California Roots present’s Protoge Thursday May 26, 2022!!
There is an exciting resurgence of conscious, organic music in Jamaica, and industry experts and observers agree that Protoje, born Oje Ken Ollivierre, is a forefront figurehead in what has become known as “The Reggae Revival.”
Leading the militant band – The Indiggnation – this Grammy-nominated songwriter and philosophical thinker articulates the righteous anger of an emerging generation. Protoje reports for duty, re-establishing the standard for the decaying art of socially responsible, mentally stimulating lyricism.
Protoje has successfully released four studio albums: his debut album THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH (2011); THE 8 YEAR AFFAIR (2013) which spawned the hits “Rasta Love” ft Ky-Mani Marley, and “Kingston Be Wise,” which featured on the soundtrack for the video game Grand Theft Auto; ANCIENT FUTURE (2015) which featured the international hit “Who Knows” ft Chronixx which topped charts worldwide and has amassed over 70 million+ views on YouTube; and the Grammy-nominated A MATTER OF TIME (2018), aptly named by the artist who is acutely aware of the passage of time.
The latest, 10-track LP, produced by Winta James, marks the second consecutive album collaboration between the two following the genre-bending Ancient Future, which first signaled the advent of a fresh reinvention within the reggae space. On this latest project, the duo continues to channel a wide array of styles and sounds, from traditional Jamaican sounds to hip-hop, jazz, and rock, into a cohesive and original whole. A Matter Of Time ventures into new territory as much as it reaches back to it’s roots, maintaining the essence of Jamaican music whilst pushing the envelope in multiple new directions.
A Matter Of Time includes noteworthy singles like “Blood Money” (hailed by Jamaican Radio Personality and Pan African Activist Mutaburuka as the number one reggae song of 2017), “Truths & Rights” featuring rising crooner Mortimer, the fast favorite “Bout Noon,” and the bouncy “No Guarantee” featuring “Who Knows” collaborator Chronixx.
Protoje’s visibility has steadily increased. Named on BBC 1xtra’s Hot for 2015 Artiste list, he has since appeared on the UK’s biggest music television show – BBC’s Later With Jools Holland, recorded two sessions at BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale, and has been playlisted at BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra.
Protoje has sold out headline UK, US, and European tours, and is a firm favourite at festival’s throughout the world, performing at the likes of Glastonbury, Coachella, Reading & Leeds, Boomtown, Summer Jam, Afro-Punk, and Canada’s Pemberton Music Festival.