Kabaka to hit the road
WITH the global entertainment space slowly opening its doors amidst the pandemic, one local act is taking his music on the road for a summer tour.
Reggae artiste Kabaka Pyramid will be joining British reggae veterans Steel Pulse and fellow Jamaican Keznamdi on the Good Vibes Summer Tour of the United States, organised by powerhouse American reggae band Rebelution.
The tour will kick off in Fesno, California, on August 5 and run until October 2 where it will end in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Along the way, the artistes will perform in cities across continental United States. The cities include Phoenix, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Spokane,Washington; Eugene, Oregon; Salt Lake City, Utah, Las Vegas, Nevada; Austin, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Kabaka Pyramid was excited at being able to go back on the road.
“It’s a good look; a real good look. A long time mi want to go back on the road so we just giving thanks for this opportunity and looking forward to hit the ground running,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
“Well, Rebelution dem link us and ask if we wanted to go on the road with them and we just jump at it. They should have gone on the road with a band called The Green, but they had some family issues and since we and dem just collaborated on a track on their latest album, they thought it would be a great fit,” he continued.
Kabaka Pyramid noted that in addition to the opportunity to be back on the road, given some of the cities scheduled, this tour with Rebelution will allow him to introduce his brand and his music to a new audience.
“There is a lot of new material that we have to share with the people. So this is a great time to test them out. And some of these places are not my regular spots, so it will be great to feel out these new audiences and test the music. The truth is: I usually adjust and set the music to suit where I’m playing. So, for these new spots, I usually insert some classic reggae tunes along with my stuff to make them have a good time. Most people know my thing is usually the lyrical experience so I just mix it up so people can come party and have a good time,” he said
As for the pandemic, Kabaka Pyramid said the past 14 to 16 months has given him time to reassess himself mentally, spiritually, and physically.
“I have had the time to look at my craft within the music market and space. I have had the opportunity to analyse how strong I am in the industry. As the market reopens, promoters are only going for the strong ones… and you really can’t blame them. They live off music and they have been out of work for so long so they can only go for the strong players in the field. They simply can’t take a risk right now, so I have to ensure that I am in the right place,” he added.
