CHICAGO – A fan of Barrington Levy since his youth in Northern California, Brandon Rootz pinched himself. This happened when the legendary reggae singer asked him to be the opening act on his current United States tour.
Brandon Rootz has warmed-up crowds for most of the 60-show tour which opened on June 1 in Tucson, Arizona. It is scheduled to close on September 14 in Chicago.
“It is a dream come true to see all my hard work pay off from the past 10 years, grinding hard in Jamaica working with some of the biggest Jamaican producers and artists such as King Jammy, Buju Banton, Luciano, and Sizzla,” he said. “Being on my first USA coast to coast tour with a legend like Barrington Levy has been the break I have been working so hard to see. It is finally here.”
Levy is one of reggae’s most influential singers. His classic songs include Under me Sensi, Looking my Love, Here I Come, Black Roses and Living Dangerously (with Bounty Killer).
His ‘A Fi Yuh Tour’ has played several major venues. These include Howard Theater in Washington DC, The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, California, House of Blues in New Orleans, and Sony Music Hall in New York City. Performing in those locations has introduced Brandon Rootz to diverse audiences and music industry figures.
“This tour has already opened many doors for my career. There are many opportunities for future tours and bookings coming my way from this tour. The sky is the limit,” he said.
Brandon Rootz has spent much of the past 10 years in Jamaica collaborating with artists such as Luciano, King Jammy, guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith and saxophonist Dean Fraser. He has recorded a number of songs at the Marley-owned Tuff Gong recording studio in Kingston which will be on his first album.
He worked with Luciano on the song, Without The Greed. You’re Like an Angel, his digital collaboration with Gregory Isaacs (who died in 2010), was produced by King Jammy. King Jammy is one of Jamaica’s most successful producers.
