Roland & The Roots Riddim New Single "Still I Rise" Available Now! 🌎
November 15, 2019
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Roland & The Roots Riddim has been hard at work with a new single, press appearances, and exciting plans for 2020!
- The new single "Still I Rise" is a positive, uplifting, and true-to-life track. As Roland describes, "This song is a salute to all the strugglers, survivors, fighters, and soldiers of life who don’t fold - they keep standing and coming back for more!"
- Latest press appearances include Comedians Interviewing Musicians, hosted by Music Firsthand on 11/12 and KOOP Radio's Theme Music on Wednesday nights, hosted by Dr. Amy Frishkey on 11/6!
- Roland Kemokai and the Ladies of RRR performed a cover of "One Love" at One Road Austin at Antone's on October 30, 2019. Several artists came together to celebrate cultural diversity in Austin, such as Tomar Williams, Kalu James, Kiko Villamizar, Stephanie Bergara, and more. The show was hosted by non-profit organization EQ Austin and Austin Music Foundation. Check out the video below!
- RRR is excited to be working with Austin Music Foundation more closely. They recently performed on AMF's Final Friday Showcase at Austin Eastciders Collaboratory, also hosted by Drunk Luck Records.
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Roland Kemokai and the Ladies of Roland & The Roots Riddim perform "One Love" with the house band at One Road Austin 2019, hosted by EQ Austin and Austin Music Foundation. October 30, 2019.
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Photos by Music Firsthand, OtherSide Austin, and Mitchell Kinte Hood. Video by OtherSide Austin.
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November 2019 - Roland's Latest Reggae Single
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September 2019 - Roland's Instrumental Album
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May 2019 - Single, Roland's Arrangement of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song"
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Summer 2018 - Roland's most recent reggae album
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2019 RELEASES
The new single "Still I Rise" is a positive, uplifting, and true-to-life track. As Roland describes, "This song is a salute to all the strugglers, survivors, fighters, and soldiers of life who don’t fold - they keep standing and coming back for more!"
Produced, arranged, performed, mixed and mastered by Roland “Mista Muzic” Kemokai, the single is called “Redemption Song” - a conscious arrangement, interpretation and application of Bob Marley’s original work. As Roland says, "I feel the inspiration of Mr. Marley’s message strongly applies to current national and global struggles. As an artist and a member of the collective human family, music is such a medium that gives me the voice to say to a fellow human being 'you’re not alone in this struggle.' I along with my band aim to spread positive messages of consciousness, empowerment, healing, and inspiration. In the song we called on the wisdom of Dr. King and other great human beings to guide us in these times of major challenges."
Roland's recently released album, Breathe Easy, is a reflective conversation about Roland's trip to Liberia:
"In the spring of 2018, I took a month trip out to my home country, Liberia. While my trip was deeply fulfilling in my work of inspiring and empowering the young people, I experienced a tragic betrayal when a supposedly family member heartlessly stole a massive sum of money from me. While the money itself was insignificant compared to what I’d hoped the relationship would mean, I felt the pain of the 'discarded child in me' all over again. Feeling such a deep, gaping hole in myself, I withdrew into myself. And as always, I turn to music as my safe space of healing, processing, and letting go. Whenever I sit down at my piano, the pain and madness of this crazy world disappears. So this album, Breathe Easy, is an expression of this healing process as I chose to completely let go of what’s no longer serving me in order to embrace my highest good. So I 'breathe easy' and keep moving on forward!"
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Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III Photography for the AOTM Spotlight by Austin Music Foundation
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OTHER NEWS IN 2019
- Headliner for Congo Square ATX: It was just announced that Roland & The Roots Riddim will be the headliner for Congo Square ATX 2020! An annual event that brings the African Diaspora to Austin. RRR performed at the festival last year, and they are excited to return. March 29, 2020 from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM at the Rosewood Catherine Lampkin Pavilion. More info at www.drumtheprogram.org/congosquareatx/
- Social Media Shoutout: Roland & The Roots Riddim was featured on the Austin-Bergstrom Airport social media last month. You can view that video below!
- Festival Circuit: Roland & The Roots Riddim performed at Houston Reggae Festival, San Antonio Reggae Festival, and KAZI Summerfest this year. At the San Antonio festival, RRR opened up for Alex Marley, and the event was such a success! See photos below.
- AOTM Spotlight: Roland & The Roots Riddim was selected by Austin Music Foundation for the July Artist of the Month. The band performed at Geraldine's for the Locally Grown Music Showcase on July 12th, and AMF wrote a story on Roland his career, which you can read here.
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Roland & The Roots Riddim performs "These Four Walls" off the album, Set My Spirit Free (2018) at ABA Asleep at the Wheel Stage, October 2019.
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Take a look at the gallery below from this year's events! Roland with Alex Marley, the AOTM Photo Shoot, and the crowd at Houston Reggae Festival.
Photos by Hood Photography and Video Production and Ismael Quintanilla III Photography
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ROLAND AS LIFE COACH AND AUTHOR
Roland Kemokai is not only a musician, composer, and producer but also an author, speaker, life coach, and the CEO of Global Empowerment Institute.
Roland is a certified, intuitive, and result-producing coach who specializes in helping individuals and entrepreneurs break the cycle of confusion, anxiety, frustration, or self-sabotage so they can step into their power and start living fulfilled lives.
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Through this organization, Roland also offers his clients an example of triumph and positive outcomes through his 2013 autobiography called Sunuma: discarded baby triumphs to tell his story.
"A moving story of tenacity and redemption, this first book of a planned trilogy shows that through persistence, courage, and faith anything can be accomplished. It details Roland Kemokai’s journey from a dump-pile baby to the inspirational guide he is today."
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MORE ON ROLAND KEMOKAI
Roland Kemokai is an Austin-based singer-songwriter, composer, and producer, who is the energetic lead singer for the roots reggae band, Roland & the Roots Riddim. His musical journey began at just six years of age, when he would make his own instruments and play the log drum for his local village in Liberia, West Africa.
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Video Bio of Roland Kemokai and his book entitled, Sunuma
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