Raging Fyah guitarist Delroy Hamilton asks a crowd if the Boogie Barn Stage is the rockingest place at the Roots and Blues Festival.
Hearing the loud assent, the reggae band proceeded to light souls with their own fire, bringing an authentic taste of the Caribbean to Salmon Arm.
Hot off their second Barn Stage performance on a steamy Sunday afternoon, lead vocalist Kumar Bent and guitarist Hamilton waxed poetical about the landscape, the people and the festival
The five members of the band met at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in their native Jamaica where they began at “ground zero,” learning how to read, write and play music.
Together ever since, the five members of the band have been bringing their soulful message to the world for eight years.
“The music was already there but it never got highlighted,” Bent says of reggae’s increasing popularity on the world stage and Raging Fyah’s decision to be a voice that lights the dark places of the world with a positive message.
“Our music is bright and beautiful,” Bent says, pointing out all the members of the band grew up in the church. “You find the soul in the music; it’s Christian-minded, but it’s for everyone, it’s very spiritual.”
Writing material for the band is a collective effort, with each person bringing their ideas and a group decision on what works best, says Bent in his soft Jamaican drawl.
“We sit and jam for the music, we’re all pretty close,” he says of his housemates and the inspiration that comes from waking up every day.
Raging Fyah made a stop in Calgary for Reggae Fest before coming to Roots and Blues and will play in Banff on their way back to Jamaica.
Hoping to be invited back, Bent says he and the rest of the band members have been basking in the warmth of their welcome.
“This is the most beautiful place I have seen in a very long time,” he said. “I love the level of professionalism and the friendliness of the staff. I am happy to be here. Thanks for having us here and showing us a wonderful time.”
