Reggae Revival

Music has always puppeteered my mental state. Emo, hip hop, country - they’ve all had their time in the sun. But reggae has always been my lifeline.

Earlier this year at Cali Vibes in Long Beach, I basked in the Southern California sun with a beer in hand and live reggae in my ears. For 48 hours straight, I smiled with a clear head and a happy heart. It’s been a while since that happened.

I engaged in (and started!) conversations when my antisocial younger self never would. I bought the festival tickets and the hotel room on a whim when my younger, not-so-spontaneous self would never do such a thing.

I was a new me, and this new me felt good.

I’d felt like I’d found my people. I had finally reserved my spot in the world, rather than mimic high school me and test the waters from place to place. I found a family to belong to.

Not by blood, but by beats.

Rebelution has been my guiding light. Like front man Eric Rachmany, I’m just a kid from the Bay Area who finally decided to chart his own path.

Eric 🤝 Alex.

Reggae has helped me stay calm and composed. It’s helped me see clearly and be nice to myself. And now, it’s helped me decide to switch careers into something more writing-centric, where my passions lie.

At this pivotal point in my life, I couldn’t be happier to have reggae music once again pulling the strings.