LATEST PRESS
All I can say is, Wow! Really?! THIS good?!!
Multi instrumentalist and visionary behind the TapRoots movement, Matthew King, took to the stage with this 11-piece band, and took the audience on an incredible journey through time, space, culture, politics, spirit, poetry, and more. He grabbed hold of us from the moment he stepped on stage and did not let go for this amazing ride.
There are many bands around that have a world music influence. But this is a true world music band. Lead singer and guitarist, Matt King, has assembled an incredible crew, and he sings and writes in (multiple languages). The music easily evokes the rain forest or tropical islands, and like other world music before this, there is frequently a political bend to the lyrics and their stance on stage, but the focus is the music.
“We draw upon the life stories of those in the local and global community to spin the narratives of our age,” Matthew said, “It is both ancient and contemporary, and there is no one that has heard us play that hasn’t gone home invigorated and rejuvenated, ready to meet the next day with a little TapRoots mojo in their pockets.”
Musically, TapRoots is a complex tapestry of styles that melds familiar sounds with some that will be new to listeners.
King draws from a wide net of influences; you’ll hear elements of rock, soul, reggae, salsa, hip-hop, samba, folkloric rhythms and more in his music, which he describes as tapping “into the roots of these traditions while imagining something refreshingly new.”
"Matthew draws from the musical traditions of funk, Cuban drumming, Brazilian Tropicalia, salsa, hip hop, samba, reggae, soul, pop, rock, acoustic folk, poetry, and spoken word. And yet, there’s no need to settle on genre here — the music pours through the soul."
"Through this music, I hope to pay tribute to the many amazing artists, percussionists, and spiritual leaders that have opened my eyes and heart to the rhythms of the African diaspora. I honor them with everything that I do and hope that my music can wake us up to the fact that we all have a role in fighting for justice for all communities."
