ROOTS SINGER RAS TEO, RELEASES “SABBATH DAY” AS HIS LATEST SINGLE!

Roots singer Ras Teo teams with Dutch company JahSolidRock to release Sabbath Day, a song extolling observance of the holy day. Released April 11, it also consoles victims of, and those fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Los Angeles-based artist, “The timing of the Sabbath Day release had everything to do with a sense of immediacy around the current global health crises, and desires of JahSolidRock and I to collaboratively offer a loving message of support and comfort to those suffering from fear, anxiety, loneliness, loss, or the virus itself given the challenging times we are currently living in.”Sabbath Day is the lead single from Sufferation, Ras Teo’s eighth album, which will also be distributed late this year by JahSolidRock. That company has established a strong reputation working with Jamaican roots acts such as Chezidek and (the late) Apple Gabriel of Israel Vibration.

Ten Thousand Lions, Ras Teo’s previous album, came out last year and did well in European reggae circles.
For Sufferation, he worked with mainly Jamaican musicians at Tuff Gong studios in Kingston. Sabbath Day, the Sweden-born singer noted, is also an ode to spiritually.

“Having grown up  Christian, in an Orthodox Christian household, I reverently believe in the power of faith. We celebrate all who celebrate their faith, and wish love, happiness, health, and prosperity to all celebrating Easter,” he said.

The 41-year-old Ras Teo was born Teo Hartoonian to Armenian parents in Uppsala, Sweden. He has lived in the United States since 1996; during his youth he soaked up the hardcore roots-reggae sounds of Fred Locks, Hugh Mundell and Burning Spear.

Since 2009 when he issued his first album, Mystic Morning, he has followed-up with a flood of songs, largely released in Europe.

Ras Teo visited Jamaica for the first time in 2015. Last year, he returned to the country twice to promote Ten Thousand Lions and perform at venues such as the Dub Club.