Bursting forth from their underground status, Groundation has taken the music world by storm.
Capturing the essence and drive of true roots reggae, the widely renowned band takes the art
form to new heights by blending elements of jazz, funk, salsa, soul and transcendental dub in a
progressive amalgam of sound all their own.
Whether on their masterfully self-produced studio albums or in their now legendary live
performances, Groundation's sound is without category, yet deeply familiar, offering listeners
everywhere an access point for musical connection. “Groundation” alludes to the decades-old
communal Rastafarian ceremony of “Grounation,” a ritual based on the meditative powers of
music. But Groundation is an idea for today, uniting audiences and using the universalvibration
of music to help bring about a positive social evolution.
With an international following unparalleled in contemporary Reggae music, Groundation has
performed for hundreds of thousands of fans around the world. With headlining shows in nearly
thirty countries on six continents, along with memorable appearances at some of the
world's largest and most prestigious cross-genre music festivals, Groundation has cemented its
reputation as an ambassador
of American fusion music.
Groundation's origins are in the jazz program of California's Sonoma State University where, in
the fall of 1998, Harrison Stafford (guitar/lead vocals), Ryan Newman (bass) and Marcus Urani
(keyboards) began their artistic collaboration, developing both their musicianship and their
global outlook. It was there that Stafford taught the first accredited class in the California state
university system on the History and Culture of Reggae Music.
Around this core, the group has evolved to include some of the most respected cross-over
instrumentalists on the West Coast, along with harmonies from vocalists Kim Pommell and
Sherida Sharpe –both from Kingston, Jamaica–giving the band an incredibly full and deep live
presentation.
2014 saw the release of Groundation's 8th full length studio release, an album many consider
their best yet. “A Miracle” is a tome to the female spirit and features the incomprable Marcia
Griffiths and Judy Mowatt, two-thirds of Bob Marley's vocal harmony backup trio The IThrees.
True to their form, Groundation once again delivers a genre-bending classic of an
album that has enthralled their fans the world over.