Alborosie

Roots reggae rose in the 1970s as a voice of resistance, echoing far beyond the Caribbean. For Sicilian-born Alberto D’Ascola—now known as Alborosie—reggae became a calling. “My reggae is 2025,” he says. Born in Marsala in 1977, he discovered the genre at 15 through a Bob Marley cassette and a TV ad playing “Jamming.” Soon, he taught himself instruments and formed Reggae National Tickets, a band that gave voice to Europe’s disillusioned youth. But he craved authenticity. At 18, he traveled to Jamaica, where repeated visits revealed reggae’s spiritual roots. In 2003, he left Italy for Kingston to pursue a solo career. Locals dubbed him “borosie”—a dismissive term he reclaimed as his stage name. Today, Alborosie bridges reggae’s past and present, blending roots with global sounds. “You look back for lessons,” he says, “but the goal is forward motion.” His ninth studio album, Nine Mile, dropped on October 24. Named for Bob Marley’s birthplace, it revisits the music that first inspired him, enriched by years of travel and collaboration. Expect vintage analog textures fused with bossa nova, rock, hip-hop, and pop. Lead singles include “Come My Way,” a soulful spin on Augustus Pablo’s classic riddim, and “Trench Town Legend,” a meditation on reggae’s enduring power. For Alborosie, music isn’t static, it’s a mission.