This 4-track Reggae EP was recorded in Grass Valley and Oakland with Marcos Odara on drums and Manny San Gabriel on bass. I produced the arrangements and basic mix, and final mixing was performed by BZ Lewis of Studio 132.

Squirrel Creek Sessions Vol. 1

A significant step forward in artistry and production quality, Jr Dreads' brand new EP captures the essence of his songwriting and message. The opening track "Funky Reggae" sums up what draws him to this music, the vibes, healing qualities and sense of community. The title track "Becoming Me" is introspective and personal, aiming to inspire spiritual growth. And last is "Break their System", the mission song, a revolutionary anthem that deconstructs the deep corruption of contemporary media and politics.

This project is no less than two years in the making and the result of outstanding collaborative efforts, starting with Gabriel Winter as the producer and recording engineer, Marcos Odara on drums, Erika Lawrence on backing vocals, Jeff Hobbs on saxophone, and Gerard Salvia from Spain as the mixing engineer.

Becoming Me

This is a children's song in French that I wrote for my son Anthony a few months after his birth in 2010. I wrote the lyrics and melody at once one early morning and didn't initially intend a guitar part, which is opposite of how I proceed with most songs. Le Petit Kangourou was recorded by B.Z. Lewis at Studio 132 in Oakland, Cal. in March 2013.

LYRICS:
Il saute et saute jusqu'a n'en plus pouvoir
Il reve de gambader parmi les siens
Mais ca ne reste qu'un distant espoir
Il est californien pas australien

Il aime se blotir contre sa maman
Laisse sa chaleur l'envahir doucement
Il a souvent besoin de gigoter
Parce que c'est sa facon de s'exprimer

Un jour prochain il pourra s'evader
Il se jetera au monde pour l'explorer
On le verra sauter sans s'arreter
Pas un kangourou pour le depasser

Le Petit Kangourou

This was my final project for a Berklee course on song arrangement. Thanks to Manny San Gabriel for contributing the bass line!

Livity

A slightly older song, written circa 2014, which I used as material for a Berklee course on song arrangement.

War In Babylon

This is an unusual song that I wrote as part of a songwriting class last Spring. The idea was that each person in the class submitted a short fragment of music, and received one from someone else, from which they had to write a complete song. So here we go, Fragments of Freedom by Jr Dreads!

LYRICS:

Fragments of Freedom
Music by Xico Manarolla and Jr Dreads, Lyrics by Jr Dreads

Coasting down the same old roads
On and on the story goes
Slowly I notice the rust
This scene will dissolve to dust
I need a new land

Seeing ghosts throughout the day
How come no one wants to play?
Have I not gone far enough?
When I can no longer bluff
I must show my brand

Open your heart, release your energy
Just play your part, rise to your apogee
Compose your tune, with fragments of freedom
Greet the new moon, journey to Jah kingdom

lately I've been free falling
I feel light, it is thrilling
But one one returns my calls
Meanwhile I cross empty halls
There is my last stand

Now I let go of the brake
Plus the steering wheel is fake
Let the breeze enter my flesh
Making the beat sound so fresh
Please welcome the band

I run away from this crushing conformity
'Cuz all it can offer is endless vanity
I declare myself a soldier of Jah army
I don't care if anyone thinks that seems corny
On the road to freedom leave everything behind
To make the sacrifice you must conquer your mind
And when the darkness falls recall you're not alone
For every great soul struggles from seed to tombstone

Fragments Of Freedom

War In Babylon
By Jr Dreads

You need healthcare / Out of my hair
Home of the brave / Foot in the grave
No con artist / No hypocrite
Blame the elite / Supremacist

War in Babylon
Control of the conversation has become the currency
War in Babylon
Racism fuels the fire there comes rastaman prophecy

Bend to the cross / Social networks
Dance in the sun / Don't take my gun
Working two shifts / Ride the ski lifts
Moralistic / Base politic

War in Babylon
Control of the conversation has become the currency
War in Babylon
Racism fuels the fire there comes rastaman prophecy

From a system of two parties
Private media confuses into tribes
Them hacking our democracies
With drama so exciting everyone subscribes
Me tell you be conscious they're tricks
Let us reclaim our spirit and fight for justice
Those men who terrorize young chicks
Remind us sadly power has no inner peace
It's their money, their status
Splitting interests against the rest of us
Rich getting richer, poor getting poorer
Let me promptly fire, the social engineer
We are the ninety-nine percent
Each and everyone with the same talent
The time has come for a revolution
Here Jr Dreads from Oakland starting on a mission

War in Babylon
Control of the conversation has become the currency
War in Babylon
Racism fuels the fire there comes rastaman prophecy

War in Baylon

Sailing Through The Stars
By Jr Dreads

We're gazing into space
Sailing through the stars
The command interface
My mic and my guitars
We fly by Jupiter
En route the Milky Way
Slow down the reactor
I live to feel astray

Escape black hole near Orion
Ride clouds past Sagittarius
The crew must complete the mission
Locate a pulsar in Taurus

Good vibrations, sailing through the stars
Maintain focus, sailing through the stars

Orbit Aldebaran
Negotiate fuel supplies
Beware star musician
'Dem roam empire spies
Hack into the jail lock
Flee down the underground
Combat evil Shadoks
May we yet be homebound?

