Suzie Harrison Music has been his heart...

Suzie Harrison

Music has been his heart and soul. He was afflicted with the music

bug at the age of 8 when the Beatles came onto the scene. They

inspired the introverted boy to find his voice by writing poetry. At

age 10, he started playing his first instrument, the bass guitar, and

by 12 he was forming his first band.

Singer/songwriter Kurt Mahoney has made music his life. He moved

from the Midwest to Southern California to further his career.

“I’ve lived in Laguna Beach for 20 years,” Mahoney said. “The

geography, the vibe, the beautiful location -- everything about how

beautiful this town is with the mellow vibe and the geography of it

being close to Los Angeles and San Diego is why I live here.”

During the mid 1980s, Mahoney worked as a solo artist and in duos,

performing gigs and recording, using his proclivity as guitarist,

steel-guitarist and bassist with well-known reggae and African

artists like Joe Higgs, Don Carlos and King Sunny Ade.

Later, Mahoney formed the world beat reggae band Eyes of the

World. The band toured with many greats of that genre: Jimmy Cliff,

Toots and the Maytals and Andrew Tosh.

Choosing the solo road for the early 1990s, by the middle of the

decade he was ready to form another band. That’s when Roots

Foundation was founded.

“I was ready and recharged -- it was time to form my own band

again,” Mahoney said.

Roots Foundation consists of locals “Thrasher” Ananias Chambers,

percussionist; Paul Janes, bass; and Dave Terry, drummer.

The band plays reggae and gets into some world music, such as from

Caribbean and African groups.

“We mix in the Grateful Dead and some jam music,” Mahoney said.

“It’s another thing very unique to reggae -- arrangements of Grateful

Dead songs. We use those as jumping points to jam, and it’s a whole

different dimension.”

During a jam, the band might get into the jazz of John Coltrane

and Miles Davis before returning to reggae.

“It’s fun,” Mahoney said. “To me, it separates us from everything,

other reggae bands and it definitely separates us from other jam

bands.”

His philo,sophy is that reggae is supposed to be conscious music

to lift one up and expand horizons.

“It should generally promote consciousness, positivity and

awareness,” Mahoney said. “So much music these days -- even if it’s

rap, or if it’s reggae, or if it passes itself off as reggae,

promotes negativity.”

Today’s music seems to espouse cheap sex, the degradation of

women, bad language and racism.

“It has all these things that have no business being promoted by

music,” Mahoney said. “It’s supposed to be about peace, love,

brotherhood and all that good hippie stuff. That’s what we’re about.”

He explained that with Roots Foundation, there’s no foul language,

that they don’t cheapen it, yet it gets people dancing.

“It’s like Santana’s music that makes you want to go home, make

love as well as promote spirituality, social change and social

consciousness,” Mahoney said.

Roots Foundation plays every other weekend with no cover charge at

Laguna Beach Brewing Company, 422 S. Coast Highway. They’ll be

playing this weekend. For information or to book the band who also

plays private gigs, call 497-1523.

* SUZIE HARRISON is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. She may be reached at 494-4321 or suzie.harrison@latimes.com.