Reggae Lou had always intended to make it to Key West. Leaving his home in San Diego, he and his family worked and lived in Lake Worth, Florida for two-and-a-half years until they were finally able to head to our little island home. And since he arrived, he has certainly left his mark.
The state of reggae music in Key West seemed to hit a lull in the late 2010s. We had our talented stalwarts: Massai, Toko Irie and a few others who have been true to their roots and playing their music. But they alone didn’t seem enough to bring a needed resurgence to the genre. The arrival of Reggae Lou and the Kind Budz seems to have done just that.
“I had been bothering the Green Parrot for four years to gain the opportunity to play there,” Lou said. “If I had to be there every weekend for the rest of my life I would have done it. That’s how much I wanted to play there. This town has been inviting, gracious and unlike any other place in the world for me. And for the past 10 or 15 years I’ve been trying to introduce great players of original roots reggae music wherever I go. We’ve been able to bring in friends from Hawaii, California, Jamaica and the U.K. It’s just more icing on the cake.”
When asked about the subgenre of reggae he felt his original music fell into. Lou said, “I play a lot of different genres. It’s probably a mixture of calypso and roots with a bit of rock-n-roll, and shredder stuff mixed in on occasion.” Roots reggae refers to the genre of reggae primarily centered on the lives, work and aspirations of the artists who write it as well as the spiritual aspects of Rastafari.
“There are so many subgenres in reggae music, all with their own patterns and rhythms. Each one is a new experience for me. I’m still learning,” Lou said.
While much of reggae music centers on political and social issues, Lou likes to keep his subject matter positive. “I don’t feel as if involving that in my music is a need. I like having fun, smiling and keeping things positive. That’s the best route for me. Most of my songs are major chords and there is a reason for that. Gratefully, I don’t have a lot of sad stuff going on.”
This year Reggae Lou and the Kind Budz have been nominated for an Iggy for Best Reggae Band and Lou will be performing at this year’s Key West Music Awards with his friend and local reggae favorite Toko Irie. (Go get your tickets now.)The third annual Key West Music Awards will be held Monday, March 18 at 7 p.m. at the Key West Theater. This formal event will be open to the public; tickets are available at the Key West Theater box office as well as at thekeywesttheater.com. Nominees and more information are at keywestmusicawards.com.
