Astro Roots

Astro Roots formed in Bogotá in the late 1990s, with four musicians coming together around reggae, ska, and rocksteady. Their 2005 album Antes Só gave them a breakthrough, with the title track becoming something of an anthem. They followed it with Pazifico in 2009, which drew on rhythms from Colombia's Pacific coast, and Lunático in 2012.

Their songs like Força do Leão and Semente de Gente carry the kind of social messages you'd expect from a reggae band, but they've kept the sound grounded in those Jamaican grooves they started with. The music has an upbeat quality that works well live, even when the lyrics touch on heavier themes.

They've managed to build a following without losing that core sound, sticking with reggae while letting in some local Colombian influences along the way. It's straightforward music that doesn't try to be more than what it is.