When it comes to putting on some jams to smoke to, listeners have a ton of options for their personal choice. Having said that, reggae remains one of the most popular genres associated with cannabis, both culturally and in terms of how it sounds with a little THC in your system. This is why it felt natural to ask the Venezuelan band Rawayana to share a playlist with us to celebrate the high holiday of 4/20. As it turns out, their selections were both what we come to expect and surprising in the best way.
As one of Venezuela’s premier reggae-leaning projects, Rawayana have fused their melodic take on the Jamaican musical style with various other strains of sound, even collaborating with everyone from Natalia Lafourcade to McKlopedia. Their forthcoming fourth album, Cuando Los Acéfalos Predominan is expected to continue this exploration, as it will include collaborations with Los Amigos Invisibles—whose Cheo Pardo produced the album—as well as fellow Venezuelan emcee Akapellah. Their first full-length release in four years following 2016’s Trippy Caribbean will be released next May.
Although “Mi Amigo Luis”—the first single shared from the Cuando Los Acéfalos Predomina—sees them take on psychedelic neo soul, their roots are still in the rasta vibrations. Their playlist features selections from legends like Bob Marley and Sister Nancy to contemporary hip-hop from Aleman and Akapellah, as well as collaborations of their own with PJ Sin Suela, Irepelusa, and Jambene. The result is an eclectic and international collection of songs that will put you in the right mood for the holiday.
Sit back, relax, spark one, and press play.