Protoje

Protoje, Sevana and the Indiggnation Band, Glasgow 02 ABC, 7 May 2017

Being an old-time veteran, I like to think Protoje is quite new on the reggae scene, as he still sounds so fresh and original, generally rejecting recycled rhythms and covers, blending influences from hip-hop and dancehall with the real instruments and talented musicians of the Indiggnation band to create a powerful new conduit for his smart, riddle-full lyrics, putting him at the forefront of the roots revival. But he’s been working at this a long time, as you can tell from his carefully crafted and developed sound. It’s nearly seven years since he started to scratch the surface of success and began this reggae affair with new audiences all over the world, and even made it to Glasgow already in October 2015. So there’s no excuse not to be up to speed with his message by now, and clearly he made a big impression on the reggae connoisseurs of Scotland last time, as the 02 ABC was packed with an eager and expectant crowd.  Protoje’s protégé, Sevana, took the stage bright and early (about a quarter past eight, so don’t be late) to showcase her EP, with songs like ‘Easy To Breathe’, ‘Carry You’ and ‘Chant It’ demonstrating her soulful voice and extra classic lovers style.

After a short break, Protoje took centrestage, his easy-going, laid back presence belying the anger and militancy of his lyrics as he hits us with tunes like 'Criminal' and 'Blood Money'. Flanked by two powerful female voices, keyboards and some rocking guitars, as well as a driving drum and bass, he gets the crowd singing Kymani Marley’s part on ‘Rasta Love’ and the vibe is reminiscent of the latter’s old man. He’s a versatile performer, launching into high-energy steppers, sharing the spotlight with the band and when joined on stage by another amazing prospect Lila Iké, with her own ‘Biggest Fan’ she also features on ‘Flight Plans’ from the ‘Royalty Free’ download last year. A couple more tunes from this selection reveal more of a softer, lovers rock side that emerged spending a few months last summer in the UK, as he tells us. Protoje’s music encompasses the whole smorgasbord of reggae, and while most of his tunes are his own compositions, he also pays tribute to his inspirations, from the bouncing ska of ‘Answer to Your Name’ to a taste of dancehall with some live sampling of Buju’s ‘Champion’ with a heavy dose of eighties influences from Black Uhuru’s ‘Shine Eye Gal’ and a sprinkling of ‘Exodus’. He steps up the pace with a little more help from Sevana and the guitarist taking Jesse Royal’s part for ‘Sudden Flight’ and keeps the crowd bubbling to ‘Bubblin’ and more. He can’t leave out the modern anthem, ‘Who Knows’, which is the first reggae record in years that I’ve heard blasting out of passing cars, in the barbers, shops and at suburban parties, in Glasgow.  Leaving us with another classic, ‘Kingston Be Wise’, after the best part of two hours on stage, he’s already got a substantial body of work to choose from, with three full studio albums and a couple of mixtapes/downloads, but still left the crowd eagerly waiting for more. If you look at the artists he has collaborated with, it reads like a who’s who of the recent roots reggae revival in Jamaica and globally: Chronixx, Jah9, Jesse Royal, Alborosie, Gentleman, which makes you realise reggae’s future is in safe hands, and is also a big chunk of the line-up for this summer’s festivals like California Roots, Summerjam Germany and Boomtown England. So if you missed Protoje on this tour, don’t miss your next chance. One love!