On Thursday, March 20th in Ocean Beach, San Diego, two bands played at Gallagher’s Pub for reggae night- Oogee Wawa from Long Island, NY, and Arise Roots from Los Angeles, CA. Oogee Wawa plays reggae-rock music with hints of hip-hop, while Arise Roots plays straight roots reggae music!
Oogee Wawa had a familiar, Sublime sound, but that was just their rock music! Although their music can be fast, it has moments where it slows it down for both reggae and hip-hop; at least that was apparent when Top Shelf Reggae heard their rendition of Biggie Smalls, “Juicy.” Oogee Wawa features four members with two of the guys partaking in vocals; although, the drummer also sang a song! Mostly, these guys are a happy band- interacting with the crowd, and putting on quite a performance! They played “Regrets,” “Whatta Ya Say,” “Keep The Party,” and “One Night Stand,” with the latter song being quite a hit with the crowd! The band also announced a new album is due in about two months.
The band’s reggae is so classic-sounding—yet, also sounding of a new generation of roots-reggae music!
Arise Roots is on the rise! If you have not checked out this band live, do so immediately! The band’s reggae is so classic-sounding—yet, also sounding of a new generation of roots-reggae music! The way vocalist Karim Israel sings is soulful, and his lyrics are absolutely divine. Either this band has practiced to perfection, or their vibes are so in-sync with one another that they create some sweet reggae music! This is evident in such songs as, “Moving Forward,” “People Are You Ready,” and “Fear Factory.” Hirie also showed up to help perform “Cool Me Down.” Also, Chiquis Lozoya from The Expanders joined the band playing guitar, and backing up vocals, and it made Top Shelf Reggae wonder why these two bands aren’t touring together to bring their sweet melodies to dedicated roots-reggae fans! Perhaps a show promoter will catch on, but until then, keep rising, Arise Roots!
For more information regarding these two bands, please check out their websites: Oogee Wawa and Arise Roots.
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