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Roots Natty Music
Reggae | Tuesday 22nd May 2012 | Osh
Max, his empress Miosotis and their children make up Roots Natty, a family and group of roots musicians. Recording his first ever album in Jamaica and touring California are definitive moments in his career and there are big plans for his next album, Rasta Man Music. But before the release of that, Miosotis’ album El Respeto/ Respect and a dub collection Max is working on (Dub Masters) will be released this summer. All albums are bilingual and are produced by their independent, family label, Roots Natty Records. Max told us more.
When did your musical journey begin and how long have you been on the scene for?
Well, first of all I give thanks for this opportunity and to the Most High Jah Rastafari for calling me and inspiring me to play music and sing his word, sound and power. I started to play reggae music around 1993 in Puerto Rico with a bredrin name Ras Shaggai that used to live in the island, then I moved to Costa Rica and used to play with handmade percussive instruments until me and my friend Raul decided that we needed real instruments to form a reggae band. I packed my bags and returned to Puerto Rico with the idea of buying them there and then return but Jah had a different plan. As soon as I got to the island, I met others who were forming a band in my home town and the rest is history.
Your family is also involved in the music? What’s it like to be doing something you love with them?
Yes, we are a musical family and music is an everyday thing. It is a blessing to be able to share the stage, the studio, the house, every moment is special. They inspire me and motivate me to work more and more. They are all very talented and they make me very proud. They are my reason for doing everything that I do.
What and who are the main influences for your sound?
Jah Rastafari Haile Selassie I and the great prophets like Bob, Peter and Bunny. The Wailers to me defined reggae music and I have studied their vibe and sound over the years. There are others of course who I also admire and listen to like Israel Vibration, Burning Spear, Midnite, Twinkle Brothers to mention a few. Roots sounds and nyabinghi drums also.
You’ve worked with quite a few big artists... What has that been like for you personally and for your music?
Thanks to Jah, I have been blessed to be able to work with big artists like Earl “Chinna” Smith, Pablo Moses, Errol Brown, Ron Benjamin and others. It has given me a great level of experience and knowledge of how to work and approach this reggae music with seriousness and simplicity. And it has enriched my over-standing of music and how to produce records and engineer my sound as well as helping shape the sound of others.
Which other artists have you worked with and how have they influenced you?
I have worked with Pablo Moses, Uzziel Levi, Ron Benjamin of Midnite, Malika Madremana, Rasta Dom, Balanta Asante, Earl “Chinna” Smith. Each one has had a different level of influence depending on the time and space that we have shared. I have learnt different things like recording, harmonizing, songwriting, music business procedures, rasta livity and touring just to name a few. Reasoning is powerful.
So who would you like to work with in the future?
I would like to work with Roe Delgado and JahNattoh from Barcelona, Spain and other Spanish singing artists from Europe or Latin America.
Has living in Puerto Rico influenced your sound in any way?
Yes it has. Our culture and heritage is rich with African drumming, salsa, merengue, calypso, bomba, plena and our geographical location has influenced our musical taste. Our proximity to St. Croix for example has influenced my style of roots reggae. The simplicity in the sound and the militancy in the message in many U. S. Virgin Island artists that has recently made an impact in the world of reggae has shaped my idea of how reggae should sound.
So you’re known as Roots Natty. Where did this name come from? Why did you choose it?
When I was living in Costa Rica I used to hand paint t-shirts for a living and later I invested in some silkscreen frames and the name brand was Roots Natty. Later when I returned to Puerto Rico and we were getting ready to do our first show we decided to name the band Roots Natty just like the t-shirts. In 1999 the band separated and I continued with the name. The name is like a concept, like a stance, not just Natty but a Roots Natty. Tight, militant.
Will you be performing at any events soon? If so, where/ when will they be?
I just performed in Granollers, Barcelona with my bredrin Roe Delgado. The family will be performing at the Latin Music Festival in San Jose, California in June and we will also be performing in the Monterey Bay Reggae Fest at the end of July in Monterey, California.
And where would you like to bring your sound to next? Are there any countries/ cities you’ve really wanted to perform at?
I would like to bring my sound to Europe and Africa and for a long time I have wanted to perform in Peru and Brazil. I have many fans in those two Latin American countries.
Describe your music in three words...
Word, sound, power…
The main message you’re trying to send through your music is...
The teachings of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I.
Your favourite place to have performed to date is... and why?
I have to pick Monterey Bay Reggae Fest. I have performed there four times already and every time has been special. It’s a great festival and I have always said that every time has brought many blessings and opportunities with it, for example, I currently live in Monterey County.
If there was one song you would recommend the readers to listen to, which would it be?
That’s a hard one, but I would pick Rasta Resiste. My songs are all like my kids to me, they are all unique and special with a different personality.
And the plan for the next three years...
Well, I don’t like to plan I like to set goals. We will be releasing Miosotis’ album, the dub collection, my next album Rasta Man Music, a “Live” album and relocating to Europe. My son is a football player and he wants to live in Barcelona so I would like that to happen for the family since it would also benefit our musical careers and my daughter’s artistic education.
For more on Roots Natty and to listen to some of the roots sounds, visit the website: www.rootsnatty.com and if you like what you hear, you can order the albums at: www.cdbay.com
