Protoje Tickets

Protoje Tickets

Some would say that Reggae has had a hard time flourishing since passing of Bob Marley. True, offshoots of this particularly Jamaican form of music have blossomed from time to time, with both dancehall and ragga gaining ground in the U.K. and U.S. club scene. But real reggae -- with its deep, futzy bass riffs, its bouncy, cross-snare drum work, its jazz-infused horns, and its thick, authentic patois -- isn't always easy to find outside of the Caribbean. That's something Protoje wants to change. With a rich family history in the genre and an ambition to bring it to the rest of the world, Protoje is standing tall at the forefront of a reggae revival.

Schedule

Its no exaggeration to say that Protoje's music has real international reach. His tour will take him from the United States' West Coast to numerous nations in Europe. Fans seeking Protoje tickets can see him perform in Croatia, Switzerland, Germany, the U.K., France, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Trivia

Protoje is the nom de guerre of Oje Ollivierre, and he's about as close to reggae royalty as you can get. His mother, Lorna Bennett, sang some famous reggae standards in the 1970s, while his cousin, Donovan "Don Corleon" Bennett, is considered one of the genre's most celebrated producers. Meanwhile, his father, Mike "Lord Have Mercy" Ollivierre, is a calypsonian musician who made a name for himself across the Caribbean by developing local athletic talent. Still, Protoje has interests beyond his own musical career, making it his business to discover and develop rising reggae starts. One protege of Protoje is Sevana, a twenty-something Jamaican who counts neo-soul acts such as Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse among her influences. Protoje is also a big fan of social media and remains active on Instagram and Soundcloud.

Band

No Protoje tour would be complete without his backing band, The Indiggnation, and that moniker should give fans with Protoje tickets some idea of both his style and subject matter. Dubbing itself both "hard" and "aggressive," The Indiggnation blends traditional reggae with modern flourishes. Standout jazz refrains. Lush synthesiser flourishes. Judiciously employed autotuned vocals. Add to that a rotating roster of guests, and you never know when a smidgen of soul or a dollop of dancehall might work its way in. "I wanted to capture the history of Jamaican music from the '60s to now with a modern update to it all," Protoje explains. But he also wants his music to be more than just a pleasant sound. Adopting as his own Bob Marley's watchword to "free the people with music," Protoje writes songs containing progressive social commentary, using his lyrics to critique Jamaican politics, point out the media's influential hegemony, discuss drug policy, and talk about the problem of crime.

Breakthrough

Protoje made a name for himself on the mixtape circuit in the mid-2000s, getting first noticed for his work on the hip-hop dominated album Lyrical Overdose Volume 1. Two more mixtapes followed before he released his debut album, The Seven Year Itch. Its first single, 'Arguments', cemented his popularity in Jamaica, and the album went on to chart in the U.S., Canada, and France.

Hit Albums

The Seven Year Itch might have been what put Protoje on the musical map, but his other efforts have also performed impressively. Ancient Future, his third album, hit took the number-one position on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, making it Protoje's first chart-topping release.

Show Experience

Protoje seems to prefer to bring his marriage of traditional and progressive reggae to large festivals, interspersing Marley-esque jams with mid-groove improvised dancing for crowds numbering in the thousands. If you're holding Protoje tickets, expect lots of people, plenty of engaging entertainment, and a performer whose efforts could very well ensure a bright future for reggae as a whole.