Protoje is one of my favorite contemporary reggae artists. His conscious, forward-thinking vision really vibes with me, and his music is beautifully thoughtful. Recently, he came out with his newest album, In Search of Zion. He chose to present it in a unique live dub tour, alongside musical producer and dub artist, Tippy I. This limited 10-stop tour aimed to allow the fans to experience this new music in the original Jamaican Dub Reggae style, as it is was rooted and intended.
On July 15th, 2024, the tour made a stop in Portland, Oregon. I was blessed to cover this one-of-a-kind performance for KPSU, and am excited to share it with you guys!
Protoje has had a strong and growing northwest fan base since he sprung into popularity more than a decade ago. His creativity and positive individuality is captivating. I had seen him perform before, with his live band The Indiggnation, but this sounded like a completely different experience being presented.
The supporting DJ’s warming up the vibe were perfect for this event… local reggae community favorites, and they really brought the party. Big up Mark from Trinity Sound and YT of Small Ax Sound. Despite it being a Monday night, the room was full and in motion when I walked in. Tippy I was warmly welcomed when he took the stage. His booth was elevated in the center, the visuals of lights and fog filled the room. His presence was sincere and chill as he dove right into his immersive set.
Dub music originated in 1960’s Jamaica and has been tiptoeing its influence around the world until recently when it has shown up in big ways everywhere. I am certainly no dub expert, but I can describe for you how I have experienced it.
I feel like dub is about being inspired by others, and working together. Dub music seems to be embodied by the heavy use of reverb, echo, and special effects, over samples of other works. DJs and dub artists manipulate and remix tracks of existing songs in new ways… emphasing the rhythm section, pushing deep bass, adding effects, coming up with something unique. Dub seems to be about collaging musical tracks and elements together to come up with a fresh piece that stands out on its own. So live dub is all of that magic, happening live! Like watching an artist painting a picture live, instead of just enjoying the end product. In this live dub experience, the process IS the product. It feels friendly and alive and spontaneous. You feel like a part of it, you are.
So cool!
Protoje came out with his calm and cool presence, to join Tippy I, and they vibed together to create a fresh, innovative version of his works. It was a joy to experience! The quality of the sound and light show was excellent at The Get Down, here in southeast Portland. The fans loved hearing all of their soothing melodic Protoje favorites, but with unexpected twists and turns all along the way. The energy was infectious, it was exciting to watch the creativity unfold.
Please be sure to check out the attached photos and YouTube shorts that I shot during the performance. You’ll experience a bit of the magic yourself.
I had a wonderful time at this show… this live dub experience draws you deeper into the music, making you feel like you’re part of something bigger.
This was where reggae music meets performance art, deep consciousness meets party vibes…with a touch of divinity.
Thank you Protoje, Tippy I, and your entire crew. Thank you for sharing your artistic inspirations with us, and uplifting the people.
Bless up!
Love, SuzyQ💕
