January 28: Midnite @ Mt Tabor Theater | 100% Roots Reggae Music From St Croix, US Virgin Islands
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Related on Pipeline: Our Portland Events Calendar & Ticket Giveaways
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From our sponsors at Mt Tabor Theater:
ANNOUNCING: 100% ROOTS REGGAE MUSIC from ST. CROIX, US VIRGIN ISLANDS
Ises Productions & Higher Reasoning Reggae Time Present:
MIDNITE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 28
Mt Tabor Theater
4811 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Doors: 8 pm, Music: 9 pm
Tickets: $22/advance – $26/Door / Show is 21+
Advance Tickets: Mt Tabor Theater Box Office, and at TicketsWest dot com
Midnite's music can be sampled and purchased at these sites: www.viroots.com |Â www.vireggae.com |Â www.ebreggae.com
Midnite
At the core of Midnite are brothers Vaughn and Ron Benjamin. Vaughn provides the lead vocals that evoke the soulful and edgy chants of traditional reggae. Ron brings masterful production skills, harmony vocals, dub arrangements and keyboard/bass directorship to the table. This soulful and rootsy band also includes Christian Molina (drums), Edmund Fieulleteau (guitar), Edwin Byron (guitar) and Ras L (keyboards).
Midnite weaves the cultural rhythms of “old school” roots music with lyrics born of modern day experiences and a bibliophagic's knowledge of ancient and contemporary writings to create a unique listening encounter. Roots Reggae – naked and raw, both danceable and thought provoking, is an apt description of Midnite's musical style.
Unpolished is the title of their debut album which includes such classics as ‘Don't Move,' ‘Mama Africa,' and ‘Love The Life You Live.' Originally released in 1997, while the band was located in Washington, DC. In 1999, Midnite linked up with Wildchild! Records for their second release Ras Mek Peace. Incredibly, this album was recorded using only two channels and was mastered without any reverb, filtering, compression or equalization. Songs like ‘Hieroglyphics,' in which graffiti is likened to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, showcase the intelligent songwriting that pervades all of Midnite's works.
Following the release of Ras Mek Peace, Midnite returned to live in St. Croix so that they could work with the local musicians and make recordings at their African Roots Lab without any outside interference. The fruits of these labors can be found on their third album Jubilees of Zion, which was released on their own independent Afrikan Roots Lab record label. The expansive, hypnotic rhythms continue, alongside the messages of peace, universal brotherhood and cultural resistance to Babylon.
In June 2002, Midnite made their Northern California debut at the 9th Annual Sierra Nevada World Music Festival. That same month saw the release of Midnite's fourth album Seek Knowledge Before Vengeance.
After having released collaboration albums such as Suns Of Atom, New 1000, Rule The Time, Infinite Quality, To Mene, and Supplication To H.I.M. to name six, the brand newWhat Makes A King? set, also on Afrikan Roots Lab is the first non-collaboration Midnite album in over five years! Again Midnite comes up with an album that features a great mix of superb vocals, solid rhythm production and complex, thought provoking lyrics. The latter is strongly inspired by Vaughn Benjamin's visit to his place of birth, Antigua (ANU). With this new album Midnite continues to raise the bar of roots reggae, as we know it today.
By breaking the musical boundaries, Midnite is setting a new standard for roots reggae. Armed with a firm foundation in Jah Rastafari, their natural talents, and a strong uncompromising musical vision, Midnite champions a unique sound that is at the cutting edge of modern roots music.
Other writings about Midnite:
- landisarts.com/propagandart/midnite
- ireggae.com/features/midnite
- surforeggae.ig.com.br/ (Portuguese)
Tickets are $22 in advance, $26 at the door. Doors open at 8:00 pm and showtime is 9:00.
