Located in the Pacific Northwest, Oregon has a history of social tolerance, similar to its neighbours Washington State and California. That suits New York native Seth “DJ Colonel” Fridae just fine.

He settled in the Beaver State 20 years ago and is synonymous with reggae in the city of Bend, where he lives. DJ Colonel hosts Simmer Down With The Colonel, a weekly show on KRXF-92.9 FM. Through his Simmerdown Sounds Production company, he also promotes live shows featuring marquee reggae acts.

Last month, DJ Colonel made his debut as a producer with Solar Riddim, a nine-song album co-produced with White Stone Production, a label operated by Jamaican musician DeLeon “Jubba” White of the Dubtonic Kru.

“Jubba and I had a similar thought process for the album and we both wanted to create a ‘riddim’ album. Jubba presented me with the idea, knowing I am a selector who loves riddim juggling. Upon hearing the Solar Riddim that Jubba White composed, I knew it would be great for various artistes to record on,” said DJ Colonel.

Jubba, who lives in Portland, Oregon, is one of the artistes on the Solar. He teams with Frassman Brilliant and Arturas on Rise And Shine. Mykal Rose, Twiggi, Perfect Giddimani, Turbulence and Ranking Joe also appear on the compilation.

Rose and Perfect Giddimani are two of the artistes DJ Colonel has worked with as a promoter. He also brought Jah9, Sister Carol, Junior Reid, Warrior King, Pablo Moses, Brigadier Jerry, Israel Vibration, and Pablo Moses to Bend, which he describes as “a growing community on the west coast of the USA with lots of live music”.

DJ Colonel noted that, “Bend’s proximity to Portland, Seattle and San Francisco make it a great stop for routing bands.”

Before he moved to Oregon, Seth Fridae listened to diverse American music, from Motown soul to jazz, Delta blues and hip hop. The rebel tones of roots-reggae first attracted him to Jamaican music.

Like Washington State and northern California, Oregon has high rainfall and is also known for brutal winters. It is home to a close-knit reggae community that stages several live shows and festivals annually.

For over 15 years, DJ Colonel has helped keep reggae fans in tune through Simmer Down Sounds.

“The word got out around town that I had a music collection that would be well-suited to play on FM radio. I was given the opportunity to create a radio show at KRXF 92/9 FM and programme music for the Simmer Down. Named after The Wailers’ first number one tune in 1964, it is rooted in foundation culture music in roots, rocksteady, lover’s rock, dancehall, ska and dub,” he explained.