With his faith steeped in Rastafari, Tony Roots has made his name as a roots singer mainly in the United Kingdom where he lived for many years. But every now and then, he loves to sing for the ladies.
He does just that on How Much Longer, a song released on September 13 by his Ras Guerilla Music label. It is co-produced by Melbourne “Dusty” Miller, drummer of the Firehouse Crew and his son Jahbari Miller.
“A lotta people know mi through mi bus’ inna English roots scene but mi never pigeon-hole myself. Wi always try bless di Empress dem,” said Tony Roots. How Much Longer is his third released song for 2021. He also collaborated with Dusty Miller on the hard-hitting Let Me Breathe and Digi Human, which dealt with issues like racism in the United States.
Though his personal catalog is dominated by songs driven by social commentary, Tony Roots notes that he was influenced by some of reggae’s great balladeers including Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs.
How Much Longer hears him showing his versatility.
Tony Roots is from Manchester parish in central Jamaica. He developed a liking for roots-reggae there in his teens, hanging out around sound systems and watching the growth of acts such as Garnet Silk and Tony Rebel who are also from Manchester.
His career took off in the UK during the 1990’s, where he recorded a number of well-received albums for Jet Star Records, then the leading reggae company in that country.
Hola Zion and Ease Off are two of Tony Roots’ popular songs in the UK and Europe.
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