After backing roots singer Max Romeo on a handful of American shows early this year, members of the Dubtonic Kru are working on their own projects. Drummer DeLeon “Jubba” White says the band has endured several changes.
“The last four years have been quite a reflective period, with various transitions. Individual members were focused on personal goals but for the last year, things started reshaping, and the need to present the evolution of the band became a priority,” said White, who lives in Oregon.
White, guitarist Omar “Jallanzo” Johnson and bassist Strickland Stone are core members of Dubtonic Kru which started as a quintet.
White and Johnson supported Max Romeo on his ‘Put on An Iron Shirt Tour which played California, Washington State and Oregon in March and April. Once that was complete, they concentrated on side projects.
“In February, Jallanzo released his second album, a guitar instrumental entitled Guitsy and I just finished working on the theme song for the Ostroda Reggae Festival in Poland, which now has an official music video available online,” White disclosed. “The song is entitled Sweet Reggae Music in Ostroda and features me and Kenyan artist Alekey Marshal.”
White also co-produced In Our America, an album by American singer Aaron Nigel Smith, released in March.
White, who also sings, and Stone formed Dubtonic Kru during the 1990’s. They backed acts like Romeo, The Heptones and The Mighty Diamonds before recording their own songs and touring the United States and Europe.
In 2011, they won the Battle Of The Bands competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They have three albums to their credit, the last being Dubtonic Fever which came out in 2009.
Though they consistently performed throughout the US and at major European festivals, White admits it has been tough keeping members focused.
“Keeping a band together can certainly be a challenge. It’s like any relationship that involves two or more people with different perspectives. And yes, most of the frustration felt came as a result of the lack of adequate resources necessary to meet industry demands,” he said.
White disclosed that Dubtonic Kru are currently booking dates in the US.
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