Out of the rainforests of Belize, Central America emerges a new sound. Rooted in the rhythms of hip-hop and reggae, the WoodDwellas have come to forge a new frontier in these music genres.
Created in 1995 by lead singer, Quinn Solomon, the WoodDwellas consist of a four-piece band accompanied by two background singers. The group's live performances feature a distinct blend of hip-hop and reggae, highlighted with dancehall and lover's rock. Over the years, this combination has come to be a tremendous hit with their fans all the way from Belize to the United States.
The appeal of the WoodDwellas is attributable to the message that is revealed in their lyrics. Quinn, who has often been referred to as the "rebel with a cause," has always spoken of the history and the struggles of the peoples of the world, in a way that has been known to bring the youth to their feet. On stage he comes equipped with hot beats, and an inspiring, exhilarating and hard-hitting lyrical delivery.
Quinn is also the president of the independent record label that represents the WoodDwellas, DarkWaters Music. He began his career as a solo artist performing off DAT at underground clubs in Belize city, and mid-city Los Angeles in the early 90's; his influences being artists who his parents spun religiously in their home when he was only a youth. Among those were Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, and Bob Marley and the Wailers. The most dominant influence over his being, however, has been his Belizean heritage. Having access to the best of both Belize and the United States has allowed Quinn to develop a unique perspective which is governed by the ideal of simplicity in living, and giving thanks and praise for life's many blessings.
In fact, it was Quinn's annual trips to Belize that led to his naming of the group as the WoodDwellas. The name was chosen to symbolize the group's connection to nature, and the idea of a return to the "woods," where one can reunite with, and experiencing the replenishing effects of mother nature. The name, WoodDwellas, stands as a constant reminder that they should forever, spiritually and physically, dwell in the woods.
Since the conception of the group, the WoodDwellas have recorded four complete independently released albums. The first of these releases was Midnight Run, which exhibited the group's early commitments to hip-hop with Caribbean influences. Their sophomore release, entitled Lion's Roar, revealed a different side of the group, and their connections to reggae and ska, with hip-hop undertones. Caye Water, which was the group's third release, represented the group's innate ability to fuse hip-hop with reggae.
And their latest, and most acclaimed release, The Tourist, is undoubtedly the most calibrated representation of the group and their musical fusion. (Each of these album's bios, and musical clips can be read and heard at the WoodDwellas website at www.wooddwellas.com.)
The WoodDwellas have performed at over twelve dozen venues between Belize and the United States, since 1999. The group has also been featured in Vibe, Rap Pages, Rap Sheets, and Caribbean Beat magazines. And now after the release of their fourth and critically acclaimed album, The Tourist, it is obvious that the fruit from the WoodDwellas tree is ripe for the picking.
WOODDWELLAS
Performance History
Midnight Run was the first of the WoodDwellas' four releases. Produced in 1996, the hip-hop album brought the group underground recognition of an unforeseen magnitude. Touring stations to promote their rendition of Billy Holiday's "Strange Fruit," and ripping up the stage of MTV with their live performance of "Circle of Life," won them a great deal of respect both at home and in their native, Belize, Central America. The group's State performances to showcase Midnight Run included shows at the University of California, Los Angeles alongside the Goodie Mob and Ice Cube, the University of California, San Diego with Jurassic Five, and Billboard Live. Not to mention more than half a dozen encore performances at the West End, Luna Park, and a host of other clubs lining Hollywood's Sunset Strip. But their success was not limited to their presence on the stage. The WoodDwellas went on to record three more albums, each followed by some of the most extensive and ground-breaking performances to be put on by artists from the underground.
Less than a year after the completion of their Midnight Run Tour, the WoodDwellas released their sophomore reggae/ska album, Lion's Roar. Performances to promote the album, kicked off at the Belize City Center, and took the group on a grand tour of colleges in the United States including Occidental College, Humboldt State University, the University of California in Los Angeles, and Loyola Marymount University. At the same time, the group continued their tradition of performing for annual Caribbean celebrations, like Caye Fest, the Caribbean Sea Breeze Festival, and the Concerned Belizean Association's Festival Day in the Park. The Lion's Roar album received rave reviews in several publications including, Reggae Beat and L.A.B.E.N.(Los Angeles Belizean Educational Network), and was spun on radio stations in Southern California and on the internet.
High off of the momentum of the Lion's Roar album, the group made another trip in the studio in the spring of 2001; this time to combine the hip-hop sounds that were heard on Midnight Run, with the reggae sounds that were heard on Lion's Roar. The result was Caye Water (Caye pronounced key). Considered one of the hottest WoodDwellas' s albums to date, Caye Water brought the group even more success with songs from the album receiving regular rotation, and a performance schedule which included shows at the Congo Room and Key Club with Mr. Vegas, the House of Blues with Sean Paul, and a host of other stages.
And now the group's fourth release, The Tourist, is already promising to elevate the group to even higher heights. Their first single, "Love is Love," is already in rotation on all of the hottest radio stations in Belize including KREM, Love FM, FM 2000, and at KCSB, KXLU, KJEE, and KSBR in Santa Barbara, San Bernadino, and Los Angeles. Performances to promote the debut of this release have taken the WoodDwellas back to Belize to once again hit the stage at Belize City Center with none other than Beres Hammonds, not to mention over a dozen other local clubs to Belize City and Los Angeles.
Read more...