Fyah Keepers eye reggae market with album
Published:Sunday | May 18, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Shereita Grizzle, Gleaner Writer
The Fyah Keepers may be an up-and-coming reggae band from the south of England but they are already eyeing the top spot in the industry.
So deep is their desire that they have journeyed to the home of reggae to record their first studio album.
Three years in the making, the album is being recorded at the Tuff Gong Studio in Kingston and is expected to be released this summer.
The group has revealed that though the album will feature mostly roots reggae tracks, the final project will also include rock, hip-hop and funk-infused singles.
When The Sunday Gleaner spoke to the band's leader and guitarist Thomasz Rozek, he revealed that Jamaica was the clear choice when the question of where to record arose and admitted that Tuff Gong was the best place.
AT THE ROOT
"We always wanted to come to Jamaica because we thought 'what better place to start than at the root?'," he said.
"We knew we wanted to come here and sent some of our material to Tuff Gong. They liked what they heard and decided they would work with us."
Rozek explained that the band waited almost a year before making the trek to Jamaica.
"We had talks with members of the Tuff Gong team about a year ago and they agreed to have us record our album here but we waited until we were sure our material was the best."
Rozek told The Sunday Gleaner that the band has enjoyed the experience of working at Tuff Gong.
"They have a reputation for being very professional and we have experienced that first-hand. They gave us the best musicians to work with, the vibes was great and we were treated like family," he said.
The Fyah Keepers who have been on the island for over a week, have already worked with the likes of renowned saxophonist Dean Fraser and experienced drummer Kirk Bennett.
A video for their latest single There is a Girl was shot at Treasure Beach in St Elizabeth.
The other band members include: vocalist Reece Whyte, keyboard player William Whyte, bass player Versel Gordon and drummer Bartosz Konieczny.