The sounds of upbeat piano keys, rich saxophone, electric guitar and drums reverberated around the walls of SOMA’s mainstage, filling the venue with the signature rhythms of classic reggae music. Vibrant lights flickered and flashed around the excited crowd, moving over the audience with rays of color that reflected off of the artificial fog.
From above a sea of waving arms, J Boog’s live concert on Nov. 2 breathed life into the room, bringing warm island vibes and a highly-contagious energy that the audience matched in a beat.
Jerry Afemata, known by his stage name “J Boog,” is an American-Samoan reggae and R&B singer and songwriter from Compton, California.
Largely influenced by the highly musical family he grew up in, J Boog was exposed to the many different genres of music by his siblings, which ultimately developed his profound love for music and desire to find his own unique sound.
The artist’s debut album “Hear Me Roar” released in 2007 and he has continued to enthusiastically and consistently produce music since then, both on his own discography and in features on others’ albums. Three of his albums have made it into the top ten on Billboard’s reggae album charts and he is a two-time Grammy nominee for “Best Reggae Album.”
“J Boog was one of the first island music artists that I started listening to,” said Lauryn Vicencio, a fourth-year interdisciplinary studies major with an emphasis in film, communication and sociology at San Diego State University. “My parents introduced me to his music, and I remember when we’d drive places they would listen to island music in the car and ‘Sunshine Girl’ was always my favorite song to listen to.”
“Whenever I listen to his songs I just feel so happy, and I find myself singing along with a smile on my face,” Vicencio said.
J Boog’s vivacious and high-spirited opener was Arise Roots, a reggae band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2010.
“It feels so good to be back in San Diego tonight!” lead vocalist Karim Israel shouted as he grooved and felt the sway of the band’s music, the audience waving their hands along with him.
As J Boog’s band and backup singers took to the stage, audiences whooped and cheered, ecstatic for the main act of the night.
From the second he came out, J Boog was spitting out lyrics at rapid tempos and the crowd was right there with him, joyously meeting his high energy level.
“It’s a perfect night for making music, don’t you agree!” J Boog shouted enthusiastically.
The artist performed elevated versions of his original songs, altering lyrics, using different harmonies and even incorporating styles from other genres such as jazz and salsa to give concert-goers a unique, live experience.
J Boog performed his top hits such as “Sunshine Girl,” “Waiting on the Rain,” “Every Little Thing,” “Lifetime Lover,” and ended with his most popular track, “Let’s Do It Again.”
“His music is a testament to the entire genre’s message and ability to deliver to audiences’ souls,” said Elijah Frijas, a third-year kinesiology major at SDSU. “With that, his voice is unique and versatile, while producing music that also feels like R&B.”
Frijas said he has always appreciated how J Boog’s music conveys messages of love, resilience and passion, and believes anyone would enjoy his music if given the chance.
The crowd was truly connected that night, holding up their hands in “shakas,” a gesture in Hawaiian culture that means “hang loose,” while shouting “Cheehoo!,” an exclamation of celebration originating from Samoan culture.
“(His music) is very ‘island-y,’ and it’s just calming and it brings you back home,” said a concert attendee from Guam, who discovered J Boog a year ago and instantly fell in love with his sound and energy.
Ernon Yamamoto, a fan of six years also from Guam, shared the sentiment and said J Boog’s music “just reminds (him) of home” and his Guamanian roots.
As the concert came to a close and J Boog stepped down from the stage, the crowd demanded an encore, so he came back for one more song with his guitarist Captain Kako, as well as a performance of his collaboration song with Common Kings, “No Other Love.”
As the night came to an end, J Boog and his band threw out autographed set lists to their fans and took a final bow together, off to the next city on their national tour.
