Suns Of Dub celebrate 10 years of touring
Home-grown sounds of calypso and soca filled the ears of Ras Jammy as a youngster in Arima, northern Trinidad and Tobago. But the Suns Of Dub co-founder discovered other genres from an unlikely place in his parents’ home.
“My biggest influences musically come from a wide range, I remember a lot of Tracy Chapman in the kitchen as a youth, but the Jamaican music influence in Trinidad is strong and producers and artistes like Earl “Chinna” Smith, Junjo Lawes, Lee Perry, Sizzla, Glen Washington, Beres Hammond, Buju Banton, and even Vybz Kartel has influenced me a lot,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
Suns Of Dub also comprises fellow Trinidadians Jah Bami and CP.U.
The dub collective was formed in 2010 by Jamaican Addis Pablo, son of dub visionary Augustus Pablo, and Ras Jammy.
Pablo left in 2016 and was replaced by CP.U.
After a break from touring due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the trio resumed road work in early 2022, as well as releasing new songs by Jah Bami and Norris Man.
This year has been special for Suns Of Dub as 2023 has seen the group celebrate 10 years of touring.
“In the past 18 months alone we have been privileged to have performed in Serbia, UK, Israel, Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago with Jah Bami making countless solo appearances across the US under the Suns Of Dub banner,” Ras Jammy disclosed.
Holy Mount Zion by Norris Man (featuring Carlton Shepherd) and Hold Your Heads Up by Jah Bami are the Suns Of Dub-produced songs released in the past year. They set the pace for an album by CP.U and a compilation of songs paying tribute to their influences, due out in the first quarter of 2024.
Like their roots-reggae/dub heroes, Suns Of Dub’s biggest following is in Europe, particularly the summer festival circuit, where they are sometimes joined on stage by artistes such as Earl 16, Prince Alla and Michah Shemaiah.
The Suns Of Dub catalogue is diverse, with albums, EPs and singles of their recordings as a group, as well as collaborations with acts such as Prince Alla, Johnny Osbourne, Jah9 and Midnite.