Dezarie has been mesmerizing the roots reggae purists for nearly two decades now with her inimitible style, unique sound, and legendary live performances. Dezarie was already an underground sensation when she dropped her debut album FYA in 2001. Having worked with MIDNITE and I Grade on their NEMOZIAN RASTA project, Dezarie was primed for a long-awaited solo introduction to the world.

Released on the I-Grade label out of St. Croix, the album featured a host of supremely talented musicians, many of whom were already playing and producing music with MIDNITE. Dezarie rapidly established herself as a true force of nature in the roots reggae community, releasing several more albums under the Afrikan Roots Lab moniker over the next decade. Her live shows were not so much concerts as they were spiritual gatherings, where fans would come together for hours to hear her distinctive chant and militant lyrical message.

Her recordings, produced primarily by Ron Benjamin, feature Benjamin’s minimalist approach to music characterized by thunderous basslines, ebullient keys, and crisp drumming, all of which resonate with a modernity which is both refreshing yet authentically grounded in the classic roots sound.

I have gathered twelve of Dezarie’s hardest and heaviest live tracks here for your enjoyment.