From reggae-reviews.com :
Roots Tonic (Root Awakening, 1997)If you name your reggae band Root Awakening and your debut album Roots Tonic, you better come correct with your roots. And, although you may never have heard of them (despite this album being ranked the 1 independent American reggae release of 1997 by Reggae Report magazine. . . for what that's worth), Root Awakening does just that. You may have heard this group perform the unforgettable dub-like "It Shall Be Dread" on the R.A.W. 2000 compilation, and the quality dips little on the other tracks on Roots Tonic. This California group seems to truly understand the nature of roots reggae; they embrace it wholeheartedly and perform it confidently, not something you always hear from an American band. The live-instrument roots music is undiluted yet readily accessible, genuine yet catchy and fun. Along with "It Shall Be Dread," "Take the Time," "Don't Go," "Cover Up," and "Tonight" represent some of the best examples of sustained quality modern roots -- American or otherwise -- that I've heard in the late '90s. My only real complaint about Roots Tonic is that it is so short; 7 songs and 3 dubs provide far too little "tonic" for what ails me.
Festivals:
Bill Graham/Hog Farm Pig-Nic, Laytonville, CA. 8/95
Reggae in the Park, Napa, CA. 5/96, 97, 98
Festival at the Lake, Oakland, CA. 6/96
Reggae in the Park, SF. 10/96
Bob Marley Fest, Tucson, AZ. 4/97
Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, Marysville, CA, 6/97
Viva! El Paso Festival, El Paso, TX, 7/97
Kansas City Reggae Fest, Kansas City, MO. 7/97
Full Moon Reggae Festival, Sandpoint, ID. 7/97
"Harmony To End Hunger", Santa Cruz Civic 10/97
Reggae in the Mountains, Sun Valley, ID, 7/98
Roots Mountain Reggae Festival, Tonasket, WA, 7/98
Native American Music Festival, Tsaile, AZ, 6/99
Roots Mountain Reggae Festival, Tonasket, WA, 7/99
Reggae in the Hills, Oakland, CA, 9/99
International Sailing Regatta, Kralendijk, Bonaire, Dutch West Indies, 10/99
Oneida Indian Arts Festival, Oneida, WI, 10/99
Real Deal Reggae Fest, Bakersfield, CA,, 6/00
Northwest Reggae Festival, Seattle, WA, 6/00
Northwest Reggae Festival, Mt. Hood, OR , 7/00
Spirit Ridge Festival, Nespelem, WA, 7/00
Roots Revolution Festival, Cardwell, MT, 7/00
Reggae on the River, Piercy, CA, 8/00
Bill Graham/Hog Farm Pig-Nic, Laytonville, CA, 8/00
Reggae on the Rez, Hancock, MI, 9/00
Indian Summer Festival, Milwaukee, WI, 9/00
Monterey Bay Reggae Festival, 8/01
American Indian Film Festival & the Palace of Fine Arts, SF, 11/02
Baja Reggae Festival, Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico, 2/04
Planet IndigenUS Festival, Toronto, Canada, 8/04
Earthdance Festival, Laytonville, CA, 9/2004
Northwest World Reggae Festival, OR, 7/05
Monterey Bay Reggae Festival, 9/05
Gathering of the Peacemakers, Santa Cruz, 9/06
Monterey Bay Reggae Festival, 9/06
ROOT AWAKENING has provided musical backing for:
The Congos
Ken Boothe
Tippa Irie
Daweh Congo
Ras Midas
Casper Lomayesva
Vince Black
Earl Zero
Isaac Haile Selassie
