kosmik riddim

Lucian reggae band invades Italy
By Jason Sifflet

Are you from Jamaica?”fans would ask the core members of the new Reggae group that is becoming the rage around Rome.

“ No we are from St.Lucia,” the band members would reply, “Santa Lucian...”
“ Is that near Jamaica?” The Italians had no idea that there were islands in the Caribbean that were not Jamaica. As far as they were concerned, all Reggae stars came from Jamaica and these guys were authentic Reggae stars although in their own homeland, they were just musicians.

It has been said before, but we'll say it again : a prophet is never appreciated at home.

Over the last summer, a Reggae band called KosmiK RiddiM has been catching fire in the Mediterranean especially on the circuit around Italy's capital Roma. And with an album release and a tour under their belts, this band is set to break all conventional routes to succeed – without ever having played together in their home country, St.Lucia.

The band members include two Italian guitarists and a Japanese keyboard player who used to teach music in St.Lucia. But at the creative core of the band is a trio of St.Lucian roots rock musicians who are finally making their dream of making it in an international band come true.
Jonah Haynes and Martin Regis are two St.Lucian bass guitar players who are well-known on the underground Reggae scene. Both of them have played in a variety of bands on the island and have enough experience on the hotel circuit, And leading the trio is the drummer, singer and songwriter- in – chief Azaniah, better known to many fledgling musicians on the island as the St.Lucia School of Music's drum tutor.

The band recently completed a 13- stop tour of Italy that took them from festival north of Rome to one south of Naples. They also released their debut CD, HARMONY, and all reports are that given the limited distribution, the CD is selling extremely well.

KosmiK RiddiM has its roots in the early 90s underground Reggae explosion in St.Lucia, a long, long way from the Coliseum and the Vatican. Haynes and Azaniah were young Rastamen based on a roots farm in the hills behind Sarot in Bexon. Along with other roots farm brothers, they formed a band without really knowing how to play and worked their way up to playing local Reggae festivals and shows in the mid-90s. But when the scene crashed, the band crashed and the bandmates separated. Azaniah, the most musically gifted of the group went on to become the longest- serving drummer in Amate, then St.Lucia's undisputed number one Reggae band.

But Azaniah never forgot his dream of forming a band of his owns, where his songs were played the way he wanted them to be played. After leaving Amate and establishing himself as the School of Music's drum teacher, Azaniah took one more detour before coming back to work on his dream band.

It was the Anse la Raye based rock band Psycho Key which opended the way for Azaniah and his brothers- in – arms to from a St.Lucian band that had success outside the island before a local audience ever saw it. Azaniah was Psycho Key's drummer on several summer European tours and on at least two independently released albums before the band broke up last year. By the time he moved on the electric rock band, Azaniah had made some sound connections on the club and festival scene around Rome, Last year, he announced that he was finally putting together the band that he first dreamed of in the hills of Sarot.

Haynes was one of the first players that Aza brought into the fold. Switching him over to keyboard, Aza brought in Regis to fill out the bass. Between them they had a rhythm section, vocals and 13songs that would become their debut album, soon to be available in the Caribbean. Throw in some eager Italians and a Japanese player who had jammed with Aza and company when she was a volunteer on the island and there it was – the band they had all dreamed of.

Now, on the verge of bigger success than they could ever dream of at home, the local boys are already fielding calls to play at winter festivals in the Mediterranean.

“ We haven't decided if we are going this winter yet,” Haynes told the STAR once he got back on island.” Aza isn't back yet. But once he's back, we will try to work out how we move forward from there.”

Aza's return will also bring an announcement of when the KosmiK RiddiM CD HARMONY will be available here at home, In the meantime , local music fans will have to settele for listening to the m on line at the KosmiK RiddiM MySpace page. It's not the same as playing it in your car or on your phone, but hey, at least it's free and it ain't piracy.


SEPTEMBER 12, 2009 THE STAR NEWSPAPER
-- KosmiK RiddiM, a band with St.Lucian roots is making it in Italy. What do they offer that others don't?
- The Star Newspaper