It may be the home of roots-reggae, but there are not a lot of reggae compilations coming out of California, certainly when compared to New York City and South Florida. The ‘Wheelahs Riddim’, scheduled for release on October 10, showcases artistes based in the Golden State, New York and Jamaica.

The 11-song project is produced by Ione Angeles, a veteran of the Cali reggae scene, who has worked with members of the legendary Soul Syndicate Band and stalwarts of Southern California. ‘Never Alone’, on which she collaborates with Revelashan, is her contribution to the album which took three months to complete.

“The project started from me getting this riddim from an engineer friend, Tuviel Levi, who is creator of the track, and just loving the sound and new, yet classic feeling from it. I recorded my song first with Revelashan who is also the mixing engineer. A few other artistes heard it and wanted to write a song on it as well, so this is how it grew into a compilation,” she disclosed.

Ione Angeles selected the acts for ‘Wheelahs Riddim’. They include roots-reggae icons like Tony Chin, Earl Zero and Prezident Brown who live in California; Imar Shephard and Isha Bel, members of the Jamaican neo-roots movement; and New York-based Revelashan and Natty Remo.

That cross-generational blend, Ione Angeles notes, is a true representation of the roots-reggae genre she first embraced in the late 1980s.

“What drew me to reggae was the spiritual nature of roots-reggae, and the teachings of (Haile) Selassie I, who was a follower of Christ, and it tied in with my aspirations and lifestyle. Living in Jamaica for six years of course amplified my love for reggae music. Meaningful music is so important in these trying times!” she exclaimed.

Some of the other songs on ‘Wheelahs Riddim’ are ‘Sweetest Thing’ by Prezident Brown, ‘Are You With Me’ from Revelashan, ‘Shine For Me’ (Natty Remo) and ‘Just For You’ by Earl Zero.

Born and raised in California, Ione Angeles first visited Jamaica in 1990. At the time, she was lead singer of an all-female reggae band in Los Angeles and eager to see firsthand the country where reggae was born.

Her link with the Soul Syndicate came through Max Edwards, who was their drummer for several years.

With Edwards (who died in 2011), she formed the band Tengeh, which released two albums and toured Europe. In 2019, Ione Angeles released ‘Inna World’, her first solo album.

(Photo contributed)