Activate meta-cosmic blast
Who hibernates, who stays awake?
I'm told you can visit your past
The star dust settles in our wake

Good vibrations, sailing through the stars
Maintain focus, sailing through the stars

Look Uranus, sailing through the stars
Hocus Pocus, sailing through the Hocus Pocus

Target sighted, all hands on deck
Steer clear from another shipwreck
Prepare for the energy blow
Sync up to deliver the flow
Transmission on, say your last will
Lose all control, keep soft and still
Bound to the pull of gravity
All that remains is livity

Good vibrations, sailing through the stars
Maintain focus, sailing through the stars

Sailing Through The Stars

Arrogant
By Jr Dreads

J'ai mepris et j'ai juge, je vous prie de m'excuser
J'ai gravi et j'ai chute, je connais l'humilite

Promu par ma patrie, qui m'a tant eduque
Je me reproche ma honte d'enfant privilegie
Les perspectives dorees que j'ai toutes refusees
Et ma chere liberte qu'un jour il faut payer
Conscient, chacun de nous porte l'univers entier
Egaux dans nos destins de fragiles passagers
Les jugements de valeur, aiguisent nos vanites
Venales rengaines morbides, lutte pour t'en detacher

Je suis un peu arrogant
Trouble, m'aventurant
Je suis un peu arrogant
Je veux vivre librement

Pourquoi laisse-t-on les tricheurs s'emparer du lot?
Comment est-ce que le riche paye moins que le prolo?
On saccage notre planete, mais changeons les regles
Sourdes a la raison les vieilles traditions s'emmelent
Etouffes par les drames les querelles d'opinions
Nos pensees sous controle des proces d'intention
Meme les debats erudits se trompent d'objectifs
Lasses par la croissance taisez donc vos poncifs

Je suis un peu arrogant
Trouble, m'aventurant
Je suis un peu arrogant
Je veux vivre librement

J'n'ai rien contre l'autorite mais je n'peux pas m'empecher de rever
J'accepte de me mettre en rang, pas de jouer la comedie tout le temps
Je n'comprends pas toujours les autres voila bien mon defaut quels sont les votres?
Si parfois ma passion explose c'est qu'elle se heurte faute de remise en cause
J'n'aime pas les soirees arrosees moi mon kif c'est plus de vaporiser
Alors depuis ma tour d'ivoire je fantasme et je decouvre l'histoire
En recherchant la verite je prends conscience de la realite
Je n'pretends pas etre un savant, j'imagine je suis un peu different

Je suis un peu arrogant
Trouble, m'aventurant
Je suis un peu arrogant
Je veux vivre librement

Arrogant

Awakening
By Jr Dreads

Hear me out, Rastafari
Hear me out, Rasta
Find your place to pacify
Wake your inner Jah

Hear me out, rastafari
Hear me out, rasta
Look on out, use your third eye
Observe your shakra

I breathe in, aware that I'm alive
I breathe out, I relax my body and surrender to what is
I breathe in, my hopes and desires
I breathe out, I great them a welcome, aware that I'm alive

Hear me out, rastafari
Hear me out, rasta
Give it up, let yourself cry
Follow my mantra

I breathe in, aware that I'm afraid
I breathe out, I float in empty space, now I can feel my pain
I breathe in, the judgment and the blame
I breathe out, listen with compassion, aware that I'm afraid

No one way
Is the single way
And a single way
Is not the right way

I breathe in, aware that I can choose
I breathe out, anchored by gravity, I find the positive
I breathe in, a fresher perspective
I breathe out, humbled by my mistakes, aware that I can choose

Don't take pride
You will always slide
And don't you shame,
Remember your name

No one way
Is the single way
And a single way
Is not the right way

Awakening

This is the final project I produced for the "Programming and Producing Drum Beats" Berklee Online class, taught by Eric "Hawk" Hawkins. I definitely learned a lot from it!

Berklee Riddim

The grass is always greener on the other side –which is to say, don’t listen to your envy because it is misleading you! This song reminds us that while this is ultimately a personal fight, there are powerful forces out there trying to lure us back to the dark side. Despite this, the track is spunky and playful in its delivery. The conclusion: let’s have a Reggae party because dancing is belonging!!

