Rolling bass, one-drop snare, and a pointed finger at the people in power: “The Politicians” pairs Zion Head, the Jamaican-born, France-based singer Jonathan Holness, with Boomrush Backup, the Oldenburg backing band led by Felix Rühling, who have been cutting roots reggae in north-western Germany since 2006. The track sits firmly in the Peter Tosh protest-singer lineage, with Zion Head’s clear melodic delivery riding a live rhythm section that keeps the groove strict and the message sharp.

Holness grew up in Montego Bay, moved to France, and founded his Zed2diZee Music imprint in 2020 before breaking through with the 2022 EP Jah Watching and last year’s full-length Mount Zion, which featured Macka B, Anthony B, Yasus Afari, and Stranjah Miller. “The Politicians” continues the directness of cuts like “Police A Killer” and “What A Strategy”, turning the address outward toward elected power and holding governments to account over a heavy, live-played riddim.

The pairing speaks to how the modern European roots circuit actually functions: a Jamaican singer in France, a German backing band in Oldenburg, a single cut for the sound systems and festival stages that connect them. Boomrush Productions handles the release, adding another title to a catalogue that has steadily backed visiting Jamaican vocalists through its Oldenburg studio for nearly two decades.

Stream and listen to “The Politicians” HERE