on the iTunes Reggae Charts. With The Bridge, Indubious is poised for a big breakout year.

The Bridge came to life with the intention to bridge Jamaican reggae artists, west coast reggae, and the “Medicine Music” genres. The album successfully manages to pull these scenes and artists together across 12 diverse tracks. Skip explains, “The Bridge was a very special project for us, because we had the privilege of working with our absolute top tier favorite artists. Sort of a dream come true, especially with how seamless it was artistically.” He adds, “Since its inception, reggae music has always been a vehicle for the transcendence of suffering, and a prayer of the power of love. A way to honor the truth at the root of the human experience. A heartbeat, a meditation, a prayer for good over evil. This heartbeat quickly spread to every area of the world stage and has become a mainstay in the spiritual music scene – occasionally leaving behind the true meaning and depth behind its original soul-cry. Fast forward to today, as cultures merge at an increasing rate, and the music expands, it was our aim with The Bridge to extend honor and respect to the spiritual roots of divinity and dignity that shaped the original founders – and to bring forth a musical future, rich with honor for The King’s music, Mother Earth, and the mystical revelations foretold in its original message.”

The album was recorded in Bend, Oregon, at Indubious’ Righteous Sound Studios, which involved a lot of long-distance collaborations, due to travel restrictions, but didn’t stop the project from coming together in an organic and compelling way. The first single “Neva Bow” features Zion I and is about a mindset of fear-based mentality that is unconsciously embraced by otherwise good-hearted people. The aim and message of the song is to bring awareness to how we hold our energy as creators. The song is accompanied by a vivid and dynamic video. The second single making an impact is “The Throne,” featuring Capleton. This heavy-hitting track is an inspirational reminder of your royalty and divinity, and that truth and light will always sit on the Throne.

“Ease and Flow,” is also making waves, with Hawaiian-based singer-songwriter Mike Love joining Indubious, with a fun video showcasing them all road tripping through scenic and frozen Okanogan County, Washington. The most recent single, “The Offering,” features Sizzla and Skillinjah and is a synthy, hip hop-style banger about seeing through the veil of illusion in the world and offering love in the face of adversity. An anthem about honing our inner vibration to spread joy and unity in everything we do, no matter the situation or challenge. The album closing track (“I Can Breathe”) is a deeply personal song to the band: Evan and Skip were born with a degenerative and often fatal disease called Cystic Fibrosis, leading Evan to eventually have a double lung transplant. This song is a peek into their mentality of seeing the positive within the challenges put before them and having gratitude for the breath of life that so many of us take for granted. This battle with Cystic Fibrosis has been a huge part of their life, and also had a huge effect on Indubious, as it has often sidetracked their climb within the scene, but Evton and Skip have both always worked positively through these setbacks, focusing instead on growth, spiritual health leading to physical health, and finding inspiration for their music and life journey.

Indubious has produced their most personal and dynamic album to date and is eager to share it with the world. The band concludes, “We are all so very grateful for such an amazing opportunity to share our deepest prayers and hearts with you in the form of this musical and spiritual expression. If our music can do one thing alone, our wish is that it helps you remember who you are, your power as a Creator- to know how special, needed, and valuable you are to the grand scheme of life and inspires your gratitude for the Breath of Life. Every thought you think shapes reality for everyone around you. To choose these things wisely and with purpose is a superpower.”

Queen Ifrica "Four Women"

 

In Tribute to the legendary, iconic Nina Simone; Jamaica reggae star Queen Ifrica pays homage with a reggae cover of the marquee track "Four Women". In a time where respect of female equality, diversity, culture, history, ethnicity is needed more than ever in the forefront of the global consciousness; this Stephen Marley produced take on Nina Simone's powerful declaration describing Four Women is surely relevant. The song is being released on Monday April 26th 2021; the anniversary of the 1969 recording of Nina's "Live from Berkley" album. Brought to you by the Ghetto Youths International Label

Queen Ifrica - "Four Women"

Nina Simone Cover

Produced by Stephen Marley

Release:- April 26 2021

Ghetto Youths International

Benji C - B-L-A-R (Black Lives Against Racism) | (Official Music Video)