Best of both worlds

Four musicians from Jamaica, Germany and Kasachstan blend rock and reggae into a unique and powerful mixture of Rock-Reggae. This is a simple way to describe the complex and far-out sound of this group. While rockers often only think of “potheads” when they talk about reggae, the reggae purist associates heavy rock with lots of beer and tattoos.

“I don..t smoke and I don..t drink! Neither do I eat meat” says ROUGH HOUSE , RHAATID singer and bass player. “The only drug I need is our hard, energetic and positive groove!” ROUGH HOUSE, who in real life is called Keith Powell Jr., and has been performing as a solo artist in the last four years, comes from a musical background: His father Keith Powell senior is well known within the Jamaican music scene and has worked as a guitarist for legends like Peter Tosh and Dennis Brown.

This had an impact on ROUGH HOUSE; he also supported artists, on tour and in the studio, such as Toots, Jimmy Cliff, Ken Booth, President Brown, Culture Knox and Garnett Silk.

In recent years Germany has become his second home, where he worked as a bass player for “Die Fantastischen Vier”, “Samy Deluxe”, “Max Herre” and “Gentleman”and others. At the beginning of 2007 his debutalbum “My Intention” has been released in Jamaica – featuring artists like Patrice, Gentleman, Jamaica Papa Curvin and Shocking Murray – to euphoric reactions from the reggae scene.

Appearances at festivals like Summer Jam, started to build up a fan base in Germany.There were hints of things to come on “My Intention” – one has only to listen to tracks like “Da Truth” – with it..s RATM like chorus - to find out about ROUGH HOUSE..s affection for rock.

“I..ve always wanted to mix rock and reggae but I never found the musicians to do it with” says ROUGH HOUSE.

Enter guitarist Pomez. Together with ROUGH HOUSE the two teamed up to start RHAATID ,each one of them throwing in their musical backgrounds: Pomez coming from the rock side – but having a lot of reggae experience as well (e.g. as drummer in german reggae pioneer Natty U..s Band) and ROUGH HOUSE as a reggae ambassador out of Jamaica. This enables them to authentically mix both styles and turn them into a new, vibrant and fresh sound.

The group is completed by the two other members Sgt. Pepper and Ajani.

Sgt. Pepper comes from a musical background also – his Father is a successfull musician in Russia. From the age of 6 till the age of 14 he was raised and educated in Alma-Ata ..s “Music College Bajseitowa” . Then his family immigrated to Germany and he became part of the german reggae-scene. He playd drums for bands like the “Schälsick Steppers”, “Caramello+Criminal (Raggabund)”, “La Papa Verde” and as a member of “Clandestino” he backed artists like Don Abi, Nightmares on Wax and Promo (Looptroops).

Keyboard player Ajani from Jamaica, is no stranger to the German live scene, having worked a long stint as a sideman for Patrice.

The style and sound of RHAATID describes ROUGH HOUSE by naming the main influences:”

It..s a combination of System of a Down, Rage against the Machine, Korn, Sean Paul and of course some roots reggae á la Bob Marley”.

Pomez likes to add:” I hear a little Led Zeppelin in our sound as well but any rock is fine as long as it grooves”! Further traces of “The Prodigy” and the long since forgotten Dub War can be found in RHAATID..s sound.

“We take the best of both worlds and mix it our way”, says ROUGH HOUSE. “This way we fuse rock and reggae. The positive message of Rastafari is too important to only be heard in the reggae world! For us there are no boarders in music and we want to use it to bring people with different cultural backgrounds together.

And how fantastic this works within RHAATID could be witnessed in Germany as well as in Jamaica: During a performance promoting the release of ROUGH HOUSE..s album “My Intention” at the Jamaican Jazz Festival in Montego Bay the public was treated by a RHAATID performance. They went wild and ROUGH HOUSE / RHAATID became the “talk of the festival” with their performance being aired on national television and Jamaican radio stations started playing the album “My Intention”.

Back in Germany the group RHAATID supported Jamaica Papa Curvin during his last winter Tour and earned positive reactions from the audience in Europe as well.

RHAATID – it ..s a Jamaican word (patois) meaning something like “exceptional”, “hot” or even “sensational”. There is no proper translation for it but it is an expression of acknowledgement, which for sure suits this band well.

The debut record has already been recorded and a tour is being planned…


Stay tuned and be sure to check them out!

Roots -- ROCK -- REGGAE !!!

Line-Up:

Rough House – Vocals, Bass
Pomez – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Sgt. Pepper – Drums, Backing Vocals
Ajani – Keyboards, Backing Vocals