Jah Roots to light up (at) Mojo’s

By Jess Camp

Published Feb. 1, 2008

Many reggae lovers will celebrate Feb. 6 by lighting up and taking big puffs from their joints, spliffs and blunts in honor of Bob Marley, who was born on that day in 1945. Columbia’s resident reggae group, Jah Roots, will be no exception.

The band will celebrate the musician/activist’s life with a concert at Mojo’s. The band’s current members (lead singer/guitarist Ras Josh, percussionist Josh Nail, drummer Eric Groves, guitarist/keyboardist Mike Hulsey, vocalist I-Ron, bassist Stephen Washburn and horn-player Phil Quidort) came together in 2004 and have released four reggae albums since.

Ras Josh has loved Marley from the very first moment that he heard his Best of Marley album.

“He’s a great guy,” Ras Josh said. “He was big and popular not because he was a hippie or the weed dude, but because he was a real revolutionary. Everybody wants truth and rights.”

He said that every year on Marley’s birthday reggae fans from all over gather to celebrate.

Marley and Ras Josh are alike in many ways, besides their common music genre. It’s no secret that they both share an enthusiasm for the ganja. In fact, many of Jah Roots’ songs talk about the herb.

“I use herb in a spiritual healing way,” Ras Josh said. “It’s a sacred plant that helps. It’s only man and society that made it bad. Before America took it over, Native Americans smoked it for ailments. Cancer and AIDS patients say they’d rather use it than pills.”

Though marijuana is an illegal substance–Ras Josh calls it an herb–he emphasized he doesn’t do drugs and doesn’t think that kids should either. It makes him sad that people think they need hard drugs to feel good.

“When people smoke ganja they open their minds,” Ras Josh said. “Alcohol and hard drugs don’t have the same effect.”

Not only do they share the views on the chronic, but they are also brave enough to share their political stances.

Ras Josh said that he is against the way the school system in America works. He said they teach the children to be brainless zombies and not to follow their dreams, which is why his wife home schools his three kids. But he is positive for the future.

“They’ll be in a new mindset and change soon,” Ras Josh said. “If not, our fucking grandkids won’t make it because they’ll be wiped out.”

Ras Josh said people in the industry are very supportive of them despite their looks and home base of Springfield, Mo., which is not commonly associated with reggae culture.

“We’re a bunch of white men with dreads,” Ras Josh said. “I’ve been able to work with artists that I wanted to. I’ve worked with authentic Jamaicans and been accepted.”

He said it’s normally “the white kids” on the Internet that slam them, but the band doesn’t retaliate.

“When they talk shit, we don’t talk back,” he said.

Ras Josh said love is the only way to respond.

“We’re all connected together like left and right hands,” he said. “We’re brothers and sisters. We have eyes and noses like the animals. Love for everyone.”

Not only does the band love people, but they also want to share their music with anyone who is interested.

“We encourage people to burn our CDs,” Ras Josh said. “We’re not mean like that. If you want to buy it, though, awesome.”