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Hailing from the Island of St
Croix, Midnite is one of the
most promising roots reggae
bands of the millennium. They
are vanguards of conscious
reggae who represent the King's
and Queen's music to the
fullness of Jah. Midnite's
profound and innovative lyrics
are sincere and deeply rooted to
present the other half of the
story. Their CD recordings and
live performances will have
reggae and non reggae listeners
open to the messages they bring.
Lead singer Vaughn Benjamin's
electrifying voice seems an
amalgamation of many great tones
in reggae--soulful, chanting,
deep and edgy. Vaughn's potent
lyrical style and his brother
Ron's exquisite bass lines and
musical directorship form the
nucleus of this musical sextet.
Christian ‘Sly’ Molinna-Curet
lays down thunderous one-drops
on drums, while Ankh Watep
bubbles on keyboards. Edmund
Fieulleteau and Keeny Byron
round out the crew with their
excellent guitar work. Midnite
weaves the cultural lyrics of
"old school" roots music with
modern day experiences to create
a unique listening encounter.
Reggae - naked and raw is an apt
description for Midnite's
musical style, in which they
forgo the frills of extensive
remixes, overdubbing and other
musical refinements.
"Unpolished" is the suitably
named title of their debut album
which includes such classics as
"Don't Move", "Mama Africa", and
"Love the Life You Live".
Originally released in 1997,
while the band was located in
Washington, D.C., this crucial
album has recently been made
widely available on Rastafaria
Recordings.
In 1999, Midnite linked up with
Wildchild! Records for their
second release "Ras Mek Peace".
Incredibly, this album was
recorded using only two channels
and was mastered without any
reverb, filtering, compression
or equalization. Songs like
"Hieroglyphics", in which
graffiti is likened to ancient
Egyptian hieroglyphics, showcase
the intelligent songwriting that
pervades all of Midnite's works.
Following the release of Ras Mek
Peace, Midnite returned to live
in St. Croix so that they could
work with the local musicians
and make recordings at their
African Roots Lab without any
outside interference. The fruits
of these labours can be found on
their third album "Jubilees of
Zion", which was released on
their own independent Afrikan
Roots Lab record label. The
expansive, hypnotic rhythms
continue, alongside the messages
of peace, universal brotherhood,
and cultural resistance to
Babylon.
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In 2002, Midnite made their Northern California debut at the 9th
Annual Sierra Nevada World Music Festival. The combination of
Vaughn’s searing lyrics, raw roots music and the warmth of the
sun beating onto the masses at the village stage made for a
potent and memorable experience for all who were present. That
same month saw the release of Midnite’s fourth album "Seek
Knowledge Before Vengeance". Released on the Afrikan Roots Lab
record label, this album raises the bar of cultural roots
reggae, as we know it today.
Midnite explodes in live performances with sets that often
exceed 3 hours. Their vigorous, weighty sound, driven by the
punchy bass lines creates a vibe that penetrates straight to the
heart. These epic musical communions have earned Midnite an
enormous following throughout the roots community. This is
especially true in St. Croix, Puerto Rico, Brazil, France, St.
Louis, New York, Boston, Vermont, Asheville and throughout the
West Coast where they have toured extensively including another
appearances at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, Reggae On
The River and all the Bob Marley Day festivals.
In the fall of 2003, Midnite released their first dub album
"Intense Pressure", which includes some tracks from their prior
releases along with some dubs of forthcoming albums. 2004 saw
the release of 2 brand new studio albums "Ainshant Maps" on
their Afrikan Roots Lab record label and "Scheme A Things" on
the Rastafaria label. Midnite has also collaborated with
I-Grade Records for six releases: "Nemozian Rasta", "Assini", "Vijan",
"Let Live", “Jah Grid” and “Rule The Time”.
Vaughn Benjamin has also released albums under the name Midnite
Branch I and collaborations: "Cipheraw", "Geoman", "He Is Jah"
"Project III", "Full Cup", “Thru & True”, “Aneed”, "Sun's Of
Atom", "New 1000", "Bless Go Roun", "Better World Rasta",
"Infinite Quality" on the Lustre King label, and the recently
released “Maschanna”.
By breaking all the rules, Midnite is setting a new standard.
Armed with a firm foundation in Jah Rastafari, their natural
talents, and a strong and uncompromising musical vision, Midnite
champions a unique sound that is on the cutting edge of modern
roots music.
Midnite Links:
Listen
To The Music of Midnite -
Track List
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