Temple of Roots

With a unique mix of electronic Dub Reggae and Hip Hop, Berkeley based Temple of Roots have been rocking up and down the California Coast for the past 2 years. Defying conventional Rap and Dancehall stereotypes, Temple of Roots is a conscious crew on a mission of positivity.Vocalist/Poet Josh “the Scribe” Millican and multi-instrumentalist Manny “Manteka” San Gabriel began working together as founding members of the political Hip Hop trio “Dead Sea Scribes” in early 2004 (www.myspace.com/deadseascribes). When this group disbanded in 2006, they began collaboration with vocalist and San Francisco native Linda “Stingah” Hurshman. This new trio dubbed themselves “Temple of Roots” after the name of the first track they recorded together. Backing vocalist Vejah Mah, aka Microfoncheka, aka Tha X-Factor (also a San Francisco native) joined the crew in early 2008.Josh Millican came to the Bay Area from Southern California by way of UC Santa Cruz. A nationally recognized “Slam Poet” in the 90’s, Josh began his love affair with live music as the vocalist of “North Spaulding Sick Boys,” a Los Angeles based punk-metal outfit where he often drew comparisons to Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies. Years later (and several hundred miles further north) in Oakland, Josh was recruited into the conscious hip-hop group “One Over Crew” where he cultivated his half-sung, half-spoken delivery style. These days, Josh continues to evolve with his unique, ultra-mellow flow as he creates songs of peace, evolution, and solidarity.Musically, Manny “Manteka” San Gabriel IS Temple of Roots. Mixing electronics with organic instrumentation, Manteka builds each track from conception through the final mix. A true Dub practitioner, Manteka’s years of musical history and production experience truly make him a unique force to be reckoned with. A Puerto Rico native born to Filipino parents, Manteka has advanced proficiency with the guitar, bass, keys, piano, and drums. Live, this one-man-band brings a custom rigged PA System, invoking the old-school dancehall atmospheres created by Dub pioneers King Tubby and Scientist. Manteka drenches each song in blissful effects on the fly, making each performance one-of-a-kind.Often working without a set-list, Temple of Roots’ shows do not break between songs. Instead, the set is a continuous flow of music and lyrics that grabs and audience from the start, and never lets go. With their diverse combination of voices and personalities, Temple of Roots are crowd pleasing entertainers as well as messengers of positivity.Radio Stations currently playing Temple of Roots include: KSVY (Sonoma), KPFA (Berkeley), and KALX (UC Berkeley).For booking and/or a demo, contact Josh at 510-388-7417 or [email protected] and One Love

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