“The Grass” was written in 2011 and previously released as part of Jr Dreads’ EP Eclipse. This new version was recorded with genuine Reggae musicians from the San Francisco East Bay and packs a lot more punch. Contributors include famed Bay Area drummer Razor Blade, Manny San Gabriel on bass guitar, and the young and talented Gabriel Winter on keyboards and production. Jah Omi sings backing vocals. Recording and mixing were placed under the care of BZ Lewis at Studio 132 in Oakland, and credits go to Downbeat Mastering for the final master track.


Track Lyrics
=========
Everyone seems so decided
Are we blind-sided?
Pursuing popularity
Only to obtain vanity
My sense is that the competition
Can indeed bring an inhibition
Babylon has a way to seduce
Showing us how to be glamorous
We all crave a bit of attention
In-a-dis media-crazy nation
Wanna see wanna hear wanna be
Wanna possess wanna success

The grass is always greener on the other side
The spotlight takes control of our pride

Everything seems so cut and dry
But I can't see why
Dinero's completely loco
When people matter less than dough
My sense is that the money power
Is indeed making us all poorer
When you get more, I feel left behind
So that I throw myself in the grind
Everyone wants a piece of the pie
And will sacrifice all the sublime
Wanna earn wanna spend wanna save
Wanna possess wanna success

The grass is always greener on the other side
The spotlight takes control of our pride
The grass is always greener on the other side
It only gets greener with every stride

Watcha gonna do watcha mama wantchou do
Watcha gonna be watcha papa wantchou be
Watchamona be watcha wanna mona be
Watchya gonna be watchya wanna gonna be
Ama gonna be ama wanna gonna be?
Ayou gonna be ayou gonna wanna be?
Maybe amonabe ama wanna gonna be
Watchya wanna be o watcha wanna be

We can always paint the grass
But we cannot fool ourselves
So I keep banging, I don't stop asking
As a lone singer
Strumming my guitar
You may want to eat the grass
But watch out for your guts
Though it looks tempting, I keep refusing
As an off-singer
Strumming my guitar
So why don't we smoke the grass
This way we can all relax
And I keep lighting, I find it thrilling
As a stone singer
Strumming my guitar

Are you ready, are you ready?
Are you ready for a Reggae party?
Are you ready, are you ready?
Are you ready for a Reggae party?
The grass is green

The Grass

In the fall of 2023 I took the Berklee online course "Composing and Producing Electronic Music". This playlist packages the five projects I worked on during that quarter. This was an intense course, diving into a range of music production techniques while exploring different subgenres of electronic music. Here is the list in order:
* Overture: my drum n' bass track
* Escape Velocity: my trance track
* Answer Riddim: I did not compose the music for this track, this is a dub remix of this classic Reggae riddim
* It's the Music: my house track, this one even has lyrics
* Surrender: this is a short track focusing on synthesizing a drop, which I based off my song "Surrender my Pride"

Surrender

It's The Music

Answer Riddim

Escape Velocity

Overture

Downstream is the song that got me back into musical creation following a 5-year gap after I left Hi-Hat. I believe it to be one of my most accomplished songs to date, with solid arpeggios and poetic lyrics.

LYRICS:
A song as any song
A swinging guitar feeling
An easy melody
That tries and make you happy

'Cause you so need it
You barely know it
In pain from thinking
Looking for meaning
You waste time licking
Those wounds you're breeding
Waiting in numbness
A way out of darkness

A song, a feeling, an anchor to the present
A song, a feeling, a line of sight downstream
A song, a feeling, an untouchable moment
A song, a feeling, a line of sight downstream

A day like any day
Neither sunny nor gray
Reaching a foreign place
And embrace it with grace

You've been here before
You struck to the core
There is no escape
But to see through the drape

It's easy going, it's easy going
You make some mistakes, and that's what it takes
It's easy going, it's easy going
There is no great truth and no secret booth

A laugh as any laugh
Whole rather than half
Like a spring in your mind
And you're no longer blind

Downstream

Break Their System

Funky Reggae

A track written specially for my nieces and nephew, and their beloved dog Mordred!

Mon Chien

Jr Dreads from Oakland, California, is a revolutionary Reggae singer-songwriter. He crafts soulful melodies and deep, poetic lyrics to deliver a message of awakening, dreaming up governing institutions genuinely designed to foster virtue and harmony. Armed with funky guitar skanks and inspired by contemporary Reggae artists such as Ziggy Marley, Soldiers of Jah Army, or Dub Inc, Jr Dreads creates unique and memorable songs that set your body free and elevate your spirit.

Jr Dreads

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