Hard Roots Rock Reggae & Dub. This is the unique blend of music that is Natty Nation.
A collective of musicians from Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago & Minneapolis lead by JAH Boogie (lead vocals and bass) & musical director Aaron Konkol (keys, backing vocals & melodica). The independent all original touring & recording outfit is one of the original leading forces in USA based reggae.
Their messages of spreading positive vibrations, peace, love, building community, & universal spirituality have been ringing out since Natty’s inception in 1995.
Natty has backed up reggae legends Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Chaka Demus & Pliers, as well as Kevin Kinsella, founding member & lead singer of John Brown’s Body & 10ft. Ganja Plant, and shared the stage with Ziggy, Damian, & Stephen Marley, Sister Carol, Steel Pulse, Burning Spear, Toots & the Maytals, Wailing Souls, Culture with Joseph Hill, Beenie Man, & countless others.
JAH Boogie and his backing band’s tight but fluid, rootsy but funky, beautiful but gritty, righteous but real vibration is clear to anyone listening on their stereo or live in concert. It’s almost impossible not to dance at a Natty Nation show. Every concert is a different experience.
Their energy is infectious & their dubtastic jams are complex, yet their overall message is simple: spread the positive vibration.
Accolades:
- 27 Madison Area Music Awards (MAMAs), including Performer of the Year (2009), Best World Artist (6 years in a row), World Album (4 years), World Song (4 years), Hip-hop Song, Male Vocalist, Keyboardist, Guitarist, Bassist, Ensemble Vocals, & many more
- Broadjam’s international song of the month “Cool & Proper”
- Selection for the highly sought after Armed Forces Entertainment tour of the Middle East, Africa, Japan, & the Marshall Islands playing for the troops
- Wisconsin Area Music Award (WAMI) for Reggae Artist of the Year, and several nominations for same
- Best World Artist or Group for five years of the Isthmus’ Newspaper’s readers poll
- and many more…
Natty Nation has experience playing festivals, events, and other venues from coast to coast & abroad, performing at hundreds of clubs, theaters, outdoor music festivals, & Military bases abroad, including Summerfest, SXSW, CMJ Music Marathon, Millenium Music Conference, Atlantis Music Conference, headlining slots at Freakfest & Bricktown Reggae Fest (among others), appearances at Wookiefoot’s Harvestfest & Shangri-La, Bob Marley Fest in Florida, Bella Tempo, Bella Mente, People Fest, Jammin On The Wolf, Subway’s Music at the Zoo concert series, Habitat for Humanity’s 100th House Celebration, & several others.
Natty Nation over 2 decades of performance experience, songs from an original 70+ song catalog, and a loyal fan base, not to mention a huge email list & street team throughout the country & abroad, and are always looking for more dedicated individuals to join the Natty Crew.
Come join the Natty family on this beautiful road of life! The journey has only just begun…
This free event is intended for UW-Madison students, faculty, staff, Wisconsin Union members and their guests. Anyone can become a Union member.
