Good Tings from Ras Moses
While studying for a communications degree at the University of Rhode Island, Sean Bookman relaxed by listening to rock bands like Led Zeppelin and The Who. But then he discovered Jamaican music and got hooked on the spirituality of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.
Known as Ras Moses, he lives in Colorado, a mountainous state that has been high on reggae for many years. Recently, he teamed with the Roots Radics Band to record Good Tings, a song co-produced by Issachar Muzik and Rebel Sound Records.
Based on his checks, Good Tings has enjoyed steady rotation in South Africa and Uganda. Ras Moses believes fans are not only turned on to the song but its unlikely combination.
“A bunch of DJs have gotten behind it and shown it some love. For an American musician to be backed by a legendary Jamaican band, it’s something else,” he said.
Good Tings is the second project for the Rastafarian artiste and Los Angeles-based Issachar Muzik. The first, Guide And Swing, came out last year.
Ras Moses also plans to record an album with the ‘Radics’ scheduled for release in 2023. He calls it “a salute to Jamaican music.”
Like California, Colorado has a strong reggae following, especially in the city of Morrison where the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre is located. Ras Moses lives close to the city of Boulder, also home to a vibrant reggae community.
Pointing to Marley and Tosh as his greatest inspirations, he said roots-reggae still has the biggest impact on him. He is ambivalent when it comes to American bands like Stick Figure, Rebelution and SOJA who have dominated the Billboard reggae charts for the past 10 years.
“It’s got good quality but it’s more of a hybrid. I respect it for what it is but as a Rasta it’s not my thing,” said Ras Moses.
The projected album with the Roots Radics would be his third. Seek Jah First, his debut, was released in 2020 while Members Of A New Race followed last year.